FIRE-EARTH Report: Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan

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FIRE-EARTH Report 081602

Countries in Focus: Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan

• Report 081602 prepared by FIRE-EARTH Science and affiliated scientists.

Details available via FIRE-EARTH PULSARS.

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Latest FIRE-EARTH DIRECTIVES, ALERTS, FORECASTS, BULLETINS and MESSAGES available via FIRE-EARTH PULSARS.

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They screwed us for $4.8 trillion, and all we got for it was lousy ISIL

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The Most Lucrative War Racket Ever: $4.8 Trillion and Counting

A call to indict US and UK governments for war crimes, crimes against humanity and Grand Theft  of $4.8 trillion of taxpayers money.

[Prepared by an affiliated team of political scientists.]

• Report available from FIRE-EARTH PULSARS.

Background:

“US Budgetary Costs of Wars through 2016: $4.79 Trillion and Counting – Summary of Costs of the US Wars in Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan and Pakistan and Homeland Security

• “As of August 2016, the US has already appropriated, spent, or taken on obligations to spend more than $3.6 trillion in current dollars on the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Syria and on Homeland Security (2001 through fiscal year 2016). To this total should be added the approximately $65 billion in dedicated war spending the Department of Defense and State Department have requested for the next fiscal year, 2017, along with an additional nearly $32 billion requested for the Department of Homeland Security in 2017, and estimated spending on veterans in future years. When those are included, the total US budgetary cost of the wars reaches $4.79 trillion.” [That’s about $15,000 for every man, woman, child, and illegal immigrant in the country.]

M5.0 Quake Strikes HINDU KUSH REGION, AFGHANISTAN

CLA – BWK

Earthquake strikes NE of Kabul, Afghanistan

Earthquake Details

Magnitude: 5.0 mb [emsc-csem]
Region: HINDU KUSH REGION, AFGHANISTAN
Date/time: 2017-04-17 @ 23:04:35.6 UTC
Location: 36.53 N, 70.88 E
Depth: 188km
Distances:

• 271 km NE of Kabul, Afghanistan / pop: 3,044,000
• 70 km S of Fayzabad, Afghanistan / pop: 44,500
• 37 km S of Jarm, Afghanistan / pop: 12,200

Deadly Avalanches Hit Afghanistan and Pakistan

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Hundreds of people killed or injured as heavy snow, deadly avalanches bury parts of Afghanistan, Pakistan

• Details are available from FIRE-EARTH PULSARS.

Earthquakes Strike Guatemala, Alaska, Montana, Nevada

M5.7 quake strikes SW of Guatemala City

Magnitude: 5.7Mw [EMSC]
Location: 14.22 N ; 91.44 W
Depth: 100km [77.5km USGS/EHP]
Date/ time: 2016-06-15 13:46:58.7 UTC
Distances:

• 110 km SW of Guatemala City, Guatemala [pop: 994,938]
• 35 km S of Mazatenango, Guatemala [ pop: 44,132 ]
• 11 km SW of Pueblo Nuevo Tiquisate, Guatemala [pop: 18,189]

Alaska
M5.1 – 39km SW of Adak, Alaska
Location: 51.611°N 177.033°W
Depth: 48.2 km
Time: 2016-06-14 17:13:26 UTC

Montana
M4.0 – 52km W of West Yellowstone, Montana
Location: 44.733°N 111.765°W
Depth: 9.7km
Time: 2016-06-14 14:35:28 UTC

Nevada
M3.7 – 17km SSE of Gabbs, Nevada
Location: 38.721°N 117.842°W
Depth: 9.9 km
Time: 2016-06-15 10:12:24 UTC

Other Significant Seismicity

Afghanistan
M5.0 – 43km W of `Alaqahdari-ye Kiran wa Munjan, Afghanistan
Location: 36.097°N 70.301°E
Depth: 112.1 km
Time: 2016-06-15 09:02:16 UTC

Indonesia
M5.6 – 194km ESE of Enarotali, Indonesia
Location: 4.606°S 137.965°E
Depth: 10.0 km
Time: 2016-06-14 22:09:26 UTC

Japan
M5.6 – 171km SSE of Naze, Japan
Location: 26.948°N 130.188°E
Depth: 6.0 km
Time: 2016-06-14 15:01:56 UTC

Vanuatu
M5.2 – 66km NW of Sola, Vanuatu
Location: 13.428°S 167.147°E
Depth: 222.4 km
Time: 2016-06-15 13:31:17 UTC

Another Strong Earthquake Rattles Hindu Kush

M6.6 quake jolts Hindu Kush Region, Afghanistan

Centered at 36.492°N, 71.156°E the quake struck at a depth of 210.4km, reported USGS/EHP.

The quake was felt within a 400-km radius of the epicenter, in as many as six countries, and as far south as northern Faisalabad, Pakistan.

EQ Details

Magnitude: 6.6Mw [Subject to change due to procedural issues at USGS/EHP]

Location: 36.492°N 71.156°E depth=210.4 km (130.7 mi)
Time: 2016-04-10 10:28:58 (UTC)
Distances:

• 39.0 km (24.2 mi) WSW of Ashkasham, Afghanistan
• 48.0 km (29.8 mi) WSW of Ishkashim, Tajikistan
• 50.0 km (31.1 mi) SE of Jarm, Afghanistan
• 86.0 km (53.4 mi) SE of Fayzabad, Afghanistan
• 282.0 km (175.2 mi) NE of Kabul, Afghanistan

A deadly earthquake measuring  7.5Mw struck the Hindu Kusnh region on October 26, 2015 killing at least 300 people with more than  2,000 others injured.

The quake has affected a vast region, and caused major devastation to multiple communities.

In 2005, a magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck the Pakistan-administered Kashmir, killing more than 75,000 people.

Related Links

• Strong Earthquake Strikes Hindu Kush Region, Afghanistan December 26, 2015
• Deadly Hindu Kush Earthquake – Update October 27, 2015
• Deadly Earthquake Strikes N. Afghanistan October 26, 2015

Genocide in Yemen

Saudi-led coalition exposing Yemeni population to a ‘deadly combination of violence, disease and deprivation’

The following statement is attributable to the UNICEF Representative in Yemen

 “With no end in sight to the deadly conflict in Yemen, nearly 10 million children inside the country are now facing a new year of pain and suffering.

“Continuous bombardment and street fighting are exposing children and their families to a deadly combination of violence, disease and deprivation.

“The direct impact of the conflict on children is hard to measure. The statistics confirmed by the UN (747 children killed and another 1,108 injured since March last year; 724 children pressed into some form of military activity) tell only part of the story. But they are shocking enough in themselves.

“The broader effects of the violence on innocent civilians extend much further. Children make up at least half of the 2.3 million people estimated to have been displaced from their homes, and of the more than 19 million people struggling to get water on a daily basis; 1.3 million children under five face the risk of acute malnutrition and acute respiratory tract infections. And at least 2 million children cannot go to school.

“Public services like health, water and sanitation have been decimated and cannot meet the ever-increasing needs of a desperate population. Few of the 7.4 million children requiring protection (including psycho-social support to help deal with the effects of their exposure to violence) will actually receive it.

“The longer-term consequences of all this for Yemen — which was already the Middle East’s poorest nation even before the conflict — can only be guessed at.

Record Afghan casualties exceeded 11,000 in 2015

Violence in Afghanistan left more than 11,000 dead or wounded last year, making 2015 a record year for  civilian casualties, reported the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA).

The casualties (3,545 killed and 7,457 wounded) included an unprecedented number of children, with one in four casualties being a child, UNAMA reported Sunday.

“This report records yet another rise in the number of civilians hurt or killed. The harm done to civilians is totally unacceptable,” said a senior UN official.

“we are a killer nation, at home and abroad”

Sent by a reader

The following essay is written by Dan Simpson, a former U.S. ambassador, is a Post-Gazette associate editor (dsimpson@post-gazette. com, 412-263-1976.)

Dan Simpson: Peace on Earth? Not until the U.S. stops selling arms and making war

By Dan Simpson / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Reviewing the bidding on the United States at the end of 2015, I conclude that we are a killer nation, at home and abroad.

The segment of our society that benefits most from this role, again, at home and abroad, is the arms industry. At home, it sells the guns that are used, virtually without control, to slaughter innocent groups of people, including in churches and schools. Our corrupt and conscienceless federal and state legislators lack the courage and brains to stop it. […]

Overseas, we are considered killers. Other countries can only pray to their chosen god or gods that the United States does not decide to work its will on them, whether it be to impose a form of government we think they should adopt or to cite some supposed wrong they have committed as an excuse to pour bombs down upon them or send drones to kill their leaders.

Like it or not, that is our reputation. Most foreigners I meet think we are crazy. Virtually all think we are a danger to world society. […]

We are in Afghanistan, where we started in 2001 right after 9/​11. We are in Iraq, where President George W. Bush took us on false premises in 2003 to get himself re-elected as a wartime president. […]

We have lost 2,332 troops in Afghanistan over the past 14 years — another six last week — and 4,425 in Iraq. […]

Why are we doing this? I thought the argument Ronald Reagan made in 1986, that if we didn’t fight the Communists in Nicaragua we would have to fight them in Harlingen, Texas, was as dead as the charlatans who governed us at that time.

In support of our ally and major arms purchaser, Saudi Arabia, we have helped to destroy Yemen. The Saudis have bombed it into the Stone Age, and I have yet to hear anyone in the White House or the Pentagon say there are no U.S. pilots in Saudi cockpits. Yemen already was the poorest country in the Middle East. Read more…

 

Strong Earthquake Strikes Hindu Kush Region, Afghanistan

M6.3 quake strikes NE Afghanistan

Centered at 36.500°N, 71.132°E, about 280km NE of Kabul, Afghanistan the event occurred at a depth of 203.4km, reported USGS/EHP.

EQ Details
Magnitude: 6.3Mw
Location: 36.500°N, 71.132°E – 41km WSW of Ashkasham, Afghanistan
Depth: 203.4km
Time: 2015-12-25 19:14:47 UTC
Distances:

• 40 km SW of Ishqoshim, Tajikistan [pop: 26,000]
• 85 km SE of Fayzabad, Afghanistan [pop: 44,421]
• 280km NE of Kabul, Afghanistan [pop: 3.73 million]
• 280 km N of Peshāwar, Pakistan [pop: 1.22 million]

Recent Events in Hindu Kush Region

• Deadly Hindu Kush Earthquake – Update October 27, 2015
• Deadly Earthquake Strikes N. Afghanistan October 26, 2015

Asylum Seekers from 149 Countries Arrive in EU

800,000+ first time asylum seekers registered in EU (Jan – Sep 2015)

Citizens of 149 countries sought asylum for the first time in the EU in the third quarter of 2015. The largest number of asylum seekers came from Syria (138,000), Afghanistan (56,700) and Iraq (44,400), eurostat reported.

The number of asylum-seekers in the EU-28 during the third quarter of 2015 reached 430,600 (i.e. including repeat applicants), reported eurostat. This was 250,400 more than Q3 of 2014. Some 413,800 of the asylum applicants (96 %) were first time applicants.

The number of Syrians and Iraqis seeking international protection more than
tripled in Q3 of 2015 compared with the previous quarter, reaching about 138,000 and 44,500 respectively; while the number of Afghans applicants doubled to more than 56,500, said the report.

“Asylum applicants from Iraq (11 times more) recorded the most substantial relative increase in the EU in the third quarter of 2015 compared to the same quarter of 2014 followed by Albanians (nearly 8 times more), Afghanis (almost 6 times more), Pakistanis (4 times more) and Syrians (3 times more).”

The highest number of first time asylum applicants in Q3 of 2015 registered in Germany and Hungary (both with just over 108,000 applicants, or 26% each of total applicants in the EU Member States), followed by Sweden (42,500, or 10%), Italy (28,400, or 7%) and Austria (27,600, or 7%). These 5 Member States together account for more than 75% of all first time applicants in the EU-28.

About 33% of first-time asylum seekers originated from Syria.

• More than 410 000 first time asylum seekers registered in the third quarter of 2015.
• Over 210 000 first time asylum seekers in the EU in the second quarter of 2015.
• At least 185 000 first time asylum seekers in the EU in the first quarter of 2015.

At the end of September 2015, more than 808,000 applications for asylum protection in the EU Member States were still under consideration by the responsible national authority.

[Note: First time applicant for international protection is a person who lodges an application for asylum for the first time in an EU-28 Member State.]

Eurostat News releases

• More than 410,000 first time asylum seekers registered in the third quarter of 2015
• Over 210,000 first time asylum seekers in the EU in the second quarter of 2015
• 185,000 first time asylum seekers in the EU in the first quarter of 2015

Afghanistan-Pakistan Earthquake – UPDATE

Deadly earthquake: Clearer picture of death and destruction emerging

Background: A magnitude 7.5Mw earthquake struck northern Afghanistan on October 26, killing hundreds of people, leaving more than 2,000 others injured, and damaging or destroying about 120,000 homes in Pakistan, Afghanistan and India.

The deadly quake was centered at 36.441°N 70.717°E, about 254km NNE of Kabul, striking at a depth a depth of 212.5 km, USGS/EHP reported.

Casualties by country

Pakistan: 28o dead; 1,982 injured
Afghanistan: 115 dead; 538 injured
India: 4 dead; 20 injured
Tajikistan: No reported death; 14 injured
Total: 399 dead;  2,554 injured, as of posting.

In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), the worst affected area, 31 percent of the fatalities were women and 38 per cent children, OCHA quoted the officials as saying.

Hundreds of casualties were also reported in Federally Administered Tribal Area (FATA), Pakistan Administered Kashmir/Gilgit Baltistan, and Punjab, said the report.

Deadly Hindu Kush Earthquake – Update

Hundreds dead, thousands injured, major destruction reported in Hindu Kush earthquake

Death toll in the M7.5 quake that occurred in the Hindu Kusnh region on Monday has claimed about 300 people and left more than  2,000 others injured so far, according to local reports. The casualty toll is expected to rise as rescue workers reach remote mountainous areas of Afghanistan and Pakistan devastated by the event.

The quake has affected a vast region, and caused major devastation to multiple communities.

In 2005, a magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck Pakistan-administered Kashmir, killing more than 75,000 people.

In April this year, Nepal was struck by its deadliest earthquake on record, killing as many as 10,000 people and destroying or damaging nearly one million homes.

Related Links

• Deadly Earthquake Strikes N. Afghanistan October 26, 2015

Deadly Earthquake Strikes N. Afghanistan

UPDATE: The event posted earlier has been downgraded to a magnitudes 7.5Mw.

M7.5 earthquake strikes northern Afghanistan

The earthquake parameters may be subject to additional changes due to procedural issues at USGS/EHP.

Centered at 36.441°N 70.717°E, about 254km NNE of Kabul, the quake occurred at a depth of 212.5 km, USGS/EHP reported.

USGS has issued an “Orange” alert level for shaking-related fatalities. This means significant casualties are possible and the disaster is potentially widespread. Past events with this alert level have required a regional or national level response.

• Scores of fatalities and hundreds of injuries have been reported in Afghanistan, India and Pakistan. Death toll is likely to rise.

EQ Details
Magnitude: 7.5Mw (downgraded from 7.7)
Location:36.441°N 70.717°E depth=212.5 km (132.1 mi)
Time:2015-10-26 09:09:32 (UTC)
Distances:

• 45km (28mi) N of `Alaqahdari-ye Kiran wa Munjan
• 48km (30mi) SSW of Jarm
• 76km (47mi) S of Fayzabad
• 77km (48mi) WSW of Ashkasham
• 150km E of Konduz (FEWW)
• 254km (158mi) NNE of Kabul

At least two aftershock measuring 4.8 and 4.7Mw reported as of posting.

Latest map of the 881 felt reports collected through LastQuake amsrtphone app and EMSC websites

Earthquake location Map. Source: USGS/EHP.

The quake was felt across a vast region including India, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Nepal and Western China.

Related Links

• For previous quakes in the region use search term “Hindu Kush”

Deep Earthquake Strikes N. Afghanistan

M7.7 quake strikes 45km SSW of Jarm, Afghanistan

Centered at 36.463°N, 70.712°E, about 256km NNE of Kabul, the quake occurred at a depth of 213.5 km, USGS/EHP reported.

The quake was felt across a vast region including India, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Nepal  and Western China.

… continued

Global Emergencies: Afghanistan, Iraq, Dominican Republic

Millions of Afghans are food insecure: Report

At least 1.5 million people in Afghanistan are severely food insecure, while 7.3 million others are moderately food insecure, said ACAPS. Food security among IDPs is worsening, with about 200,000 people in need of immediate assistance.

Afghanistan has been in protracted conflict for almost thirty five years, which has seriously hampered poverty reduction and development, strained the fabric of society and depleted its coping mechanisms. Additionally, over the past five years, armed non-state actors have challenged the territorial control of the Government and expanded the geographical scope of the conflict beyond the southern and eastern regions of the country.

… conflict and natural disasters have left many Afghans living without proper shelter. These include families who lost their homes during spring floods in the north, refugee families from North Waziristan who have fled their home to Khost and the neighbouring province of Paktika, and families displaced internally in the last year due to conflict. [OCHA]

Iraq: IDP Emergency

Some 827,964 people were internally displaced in August, making up 25 percent of the total IDP population. “The proportion of IDPs living in critical shelter arrangements increased by 2% in the second half of August. Reports of forcible evictions are increasing, and many governorates are enforcing restrictions on IDP movement. Half of all health personnel have left Anbar, Ninewa, Salah al Din and Diyala governorates.”

About 8.6 million Iraqis are in need of humanitarian assistance.

Dominican Republic: Severe Drought, Crop Losses  

At least 1.6 million people have reportedly been affected by the lingering drought that has plagued the country since last year. “The breakdown in the production of hydroelectrical power has caused energy blackouts nationwide, and water rationing is being implemented. Crop losses amount to tens of millions of dollars.”

Refugee, Migrant Arrivals by Sea Surpass a Record 430,000: IOM

Updated

More than 432,000 refugees, migrants arrive in Europe by sea since January, with 2,748 recorded fatalities

An estimated 432,761 asylum-seeking refugees and migrants have reached Europe by sea in 2015 so far this year (as of September 10, 2015), reported the International Organization for Migration (IOM). “This figure is double the amount of arrivals in the Mediterranean for the entire 2014, emphasizing the scale of the current migration emergency.”

About 70% of the arrivals were registered in Greece (309,356 people), and 28% in Italy (121,139 people). At least 2,748 migrants have lost their lives in the Mediterranean Sea (year to September 10), while 2,223  migrant deaths were recorded in 2014, according to Missing Migrants*.

Greece, the largest arrival portal, registered about 246,000 people: over 70% came from Syria alone (175,375), while the other main countries of origin were Afghanistan (50,177), Pakistan (11,289), and Iraq (9,059) between January 1 and August 31. (Additionally, more than 50,000 migrants and refugees have arrived in Greece since the beginning of September, IOM estimates).

Italy recorded 116,149 arrivals during the same period—a 3% increase compared with last year—with the bulk of refugees and migrants coming from Eritrea (30,708), Nigeria (15,113), Somalia (8,790), Sudan (7,126), Syria (6,710), and Gambia (5,514), said the report.

At various border crossings between Greece and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) IOM staff recorded that more than 3,000 migrants were in the area passing the borders in groups of 50 every 20 minutes in recent days. Fewer than 50% of the migrants and refugees were nationals from Iraq and Syria, most of them families with little children. The rest were mainly nationals from Afghanistan and Pakistan along with some from Sub-Saharan Africa. Many were also speaking Greek, confirming the fact that along with recent arrivals, there were also those who have lived for years in Greece, wanting now to head to Northern and Western Europe.

More than 450,000 migrants have entered Germany so far this year, with a total of at least 800,000  expected for all of 2015.

*[Some 39 migrants, including 4 infants and 11 older children, drowned on their way to Greece in two separate incidents last weekend, reported AP. ]

Related Links

• ISIL Terraforming Syria for Israeli Expansion September 11, 2015
• Half of Syria’s Prewar Population Have Fled Their Homes August 31, 2015

U.S. Deadly Heroin Epidemic Reaches New Heights

UPDATED

Heroin Addiction more than doubled among young adults ages 18–25 in 10 years: CDC

Heroin addiction and related overdose deaths are climbing in the U.S. In 2013, an average of 2.6 people—3.6 male and 1.6 female—per 1,000, or a total of about 800,000 people across the nation, were addicted to the deadly opioid drug, with 2.9 people per 100,000 killed by overdose, according to a report published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The number of male heroin-addicts in the U.S. increased by 50% from 2.4 to 3.6 per 1,000 people, and the female from 0.8 to 1.6 (up 100%), between the period 2002-2004 and 2011-2013.

Heroin use has more than doubled among young adults ages 18–25 in the past decade, while overdose related deaths have soared to 8,200—a threefold jump—in just three years (2010–2013).

Heroin use has increased across the US among men and women, most age groups, and all income levels. Some of the greatest increases occurred in demographic groups with historically low rates of heroin use: women, the privately insured, and people with higher incomes. Not only are people using heroin, they are also abusing multiple other substances, especially cocaine and prescription opioid painkillers. As heroin use has increased, so have heroin-related overdose deaths. Between 2002 and 2013, the rate of heroin-related overdose deaths nearly quadrupled, and more than 8,200 people died in 2013. States play a central role in prevention, treatment, and recovery efforts for this growing epidemic. —CDC

According to the report:

• The heroin-related overdose death rate increased 286% from 2002 to 2013.
• The heroin-related overdose death rate increased from 1.0 to 2.7 persons between 2010 and 2013.
• The main drivers of heroin epidemic are non-Hispanic whites, women and wealthy people.
• Between 2002 and 2013, the rate of heroin-related overdose deaths nearly quadrupled, and more than 8,200 people died in 2013.

Heroin use is part of a larger substance abuse problem

• Nearly all people who used heroin also used at least 1 other drug. Most used at least 3 other drugs.
• Heroin is a highly addictive opioid drug with a high risk of overdose and death for users.
• People who are addicted to…
• Alcohol are 2 times more likely to become addicted to heroin.
• Marijuana are 3 times more likely to become addicted to heroin.
• Cocaine are 15 times more likely to become addicted to heroin..
• Prescription opioid painkillers are 40 times more likely to become addicted to heroin.

SOURCE: National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), 2011-2013.
SOURCE: Multiple Cause of Death Files from the National Vital Statistics System, 2002-2013.
SOURCE: CDC Vitalsigns, July 2015

Where does the heroin come from?

Heroine is manufactured  from Opium. About 90% of the world’s heroin originates in Afghanistan. The deadly drug has a market value of about $70 billion, with a worldwide captive audience of 25 million addicts. Heroin is killing more than 1 million people each year (conservative estimates).

About 10 kilograms of opium is used to manufacture one kilogram of heroin.

Based on recent data on the morphine content of Afghan opium, the heroin conversion ratio, which describes the amount of opium needed to produce a kilogram of heroin, has been updated. For converting opium to pure heroin base, a ratio of 18.5:1 is estimated; for heroin of export quality [impure heroin of 52% purity with morphine content 12.3% in the opium and 34% laboratory efficiency,] a ratio of 9.6:1 [9.1:1 to 10.2:1] is estimated. —UNODC

In 2007, Afghanistan cultivated 193,000 hectares of opium poppies, and favorable weather conditions helped produce opium yields of 42.5 kg per hectare compared with  37.0 kg/ha previous year, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

“As a result, in 2007 Afghanistan produced an extraordinary 8,200 tons of opium (34% more than in 2006), becoming practically the exclusive supplier of the world’s deadliest drug (93% of the global opiates market). Leaving aside 19th century China, that had a population at that time 15 times larger than today’s Afghanistan, no other country in the world has ever produced narcotics on such a deadly scale.”

In 2013, The Drug Enforcement Administration seized a total of 2,196 kilograms of heroin in the U.S., up from about 500 kilograms annually between 2002-2008.

In the same year, coalition forces seized about 41,000 kilograms of opium out of about 5,500,000 kilograms produced in Afghanistan, and destroyed a tiny fraction of poppy fields in the country.

In 2014, Afghanistan’s poppy cultivation increased 7 percent, to a record 224,000 (200,000-250,500) hectares; however, the yield was lower than the 2007 record crop year due to poor weather. Potential opium production was estimated at 6,400 metric tons, an increase of17% on 2013 production (5,500 tons), while total eradication of opium poppy decreased by 63%, to only 2,692 hectares, according to UNODC.

[Afghanistan national average price of dry opium, weighted by regional production, was US$133/kg in 2014, down 23% from previous year.]

Global Disasters/ Significant Events – March 23, 2015

Iraqi Kurdistan nears breaking point

More than 1 million people internally displaced by the terrorist group ISIL, recently calling itself Islamic State (IS), in Addition to 225,000 refugees from Syria are taking a devastating economic and social toll on Iraqi Kurdistan, says IRIN.

“The population of the semi-autonomous region has grown by 28 percent in the space of 12 months, piling pressure on education and health services. With further military offensives planned against IS, there are fears that yet more people will seek safety in the region.”

“The scale of the influx has created significant competition for jobs, pushing down wages and household incomes across the board, while demand for water, electricity and waste management is outstripping supply.”

Displaced women and girls trapped in Afghanistan’s cities

Seven out of 10 displaced Afghan female say they have never attended a school. They also face “significant constraints” to health and employment opportunities, according to a new report by the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC).

• “We are imprisoned in our tents and we don’t have permission to go out. What is this sort of life worth?” says a 24 year-old woman from the Helmand province, internally displaced in Kabul and one of the respondents in the report.

• “We are being sold in exchange for money like animals. Our rights are ignored; we are often sold to widowers, blind men, disabled or old men and we have no choice to refuse marrying them”, says a 23 year-old woman from the Muhammad Aghai district in the Logar province, now living in a camp for internally displaced in Kabul.

• Displaced women and girls across Afghanistan cities are suffering unacceptable levels of hunger and high levels of psychological trauma, without any mental health assistance support to turn to, says the report.

Iraqi Kurdistan nears breaking point

More than 1 million people internally displaced by the terrorist group ISIL, recently calling itself Islamic State (IS), in Addition to 225,000 refugees from Syria are taking a devastating economic and social toll on Iraqi Kurdistan, says IRIN.

“The population of the semi-autonomous region has grown by 28 percent in the space of 12 months, piling pressure on education and health services. With further military offensives planned against IS, there are fears that yet more people will seek safety in the region.”

“The scale of the influx has created significant competition for jobs, pushing down wages and household incomes across the board, while demand for water, electricity and waste management is outstripping supply.”

Critical Food Insecurity in Central African Republic (CAR)

Farmers in the CAR urgently need seeds and tools for the planting season in April to prevent further deterioration of their livelihoods in the conflict-stricken country, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said today.

Some 1.5 million people are currently food insecure across the country and this figure is likely to rise in the absence of immediate support. Additionally, the significant food shortages across the country could worsen, population movements could result in increased tension, the return of displaced persons and refugees to their villages could be delayed.

Refugee Crisis in Cameroon

The number of internally displaced people in the north has nearly doubled since 10 February, to 117,000,  bringing the total number of displaced in Cameroon to an estimated 412,700, including 66,000 who are fleeing Boko Haram violence in Nigeria and the remainder from the Central African Republic.

More than 120,000 displaced amid fighting in southern Philippines

More than 120,000 people have fled their homes since late January after fighting broke out between government forces and armed groups in the southern Philippines island of Mindanao, reported UNHCR.

The number of displaced is expected to rise as the fighting spreads to local communities hosting the displaced, said the UN refugee agency.

An estimated 13 municipalities in Maguindanao and North Cotabato have been affected in eight weeks of clashes between the state security forces and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, said the report.

Some of the IDPs are sheltering in schools and public buildings, with unknown numbers staying with friends or relatives, according to UNHCR.

Global Disasters/ Significant Events – March 7, 2015

Death toll from severe weather in Afghanistan rises to at least 308

Some 182 districts in 20 provinces have been affected by heavy snow, avalanches and flooding, which have killed at least 308 people, injured 187 others and completely destroyed 4,776 houses, government sources said.

The number of casualties is expected to  rise, with more severe weather forecast for northern and central Afghanistan.

Worsening Food Insecurity and Water Shortages in Ethiopia

Pocket areas that received inadequate seasonal rainfall in 2014 and/or had a poor harvest due to flooding or crop disease will remain vulnerable in early 2015.

Food insecurity is worsening in belg/gu/ganna/sugum rain-receiving areas, as the dry season reaches its peak. Delayed rains and the expected below-average seasonal rainfall will impact belg planting, as well as water and pasture availability in pastoralist areas, said UN OCHA.

Refugee Crisis

Ethiopia hosts the largest refugee population in Africa with 656,199 registered refugees including 251,545 South Sudanese refugees, 196,000 new arrivals in Gambella since mid-December 2013, and 125,000 Eritreans.

33,000 new Eritrean arrivals registered in 2014 (including unaccompanied minors).

Latest Global Emergencies – February 2015

7 Million Afghans in need of humanitarian aid

Afghanistan: Some 3,700 civilians were killed and 6,850 others wounded in 2014, a 22% increase in casualties on 2013; there were 21% more women and 40% more children casualties (UNAMA/UNHCHR, 18/02/2015).

About 7 million are in need of humanitarian aid in 2015. Badghis, Helmand, Kunar, Nangarhar, and Wardak most need assistance (UNICEF, 21/01/2015, OCHA, 25/11/2014).

• At least 805,400 IDPs were reported as of January 2015 (UNHCR, 31/12/2014).
• 3.4 million people are severely food insecure, while 5.4 million need access to health services and 1.7 million need protection (IPC, 01/11/2014).
• 517,600 children under five suffer from Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM), and eight provinces show Global Acute Malnutrition (GAM) rates above 15%, breaching the emergency threshold. (UNICEF, 21/01/2015, OCHA, 31/07/2014).

Meantime, multiple avalanches in Afghanistan have buried more than a dozen villages killing hundreds of people and leaving many missing. The number is expected to rise, officials said.

Bolivia: Drought and Deluge

Drought has destroyed at least 120,000 hectares of soy crops and affecetd an addition 240,000 hectares in the municipalities of Cuatro Cañadas and Pailón in the eastern department of Santa Cruz, said the Association of Oilseed and Wheat Producers (ANAP), said a report.

Meantime, extreme rain events, severe hailstorms and widespread flooding  have affected 54 municipalities in six other Bolivian departments, 30 of which have declared states of emergency, killing dozens of people, affecting up to 100,000 people and destroying more than 8,000 hectares of crops.

Myanmar: Some 90,000 people have been displaced due to continuing violence between government troops and multiple armed groups in Kokang, Shan state. —ACAS

Kenya: The number of reported cholera cases has risen in the past week to 644, from 186. The outbreak was declared in Homa Bay, Migori, and Nairobi counties on 13 February. at least 17 people have died, most in Migori, and there are fears that the outbreak will spread due to the lack of safe drinking water. —ACAS

Nigeria: At least 564 cholera cases have been reported in Nigeria since January, with a fatality of rate of 8.3%. A resurgence of cases has occurred in Kano and Kaduna states. —ACAS

Mozambique and Malawi: Cholera Outbreak – Feb 2015

A cholera outbreak in Mozambique (started on 25 Dec 2014) has been exacerbated by extensive flooding since January 2015. As of 22 Feb, a total of 3,478 cholera cases had been recorded, with a death toll of 37. New cases continue to be reported in the provinces of Nampula, Niassa and Tete. (OCHA, 23 Feb 2015)

Malawi: On 13 Feb, the first confirmed case of cholera was registered in the country, whci borders Mozambique. To date 34 cases, including two deaths, have been confirmed in Nsanje district (all outside displacement sites), while another five cases were confirmed in Mwanza district. (OCHA, 25 Feb 2015)

Dominican Republic:
Heavy rainfall starting in mid-February 2015 caused flooding and landslides in the Dominican Republic. As of 21 Feb, more than 4,000 houses had been affected and 20,000 people were seeking shelter with family and friends. A red alert was in effect for three provinces. (Govt, 21 Feb 2015/Reliefweb/)

Southeast Europe
Torrential rains have caused major flooding in the southern and south-eastern parts of Albania since the beginning of February 2015. Some 42,000 people have been affected, numerous houses have been damaged, more than 3,500 heads of livestock killed, and 17,000 acres of farm land flooded. The Albanian Government is preparing to declare a state of emergency for the worst affected areas. (IFRC, 6 Feb 2015)

Macedonia: Torrential rains and snow melt have caused severe flooding the eastern region of the country. More than 170,000 people have been affected. (ECHO, 6 Feb 2015)

Bulgaria and Greece have also been affected by flooding.

Peru: Torrential rains and hail have triggered flooding and landslides, affecting several parts of Peru including Arequipa, Loreto, Cusco, Amazonas, and San Martin. Since the beginning of February 2015, various districts of the forest areas were under a state of emergency as a result of weeks of rains. In the departments of Loreto and San Martín, more than 30,000 people have been affected and 2,000 are homeless. An orange alert is active for the Amazon River and a red alert is active for other major rivers at the Peruvian jungle. Authorities are coordinating to provide aid to people affected by the ongoing rains, hail, flooding, and landslides. (OCHA, 9 Feb 2015)

Chile: Thousands of hectares of land stretching from northern to southern Chile have been affected by drought for eight years.

In many parts of Chile, January was one of the driest since records began, exacerbating the ongoing drought that started in 2007, said a Chilean meteorologist.

The drought is also hampering copper production, a water-intensive operation, in the world’s largest producer of the metal, said a report.

 

Deadly Avalanches Bury Afghan Villages

Hundreds Killed in Afghanistan Avalanches

Hundreds have been killed in recent avalanches in Afghanistan and the number is expected to rise, according to the authorities.

At least a dozen avalanches triggered by heavy snowfall this week, have buried multiple villages across several provinces in Afghanistan.

Panjshir province, north of Kabul, is said to be the worst hit area, with about 200 lives lost.

Hundreds of people remain cut off, with roads buried under heavy snow.

 

 

 

Afghan Civilian Casualties to Reach 10,000 in 2014 – UN

Afghanistan civilian casualties: 3,188 killed, 6,429 wounded (Jan-Nov 2014)

The number of civilian casualties in Afghanistan is forecast to top 10,000, the highest annual casualty figure on record, says UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA).

With 3,188 civilian deaths and 6,429 injuries in the first 11 months of 2014, the mission warns that by year’s end the number of victims is likely to top 10,000, the highest since 2009, when the UNAMA began keeping records, and a rise of 19 percent compared with 2013.

Most of the casualties, more than 75 percent, is blamed on “the insurgent groups,” while pro-Government forces were responsible for about 12 percent of civilian casualties, said the Director of Human Rights at UNAMA.

The latest data shows an increase of 33 percent in children casualties and 14 percent in women casualties, said the UN.

UNAMA has recorded a total of 17,252 civilian deaths and 29,536 injuries since it began keeping casualty records in 2009.

Hundreds Dead or Missing in Afghanistan Floods

EXTREME RAIN EVENTS
DEADLY FLOODING
MEGA DISASTER
MASS DISPLACEMENT
SCENARIOS 444, 070, 023, 09
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Another round of deadly floods destroy thousands of homes in Afghanistan

Flash flooding in northern Afghanistan has killed at least 80 people and forced thousands to flee their homes, authorities said.

At least 2,000 homes have been destroyed and roads and bridges washed away in what has been described as a “major disaster.”

Flooding and landslides have plagued northern Afghanistan since late April, affecting tens of thousands of villagers.

In May, two Mega Landslides killed thousands of people and buried a large section of the main north-south road in the Tashkurghan gorge , effectively cutting off the north of the country.

• At least 2,500 people were killed after the two massive landslides in NE Afghanistan.

• The landslide site was designated as a ‘mass grave’ by the provincial governor of Badakhshan province.

• More than 1,000 houses have been destroyed or affected by the massive landslide

• The landslide buried entire villages and left thousands of people homeless according to the UN mission in Afghanistan.

• The disaster is the latest in a series of calamities caused by extreme rain events and flooding in which hundreds of people  in north and east Afghanistan have perished.

• “There were more than 1,000 families living in that village. A total of 2,100 people – men, women and children – are trapped,” a spokesman for the provincial governor told Reuters.

• “As the part of the mountain which collapsed is so big, we don’t believe anyone would survive. The government and locals from surrounding villagers are helping with the rescue, and so far they have recovered more then a hundred bodies.”

In late April, a major landslide buried entire villages leaving hundreds dead, and many more injured  in northeastern Afghanistan.

Flash floods in northern Afghanistan destroyed dozens of villages and thousands of homes, killing at least 350 people, and leaving many others missing. Hundreds more are injured and tens of thousands reportedly displaced.

The floods followed a two-day extreme rain event, which inundated three provinces of Faryab, Jowzjan and Sar-e Pul, said Afghanistan’s Natural Disaster Management Agency.

The floods destroyed dozens of villages leaving tens of thousands of farm animals dead, the agency said.

Flash flood triggered a massive  landslide in NE Afghanistan destroying  dozens of village and leaving at least 350 people dead. Thousands of farm animals also perished.

Related Links

• Thousands Dead or Missing in Afghanistan Landslide May 3, 2014
• Hundreds Dead or Missing in N Afghanistan Flash Floods April 25, 2014

Thousands Dead or Missing in Afghanistan Landslide

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MEGA LANDSLIDE
MAJOR DISASTER
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UPDATE 23:55UTC –

At least 2,500 people are feared dead after the two landslides in NE Afghanistan.

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UPDATE 14:00UTC –

• Some 2,185 people are confirmed dead and more than 4,000 others displaced.

• The landslide site has been designated as a ‘mass grave’ by the provincial governor of Badakhshan province.

• More than 1,000 houses have been destroyed or affected by the massive landslide

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Mega landslide kills  2,185 people, buries scores of homes in NE Afghanistan

Hundreds of homes were buried in mud, rocks and derbies and hundreds more  affected by a mega landslide after extreme rain events caused a section of a mountain to collapse in the remote, mountainous Badakhshan province, NE Afghanistan.

The landslide has buried entire villages and left thousands of people homeless according to the UN mission in Afghanistan.

The disaster is the latest in a series of calamities caused by extreme rain events and flooding in which hundreds of people  in north and east Afghanistan have perished.

“There were more than 1,000 families living in that village. A total of 2,100 people – men, women and children – are trapped,” a spokesman for the provincial governor told Reuters.

“As the part of the mountain which collapsed is so big, we don’t believe anyone would survive. The government and locals from surrounding villagers are helping with the rescue, and so far they have recovered more then a hundred bodies.”

Hundreds Dead or Missing in N Afghanistan Flash Floods

EXTREME WEATHER & CLIMATIC EVENTS
DEADLY FLASH FLOODS
LARGE SCALE DESTRUCTION
MASS DISPLACEMENT
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Deadly Floods Destroy Thousands of Homes in N. Afghanistan, Leaving Scores Dead, Many Missing

Flash floods in northern Afghanistan have destroyed dozens of villages and thousands of homes, killing at least 120 people, and leaving many others missing. Hundreds more are injured and tens of thousands reportedly displaced.

The floods followed a two-day extreme rain event, which inundated three provinces of Faryab, Jowzjan and Sar-e Pul, said Afghanistan’s Natural Disaster Management Agency.

The floods have destroyed dozens of villages leaving tens of thousands of farm animals dead, the agency said.