Global Disasters – June 11, 2016

6.5 Million people (39 percent of Malawi’s projected population) likely to be food insecure in 2016/17

At least 6.5 million people, or 39 percent of the country’s projected population of 16.8 million, will not be able to meet their annual food requirements during the 2016/17 consumption period, according to The Ministry of Finance, Economic Planning and Development, through the  Vulnerability Assessment Committee (MVAC).

This represents an increase of 129 percent compared with the corresponding figure of 2.8 million people for the 2015/16 consumption period. In order to ensure that the affected people survive up to the next harvest period without disrupting their socioeconomic livelihoods, the total humanitarian food assistance that is required is estimated at the equivalent of 493,000 metric tonnes of maize, with an estimated cash value of MK148 billion. However, the estimated humanitarian food assistance declines to the equivalent of 375,000 metric tonnes of maize if we adjust for the fact that some of the affected people may sell their assets in order to acquire food.

“The food shortage is largely a result of the El Nino climatic episode experienced across the country during the 2015/16 agricultural reason,” the government said.

The MVAC figures stated above relate to the total food requirement for the vulnerable population only. This is lower than the maize consumption deficit of 790,000 metric tonnes affecting 8.4 million people, as reported by the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development based on the Second Round Crop Estimates released in April 2016. The main difference between the two sets of figures arises from the fact that part of the maize consumption deficit relates to the consumption needs of those who can afford to procure it on the market, if available, without the need for humanitarian support. The MVAC figures exclude such consumption needs which are, nevertheless, a significant part of the Government’s overall intervention plans.

Iraq

More than 3.3 million Iraqis, or about 10 per cent of the population, have been displaced due to acts of violence perpetrated by the Saudi-backed Wahhabi terrorists (ISIL) since the start of 2014.

At least 500,000 people fled Mosul, Iraq’s second largest city, when terrorists stormed the city in June 2014. Many have been displaced multiple times, and most face extreme hardship.

South Sudan

More than 2.4 million people have been displaced since fighting broke out in Juba in December 2013. This includes 720,394 people who have crossed into neighboring countries. Six Protection of Civilian (PoC) sites are currently sheltering 169,983 internally displaced people (IDPs): 98,653 in Bentiu; 40,448 in Malakal; 27,959 in Juba; 2,004 in Bor; 700 in Melut; and, 219 in Wau, said the UN Mission in South Sudan.

Somalia

Extreme rain events in the upper part of the Ethiopian highlands have caused river Shabelle to overflow. The flood waters have destroyed crops and that fields remain inaccessible.

“The flood has destroyed almost everything. The majority of the community here operates a small business in a local market. They could no longer work as the place is submerged with water. We do hope in a month’s time it will dry up and we can start rebuilding our lives,” said a local elder.

[District of] Beletweyne hosts 31,000 displaced people, the majority of whom have fled conflict in the neighboring districts of Jalalqsi and Bulle Burte. The residents who live in a low-lying areas have moved to higher ground in El Jaale, five kilometres from Beletweyne.

“This flooding is the worst in years. It covered most of the town and surroundings. As the people move to higher grounds, they are in need of everything. The ICRC is providing food and other basic items, clean water and health care to the most affected communities. This will enable them to hold on as they start to rebuild their homes,” said the region’s field coordinator for the ICRC in Somalia.

 

3 Children Killed in Yemen Each Day: Save the Children

Yemen has world’s 2nd highest casualties owing to explosive weapons

At least three children are being killed each day in Yemen, many of them due to the use of wide-range explosive weapons in villages, towns and cities, according to international children’s charity, Save the Children.

Children are killed daily in intensive airstrikes, shelling and rocket attacks. More than 1,500 children have been killed or injured since violence escalated in March 2015 according to the UN, with many of the deaths caused by explosive weapons including missiles, large aerial bombs, artillery shells, rockets, mortars, and improvised explosive devices (IEDs).

Yemen now has the 2nd highest number of casualties in the world owing to explosive weapons.

The breakdown of Yemen’s health system has left more than 14 million people without the basics like antibiotics and vaccines, and risk dying from preventable diseases like diarrhea, pneumonia and malaria, said the UN. Additionally,

• 21.2 million, or 82% of the population are in need of humanitarian assistance.
• 14.4 million are food insecure (including 7.6 million severely food insecure).
• 3 million people now require treatment or preventive services for malnutrition.
• 2 million are currently acutely malnourished, including 1.3 million children – 320,000 of whom are suffering from severe acute malnutrition.

Related Links

• Saudi state terrorism leaves 21.2 million Yemenis—82% of population—in need of humanitarian assistance

Yemen Faces Collapse!

Saudi state terrorism leaves 21.2 million Yemenis—82% of population—in need of humanitarian assistance 

Millions of Yemenis require assistance to ensure their basic survival, reported UN OHCHR.

Between mid-March, when fighting escalated, and  the second week of October, health facilities had reported 32,307 casualties (including 5,604 deaths), or an average of 153 injuries or deaths each and every day.

• 21.2 million, or 82% of the population are in need of humanitarian assistance.
• 14.4 million are food insecure (including 7.6 million severely food insecure).
• 3 million people now require treatment or preventive services for malnutrition.
• 2 million are currently acutely malnourished, including 1.3 million children – 320,000 of whom are suffering from severe acute malnutrition.

“More than seven months of conflict have severely exacerbated Yemen’s prior large-scale humanitarian emergency. Partners currently estimate that 21.2 million people require assistance – an increase of one-third since the crisis began in mid-March 2015. Major increases in need have occurred since the June 2015 Humanitarian Needs Overview in key sectors, including food security, nutrition and shelter. Displacement and human rights violations have also risen considerably.”

• 19.3 million lack adequate access to clean water or sanitation
• 14.1 million people lack sufficient access to healthcare
• 1.8 million children have been out of school since mid-March.
• Solid waste removal has come to a halt in several areas.
• Three in four Yemenis are unable to meet their basic wash needs.

Public services are rapidly failing “due to direct impact of conflict and insufficient resources to pay salaries or maintain services,” said the report.

“As of mid-October, 69 health facilities had been reported partially or substantially damaged, 27 ambulances hijacked, eight health workers killed and 20 injured.”

“Since 26 March, health facilities have reported more than 32,200 casualties – many of them civilians. In the same period, has verified 8,875 reports of human rights violations – an average of 43 violations every day. Verified incidents of child death or injury from March to September are almost five times higher than 2014 totals.”

Displacement

About 2.3 million are currently displaced within Yemen and 121,000 others have fled the country.

“Displacement has contributed to rises in needs across sectors – particularly shelter and NFIs, for which about 2.8 million IDPs and host community members currently require support.”

Saudi-led Coalition Using Same Cluster Munition in Yemen as ISIS Fired in Syria

Saudi Arabia first used cluster bombs on Houthis in 2009: HRW

Human Rights Watch (HRW) has released new evidence contending the Saudi-led coalition has been dropping  internationally-banned cluster bombs on Yemenis population.

Four civilians, including a young boy, were wounded on April 29 in Baqim, a village near the Saudi border, when unexploded submunitions detonated after local residents picked them up. HRW identified the weapon as a type of ground-fired cluster munition containing “ZP-39” submunitions, which has a distinctive red ribbon.

• The cluster munition dropped by Saudi-led coalition aircraft  near al-Amar was the CBU-105 Sensor Fuzed Weapon.
• In addition, photographs and information from local residents indicate that Saudi-led coalition aircraft dropped a third type of cluster munition, bombs containing BLU-97 submunitions, in at least two attacks in Saada governorate on May 23.

“Human Rights Watch … has documented that Islamic State forces (also known as ISIS) fired the same weapon, whose submunition was marked ‘ZP-39,’ in northern Syria in September 2014,” said the report.

The HRW report is posted online, here.

Yemen: Deteriorating Humanitarian Crisis Situation Report No. 9 (as of 29 May 2015)

Highlights of UN OCHA Report

• The humanitarian situation in the SW governorates of Aden, Lahj, Taizz, and Al Dhale’e continues to deteriorate at an alarming rate, as violence increases and basic services grind to a halt.
• The northern governorates of Sa’ada, Hajjah and Amran face increasing levels of displacement due to airstrikes. Insecurity has limited access and the provision of assistance.
• The death toll reached 1,976; 27 May was the deadliest day so far with reports of at least 80 people killed and 300 injured. The conflict is now entering its third month.

• People in need: 15.9m
• Internally displaced: 545,719
• Registered deaths resulting from conflict: 1,976
• Registered injuries resulting from conflict: 8,034
• People who have become food insecure since escalation of conflict: 1.4m [UN OCHA]

Terrorists Fed by Saudi Royals’ Hatred for Shia Muslims

Meantime, the Saudi division of the Islamic State terrorists group has called on all jihadist to cleanse the Arabian Peninsula of Shia Muslims in an audio recording, said a US-based ISIS monitoring group, SITE.

A representative of Najd Province, a division of the Islamic State (ISIS/ISIL/IS/DAESH) has called on Sunni Saudi youths to join the group, fend off the “Shia threat” and “purify the land” of the “disbelievers and apostates,” said the report.

The terrorist group has reportedly claimed responsibility for the May-22 suicide bombing of a Shi’ite mosque in the town of al-Qadeeh, Qatif province, which killed at least 21 people and wounded more than 50 other worshipers.

The local ISIS terrorists have also claimed responsibility for bombing another Shi’ite mosque in the Saudi port city of Dammam on Friday, May 29, 2015.

A suicide bomber, reportedly disguised as a woman, blew himself up in the parking lot of the mosque during Friday prayers, killing at least four people.

Who made the wonderland so surreal?

Eat your heart out, Alice – Part II

Surreal ( deceptive, extortionate, psychopathic, genocidal)

The number of richest people in the world has more than doubled since the financial crisis, up from 793 in March 2009 to 1,645 in March 2014. Their  aggregate net worth is $6.4 trillion, up from $5.4 trillion just a year ago, according to Forbes.

AND, here are some more of the consequences:

• Sudan:
  • 6.6 million people (20% of the population) need humanitarian assistance (17/11/2014).
  • 2 million children under 5 are acutely malnourished (OCHA, Aug 2014).
  • 3.5 million people were projected to be in Crisis and Emergency phases of food insecurity by November 2014 (GIEWS, Jun. 2014).
• South Sudan:
  • 50,000 estimated killed in violence in South Sudan since December 2013 (ICG).
  • 1.4 million IDPs between Dec. 2013 and Sept. 2014 (OCHA).
  • 3.8 million people are in need of urgent humanitarian assistance (OCHA, 30/10/24).
  • More than 1 million people in Crisis and Emergency phases of food insecurity October – December 2014 (FEWSNET, Nov. 2014).
  • From January to March 2015, 2.5 million people are projected to be in  Crisis and Emergency Phase including about half the population of Greater Upper Nile (IPC, Sept. 2014).

• Chad:
  • 5.5 million people, or 55% of the population, in Chad are affected by humanitarian crisis including 2.2 million children (UNICEF, Nov. 2014).
  • 2.6 million Chadians are estimated to be food insecure or severely food insecure (OCHA, 15/10/2014).

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Related Links

• Eat your heart out, Alice! December 17, 2014

Eat your heart out, Alice!

This beats your Wonderland hands down!

What a Wonderful World (!)

The number of richest people in the world has more than doubled since the financial crisis, up from 793 in March 2009 to 1,645 in March 2014. Their  aggregate net worth is $6.4 trillion, up from $5.4 trillion just a year ago, according to Forbes.

AND, here are some of the consequences:

• Syria:
  • 12.2 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance including 7.6 million who have been internally displaced by violence, and 3.2 million others who have fled the country, says UNOCHA.
• Iraq:
  • About 1,000,000 IDPs living in tents and other flimsy “shelters” are in need of heating.
• Philippines:
  • About 4 million people in 9 regions were affected by Typhoon HAGUPIT, which destroyed at least 38,000 homes. About 157,000 people live in evacuation centers.
• Central African Republic (CAR):
  • More than 2.7 million people, or 58.7 percent of the CAR population are in need of immediate assistance (UNHCR,05/12/2014).
  • As of September 2014, more than 1.7 million people were in Crisis and Emergency phases of food insecurity.
  • Multiple cases of cholera and measles have been reported among more than 750,000 IDPs.
• Democratic Republic of Congo:
  • About 4.1 million people are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance (FAO, 11/12/2014 ).
• Guinea:
  • As of December 13, 2014 some 2,394 Ebola cases and 1,518 death have been  reported in Guinea (WHO).
  •  Ebola outbreak has affected 11 million people, or almost the entire population of Guinea (IFRC, 25/10/2014).
  • 4.3 million children live in the affected areas (UNICEF, 03/12/2014)..
• Liberia:
  •  Some 3.73 million Liberian are in need of assistance (OCHA, 16/09/2014)
  • As of December 9, some 7,797 Ebola cases and 3,290 deaths have been reported in Liberia (WHO).
• Sierra Leone:
  • The entire population of Sierra Leone (6.2 million) are in need of assistance as a consequence of Ebola outbreak (OCHA, 16/09/2014).
  • As of December 13, 2014 some 8,270 Ebola cases and 2,033 deaths have been reported in Sierra Leone (WHO).
• West Africa:
  • Total accumulative number of Ebola cases across West Africa (Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone) has reached 18,464 including 6,841 deaths (WHO, 15/12/2014). The numbers of reported cases and deaths are largely underestimated.

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