FIRE-EARTH Extra – VLS Formations

CJ Members

 VLS Formations

• EXTRA session tomorrow (August 27) at 05:32 UTC

Typhoon GONI Causes Death and Destruction across Asia Pacific

GONI leaves a trail of death and destruction along its path

Typhoon GONI made landfall in the Philippines on August 22 bringing torrential rains, causing floods and landslides and prompting three provinces in northern Luzon to declare states of calamity.

The typhoon left at least 26 people dead, 15 missing and dozens injured. It destroyed or damaged more than 1,000 houses, forcing thousands to flee their homes.

It left about 70 people injured in southern Japan, prompting mass evacuations.

The typhoon caused transport chaos in Shanghai, China, forcing flight cancellations.

Heavy rains associated with the powerful storm system left at least 40 people dead in Rason City, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), and affected more than 11,000 others.

Flooding also destroyed or damaged at least 1,000 homes in the country, inundating farmlands and spoiling crops.

Hunger: 16 Percent of Zimbabwe Population Projected to be Food Insecure

Maize production in Zimbabwe falls by a half

About 1.5 million Zimbabweans—16 percent of the population—are projected to be food insecure this year, according to World Food Program (WFP).

The forecast follows a dramatic 50% fall in maize production and represents a 164 percent increase in food insecurity compared to the previous season.

The following are selected highlights from WFP report:

• About a third (28 percent) of children under age five in Zimbabwe are stunted, or have heights too low for their age, due to chronic malnutrition

• More than half (56 percent) of all children between the ages of 6 and 59 months suffer from anemia.

• Zimbabwe has about 4.3 million hectares of arable land, but only 2.8 million hectares were cultivated during the 2014/15 cropping season due to drought, high fuel costs, climatic shocks and other factors.

• The prevalence of food insecurity and absolute poverty are closely correlated. Poverty is most prevalent in rural areas, with 76 percent of rural households living on less than $1.25 per day, compared to 38 percent in urban areas.