HIGHLIGHTS

35,449
refugees are actually in the camp out of
53,939
persons of concern registered

58%
of children, including
364
Identified separated and unaccompanied minors

1,226
people with disabilities,
37%
of these are children

3 in 10
households are headed by women
1,745
women at risk

8,794
shelters currently allocated
10,023
shelters built since opening

General Information

Date of opening: April 30th, 2014
Capacity: 50,000 people (exp. to 100,000)
Size of camp area: 14.7 km2
Population increased since Jan‘16: 86%

2016 Funding priorities

• Health Services
  
• Shelter Maintenance
  
• Protection
  
• Community Mobilization

TWO YEARS ON

Winterization

• Azraq Inter-Agency winter response is being prepared. Winterization assistance will start this month and will continue until end-February. The basic needs component of the winterization include cash, heaters, gas cylinders and gas refills, high thermal blankets and shelter intervention. In addition, the drainage system is being cleaned and repaired in preparation for the first rains of winter and potential flooding.

Energy

• A comprehensive energy plan to connect electricity to every household is ongoing. Once the project is completed, each shelter will have an allowance of 1kWh/day, enough power to operate lights, a refrigerator, television, a fan and charge phones. A solar power plant is currently being installed in the camp to reduce the cost of electricity bills. In the meantime, UNHCR has installed 472 solar street lights and distributed an average of 4 solar lanterns per household.

Livelihoods

• Two market areas are operating in Azraq camp. The 200 shops - 100 owned by the refugees and 100 by the host community - provide the camp with food shops, restaurants, accessories, bikes and many other items. In addition, UNHCR and its partners have set up an Incentive Based Volunteering (IBV) scheme, through which refugees play an active role in the functioning of the camp while earning some extra income. Vocational and skills trainings are being provided in the camp by partner organisations.

Food Security

• Refugees receive 20JOD (equivalent to $28) per person every month from WFP in the form of an electronic voucher which can be used to buy food from the supermarket in the camp using the card-less EyePay iris scanning system, connected to UNHCR’s registration database. WFP also distributes 240 gr of bread daily to all refugees in the camp. Ready to eat meals are provided to refugees upon arrival and a school feeding programme is in place for students in the formal and informal schools.

Education

• The new academic year starts with the opening of new Primary and Secondary schools to guarantee access to education for all children in the camp. Schools operate two shifts, one for girls in the morning and boys in the afternoon. Last year, over 3,000 students were enrolled at the school; registration is ongoing for the 2016/2017 academic year. Informal and non-formal education is also available as well as kindergarten facilities.

Health

• 4 primary health care centers (PHC) operate in the camp, one comprehensive PHC in Village 6, one basic in Village 3, one temporary in Village 5 and a mobile medical unit in Village 2. PHCs are open from 9am to 4pm daily. Secondary level healthcare (medical surgical and maternity care) is available to refugees at the field hospital running 24 hour per day. Health and nutrition services are provided through UNHCR partners, including mental and reproductive health. An average of 26 babies per week was delivered this month, double the births as of Feb. 2016.

Water and Sanitation

• There is one new borehole in the camp with a capacity of 58m3/h which ensures good water quality and quantity control as well as better cost efficiency. The average water supply is 1,300 m3 per day. Water is distributed through the water supply network to 76 tap stands. The Waste Water Treatment Plant receiving 210 m3 per day of waste water from the camp.

Targeting Persons with Specific Needs

• UNHCR and its partners provide psychosocial support to men, women, girls and boys in need. Special assistance is delivered to vulnerable groups such as single parent families and persons with disabilities. UNHCR works closely with its partners on child protection issues and to strengthen early identification, referral and response to sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) cases.

On November 1st HealthNet TPO, in a consortium with ICCO en Mensen met een Missie, started a new project in Colombia. In this project we go to areas that have been heavily affected by the Colombian conflict. We use different models of intervention for this, including and encompassing the entire community in the intervention. Together with networks of people we will identify and work on the problems that they face and look for proper solutions. The overall emphasis is to decrease violence against women and to improve the participation of women in the peacebuilding process in Colombia.

We train people in their communities to become ‘agents of change’, they in turn can lead by example and inspire others to take part in positive change. For people who are in need of more specialized attention because they have been, for example, traumatized by their experiences, we offer psychosocial help. Colombian women have a saying: ‘Peace is made in your heart, not at the negotiating table’. They are the key beneficiaries of this project, we will help them to help other women but also to encourage behavioral change in the men in the community. Because the goal is to create equality between men and women and collaboration towards a peaceful future.

The project has been awarded to this consortium by the ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands. The call stemmed from the National Action Plan, Peace and Security which is based on the 1325 Resolution of the UN Security Council that explicitly recognizes the invaluable role of women in conflict resolution and peacebuilding.

SC/12597

Security Council
7817th Meeting (AM)

Government Allowing Civilians to Flee Eastern Aleppo, But Terrorists Hold Them as Human Shields, Insists Permanent Representative

Those maintaining the sieges in Syria knew by now that the Security Council was unable or unwilling to enforce its will or agree on steps to stop them, the Under‑Secretary‑General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator told the 15-nation body today.

Stephen O’Brien, delivering his monthly briefing on the strife-filled country, said that over the last week there had been an intense unleashing of military aggression in Aleppo, with shelling, reportedly by the Syrian Government, killing hundreds of civilians. As of yesterday, there were barely any functional hospitals left in eastern Aleppo. In addition, more than 350 mortars and rockets had been reportedly launched by non-State armed groups into western Aleppo, killing 60 people and injuring more than 350.

Since July, 275,000 civilians had been trapped in eastern Aleppo, he said. The Russian Federation and Syria had opened corridors for civilians to leave, but those passages were reportedly unsafe or perceived as unsafe. There had also been reports that non-State armed groups had prevented those wishing to leave the city from doing so. Humanitarian conditions in that area had gone from terrifying to barely survivable and civilians would shortly face a harsh winter without heating.

During 2016, there had been a massive increase in the use of besiegement, particularly by the Government of Syria, he said. Currently, an estimated 974,000 people were living under siege. Attacks on civilian infrastructure, most notably hospitals and schools had become commonplace. Such attacks were violations of international humanitarian law and some had been called out as war crimes by the Secretary-General and the High Commissioner for Human Rights, he pointed out.

Reiterating the demands in various Security Council resolutions, he called for strong Council action to back up its resolutions. “I hear the argument that this Council should not pass a resolution because it would be ‘premature’,” he said, but “[…] it is never too premature to save a life. It is never too soon for you to find a solution to this conflict and end the suffering of the Syrian people.”

Elizabeth Hoff of the World Health Organization (WHO) said that, having had one of the most advanced health care systems in the world, Syria’s health services had been devastated. Over half its public hospitals and primary care centres were either closed or only partially functioning. Almost two-thirds of health care officials had left the country and Syrians no longer had reliable access to necessary medicines, treatment for traumatic injuries, safe delivery for babies or other critical care.

There had been 126 attacks on health care facilities between January and September alone, some more than once, she said. Equally disturbing were the militarization of health care facilities by several parties to the conflict, the targeting of health care personnel and the denial of medical and surgical supplies to many areas. In eastern Aleppo, all eight hospitals were either out of action or barely functioning and the few remaining doctors were exhausted and overwhelmed.

“Denying ordinary citizens access to health care is an affront to our common humanity”, she stated, stressing that attacks on health facilities were a violation of international law. She called on the Security Council to ensure that the parties involved had the coordinates of all humanitarian convoys and health facilities, to register any attacks that occurred and to ensure sustained, unconditional access to all areas for medical supplies and evacuations.

The Syrian Government was following a “starve, get bombed or surrender” strategy, said the representative of the United States. While atrocities committed by terrorist organizations must be acknowledged, the truth must also be told of “Government and Russian terror”, she stressed, describing air strikes on hospitals in that regard. Naming commanders who she said were responsible for such merciless attacks, she emphasized that they must know that they would be some day held accountable. In addition, while condemning abuses by non-State actors and terrorist groups, she also emphasized that the Assad regime and the Russian Federation must know that they were responsible for the massive destruction and suffering in Syria.

The representative of the Russian Federation, however, stated that his country had been assisting United Nations humanitarian aid and other assistance in Syria, as well as facilitating political efforts. Acknowledging the suffering civilians in Aleppo, nonetheless, he pointed out that the differentiation of armed groups from terrorists had not taken place. His country and the Syrian Government were being blamed for the suffering, but numbers were constantly changing and information was being intentionally falsified. Underlining the cessation of bombings during various periods, he stressed Russian efforts to end the fighting while assisting the Government in counter-terrorism.

The Syrian Government had allowed civilians in eastern Aleppo to flee and had opened corridors for them to do so, stated that country’s representative. The terrorists, however, had retained civilians to use as human shields. If the United States wanted to safeguard terrorists, it could take them, especially since there were many foreigners among them. Furthermore, the humanitarian reports of the United Nations were being distorted for political purposes, while the terrorist threat to his country was being ignored. No one was more keen than his Government to stop the suffering, through the ending of such terrorist activity as well as all fighting, he maintained.

Nonetheless, the Council had been powerless in dealing with the situation in Syria, New Zealand’s representative said. Together with Egypt and Spain, he was proposing a simple resolution which would establish a 10‑day pause of hostilities in Aleppo and re‑establish the cessation of hostilities in the rest of the country.

Several speakers voiced support for New Zealand’s draft resolution while lamenting the fact that the Security Council had been unable to stop the Syrian people’s suffering. The representative of Senegal, Council President for November, emphasized that the Council had displayed its lack of unity and political will as well as its powerlessness to act on any aspect of the crisis, including the humanitarian, security and the political aspects as well as the non‑proliferation aspect. He appealed to the Council to support the Syrian people and called for support of the draft before the Council to end the violence. That text could provide a glimmer of hope.

Also speaking today were representatives of Uruguay, Japan, France, United Kingdom, Angola, Ukraine, Venezuela, Malaysia, Span, China and Egypt.

The meeting began at 10:05 a.m. and ended at 12:41 p.m.

Briefings

STEPHEN O’BRIEN, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, describing the level of depravity with which the Syrian people were being treated, added “shame on us all for not acting to stop the annihilation of eastern Aleppo and its people and much of the rest of Syria too.” Although a unilateral Russian and Syrian pause on aerial bombardment over eastern Aleppo, instituted on 18 October for an initial 72 hours had been maintained beyond the stated end, offering a glimmer of hope, the same had not been the case for western Aleppo, as non-State armed groups had launched hundreds of mortars into civilian areas.

Over the last week there had been an intense unleashing of military aggression in Aleppo, he continued. On 15 November the Syrian Government had reportedly started shelling again across areas of Aleppo held by non-State armed groups. Reports indicated that hundreds of civilians had been killed, injured or otherwise affected. As of yesterday, there were barely any functional hospitals left in eastern Aleppo. As well, more than 350 mortars and rockets had been reportedly launched by non-State armed groups into western Aleppo, killing 60 people and injuring more than 350.

Since July, 275,000 civilians had been trapped in eastern Aleppo, he said. The Russian Federation and Syria had opened corridors for civilians to leave, but they were reportedly unsafe or perceived as unsafe. There had also been reports that non-State armed groups had prevented those wishing to leave the city from doing so. Humanitarian conditions in eastern Aleppo had gone from terrifying to barely survivable. There had been protests against corruption and a monopoly on goods. Civilians would shortly face a harsh winter without heating.

The United Nations had employed significant efforts to deliver lifesaving aid under dangerous circumstances, he said, urging the Government of Syria to give the Secretary-General’s Board of Inquiry regarding the attack on the humanitarian convoy on 19 September in Urum al-Kubra full access to conduct its investigations. The restart of intense fighting was a clear setback to the goal of reaching agreement and delivering aid. The United Nations would continue to insist on the parties’ obligations to respect international humanitarian law and human rights law and to see sustained humanitarian assistance delivered to those in eastern Aleppo and all who were in need throughout Syria, he said, calling on all with influence to do their part to end the senseless cycles of violence.

He went on to say that he also remained seriously concerned about the fate of all those living in besieged locations. Aid deliveries and medical evacuations to the towns under the Four Towns Agreement – Madaya, Zabadani, Fu’ah and Kafraya — had been unable to deploy. Only one convoy had reached the four towns in over six months. There had also been a report of chemical weapons on Kafr Zita in Hama Governorate on 1 October. During 2016, there had been a massive increase in the use of besiegement, particularly by the Government of Syria. Currently, there were an estimated 974,000 people living under siege.

He underscored that those maintaining the sieges knew by now that the Council was unable or unwilling to enforce its will or agree on steps to stop them. Attacks on civilian infrastructure, most notably hospitals and schools had become commonplace. Such attacks were violations of international humanitarian law and some had been called out as war crimes by the Secretary-General and the High Commissioner for Human Rights. Millions of children had had their childhoods ripped away by calculated and reckless attacks on schools, with 30 children dead over the last two weeks of October. Since the adoption of Security Council resolution 2286 on 3 May, over 130 attacks on medical facilities had been documented and 750 medical personnel had been killed.

Cross-border activities had become a vital part of the response, with 420 cross-border convoys delivering health assistance sufficient for 9 million people and food for 3 million people, he said. Unfortunately, since his last report to the Council, none of the inter-agency convoys had been able to deliver aid across lines, which required detailed access negotiations with all sides. Syrians had also been impacted by anti-Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL/Da’esh) operations, resulting in an initial displacement of 8,000 people in Ar-Raqqa Governorate. Support for 400,000 people was foreseen as operations progressed.

He reiterated what the Council in its resolutions had demanded: an immediate end to all forms of violence; immediately ceasing all attacks against civilians; immediately lifting of sieges; promptly allowing unhindered humanitarian access; respecting the principle of medical neutrality; protecting civilians; and immediately ending arbitrary detention and torture. That list was neither unreasonable nor unattainable, noting that he had called over and over for strong Council action to back up its resolutions. “I hear the argument that this Council should not pass a resolution because it would be ‘premature’,” he said, but “[…] it is never too premature to save a life. It is never too soon for you to find a solution to this conflict and end the suffering of the Syrian people.”

ELIZABETH HOFF of the World Health Organization (WHO) said that, having had one of the most advanced health care systems in the world, Syria’s health services had been devastated. Over half its public hospitals and primary care centres were either closed or only partially functioning. Almost two-thirds of health care officials had left the country. Vaccination coverage had been halved, making children vulnerable to once-eradicated diseases. No longer did Syrians have reliable access to necessary medicines, treatment for traumatic injuries, safe delivery for babies or other critical care.

There had been 126 attacks on health care facilities between January and September alone, some more than once, she said. Equally disturbing were the militarization of health care facilities by several parties to the conflict, the targeting of health care personnel and the denial of medical and surgical supplies to many areas. Many patients were afraid to travel to facilities that remained.

In eastern Aleppo, all eight hospitals were either out of action or barely functioning and the few remaining doctors were exhausted and overwhelmed, she continued. WHO was awaiting the removal of obstacles to its plans to evacuate those in critical conditions and allow convoys to deliver supplies. Hospitals in western Aleppo had been overwhelmed with wounded patients following indiscriminate shelling by non-State armed groups, such as the mortar that landed on a school last Saturday.

“Denying ordinary citizens access to health care is an affront to our common humanity”, she said, stressing that attacks on health facilities were a violation of international law, in which the neutrality of health facilities were enshrined. Strongly condemning all actions by any party that targeted or appropriated health care facilities, she noted that previous calls had, unfortunately, fallen on deaf ears.

Despite the difficulties, she said that in 2016 thus far WHO had delivered over 9 million medical treatments throughout Syria, with several besieged areas reached for the first time as part of inter-agency convoys. However, the Government had withheld approval for the delivery of 75 additional tons of life‑saving supplies to some areas, depriving some 150,000 people of critical care. The organization had also established a disease surveillance system, had trained over 16,000 health-care workers and, with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), had supported the vaccination of millions of children. All that work was done with the support of the Syrian-Arab Red Crescent and national non‑governmental partners.

Nonetheless, the situation was worsening, and she called on the Council to ensure that the parties involved had the coordinates of all humanitarian convoys and health facilities in order to end attacks on those facilities regardless of perpetrators, to register any attacks that occurred and to ensure sustained, unconditional access to all areas for medical supplies and evacuations. She pledged WHO’s continued dedication to the people of Syria and extended thanks to donors who had donated to operations there.

Statements

ELBIO ROSSELLI (Uruguay), expressing regret about the harrowing reports the Council received month after month, emphasized the unacceptability of attacks on civilians and humanitarian facilities under any system of beliefs. Noting the responsibility of all parties, he proposed that non‑State actors that conducted such attacks should be called terrorist groups. Those who provided material or other support for the attacks were also guilty. Supporting all of Mr. O’Brien’s recommendations, he called for an immediate end to the violence in Syria.

SAMANTHA POWER (United States) said that the Syrian Government was following a “starve, get bombed or surrender” strategy. Sieges, the blocking of aid, the indiscriminate attacking of civilians and other humanitarian violations were characteristic of the tactics of the Government and its supporters across the country. While atrocities committed by terrorist organizations must be acknowledged, the truth must also be told of “Government and Russian terror”, she stressed, describing air strikes on hospitals in that regard. She also said she wondered if the Russian Federation’s representative would ever condemn the Syrian Government for even one attack on a school, hospital or civilian facility.

Naming commanders that she said were responsible for such merciless attacks, she emphasized that they must know that they would be some day held accountable. She also called for accountability for the detention and torture of civilians, journalists and health care workers, describing the torture ordeal of one journalist. She went on to name the facilities where such abuses had been reported, as well as those alleged to have committed them. While condemning such abuses by non-State actors and terrorist groups, she emphasized that the Assad regime and the Russian Federation must know that they were responsible for the massive destruction and suffering in Syria.

KORO BESSHO (Japan) said that an agreement from the Security Council or the International Syria Support Group was required to truly change the situation. Even a single instance of humanitarian access faced countless obstacles on the ground. “If members of the International Syria Support Group exert increased influence on the parties on the ground, can we overcome some of the impediments to humanitarian access?” he asked the Council. As well, it was clear that Syria’s medical sector was in huge and imminent need of rehabilitation. Shocked by the number of medical facilities that had been attacked in 2016, he once again underscored the obligation of parties to armed conflict to respect international humanitarian law under all circumstances. Furthermore, if the lack of clarity on the attackers of medical facilities was making it difficult to protect those premises, the Security Council should request the Secretariat to investigate the issue.

FRANÇOIS DELATTRE (France) said the humanitarian situation in Aleppo was more serious than words could describe and would trigger an unprecedented humanitarian crisis. The Syrian regime was besieging civilians in 25 areas. Requests to deliver aid once every month to those areas had been denied and those supplies and materials continued to be pilfered or spoiled. The Syrian regime was obliged to ensure unhindered humanitarian access. Deliberate attacks on hospitals and medical staff continued; that constituted war crimes. The Syrian regime and its supporters must immediately cease bombing Aleppo and allow access to humanitarian aid. He called on those members of the Council directly involved to take steps to prevent Aleppo from becoming a land of devastation. The total war strategy was a strategic error that would lead to division of Syria and strengthen the role of Da’esh. Underscoring the importance of a political solution to the crisis, he said the credibility of the Council was on the line.

MATTHEW RYCROFT (United Kingdom) said the Syrian regime and the Russian Federation were determined to make the suffering of civilians worse by refusing access to aid. He urged the Russian Federation to persuade the Syrian regime to let the United Nations do its job. The Assad regime was pummelling civilians with devastating air strikes. There were no more functioning hospitals left in eastern Aleppo, as part of a systematic campaign to remove the most basic necessities. However, according to the Russian Federation, the bombardments of hospitals were a figment of the imagination. He demanded that bombing of hospitals, schools and civilians, constituting war crimes, be stopped, as they served no military purpose. Such attacks were not counter-terrorist operations, he emphasized, adding he supported sending a joint investigative team to investigate the bombing of hospitals. Aid must reach the people living in besieged areas across areas. Those two simple steps must be taken to get to the third step: a political situation, he said, pointing out that the Russian Federation had a unique role to play in all those steps.

JOÃO IAMBENO GIMOLIECA (Angola), voicing regret that the Security Council had been unable to foster progress in Syria, said it was critical to set aside political differences and intensify work for new talks. The continuous suffering of innocent civilians could not be accepted. For that reason, he had supported the draft submitted by New Zealand, Egypt and Spain that called for specific steps to end the fighting and proceed to negotiations. The influence that some Council members had over parties in Syria should be used to move forward peace rather than support capabilities to continue fighting.

VOLODYMYR YELCHENKO (Ukraine) said that the Assad regime and its supporters continued to believe there was a military solution to the Syrian crisis. There would be no winners in the fighting, but there surely were losers. Meanwhile, messages from the Russian Federation denied the attacks on hospitals as fantasy. He called for investigations for a number of horrific crimes that had been reported against hospitals, schools and population centres. Those who assume there would be no accountability for such crimes must be proven wrong, he stressed.

VLADIMIR K. SAFRONKOV (Russian Federation) stated that his country had been assisting United Nations humanitarian aid and other assistance in Syria and had also been facilitating political efforts. Unfortunately for the suffering civilians in Aleppo, however, the differentiation of armed groups from terrorists had not taken place. Those groups must confirm that they were ready to interact with the relevant humanitarian agencies without conditions. There could be no barter with the lives of injured people, he stressed. While his country and the Syrian Government were being blamed for the suffering, he asked for information on the efforts of other parties and other actors in Syria to help the people of eastern Aleppo.

According to the reports, however, all the Government did was attack health facilities, with the numbers constantly changing, he continued. Information was being intentionally falsified. Honest information exchange on the location of facilities was being denied. Underlining the cessation of bombings during various periods, he stressed Russian efforts to end the fighting while assisting the Government in counter-terrorism, emphasizing the dangers faced by Syria due to the presence of foreign fighters. Noting the naming of Syrian commanders, he asked why the names of terrorists had not also been listed. He also asked what happened to the presumption of innocence. Such rhetoric showed the failure of efforts for regime change in Syria. The door to effective cooperation on ending the conflict remained open, nevertheless, he stressed.

HENRY ALFREDO SUÁREZ MORENO (Venezuela), expressing concern at the humanitarian situation in Aleppo, pointed out that humanitarian aid was being delivered in other parts of Syria, saying that humanitarian aid needed to be balanced and impartial. Terrorism was the root cause of the situation in Syria and the activities of ISIL/Da’esh must be countered. Humanitarian convoys to Aleppo had been blocked by militants from the Al‑Nusra Front, which had also prevented civilians from leaving. In eastern Aleppo, people were rising up against the armed groups. Why, then, had the opposition not clearly decoupled themselves from terrorism, he asked, saying that there was complicity between the two. He expressed concern about the destruction of basic infrastructures, such as water and electricity installations and hospitals, and he called on the parties to resume negotiations as soon as possible without pre-conditions.

GERARD VAN BOHEMEN (New Zealand) said the Council had been powerless in dealing with the situation in Syria. Cross-line access had been systematically denied by the Syrian Government. The resolution on health care workers and hospitals was blatantly being ignored. The Council had also been powerless regarding sieges and bombarding of civilians. The situation in Syria was complex with many actors, internal and external, playing a role. The country was being destroyed by its own Government. He noted that his country had tried last month to advance a resolution that had demanded an end all actions that threatened civilians. Together with Egypt and Spain, he was again proposing a simple resolution which would establish a 10‑day pause of hostilities in Aleppo and re‑establish the cessation of hostilities in the rest of the country. He urged all Council members to support that proposal in words and actions.

RAMLAN BIN IBRAHIM (Malaysia) said the situation in Aleppo and the whole of Syria arose from the Council’s inability to end the suffering of civilians. Although there was no compromise against the fight against terrorism, he said the bombing of hospitals were not part of that fight. Resumptions of airstrikes had diminished any hope of humanitarian aid to be delivered. Apart from hostilities in Aleppo, he also said he was concerned about military escalations in Homs and elsewhere. The senseless collective punishment must be stopped. The targeting of schools indicated only that the war was inflicting maximum suffering to the vulnerable. Perpetrators should be held to account, he stated, calling on Council members to support the proposal before them and urging those who could make a difference to halt atrocities.

ROMÁN OYARZUN MARCHESI (Spain), voicing support for the draft proposed by New Zealand, Egypt and Spain, affirmed that the suffering in Syria must be ended, as must be the daily violations of humanitarian and human rights law. The Council must shoulder its responsibility to bring about a cessation of hostilities, as to ensure the differentiation of terrorists from other opposition forces. He pledged that his country would continue to work for a political solution that could end the crisis.

SHEN BO (China), condemning all attacks against hospitals and other humanitarian facilities, called on all parties to ensure humanitarian access, adding that a political solution must be promoted to end the fighting. The international community should unite in fighting terrorism forces and all political efforts must be targeted to relieving the suffering of the Syrian people, he said.

AMR ABDELLATIF ABOULATTA (Egypt) emphasized again that there was no military solution to the Syrian crisis. A comprehensive political settlement was needed based on the Geneva Declaration and relevant Security Council resolutions. His country, along with other countries, was trying to improve the situation in Aleppo through promotion of a draft on a ceasefire in that city and throughout the country while ensuring that it was strictly monitored. The text emphasized the need to counter all terrorism in the country and abide by other resolutions of the Security Council. He called on the Council to adopt the text and for the international community to work in concert to end the suffering of the Syrian people.

FODÉ SECK (Senegal), Council President for November, spoke in his national capacity, emphasizing that the Council had displayed its lack of unity and political will as well as its powerlessness to act on any aspect of the crisis, including the humanitarian, security and the political aspects as well as the non‑proliferation aspect. There was a growing danger that the country would break up. Terrorism was taking root and the cultural heritage of the country was being destroyed or trafficked. He appealed to the Council to support the Syrian people and called for support of the draft before the Council to end the violence. That text could provide a glimmer of hope. All agreed there was no military solution, he said.

Mr. SAFRONKOV (Russian Federation), taking the floor for a second time, said a culture of behaviour was being introduced into the Council which was unacceptable. Representatives of some permanent members were leaving the Chamber when the Syrian representative was taking the floor. Apparently, they had not enough courage to listen to a statement made by a colleague. That was unacceptable, he said.

BASHAR JA’AFARI (Syria), seconding the comment by the Russian Federation’s representative about the departure of the “Three Musketeers”, said that he could now deliver his statement without their poisoning the discussion. The so‑called coalition led by the United States had committed another atrocity by its bombings in northern Raqqa, leading to the death of six civilians. Meanwhile the United States representative added lies upon lies. The witness cited by her was the representative of Al Nusra, a terrorist organization condemned by her own Government. The Syrian air force had dropped leaflets to allow civilians to flee from terrorists and had opened corridors for them to do so. The terrorists, however, had retained the civilians to use as human shields. If the United States wanted to safeguard terrorists, it could take them, especially since there were many foreigners among them. In addition, he pointed out that Mr. O’Brien, in his statement, did not mention the word terrorism once.

He went on to say that his country had sent hundreds of letters explaining the activities of terrorists on the ground. Still, some on the Council still did not understand the origins of the “Saudi/Qatari blight in Syria”. The terrorists were the takfiris that were influenced by Saudi Wahhabi teachings. They came from all over the world. It was the same terrorism that was being fought in Mosul with support by an international coalition. He asked why there was a double standard on fighting them in his country. There was also a double standard on condemning air strikes in his country depending on who carried them out.

The humanitarian reports of the United Nations were being distorted for political purposes, while the terrorist threat to his country was being ignored, he continued. Those who supported armed groups or coercive measures in Syria were the cause of suffering. He described attacks by armed groups recently that harmed civilians, including yesterday’s shelling of two schools in western Aleppo that killed children and caused a teacher to have her leg amputated. No one was more keen than his Government to stop the suffering, through the ending of such terrorist activity as well as all fighting, he maintained. The truces arranged by his country were an indication of that desire. Humanitarian agencies who wanted to help the people should cooperate more closely with the Government which, in any case, provided most of the aid. Falsifications had only increased suffering.

For information media. Not an official record.

(Tunis: 21 November 2016) The United Nations is extremely concerned by the continued worsening humanitarian situation in Ganfouda area in Benghazi due to increased hostilities over the past week.

“I am extremely worried by the impact on civilians of intense fighting in and around the Ganfouda area. Many people remaining in the area have limited or no access to drinking water or food, while other essential goods and medical supplies are running critically low”, said Dr. Ghassan Khalil, the Libya Humanitarian Coordinator a.i.

“I call on all parties to take all feasible precautions to spare civilians and civilian infrastructure in the conduct of hostilities. The sick and injured must be allowed to seek and receive medical assistance and civilians and captured fighters alike must be treated humanely, regardless of their origin or political affiliations. Women and children should receive special assistance and protection. Those civilians wishing to leave should be allowed to do so in safety and dignity without delay.”

Ganfouda district has been inaccessible for many months for aid organizations, leaving civilians in dire and urgent need of protection and humanitarian assistance. The Humanitarian Country Team stands ready to assist as soon as access is granted by all parties.

For further information please contact: Iyad Nasr, OCHA Regional Office for the Middle East and North Africa
nasri@un.org, Tel. +20 10 9555 8662

AMMAN, JORDAN/NEW YORK, NOVEMBER 21, 2016—Five months after Jordan sealed its border with Syria, displaced and war-wounded Syrians are stranded in increasingly desperate conditions as winter approaches, the international medical humanitarian organization Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) said today, calling for access to those in need.

More than 75,000 Syrians, three-quarters of whom are women and children, are taking shelter in flimsy tents along Jordan's northeastern border in a desert area known as the "Berm." They have no access to quality medical care, proper winter clothing or any form of heating as cold weather sets in.

"Temperatures are expected to drop below freezing," said Dr. Natalie Thurtle, MSF's medical team leader. "In the near future, we expect to hear of young children dying of hypothermia, because this is something that happened last year."

Since the closure of the borders on June 21, people on the Berm have had very limited access to food and other essentials, which has led to serious health complications. In the last week alone, MSF has received 140 unconfirmed reports of malnutrition cases among Syrians on the Berm.

MSF calls for access for its teams to assess medical needs on the Berm and provide much-needed basic medical care.

Many miles to the west, war-wounded Syrians continue to be denied access to the Jordanian border town of Ramtha. The border closure halted the medical evacuation of wounded Syrians from Dara'a governorate in southern Syria to Ramtha hospital, where MSF has run an emergency surgical project for more than three years.

Despite reports of the intensification of violence and fighting in southern Syria, MSF's wards in Ramtha are almost empty. Should the situation at the borders remain unchanged, MSF's ongoing programs in Jordan which address the medical needs of war-wounded Syrians could be forced to close.

MSF strongly calls on the government of Jordan to remove barriers imposed on the provision of lifesaving medical care by allowing the medical evacuation of war-wounded Syrians, especially the most vulnerable, women and children, to MSF's emergency surgical project in Ramtha.

MSF operated a mobile health clinic at the Berm for 23 days in May and June to provide primary health care and reproductive health care. The majority of patients were women and children under five. During this time, MSF saw 3,501 patients, including 450 pregnant women, and delivered one baby. At MSF's emergency surgical project in Ramtha, MSF continues to provide lifesaving surgical care and rehabilitative post-operative care to war-wounded Syrians who were able to cross into Jordan prior to the closure of borders. Since September 2013, MSF has seen more than 2,427 wounded patients in the emergency room of Ramtha hospital and performed more than 4,500 surgical interventions on Syrian patients, including more than 800 major surgeries.

Ce rapport est produit par le Bureau des Nations Unies pour la Coordination des affaires humanitaires (OCHA) en collaboration avec les partenaires humanitaires. Il est publié par l’Équipe de Réponse d’Urgence à l’Ouragan Matthew et couvre la période du 16 au 19 novembre 2016. Le prochain rapport sera publié le 22 novembre. Pour recevoir les informations sur la réponse d’urgence à l’ouragan Matthew : http://eepurl.com/Kyey5.

Faits saillants

• Les tensions ont augmenté aux Cayes en raison des menaces d'expulsion de familles qui ont trouvé abri temporairement dans les écoles. Les partenaires humanitaires ont élaboré des plans de contingence pour répondre aux besoins de protection.

• Du 8 octobre au 18 novembre, 590 000 personnes ont reçu une aide alimentaire représentant 73% des 806 000 personnes qui vivent dans une situation d'insécurité alimentaire extrême dans les zones affectées.

• Le financement de l’Appel d’Urgence de trois mois a augmenté de 6% au cours de la période couverte par ce rapport. Quelques 56 millions de dollars américains sont encore nécessaires.

• La possibilité d'une dépression tropicale se formant dans le sud de la mer des Caraïbes au cours des cinq prochains jours entraîne le risque de fortes pluies dans le sud d'Haïti.

Aperçu de la situation

La nécessité de s'assurer que les élèves retournent à l'école le plus tôt possible est compliquée par l'utilisation d'environ 86 écoles comme abris. La problématique de l’expulsion des familles temporairement abritées dans les écoles a été au centre du travail des organisations humanitaires dans les zones affectées. Comme indiqué dans le précédent rapport de situation, les élèves et les autorités locales ont continué à faire monter la pression sur les familles pour qu’elles quittent un certain nombre d'écoles. Malgré un travail en étroite collaboration avec leurs homologues gouvernementaux pour résoudre cette question, les autorités locales ont commencé à expulser par la force des personnes de certaines écoles.

Aux Cayes, près de 1 000 personnes ont été expulsées de force de l'École Nationale Dumarsais Estimé dans la nuit du 15 novembre.

Il ne s'agit pas d'une solution convenable et la communauté humanitaire continuera de travailler pour répondre à la situation tout en plaidant fermement pour que tout processus de retour soit fait selon les principes applicables et mené de manière volontaire et en toute dignité, en particulier en ce qui concerne les besoins des personnes vulnérables.

Le 18 novembre, une vérification rapide a révélé que les écoles destinées à héberger des centres de vote aux Cayes et à Torbeck avaient été vidées ou que d'autres lieux de vote avaient été trouvés.

Entre-temps, à Jérémie, le Centre d'Opérations d'Urgence Départementale (COUD) a indiqué que du 9 au 18 novembre, le nombre d'abris publics dans la Grand'Anse est passé de 76 à 36. Parmi ceux-ci, le nombre d'écoles est passé de 37 à 23. Le nombre estimé de familles dans ces abris est passé de 3 706 à 2 369. La vérification de ces chiffres aura lieu dans les prochains jours.

Au moment de la rédaction du présent rapport, le National Hurricane Centre (NHC) a déclaré un risque moyen de dépression tropicale pendant les prochains cinq jours dans la mer des Caraïbes, avec une probabilité moyenne de 60% de fortes pluies. Il a été rapporté précédemment qu'il y avait une légère possibilité que la dépression tropicale s'intensifie en une tempête tropicale. Les régions de Grand'Anse, Nippes, Nord, Nord-Ouest, Nord-Est et Centre sont exposées à de fortes pluies. Dans certaines parties de Grand'Anse, les pluies ont déjà abîmées certaines routes, rendant difficile l’accès à l'aide humanitaire dans quelques endroits. Le 18 novembre, le Centre d'Opérations d'Urgence National (COUN) a mis en alerte les principaux secteurs de la protection civile, la police et les COUD et a rappelé tout le personnel au service jusqu'à nouvel ordre.

En raison de l’appui et de la focalisation sur les élections, les escortes armées et la sécurité sur le terrain de la MINUSTAH envers les acteurs humanitaires, ont été suspendues et reprendront après les élections, le 24 novembre. En fonction de la situation en matière de sécurité, les conditions météorologiques et sa capacité pendant cette période, la MINUSTAH sera disponible pour assurer les escortes et la sécurité sur terrain à partir du 22 novembre au niveau local et du 23 novembre au niveau national. Les demandes seront évaluées au cas par cas. Plus d'informations seront communiquées aux partenaires humanitaires par le Centre des Opérations Conjointes (JOC) de la MINUSTAH après les élections.

Le Coordinateur Humanitaire Adjoint (DHC) a communiqué aux membres de l'Équipe Humanitaire Pays (HCT) que même si la situation générale dans les zones affectées reste plein de défis, l'utilisation d'escortes armées ne devrait pas devenir une norme ni une solution à long terme. Les cas devraient être décidés individuellement et conformément au caractère critique du programme en question. Bien qu'il soit fortement reconnu que certains cas peuvent nécessiter l'utilisation d'escortes armées, des méthodes alternatives devraient également être envisagées lorsque cela est possible. Les critères de prise de décision à ce sujet sont clairement définis dans les Directives non contraignantes de l’IASC sur l'utilisation d'escortes armées pour les convois humanitaires.

Ci-après, une revue des escortes armées ces dernières semaines, illustrant la relation entre la destination géographique et les quantités.

The Iraqi Red Crescent Society (IRCS) has announced increasing in the numbers of displaced people to more than 85 thousand displaced since the beginning of Mosul events till now.

The IRCS has reported that five weeks after Mosul operations, the number of displaced people has reached more than 85293 displaced from different areas of Mosul to the camps of Hasan Al-Sham and Khazir in Erbil, Zulaykan in Duhok and Jada`a camp at Qayarah.

The IRCS has added that during the last two days, the IRCS teams in Erbil have received 3100 displaced at Hasan Al-Sham and Khazir camps and they have distributed more than 2000 ready food meal to become the total number of displaced in the two mentioned above camps (30675) displaced.

The IRCS has also noted that the IRCS volunteers are doing their utmost in responding to the displaced people`s emergency needs from Mosul and the local residents in the cities and villages on the lines of fighting, the IRCS teams are still continuing to provide the humanitarian assistance in the fields of (relief, food, health and psychosocial support).

The IRCS teams have also provided various food meals including daily meals and food parcels for all the displaced people, where the number of distributed meals has reached more than 49 thousand meal and more than 13 thousand food parcel, that covered all the displaced, and the IRCS teams are still continuing to intensify their efforts in order to cover the displaced needs who are still flowing to the camps from other areas of Mosul.

At the same time, the IRCS volunteers have implemented daily campaigns of first aid and psycho-social support for the displaced at the camps and a number of cities, the IRCS teams have also provided first aid and psychosocial support services to a different categories of the displaced families, the number of beneficiaries from these services has reached more than 29,000 displaced.

16 November 2016 – Over 120 Islamic scholars, the ulama, gathered in a conference on 3 November 2016 in Jalalabad, Nangarhar province, to express their support for Afghanistan’s polio eradication programme. The ulama highlighted that the polio vaccine was crucial for children’s health, called on all Afghans to cooperate with health workers during polio vaccination campaigns, and endorsed a national Ulama Declaration on polio issued in February this year.

“It is not only the responsibility of the Government to eradicate polio from Afghanistan but we are all responsible and must cooperate in eradicating this devastating disease and paying attention to the improvement of our children’s health”, said Mawlawi Abdul Zahir Haqani, director of Hajj and Islamic Affairs in Nangarhar province.

The Islamic scholars committed to spreading messages to their communities, for example during religious sermons on Fridays, about the safety and benefits of the polio vaccine, highlighting that it is the only effective prevention for the disease.

The Nangarhar ulama endorsed the national Ulama Declaration on polio issued at a conference held in Kabul earlier this year with the support of the Al-Azhar University of Egypt, the International Fiqh Academy, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the Islamic Development Bank. The Declaration states that “the polio vaccine is allowed according to Islam and is fully in accordance with the rulings of Shariah.”

In the Declaration, the ulama strictly condemn all attacks and aggression toward vaccinators and health workers and highlight the importance of Islamic solidarity for polio eradication, both at the national and international level.

Polio has been eradicated in most countries but it remains endemic in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Nigeria, with 12 cases being reported in Afghanistan so far in 2016. The support of religious leaders and scholars is crucial in the battle to eradicate polio as they play a key role in spreading information about the importance of vaccination and convincing communities to vaccinate their children to protect them.

“The polio vaccine is halal and the only way to protect our children from this crippling disease. Islam emphasizes the importance of good hygiene and prevention of diseases,” said Mawlawi Essanul Haq Hanafi, an Islamic scholar who spoke at the conference.

During the one-day conference, local government officials from Nangarhar province and representatives from the Ministry of Public Health highlighted the progress and remaining challenges of the polio programme, encouraging the Ulama to continue their valuable support for vaccination campaigns.

Earlier this year, influential ulama and Afghan religious scholars have gathered for similar conferences to endorse polio vaccination in Kunar and Kandahar provinces. Religious leaders around the country continue their support for polio eradication to ensure that every child under the age of 5 is reached during every vaccination campaign.

Contact us

WHO Representative
UNOCA Compound, Jalalabad Road
Pul-e-Charkhi
Kabul

By Sofia Barbarani

CARACAS, 22 November 2016

It’s barely dawn and the streets of Caracas are largely empty, except for heavy-eyed commuters heading to work and hungry Venezuelans scavenging through the rubbish for breakfast.

The men and women meticulously pick their way through foul-smelling black plastic bags in the hope of finding some edible scraps. Passers-by don’t give them a second glance. This is an increasingly common sight in Venezuela’s capital.

Read the full article on IRIN

El Gobierno del presidente Jimmy Morales tiene frente a sí un reto que se impuso y que Unicef catalogó de “difícil, pero posible”: reducir en un 10 por ciento la desnutrición crónica que sufre la mitad de sus niños menores de cinco años en sus cuatro años de mandato (2016-2020). Para ello está cumpliendo múltiples batallas.

La Secretaría de Seguridad Alimentaria y Nutricional (Sesan) es una de las instituciones vinculada a la estrategia nacional para lograr este objetivo y que comparte esfuerzos con otras que son claves para llevar el esfuerzo, como el Ministerio de Salud, el Ministerio de Desarrollo Social y el Ministerio de Agricultura, entre otras, y la incorporación, por primera vez bajo un esquema definido, de todas las municipalidades del país.

Germán González, titular de la Sesan explica que la prioridad en estos primeros diez meses de Gobierno fue combatir la desnutrición crónica en niños menores de dos años y atender las causas del hambre estacional que generan la desnutrición aguda. El objetivo es reducir en un nueve por ciento este flagelo en comparación a 2015.

Ya se cuenta con importantes avances en estas metas, explica Gonzáles, en la siguiente entrevista.

¿Cuáles han sido los temas priorizados por el Gobierno de la República?

Disminuir la desnutrición crónica, fortaleciendo la atención primaria en salud y en educación, para cambiar el comportamiento de la población para mejorar las prácticas en el desarrollo del niño en su etapa de los 1.000 días.

Otro de los temas es la inversión en agua y saneamiento que debe hacer cada una de las instituciones, principalmente las municipalidades, que tienen un mandato para tal efecto, así como asegurar la disponibilidad de alimentos y velar por la economía familiar como condiciones que permitan alimentar a las poblaciones durante un tiempo.nina-pobreza-2

¿Qué avances presenta la Estrategia Nacional de Prevención de la Desnutrición Crónica 2016-2020?

Se logró esquematizar la coordinación a nivel municipal, con las autoridades locales. Durante este año se tocaron las puertas de 338 alcaldías que pudieron abrir Oficinas Municipales de Seguridad Alimentaria y Nutricional y 310 consejos para este tema.

Estos están atentos y listos para recibir las intervenciones que reduzcan la desnutrición crónica en estos municipios. Estamos preparados para implementar acciones que permitan reducir esos niveles de desnutrición.

¿Cómo se articulan las diferentes instituciones a esa estrategia?

A través de una estrategia de gobernanza, la cual ha sido diseñada y puesta en marcha este año con manuales de funcionamiento, acuerdos mínimos para llevar las intervenciones.

Es importante decir que el acuerdo que se legró es que la intervención se basará en gestión por resultados. Esta fue incluida en el proyecto del presupuesto que se presentó al Congreso de la República. Definirá resultados antes de buscar ejecución del presupuesto.

¿Qué sectores participaran en esta estrategia?

El sector de gobierno, como los ministerios de Agricultura, Educación, Salud, Desarrollo Social y Finanzas Públicas. Así como las secretarías de Coordinación Ejecutiva de la Presidencia, de Planificación, Obras Sociales de la Esposa del Presidente y Sesan.

Mientras que con sector empresarial, estamos trabajando fuertemente con la Alianza por la Nutrición, sociedad civil que aglutina a 10 sectores, así como cooperación internacional.

Estos últimos apoyan con recursos técnicos y financieros que permitirán complementar el esfuerzo que el Gobierno está realizando con fondos del presupuesto nacional.

¿Qué resultados se tiene del Plan de Respuesta al Hambre Estacional 2016?

Los resultados importantes fueron haber atendido a más de 355.000 familias en todo el país, respondiendo a las causas de desnutrición aguda, apoyando al identificador y al diagnóstico oportuno de cada caso. Hubo una reducción importante en comparación al año 2015.

Estas familias pudieron ser atendidas para producir alimentos en su hogar, con técnicas adecuadas de conservación de suelos y que además pudieran recibir alimentos para mitigar las pérdidas que pudieron haber ocasionado los fenómenos climáticos en ese periodo.

¿A qué sector va dirigido el Plan?

Este atiende a 360.000 familias, que están identificadas con los criterios de legibilidad con los estándares de Naciones Unidas. Cada una de las familias cumplió con los requisitos para ser atendidas en más de una oportunidad y se transparenta los datos a través de los distintos portales de los ministerios de Agricultura, Desarrollo Social y Sesan.

¿Cómo marcha el tema de presupuesto 2017, destinado a reducir la desnutrición crónica en Guatemala?

Se plantea como objetivo consolidar el rescate que el Gobierno de la República cumple en el Ministerio de Salud. Incluye más de 1.000 millones de quetzales adicionales para fortalecer el primer nivel de atención en salud y que éste pueda prestar los servicios de prevención de las enfermedades prevalentes de la infancia, como la desnutrición crónica.

El Ministerio de Educación será fortalecido con más 900 millones de quetzales adicionales de su presupuesto, para fortalecer las áreas que tiene que ver con la alimentación escolar, el servicio de educación preescolar y que vendrán a complementar las acciones de desnutrición crónica en el país.

Además, haber consolidado los consejos nacionales de desarrollo urbano y rural, donde se pudieron destinar más del 50 por ciento de los fondos para el 2017, en temas de agua y saneamiento, educación y salud, los cuáles serán destinados a las comunidades más lejanas del país.agua

¿Cómo se construyó el presupuesto 2017?

Esto fue con el apoyo de todas las unidades técnicas, administrativas, financieras de cada una de las instituciones, fortalecidas por la Secretaría de Planificación de la Presidencia (Segeplan) y el Ministerio de Finanzas. Se construyó en base a un presupuesto por resultados.

¿Qué aporte se tiene de la cooperación internacional en el combate a la desnutrición en Guatemala?

Ha estado activa a las cualidades de desarrollo del país. Ha identificado que este tema es una prioridad derivado a los altos índices de desnutrición que hay en el país y ha destinado recursos para complementar los esfuerzos que el Gobierno de la República hace a través del presupuesto.

Estos aportes no vienen a sustituir las acciones que el Gobierno hace, sino a complementarlas, a fortalecerlas y potencializarlas para poder alcanzar los resultados de una manera más rápida.

¿Cuáles son las primeras acciones programadas para el próximo año?

Es el lanzamiento de la ejecución de las acciones. Durante este año estuvimos preparando todas las articulaciones que deberían de darse en el terreno. Las bases que permitieran sentar la estrategia de reducción de desnutrición crónica y a principio del año el señor Presidente estará inaugurando la ejecución de la estrategia en cada uno de los departamentos priorizados para el 2017.

Estaremos en Huehuetenango, Quiché, Alta Verapaz y Chiquimula haciendo las intervenciones que tienen que ver con la prevención de la desnutrición crónica, es decir, poder tener servicios de salud con capacidad de ofrecer vacunas, control de crecimiento del niño menor de 2 años, así como tener consejería adecuada que permita a las madres atender mejor las acciones de alimentación, entre otros temas.

By Thorir Gudmundsson, IFRC

For up to 170 people on a flimsy rubber dinghy, these are the distances that matter: Libya is 30 kilometres behind, Italy is 360 kilometres ahead and the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea is 150 metres down below.

Mediterranean rescues are deadly serious. In the space of 18 hours from 6pm 15 November, the Responder search and rescue boat rescued 870 people from the clutches of the waves.

"Thank god we were rescued from the boat," says 21-year-old Light from Nigeria as he sheltered on the deck of the Responder, beaten by heavy rain and gusting wind. "Otherwise we would all be dead."

Sometimes, the difference between life and death is a chance encounter and a matter of minutes. In dark swirling water with heavy swells, a low-lying dinghy can easily escape radar detection.

That evening, Icelandic Red Cross nurse Johanna Jonsdottir stepped into the dark and on to the Responder’s deck to make a phone call. Over the crashing waves, a faint noise grabbed her attention. On listening closely, she realized the sound was shouting. When she looked down from the boat, she could make out a dinghy full of people bobbing close to the Responder.

Within minutes rescuers from Migrant Offshore Aid Station (MOAS) and Red Cross medics had begun to bring the traumatized passengers to safety.

One of the survivors was Sophie from Senegal. She had spent 15 months in Libya. She'd waited near the beach in Libya for some time before the sea was calm enough for smugglers to push out the boats. "Thank god I'm alive," she says.

It later emerged that 25 passengers from that dinghy had died – high waves had swept them overboard as the boat was leaving Libya.

Two hours later, the Responder picked up a group from a small wooden boat. The next morning, three more rescues took place, bringing the total above 550. Those rescues combined with others from a couple of days earlier meant that 870 people had been brought to safety in less than a week. Once on deck, medics from the Italian Red Cross and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) check over the passengers. They bandage wounds, tend to pregnant women, treat ailments and make sure children are alright.

The youngest passenger this week was one-month-old Desmond, rescued with his mother Susan from Nigeria.

As Susan embraced her son, another woman, Fatmata, shook uncontrollably and asked repeatedly for her children. They had been put in another dinghy. After a few tense minutes, people from the second boat were brought to the Responder. Among them were Fatmata's children. The reunion was emotional.

Men, women and children huddled on the Responder’s deck as it headed towards Italy. Everyone had water, food and a foil blanket for the rough journey. Most stayed perfectly still. It was only when land appeared in the distance Italy that people started to jump up and sing.

"I love Italy," was the phrase that echoed around the deck.

People were relieved with good reason. This year, more than 4,500 people have died trying to cross the Mediterranean. A few days later, the death toll rose by one more as a body was spotted floating in the waves and was recovered by the Responder team.

As the Responder docked in Pozzallo, Sicily, passengers stepped on to solid ground again at long last, greeted by the Italian Red Cross’s on-shore team. They are safe. What happens now is up to Italian authorities.

For the Responder’s crew, it is back out to sea.

CONTEXTES

1- CONTEXTE OPERATIONNEL

Les opérations militaires conjointes menées par le Nigéria, le Cameroun et la Force Mixte multinationale se sont intensifiées depuis le 11 février 2016, se soldant par la mort de plus d’une centaine de membres de Boko-Haram, la libération des plus de 100 otages, la destruction des camps et usines de fabrication d’explosifs, et la récupération de la base militaire de Kumshé (Nigéria) tombée auparavant entre les mains des insurgés groupes terroristes dans un combat face à l’armée nigériane. Malgré ces succès militaires, les insurgés Haram semblent ne pas lâcher prise et poursuivent leurs incursions.

Un accrochage a eu lieu en la date du 04 Novembre dans la localité de Garal vers le Lac Tchad situé à 38 kilomètres de Gambaru-Ngala entre les adeptes de Boko haram et les forces de défense multinationales. Selon le bilan des autorités, plusieurs assaillants ont été tués et des nombreuses armes ont été récupérées alors qu’un soldat fut tombé du côté de l’armé. Et idem à Jilbé frontière avec le Cameroun.

2- CONTEXTE DE LA CRISE

Apparu au Nigéria en 2002 dans certains États du Nord-Est (Yobé, Adamawa et Borno), le mouvement insurgé de l’Etat Islamique en Afrique de l’Ouest (EAIO, ex Boko Haram) a étendu son pouvoir de nuisance en Afrique centrale notamment dans les Etats frontaliers comme le Tchad, le Niger, le Cameroun et le Bénin. Les premières actions significatives que pose le groupe terroriste, au Cameroun, sont la vague de réfugiés à Kamouna en février 2014, et la série d’enlèvements de personnes d’origine étrangère. A cause de la coalition militaire des Etats affectés, ce groupe a changé son mode opératoire à travers des attentats-suicides en utilisant les femmes et les enfants.

Selon les données statistiques de la 6ème session du Comité interministériel ad hoc chargé des situations d’urgence tenue le 10 septembre 2015 à Yaoundé, le Ministre de l’Administration Territoriale et de la Décentralisation a relevé le caractère préoccupant de la situation des refugies. 309 232 étrangers, dont plus de 251 000 Centrafricains répartis en majorité dans les régions de l’Est, de l’Adamaoua et du Nord et 58 000 Nigérians que l’on retrouve pour l’essentiel dans la région de l’Extrême-Nord.

A cela, il faut ajouter près de 100 000 déplacés internes. Ces chiffres ont évolué depuis Novembre 2015 en raison de la mise en place au Nigéria des mesures sécuritaires pour favoriser l`entrée des réfugiés Nigérians au Cameroun. Pour cette raison les réfugiés installés provisoirement dans l’Arrondissement de Fotokol, ont été invité par la National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) lors de sa mission au Cameroun en Février 2016, à inviter les réfugiés à rentrer au Nigeria avant la fin du mois de Novembre. Plus de 25 000 personnes ont déjà été accompagnées à la frontière par les Militaires Camerounais.

Les autorités Nigérianes ont sensibilisé les réfugiés à rentrer. A la date du 21 Janvier 2016 jusqu’aujourd’hui environs 250 000 sont rentrés au Nigeria, même comme les conditions qui ont été posées par les ressortissants du Nigeria à leurs autorités ne sont pas totalement mise en place (la réhabilitation de leurs maisons détruites dans les villages d’origine et la désinfection des villages étant donné la possible présence de corps en putréfaction). Néanmoins deux camps d’accueil sont installés à Ngala et à Kala-Balgé pour accueillir les retournées et les IDPs 92 000). Et environs 10 000 personnes vivent hors camps. L’assistance apportée à ces personnes grâce à la sécurité militaires. La situation que traversent les personnes déplacées Internes, retournées et les populations hôtes de Kala-Balgé, Ngala, Gambaru, dans l’Etat de Borno (Nord-Est du Nigeria) est dégradante et désastreuse, y manquent de prise en charge générale.

Une malnutrition aigüe sévère (MAS), un traumatisme aggravé, des maux qui conduisent chaque jour à plusieurs cas de décès (Femmes et Enfants en sont victimes). La mortalité et la famine constituent un problème criard de ces derniers et exigent une intervention d’urgence. Cependant, nous demandons aux acteurs humanitaires de collaborer avec nous étant déjà sur le terrain(Caritas) qui assistaient ces personnes vulnérables (les réfugiés hors camp et les déplacées Internes) dans les arrondissements de Fotokol, Hile-alifa, Makary, Blangoua, Darack, Kousseri, Logone-birni, Zina, Goulfey, Waza depuis 2014 sur le Territoire Camerounais, pour une réponse rapide et efficace). Mais il faut noter qu’avec la présence effective de la force multinationale, Boko-Haram n’a plus le total contrôle de cette zone même si des actes de terrorisme continuent d’être enregistrés. Avec la situation sécuritaire qui prévaut, les structures humanitaires comme le HCR, le PAM, UNICEF, ne sont pas opérationnelles sur le terrain, mais envoient des volontaires pour les tâches spécifiques. Cependant, APA-Caritas a une expertise dans les interventions en situation d`urgence. Elle est la seule organisation humanitaire étrangère installée à Ngala avec un bureau d’opération. L’urgence humanitaire dans le NordEst du Nigeria atteint des niveaux catastrophiques. Une aide d’urgence massive est immédiatement nécessaire dans les zones frontalières comme dans la capitale de l’Etat de Borno. Les conditions de vie terribles dans l’Etat de Borno reflètent l’impact dévastateur du conflit entre les insurgés et l’armée. Dans plusieurs endroits, des personnes se sont réfugiées dans des villes ou des camps contrôlés par l’armée et sont totalement dépendantes d’une aide extérieure qui n’arrive pas, bien qu’une urgence nutritionnelle ait été déclarée il y a cinq mois, l’aide pour la population de Borno fait gravement défaut, un déploiement des programmes d’aide massive et immédiate serait la bienvenue pour venir en aide à cette population en détresse.

People affected

2400 cases of microcephaly and/or central nervous system malformations potentially associated with Zika worldwide
2100 of these cases in Brazil
69 countries and territories with Zika virus transmission since 2015
28 countries and territories reporting microcephaly potentially linked to Zika 19 countries and territories reporting Guillain-Barré syndrome potentially linked to Zika

Funding needs

US$ 112.5 million required by all partners to implement the updated Zika Strategic Response Plan US$ 19 million required by WHO

At a glance

• Zika is not going away. All countries with Aedes mosquitoes are at risk for local mosquito-borne transmission of the virus.

• Sustained international response efforts and resources are required.

• WHO is committed to tackling Zika virus and its complications over the long term.

• The response will continue to be managed by WHO, countries and partners under the Zika Strategic Response Plan.

• A total of US$ 112.5 million is required by partners working together to implement the planned response.

Current situation

Zika virus remains a significant public health challenge requiring intense action over the long term. While Zika no longer constitutes a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), it remains a crisis impacting the lives of thousands and requiring sustained international response efforts and resources.

As of 16 November 2016, 69 countries and territories have reported evidence of mosquito-borne Zika virus transmission since 2015. Twenty-eight countries have reported microcephaly and other central nervous system malformations and 19 have reported Guillain-Barré syndrome potentially associated with Zika virus infection. The virus continues to spread geographically in places where there are mosquitoes that can carry Zika (Aedes mosquitoes).

ASEAN is one of the most disaster-prone regions in the world. Between 2004 and 2014, every year on average the region suffered 354,000 disaster-related fatalities—more than half of the world’s total in that period. Economic losses from those disasters totalled an estimated of USD 91 billion.

The ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on disaster management (AHA Centre) signed a Memorandum of Intent (MoI) with California-based humanitarian aid group Direct Relief to provide emergency medical supplies for ASEAN’s collective response to regional disasters. The MoI was signed in conjunction with the fifth anniversary of the AHA Centre on 17 November.

“2016 is the year when the AHA Centre begun to further realise the spirit of One ASEAN One Response. This year we partner with various stakeholders from the academe, think-tank, private sector, and civil society organisations. The MoI signing with Direct Relief is one of the embodiments of this spirit and we look forward to this new partnership,” said Mr. Said Faisal, Executive Director of the AHA Centre.

The supplies coming from Direct Relief will include Emergency Health Kits as well as Emergency Medical Packs, which were developed with public health officials and emergency response professionals. The parties will explore further possibilities to conduct several activities such as prepositioning supplies in ASEAN’s three regional logistics hubs in Malaysia, Philippines and Thailand.

“The U.S. Government has long been a partner with ASEAN and its member states on disaster management and response, yet we know that the private sector and civil society add tremendous value, expertise and support to our efforts,” said Nina Hachigian, U.S .Ambassador to ASEAN.

Meanwhile, Direct Relief President and CEO Thomas Tighe said, “the AHA Centre is serving such a critical role in advancing and ensuring coordination during emergencies that regularly affect ASEAN’s member countries and their citizens, and Direct Relief is very pleased to support the prepositioning of critical supplies to enable faster response and reduce death and suffering in the wake of these events.”

Direct Relief also plans to engage in this effort the many healthcare companies with which it already works extensively and have large regional operations in ASEAN.

After Hurricane Matthew, MCC is building latrines to prevent cholera, providing food and restoring gardens in Haiti’s Artibonite Department.

By MCC Staff

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti – Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) is working on strengthening sanitation, providing food and restoring gardens in Haiti in the wake of October’s Hurricane Matthew.

The Category 4 storm exacerbated cholera concerns and food shortages that already existed before entire communities saw trees stripped bare, fields flooded, and homes, schools and health centers destroyed.

“Hurricane Matthew hit our communities hard — we lost gardens, we lost animals, we lost houses,” said Emmanuel Boisrond, a community leader from Wondo-Bikèt in Haiti’s Artibonite Department.

Though southwest Haiti received the full brunt of the Oct. 4 storm, regions throughout the country suffered serious impacts. Mountaintop communities, like Boisrond’s, where MCC has implemented a reforestation program for decades, also suffered.

MCC is focusing its response in the Artibonite, where local authorities, community members, MCC and its partners worked together to craft a response to help hundreds of families affected by the hurricane.

Cholera Prevention

Matthew’s heavy winds and rain destroyed health centers, latrines and septic systems, the infrastructure used to contain and treat cholera, a primarily waterborne disease that spreads quickly in areas of poor sanitation.

The disease has plagued Haiti since 2010 when United Nations’ peacekeepers’ contaminated waste was negligently released into Haiti’s main waterway. At least 9,500 Haitians have died since then.

The outbreak began in a town bordering the Artibonite, and the region remains a stronghold of cholera transmission.

Residents of Wopisa, an Artibonite community, lost their few latrines to the hurricane, and they fear the disease’s resurgence. Up to 30 percent of their community has already contracted the disease since 2010. Since communities like Wopisa are accessible only by foot or donkey, reaching the nearest health center can take hours, sometimes making treatment too late.

To help prevent cholera, MCC is providing materials and expert construction oversight for eight communities to build latrines for 250 families. Families also will receive hygiene training and supplies.

“When I told the Wopsia community leader [about the latrine project] he started crying,” said Jean Remy Azor, the program director for MCC’s reforestation program. “They have lost so much [already] to cholera and other diseases. After the hurricane, they are so afraid of cholera coming back in a big way, but these latrines give hope that this will not happen.”

MCC also continues to ask U.S. citizens to urge Congress to push the UN to immediately implement cholera remedies it has promised as infection rates rise post-Hurricane Matthew.

Food Security

In addition to threats to health, communities are trying to determine how to feed their families. Haiti, an already food insecure nation, is facing a widespread crisis as smallholder farmers have lost large percentages of their crops.

In the commune where Wondo-Bikèt is situated, MCC and community leaders’ post-storm assessment found that an estimated 2,322 acres of crops were lost and 3,240 animals killed, leaving families in need of both immediate assistance and long-term support to rebuild and improve their farming plots.

In the short term, MCC is distributing locally procured food, including corn, beans, rice and chickens, to 125 vulnerable families. Families will also receive seedlings for fast-growing crops like tomatoes, eggplant and moringa that can produce in just three months.

For long-term revitalization of families’ land, MCC will draw upon its nearly 60 years of experience in combating food insecurity in Haiti by organizing families into cooperative groups. Group members will help each other rebuild fencing, implement soil conservation techniques taught by MCC staff and prepare the soil for planting.

“This new project in Wondo-Bikèt will allow parents to feed their children and rebuild their garden,” Boisrond explained. “To families that lost everything, knowing that they can plant again is so important. Having MCC here in solidarity with us is a blessing from God.”

HIGHLIGHTS

• Malnutrition screening and treatment efforts ongoing in drought-affected areas of Madagascar

• Rainy and planting seasons commence in parts of the Southern Africa region

• USAID/OFDA prioritizes agricultural interventions to increase access to seeds and other key inputs

KEY DEVELOPMENTS

• The planting season, which extends through the end of December in some areas, has commenced in the Southern Africa region. Given the positive rainfall forecast for most of the sub-region by the Southern Africa Regional Climate Outlook Forum (SARCOF), farmers with timely access to inputs, such as seeds, have an opportunity to recover drought-disrupted livlihoods following the upcoming April/May harvest, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). FAO highlights that emergency activities in the agriculture sector, such as those supported by USAID/OFDA, will also contribute to a reduction in food consumption gaps and reliance on emergency food aid.

• As of early November, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported that La Niña conditions were present in the tropical Pacific Ocean. SARCOF forecasts indicate that weak La Niña conditions will persist until December, followed by a 55 percent chance of neutral conditions during the December-to-February period. According to SARCOF, La Niña in Southern Africa is generally associated with aboveaverage rainfall.

• USAID/OFDA and USAID/FFP representatives traveled to southern Madagascar between October 31 and November 11 to assess humanitarian needs generated by ongoing El Niño-related drought conditions and monitor USAID humanitarian programs. In FY 2016, USAID provided more than $26 million to support UN agencies and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) responding to drought-related needs in Madagascar

Avant-Propos

2015 a été pour le Fonds des Nations Unies pour la population (UNFPA) une année riche

Elle est marquée par le début du septième programme de coopération avec le gouvernement malgache, particulièrement avec le Ministère de l’Economie et de la Planification, le Ministère de la Santé Publique, le Ministère de la Population, de la Protection Sociale et la Promotion de la Femme, le Ministère de la Jeunesse et des Sports, l’Institut National de la Statistique et les ONG oeuvrant dans le domaine de la santé de la reproduction. Ce septième programme s’étend de 2015 à 2019 et vise la réduction de la pauvreté à travers la réduction de la mortalité maternelle en mettant l’accent auprès des régions d’interventions prioritaires de l’UNFPA, à savoir : Atsimo Andrefana, Androy et Vatovavy Fitovinany.

Elle a également été l’année des résultats tangibles :

• La réalisation du symposium sur le genre. Ce symposium est le signe que Madagascar est sensible à la promotion de l’égalité des genres, il a réuni des centaines de personnes issues des 22 régions de l’île et de secteurs différents pour débattre sur la problématique du genre afin de contribuer à l’élaboration de la politique nationale sur le genre.

• L’adhésion de Madagascar aux engagements FP 2020. Le taux de prévalence contraceptive à Madagascar peut encore être amélioré, c’est dans ce sens que lors du lancement de la campagne nationale sur la planification familiale, l’Etat Malagasy s’est engagé à augmenter le taux de prévalence contraceptive à 50% et de réduire le taux des besoins insatisfaits à 9% d’ici 2020.

• Au niveau de la réparation des fistules obstétricales, 2015 a enregistré le plus grand nombre de femmes à qui l’on a rendu le sourire depuis le début des programmes de coopération avec le gouvernement. 829 femmes ont été réparées pour l’année 2015.

• Grâce à l’appui de UNFPA, la politique nationale de la jeunesse est disponible et la loi la régissant est adoptée par le Conseil du Gouvernement.

Ces résultats signifient une bonne avancée dans le processus de la réduction de la pauvreté et ce qui nous attend nécessite encore un travail plus vigoureux. Le défi est actuellement de ne laisser personne en arrière avec la réalisation des nouveaux Objectifs du Développement Durable à horizon 2030.

KEY FIGURES

INSIDE SOUTH SUDAN

260,453 Refugees in South Sudan

1,8 M IDPs in South Sudan, including 204,370 people in UNMISS Protection of Civilians site

US $276 million Funding requested for comprehensive needs in 2016

US $132 million Funding requested for priority needs in 2016

OUTSIDE SOUTH SUDAN

1,248,230 South Sudanese refugees in neighboring countries (before and after 15 December 2013): - Uganda: 517,491 - Ethiopia: 320,767 - Sudan: 254,757 - Kenya: 90,073 - DRC: 60,211 - CAR: 4,931

US $649 million Funding requested by UNHCR for South Sudanese refugees in the region

US $153.9 million Funding received by UNHCR for South Sudanese refugees in the region

HIGHLIGHTS

• Refugees shot dead, injured and dozens abducted near in Lasu– On Saturday 5 November 2016, two Sudanese refugees were killed, and five others seriously wounded in Lasu Payam. According to the survivors who are currently receiving medical treatment at the Yei Civil Hospital, an alleged armed group abducted some 39 Sudanese refugees from Lasu camp on 19 October 2016 and took them 18 kilometers east of Lasu to their base, 3 kilometers off the main road near Mitika SPLA base. The armed group continues to hold the remaining abducted refugees in captivity. The survivors noted they returned to the camp from their hiding places due to hunger, only to be shot. UNHCR and partners have not been able to access Lasu camp over the past month due to insecurity en route from Yei to Lasu and delivery of services has been disrupted. It is reported that a great majority of refugees (mostly Congolese with some Sudanese) have fled the camp seeking safety in the bush and farmlands, or crossed the border to DRC.

• UNHCR and partner commence distribution of relief items to vulnerable IDPs in Yei: In Yei, UNHCR and its partners started targeted distribution of Non-Food Items (NFI) to 5,000 families of the most vulnerable internally displaced persons (IDPs). NFI items include blankets, sleeping mats, jerry cans, soap, buckets, mosquito nets and kitchen sets, including sanitary pads and underwear for women and girls of reproductive age. To aid the assistance effort UNHCR also donated assorted surgical equipment to the Yei Civil Hospital. Surgical equipment donated included and operating table and lights and instruments to assist in procedures such as caesarian sections and appendectomies

• UNHCR distributes non-food items to IDPs in Upper Nile: In Gismalla, a boma which is located 7 kilometers from Doro refugee camp, UNHCR and its partners Samaritan’s Purse and Humanitarian Development Consofrtium distributed NFIs to 2, 441 IDPs who were displaced following clashes between armed men and host community members at Shatta Boma 20 km from Bunj in midOctober.

The humanitarian and health situation of the Syrians stranded at Jordan’s north-eastern border in the desert area known as the ‘Berm’ is expected to further deteriorate in the coming months as they face a second winter. In response, MSF again reiterates its call for direct access to those stranded at the ‘Berm’ in order to assess and respond to their medical needs and ensure the equal provision of quality medical care.

Five months have passed since Jordan sealed its borders with Syria, a decision that has seriously impacted the access of over 75,000 Syrians, three-quarters of them women and children, to basic quality medical care. Stuck in the desert for over two years, humanitarian actors had been unable to provide proper assistance even before the border closure, and the situation has become even more dismal.

While the 75,000 Syrians at the ‘Berm’ stand powerless in the face of political decisions made by both the Government of Jordan and the international community, their dire humanitarian situation and almost impossible living conditions threaten to worsen dramatically as a typical desert winter rolls in.

“The weather is becoming colder and temperatures are expected to drop below zero,” says Dr Natalie Thurtle, MSF’s Medical Team Leader of the ‘Berm’ project. “In the near future, we expect to hear of young children dying of hypothermia, because this is something that happened last year.”

Under the current miserable living conditions at the ‘Berm’, Syrians living in flimsy, makeshift tents that cannot withstand the strong winds of winter will be forced to face even more challenges to simply survive. An absence of infrastructure poses the greatest difficulty, with those stranded at the ‘Berm’ having no access to basics such as proper winter clothing, hot water, electricity, firewood, or any form of heating that could keep their bodies warm and sustain them during the cold weather.

Likewise, meaningful access to food and other essentials has been very limited since the closure of borders on 21 June, leading to serious health complications among those sheltering in the area.

“They haven’t been provided with food since early August, so of course we are hearing increasing reports of malnutrition. In the last week alone, we received 140 unconfirmed reported cases of malnutrition in the Berm. Life in the Berm is becoming increasingly desperate,” said Thurtle.

Moreover, 250 kilometres west of the ‘Berm’, at the northwestern borders with Syria, war-wounded Syrians continue to be denied access to the Jordanian border town of Ramtha. The border closure has halted the medical evacuation of wounded Syrians from Dara’a governorate in southern Syria to Ramtha hospital, where MSF has been running an emergency surgical project for more than three years providing lifesaving medical treatment to Syrians injured in the conflict. Today, despite reports of the intensification of violence and fighting in southern Syria, MSF’s wards in Ramtha stand almost empty. Should the situation at the borders remain unchanged, MSF fears that its ongoing programmes in Jordan which address the medical needs of war-wounded Syrians could be forced to close.

To this end, MSF strongly calls on the Government of Jordan to remove barriers imposed on the provision of lifesaving medical care by allowing the medical evacuation of war-wounded Syrians, especially vulnerable women and children, to MSF’s Ramtha emergency surgical project.

MSF operated a mobile health clinic at the ‘Berm’ for 23 days beginning on 16 May 2016 to provide primary health care and reproductive health care. The majority of patients were women and children under five. During this time, MSF saw 3,501 patients, provided consultations to 450 pregnant women and delivered one baby. In addition, at its Ramtha project, MSF continues to provide lifesaving surgical care, as well as rehabilitative post-operative care to war-wounded Syrians who were able to cross into Jordan prior to the closure of borders. Since September 2013, MSF has seen more than 2,427 wounded in the emergency room of Ramtha hospital, and performed more than 4,500 surgical interventions on Syrian patients, including more than 800 major surgeries.

WHEN Hurricane Matthew swept across the Caribbean in early October 2016, it caused huge devastation across Haiti – particularly in the south of the country. Around 2.1 million people were affected, with 1.4 million people needing humanitarian assistance of whom more than 800,000 required urgent food assistance. The Salvation Army in Haiti reacted quickly, providing cooked meals for several days for 800 people in emergency shelters. This was quickly followed by the provision of rice, beans, oil and corn to approximately 4,000 people.

The hurricane was followed by another disaster – a cholera outbreak that has already spread to more than 5,800 people. A massive vaccination operation is under way, with the Ministry of Health seeking partners for a cholera prevention programme. The Salvation Army's Bethel clinic in Font-des-Negres is ideally positioned for such a task, having gained experience during the last cholera outbreak.

Staff at the clinic are currently working on an extensive community awareness programme, which involves training 30 community health workers who will work in 60 different locations. Part of their responsibilities will be to share information and instruction regarding hygiene, cleaning and how to deal with any suspected cholera case. Prevention kits will be distributed to 2,500 of the most vulnerable households. The next phase will be to construct and operate a cholera treatment unit to safely look after any cholera patients in the area.

A team has been deployed to Haiti from The Salvation Army's International Emergency Services. Major Bill Barthau and Carolynn Barkhouse, both from Canada, are supporting the programmes already underway while also working on a shelter project and a water and agriculture project.

Almost 1,700 schools were damaged by hurricane, including some run by The Salvation Army, so another part of the recovery programme will be to repair or reconstruct schools, and also to provide school materials and uniforms to some students. Carolynn says: 'According to UNICEF [the United Nations Children's Fund] there are almost 900,000 affected children. We are planning to provide notebooks, schoolbooks, pens and uniforms to some of these children in order for them to return to school. Provision of these items will allow the children to continue their recovery process to what will be a new “normal”.'

Donations to The Salvation Army's Hurricane Matthew Disaster Fund can be made via a secure online server.