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.”

Crop Disaster Declared for 123 Counties in 10 States

Excessive Rain, Freezing Temps and Extreme Heat Cause Agricultural Disaster in 10 States

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has designated at least 123 additional counties as agricultural disaster areas across 10 states.

The crop disasters areas are in the states of Connecticut, Idaho, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Vermont and Washington.

USDA issued a total of 6 separate disaster declarations on October 1, which were posted on their website on October 17, 2013 due to the government shutdown.

New York – First Disaster Designation due to damages caused by excessive rain and related flooding, high winds and hail that began May 1, 2013 and continues.

Disaster areas are Albany, Essex, Monroe, Otsego, Seneca, Broome, Franklin, Montgomery, Putnam, Sullivan, Cayuga, Fulton, Oneida, Rensselaer, Ulster, Chenango, Genesee, Ontario, Saratoga, Washington, Clinton, Greene, Orange, Schenectady, Wayne, Columbia, Herkimer, Orleans, Schoharie, Westchester, Cortland, Jefferson, Oswego, Schuyler, Wyoming, Dutchess, Madison, Allegany, Delaware, Livingston, St. Lawrence, Tompkins, Bronx, Erie, Niagara, Steuben, Warren, Cattaraugus, Hamilton, Onondaga, Tioga, Yates, Chemung, Lewis and Rockland counties.

Also included in the above designation

• Connecticut: Fairfield and Litchfield counties.
• Massachusetts: Berkshire County.
• New Jersey: Passaic and Sussex counties.
• Pennsylvania: Pike, Susquehanna and Wayne counties.
• Vermont: Addison, Bennington, Chittenden, Grand Isle and
  Rutland counties.

New York – Second Disaster Designation due to damages and losses caused by freeze and frost that occurred March 13 – May 28, 2013.

Crop Disaster Areas: Cayuga, Columbia and Oswego, Albany, Greene, Madison, Rensselaer, Ulster, Cortland, Jefferson, Oneida, Seneca, Wayne, Dutchess, Lewis, Onondaga and Tompkins counties.

Also included in the above designation

• Massachusetts: Berkshire County.

New York – Third Disaster Designation due to damages and losses caused by weather-related disease and fungi infestation that began June 19, 2013, and continues.

Disaster areas are Cayuga, Cortland, Oswego, Tompkins, Onondaga, Seneca and Wayne counties.

Oregon – Disaster Designation 1

USDA has designated three counties in Oregon as crop disaster areas due to damages caused by freezing temperatures that occurred April 8-30, 2013.  The counties are Baker, Umatilla and Union.

Also included in the above designation

• Minnesota: Grant, Malheur, Morrow and Wallowa counties
• Idaho: Adams and Washington counties.
• Washington: Benton, Columbia and Walla Walla counties.

Oregon – Disaster Designation 2

USDA has designated nine counties in Oregon and Washington as crop disaster areas due to damages and losses caused by freezing temperatures and excessive rain that occurred March 22 – June 30, 2013.

• Oregon: Wasco , Clackamas, Hood River, Marion, Wheeler, Gilliam, Jefferson and Sherman counties
• Washington: Klickitat County

Oregon – Disaster Designation 3

USDA has designated nine counties in Oregon and Washington as agricultural disaster areas due to damages and losses caused by freezing temperatures and extreme heat that occurred April 8 – May 13, 2013. Those counties are

• Oregon: Gilliam, Morrow, Sherman, Umatilla, Wasco and Wheeler counties.
• Washington: Benton and Klickitat counties.

[All counties listed above were designated natural disaster areas Oct. 1, 2013.]

The latest designations raise the total [listed] crop disaster areas to at least 3,844 counties across 44 states so far this year.

The crop disasters for year 2013 include losses and damages caused by

• DROUGHT
• FLOOD
• Flash flooding
• Excessive rain, moisture, humidity
• Severe Storms, thunderstorms
• Ground Saturation, Standing Water
• Hail
• Wind, High Winds
• Freezing Temperatures and Excessive Rain
• Fire, Wildfire
• Heat, Excessive Heat, High temp. (incl. low humidity)
• Winter Storms, Ice Storms, Snow, Blizzard
• Frost, FREEZE
• Hurricanes, Typhoons, Tropical Storms
• Tornadoes
• Volcano
• Mudslides, Debris Flows, Landslides
• Heavy Surf
• Ice Jams
• Insects
• Tidal Surges
• Cold, Wet Weather
• Cool/Cold, Below-normal Temperatures
• Lightning
• Disease
• Freezing Temperatures
• Extreme Heat
• Excessive Rain and Related Flooding
• High Winds and Hail
• Weather-related Disease and Fungi Infestation

Notes:
1. USDA trigger point for a countywide disaster declaration is 30 percent crop loss on at least one crop.

2. The counties listed above as agricultural disaster areas includes both primary and contiguous disaster areas.

3. The U.S. has a total of 3,143 counties and county-equivalents.

4. A number of counties have been designated crop disaster areas more than once due to multiple disasters.

5. The disaster designations were approved by USDA between January 9 and September 25, 2013.

Secretary Vilsack also reminds producers that Congress has not funded the five disaster assistance programs authorized by the 2008 Farm Bill.These are SURE; the Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP); the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honey Bees, and Farm-Raised Fish (ELAP); the Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP); and the Tree Assistance Program (TAP). Production losses due to disasters occurring after Sept. 30, 2011, are not eligible for disaster program coverage.

Related Links

• Crop Disaster Losses 2013 September 27, 2013
• 2013 Agricultural Disasters
• Drought 2013

Flood Disaster Spreads in Mozambique

NOTE:  On January 29, 2013, WordPress/Google again tightened access to this blog, reducing traffic by a further 75 percent.

.

Severe flooding in Mozambique affects about ¼ million, killing 111 and displacing 186,000 people

A storm system in the Mozambique Channel threatens to bring even more heavy rains to much of Mozambique and Madagascar, exacerbating the current flood situation, said UN OCHA.

• “The Ministry of Agriculture’s preliminary assessment indicates about 191,315 ha (473,000 acres) have been affected by floods, including 166,278 ha of cultivated land destroyed. The most affected province is Gaza, followed by Inhambane and Maputo.”

• Other affected provinces include Zambezia and Cabo Delgado.

• Hundreds of cases of cholera infections and at least 2 related deaths have been reported in Cabo Delgado province between 28 January and 13 February 2013, according to the Ministry of Health.

• Extreme rain events have triggered severe flooding in several other southern African countries, including Zambia, Malawi, South Africa and northern Zimbabwe.

.

February 16, 2013 – DISASTER CALENDAR SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,120 Days Left 

Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.

• SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,120 Days Left to ‘Worst Day’ in the brief Human  History
• The countdown began on May 15, 2011 …

GLOBAL WARNINGS

• WARNING: Human impact 2.85 x Earth’s diminishing carrying capacity
• WARNING: RAPID PLANETARY DECLINE IN PROGRESS!
• Europe: The First Phase of Collapse Has Started 
• United States: The First Phase of Collapse Has Begun

Global Disasters: Links, Forecasts and Background

• The First Wave of World’s Collapsing Cities
• Back to the Primordial Future
• The Fate of Energy Dinosaurs
• Mass Die-offs