Global Disasters: Wars, Floods and Cyclones

War on Syria: 10.8 million people displaced

About half of the entire Syrian population have been displaced, according to UNOCHA.

• About 12.2m people are in need of humanitarian assistance.
• Some 7.6 million people are internally displaced by the ongoing violence.
  
• More than 3.2 million people have fled the country.

Ukraine Conflict

More than 4,700 people have been killed and over 10,300 wounded in Ukraine since the unrest began, according to U.N. figures.

At least 5.2 million people are living in conflict zones including 1.4 million who are in very vulnerable conditions due to the bitter cold winter, lack of essential services and money problems, said the U.N.

More than 610,000 people have been uprooted in Ukraine and about 600,000 have been forced to leave the country as refugees, says UNOCHA.

Southern Africa: Floods and Cyclones Update

Malawi

At least 638,000 people have been affected by ongoing floods, which has left 121,000 others displaced, 50 people killed and 153 still missing.

Mozambique

“In Zambézia Province alone a total of 117,685 people (23,893 households) have been affected by floods, which has destroyed 4,963 houses, 378 classrooms, 6 health centers and 51 bridges. The death toll due to flooding, lightning and collapsed houses has increased to 64. Around 50,481 people (11,662 households) are being hosted in 49 accommodation centres,” said UNOCHA.

Madagascar

Continued rains in Madagascar are exacerbating the impact of Tropical Storm CHEDZA, with more flooding  reported north of the country.

The number of people affected has increased to 117,181 (provisional), with 35 people dead, said the National Bureau for Risk and Disaster Management (BNGRC).

 

Life-Threatening Drought Plagues NW Haiti

EXTREME CLIMATIC EVENTS
WORSENING DROUGHT
WATER FAMINE
CROP DISASTERS
FOOD INSECURITY
.

Recurring drought worsening chronic food insecurity in Haiti

Drought has killed crops in Haiti’s poorest region, pushing the people even closer to the margins of survival.

At least 43 percent of households in Haiti’s northwest suffer from food insecurity, compared to a national average of about 30 percent, according to Government statistics.

More than 1.5 million people continue to face severe food insecurity in Haiti and about 82,000 children under five are malnourished, according to the UNOCHA.

The worsening disaster is caused by drought and the impact of hurricanes ISSAC and SANDY, which battered the country last year, said UNOCHA spokesperson.

SANDY struck Haiti in October leaving a trail of destruction and severely damaging the economy.

Worst drought in living memory gripping Horn of Africa

Parts of Kenya and Somalia experiencing pre-famine conditions: UN

At least 10 million people in drought-stricken areas of Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia and Uganda are currently faced with severe food crisis and high malnutrition rates, with  parts of Kenya and Somalia experiencing pre-famine conditions, and the situation is worsening, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN OCHA) said.

“Two consecutive poor rainy seasons have resulted in one of the driest years since 1950/51 in many pastoral zones,” a spokeswoman of the UNOCHA reported.

“There is no likelihood of improvement until 2012,” she said.

Child malnutrition rates in the worst affected areas exceed 30 percent- more than twice the emergency threshold of 15 percent, according to UNOCHA.

As food prices continue to surge in the region, more of the moderately poor households are being pushed over the edge, UNOCHA said.

Two consecutive poor rainy seasons in the eastern Horn of Africa since last year have resulted one of the driest years since 1950/51  in many pastoral areas. “The impacts of the drought have been exacerbated by high local cereal prices, excess livestock mortality, conflict and restricted humanitarian access in some areas,” said ReliefWeb.

Eastern Africa: Drought – Humanitarian Snapshot (as of 28 Jun 2011)

Source: UNOCHA. Click image to enlarge. Click here to view the original map (PDF)

Related Links

• Mass Die-offs