Nearly 2,000 Iraqis Killed or Wounded in September

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Iraq Government Not Doing Enough to Protect Nationals Against ISIL Terrorists

A total of 717 Iraqis were killed and another 1,216 were wounded in acts of terrorism, violence and armed conflict in September 2015*, according to the UN mission in Iraq (UNAMI).

The number of civilians killed in September was 537 (including 42 civilian police and casualty figures in Anbar), and the number of civilians injured was 925 (including 38 civilian police and casualty figures in Anbar), said UNAMI.

Tens of thousands of people have been killed by ISIL in Iraq, and many more wounded, while thousands of women and girls from various minorities have been raped or kidnapped for sex slavery.

UNAMI Summary of Civilian Casualties since Nov. 2012

Month	Killed	Wounded
September 2015	537	925
August 2015	585	1103
July 2015	844	1616
June 2015	665	1032
May 2015	665	1313
April 2015	535	1456
March 2015	729	785
February 2015	611	1353
January 2015	790	1469
December 2014	680	1360
November 2014	936	1826
October 2014	856	1490
September 2014	854	1604
August 2014	1265	1198
July 2014	1186	1978
June 2014	1531	1763
May 2014	603	1108
April 2014	610	1311
March 2014	484	1104
February 2014	564	1179
January 2014	618	1052
December 2013	661	1201
November 2013	565	1186
October 2013	852	1793
September 2013	887	1957
August 2013	716	1936
July 2013	928	2109
June 2013	685	1610
May 2013	963	2191
April 2013	595	1481
March 2013	229	853
February 2013	418	704
January 2013	319	960
December 2012	230	655
November 2012	445	1306

Russia would consider Iraqi request for airstrikes – Speaker of Russia’s Upper House

Russian Federation Council Speaker, Valentina Matviyenko, has told reporters that her country would consider airstrikes against ISIL terrorists in Iraq if the Iraqi government makes such a request.

Russia’s sole objective would be to defeat ISIL, added Matviyenko, who is the country’s third most senior lawmaker after the president and prime minister.

“In case of an official address from Iraq to the Russian Federation, the leaders of our country would study the political and military expediency of our Air Force’s participation in an air operation. Presently we have not received such an address,” Matviyenko told reporters during an official visit to Jordan on Tuesday.

“I want to emphasize that Russia has no other political objectives and no interests other than the defeat of Islamic State [IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL] and that differs us from other nations that participate in another coalition,” Interfax news agency quoted her as saying.

“Although we have different approaches in positions on Syria, nevertheless, Russia and Jordan share understanding that terrorism is now the most serious threat,” she said at a meeting with President of Jordan’s Senate Abdelraouf al-Rawabdeh, TASS reported.

“We think that what we are witnessing now is, as a matter of fact, the third world war unleashed by terrorist forces against the civilized world,” Tass reported the President of Jordan’s Senate as saying.

*CAVEATS: In general, UNAMI has been hindered in effectively verifying casualties in conflict areas. Figures for casualties from Anbar Governorate are provided by the Health Directorate and are noted below. Casualty figures obtained from the Anbar Health Directorate might not fully reflect the real number of casualties in those areas due to the increased volatility of the situation on the ground and the disruption of services. In some cases, UNAMI could only partially verify certain incidents. UNAMI has also received, without being able to verify, reports of large numbers of casualties along with unknown numbers of persons who have died from secondary effects of violence after having fled their homes due to exposure to the elements, lack of water, food, medicines and health care. For these reasons, the figures reported have to be considered as the absolute minimum.

‘Catastrophic’ Fire Warnings Issued in SE Australia amid Worsening Heatwave

Bushfires breaking out in SE Australia as spring heatwave creates extreme conditions

Fire weather warnings have been issued for parts of the Australian states of Tasmania and Victoria as unusually high temperatures and strong winds threaten the country’s southeast, according to the Australian weather bureau.

Catastrophic fire conditions threaten Mallee, North Central, South West and Central districts, including the towns of Anglesea, Braeside and Tyabb in Victoria, said the weather bureau warning that winds of about 60 km/h with damaging gusts of 9up to 115 km/h would likely worsen the conditions.

In Tasmania, similar conditions threaten the Furneaux Islands, North East, East Coast, Midlands, Upper Derwent Valley and South East districts, said the bureau.

People have been warned to prepare for the extremes and review bushfire survival plans.

The bureau has also issued a separate “Severe Weather Warning” for damaging winds for people in the Furneaux Islands, North East, Western, East Coast and South East forecast districts.

“There are 24 bush, grass and scrub fires across the state (NSW), of which 10 remain uncontained,” a local fire official told reporters.

Unseasonably hot conditions are elevating the danger also in NSW, the ACT and Queensland.

Temperatures  are forecast to soar up to 15ºC above normal for this time of the year in multiple areas.

Australian Bureau of Meteorology has forecast the following highs for eastern state capitals:

• Sydney 33ºC
• Melbourne 35ºC
• Hobart 30ºC
• Canberra 31ºC
• Brisbane 31ºC

 

Major Disaster Declared in South Carolina

Federal Disaster Declared in South Carolina as Historic Rainfall, Catastrophic Flooding Cause Major Disaster

South Carolina Severe Storms and Flooding (DR-4241) Incident period: October 1, 2015 and continuing. Major Disaster Declaration declared on October 5, 2015

The White House has declared a major disaster exists in the State of South Carolina in the areas affected by severe storms and flooding that started on October 1, 2015 and continuing.

Areas that are worst affected by the extreme weather events include Charleston, Dorchester, Georgetown, Horry, Lexington, Orangeburg, Richland, and Williamsburg counties.

Major damage and losses have also occurred in Berkeley, Clarendon and Sumter counties, according to reports.

The Federal Coordinating Officer for federal recovery operations in the affected area said that damage surveys are continuing in other areas, and additional counties may be added to the disaster list after the assessments are fully completed.

Major Disaster

• About 65cm of rain have fallen in parts of South Carolina since Saturday, causing historic and catastrophic flooding.
• Up to 17 people have been killed in weather-related incidents across the region, most of them in South Carolina.
• Thousands of people have been evacuated or left their property voluntarily.
• Tens of thousands of people are without power or drinking water.
• A total of about 600 roads and bridges have been closed due to inundation and/or damage.
• Up to 20 dams have burst releasing large amounts of water and causing additional flooding.

Historic rainfall starting to taper off across Carolinas, threat of river flooding continues —NWS

The historic rainfall that has produced catastrophic flooding across the Carolinas is slowly beginning to taper off. Additional rainfall amounts of 1-2 inches are possible through Tuesday and moderate to major river flooding is forecast to continue through the remainder of the week.

Federal Disasters 2015

The federal government has proclaimed 37 Major Disaster Declaration [DR 4205-4241] for a U.S. state/tribal area/territory so far this year. Additionally, the government has issued two Emergency Declarations, EM-3372 and EM-3373, and 31 Fire Management Assistance Declarations, [FM-5084 to FM-5114] for the year to date.

See also:

• ‘Once-in-a-millennium’ Rainstorm Swamps South Carolina October 5, 2015
• Federal Emergency Declared for South Carolina October 4, 2015
• JOAQUIN Prompts States of Emergency Declarations in 5 States October 2, 2015

Latest Major Disaster Declarations

• Major Disaster Declared in California Wildfire [DR-4240]  September 23, 2015
• Major Disaster Declared in Kentucky [DR-4239] August 14, 2015
• Major Disasters Declared in Missouri, W. Virginia, Pine Ridge Reservation, S. Dakota [DR-4236 to DR-4238] August 9, 2015
• Super Typhoon SOUDELOR: Federal disaster declared for Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands [DR-4235] August 6, 2015
• Major Disaster Declared in Iowa [DR-4234] August 3, 2015
• Federal Disaster Declarations
• Drought
• Agricultural Disasters Index