Highlights

• The Government of Kenya estimates that the current number of people needing assistance has gone up to 3 million, and is expected to rise to 4 million by July (2017 Kenya Flash Appeal).

• On 16 March 2017, the UN and humanitarian partners launched a Flash Appeal for US$ 165.71 million to reach 2.6 million people with life-saving assistance and protection for the next 10 months (1 March to 31 December 2017).

• UNICEF has revised its Humanitarian Action for Children (HAC) requirements for Kenya from US$23 million to US$41 million to meet the increased humanitarian needs of children in the country due to the rapidly deteriorating drought situation as well as to cover refugee response needs and the significant investments being made in preparedness. The revised HAC appeal is only 18 per cent funded.

• The Kenya Meteorological Department outlook for the ‘long rains’ between March to May indicates that depressed rainfall is expected, particularly in the Arid and Semi-Arid Lands.

• A mass screening in a hot spot area of Kibish in North Turkana, revealed that 55 per cent of the screened children were identified as acutely malnourished, and all affected children were admitted to the nutrition programme.

• SAM admissions in February 2017 have increased by 27% compared to February 2016.

Situation Overview & Humanitarian Needs

• The ongoing drought is having a devastating impact on food security, access to water and nutrition conditions, which has exhausted people’s capacity to cope with other shocks. There are also increasing reports of disease outbreaks and conflict as a result of displacement and water shortages. Resource-based conflict has contributed to the closure of 45 schools in East Baringo. The predicted failure of the long rains’ season will continue to worsen the situation especially for women, children, the elderly and the sick, who remain the most affected. The current number of people needing assistance is estimated to have gone up to 3 million, and is expected to be at 4 million by July should the long rains fail as predicted.

• A multi-agency team with representatives from the Turkana County Ministry of Health, UNICEF, WFP, Save the Children, and the Kenya Red Cross Society (KCRS), conducted a four day assessment between 13 and 17 March, following the alarming results of the mass screening and outreach activities undertaken in early March in Kibish (North Turkana), where 2,500 children under five were screened and 55 per cent were identified as acutely malnourished. The assessment confirmed a major shortage of water and pasture with large number of visible animal carcasses.
  Community member feedback indicated that there has been an inadequate food access response in terms of both food and cash. The ongoing support from UNICEF for the treatment of severely malnourished children as well as rehabilitation of key water sources, is appreciated, however much more needs to be done especially around food access. Based on the field mission and supported by the Nutrition sector, there is an urgent recommendation for blanket supplementary feeding (BSF) for all children under five and pregnant and lactating women. KRCS provided some immediate relief in the form of food assistance and a steering committee has been established at county level to scale up the multisectoral response in this community. UNICEF continues to lobby with all key donors on the need to fund blanket supplementary feeding, which is included in the flash appeal.

• A total of 10 households, (27 individuals) were interviewed by UNHCR in March and have confirmed that they are new arrivals from Somalia to Dadaab Refugee Camp due to the ongoing drought in Somalia. The number is expected to increase as the situation escalates.

• The Kenya Meteorological Department outlook for the March to May ‘long rains’ season indicates that depressed rainfall is expected over most parts of the country, with a few parts of Western Kenya likely to be near-normal. The distribution of rainfall, both in time and space, is expected to be generally poor over most parts of the country, particularly in the Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASALs) which are the most-affected by the drought. The ASALs are likely to remain dry during the month of March, with Northeastern Kenya likely to expect the onset of rain around the second week of April. While rainfall is expected to pick up in April and May in the ASALs, it will remain depressed.
  Flash floods may still occur in Western Kenya and some parts of Central Rift Valley and Central Highlands despite the expected average to below-average rainfall.

• Data from the SMS-based drought monitoring system indicates that up to 114,398 children enrolled in 930 schools in 13 counties are not attending school due to the drought, and a total of 1,099 schools (48 per cent) reported having no access to water and 61 per cent of schools (559) do not have an ongoing school meals programme.

• Four counties have submitted updates on the situation of children affected by drought to the Child Protection subsector. The findings show a deteriorating situation for children. In Garissa and Turkana Counties, 20,457 (11,452 girls and 9,005 boys) are reportedly displaced due to the drought.

• An estimated 30,000 households have moved across the border from Turkana County into Uganda due to the drought. The cross-border migration routes follow the Ugandan Escarpment along Oropoi, Nakitongo, Urum,
  Lokipoto, Nawountos and Solia. Each household has between three to four school-going children, representing an estimated 90,000 to 120,000 children out of school. In addition, there are no reported health or nutrition outreach programmes in the areas where migrants have settled, thus compromising the situation of children under five and the pregnant and lactating women. There are also reports of increasing child marriages across the border.

• A diarrhea disease trends analysis between October 2016 and January 2017 shows an increased caseload by more than 36,200 cases. Notable increases are in Turkana and Isiolo counties. In the reporting period, a total of 13 cases of Kala azar were admitted to Marsabit Hospital, bringing the total to 23 cases reported (mostly adults). Isiolo and Wajir have both reported suspected cases of Kala azar but test have not been confirmed due to lack of test kits. There is also confirmed cases of Dengue fever in Mandera, although it is a mild strain. Key health facilities are now functional as of 14 March with the end of the three-month long doctors’ strike. Lack of water in health facilities in the drought-affected counties is a major concern as operations get underway.

Hace algunos minutos, el Embajador de Suiza en Chile, Edgar Doerig, hizo entrega al presidente nacional de Cruz Roja Chilena, Patricio Acosta, de una donación por US$30.000 - otorgada por la Agencia Suiza para el Desarrollo y la Cooperación (COSUDE)- cuyo objetivo es atender necesidades humanitarias básicas de las comunidades que resultaron en situación vulnerable a raíz de los incendios forestales que se dejaron sentir en la zona centro sur del país, en enero pasado.

"*Estamos muy contentos de apoyar con esta donación. Es parte de la tradición humanitaria que se vive en Suiza*", comentó el Embajador Doerig.

Por su parte, Patricio Acosta agradeció el gesto del pueblo suizo y se comprometió a trabajar junto a la Embajada de Suiza en aliviar el dolor de quienes sufren las consecuencias de esta mega catástrofe y en lo futuro, en cualquier otro proyecto de apoyo a la comunidad.

Los fondos donados serán utilizados para abastecer a los damnificados con kits de agua y saneamiento, y también para organizar operativos de apoyo psicosocial entre los afectados.

Patricia García lideró acción de prevención en la región Ica

10:19. Ica, mar. 24. La ministra de Salud, Patricia García, visitó la provincia de Palpa, región Ica, con 100 voluntarios y una brigada de 30 fumigadores con el objetivo de prevenir y controlar la transmisión de esta enfermedad, que está registrando casos en dicha región, se informó.

"Estamos en esta ciudad para trabajar con la comunidad, con el gobierno local y el gobierno regional para eliminar al zancudo del dengue. Haremos un fuerte trabajo de sensibilización con el apoyo de jóvenes voluntarios, la labor de una brigada de fumigadores y la participación de expertos en salud pública. Vamos a buscar al zancudo y lo vamos a encontrar", afirmó la titular de Salud.

El voluntariado, integrado por estudiantes de las universidades Cayetano Heredia y Del Pacífico, tocaron las puertas de las casas para explicar a las familias la importancia de prevenir el dengue en sus hogares. Los palpeños conocieron la práctica de limpiar y tapar bien los recipientes donde almacenan agua para evitar que el zancudo Aedes Aegypti, causante del dengue, coloque sus huevos y se reproduzca.

La ministra de Salud recorrió las viviendas para dialogar con las familias, y los centros de salud de los distritos de Palpa para supervisar la atención y los servicios que se brindan a la población. También visitó la institución educativa N° 22431. En todo momento resaltó la importancia de la prevención y la fumigación en esta zona.

Fumigadores casa por casa

Por su parte, los fumigadores realizaron su trabajo en lugares donde se detectó la presencia del zancudo. Las zonas nebulizadas fueron localidades de los distritos de Palpa, Tibillo, Río Grande, Santa Cruz y Llipata, donde las familias permitieron el ingreso de estas brigadas a sus viviendas.

García dirigió la intervención en coordinación con el gobernador regional de Ica, Fernando Cilloniz; el director regional de Salud, Jaime Nombera Cornejo, y con la participación del doctor Raúl González, representante de la Organización Panamericana de la Salud (OPS) en el Perú; y la doctora Silvia Pessah, viceministra de Salud Pública.

También apoyaron la intervención equipos técnicos de la Dirección General de Salud Ambiental e Inocuidad Alimentaria (Digesa), del Centro Nacional de Epidemiología, Prevención y Control de Enfermedades (CDC) y del Instituto Nacional de Salud (INS), del Minsa.

Por la tarde, la ministra participó en una reunión multisectorial contra el dengue en Río Grande, en la que también participaron autoridades locales y regionales. En dicha reunión, la ministra dejó en claro que solo se logrará vencer al dengue “si trabajamos todos juntos”.

(FIN) NDP/MAO

07:30. Lima, mar. 24. El Ministerio de la Mujer y Poblaciones Vulnerables (MIMP) consiguió S/ 1 millón 250 mil en medicinas que se distribuirán entre el personal de los diferentes institutos armados del país destacado a las zonas de emergencia, así como a las familias afectadas por huaicos y desbordes de los ríos en regiones.

La donación corrió por parte de Rimac Seguros y Clínica Internacional, empresas que tras las coordinaciones del Ministerio de la Mujer se hicieron presentes con 12 mil kits de medicamentos para niños y niñas, 5,000 kits para adultos, además de medicinas sueltas.

Entre los productos entregados figuran antibióticos, antiinflamatorios, antibacteriales, antialérgicos, antimicóticos, cremas repelentes, pastillas para el dolor, pastillas purificadoras de agua, entre otros.

La ministra de la Mujer y Poblaciones Vulnerables, Ana María Romero-Lozada, resaltó que esta donación beneficiará no solo a la población civil afectada por los desastres naturales sino también a los efectivos del Ejército, la Policía Nacional, la Marina de Guerra del Perú, la Fuerza Aérea que están haciendo frente a la emergencia.

La ministra realizó la donación a la Asociación Virgen de la Merced, integrada por las esposas de los efectivos de los diferentes institutos armados y la PNP. Esta organización se encargará de la distribución en Piura, La Libertad, Tumbes y algunas zonas del VRAEM, afectadas por inundaciones y lluvias.

Max Chion, gerente general de Rimac Seguros, agradeció la oportunidad que el Ministerio de la Mujer le está brindando a la compañía para llegar como #UnaSolaFuerza a los peruanos y las peruanas damnificados.

Por su parte, Álvaro Chávez, gerente general de Clínica Internacional, comentó que optaron por canalizar su donación a través del MIMP pues este ministerio les permitirá llegar a las poblaciones vulnerables.

(FIN) NDP/RES

Key messages

• After over three decades of protracted displacement, Iran remains host to almost 1 million documented and over 2 million undocumented Afghans (source: UNHCR, BAFIA). Many face constraints and limitations with regard to livelihoods, health, access to education and other essential services.

• Iran recently committed itself to include all registered Afghan refugees in the national health insurance scheme on the same basis as its own citizens. In addition, all foreign children irrespective of their legal status have also recently been permitted to enrol in the national education system.

• The EU is funding humanitarian projects in Iran to assist vulnerable Afghan refugees since 2000. The EU is increasingly targeting undocumented refugees.

• In 2016, €15 million has been allocated to address needs of vulnerable Afghans including support to education for out of school undocumented Afghan children.

• Humanitarian relief aid was also provided by the EU in response to the 1997, 2002 and 2003 earthquakes. The EU and Iran have recently mutually committed to further develop cooperation in the field of disaster preparedness and response.

DISPLACEMENT OF 2 MILLION IDPs AMID CONTINUED RETURN MOVEMENTS

The Task Force for Population Movement (TFPM), co-led by IOM and UNHCR is a Technical Working Group of the Yemen Protection Cluster. The TFPM implements an information management tool that gathers data on the status and location of displaced persons across Yemen.

As of 01 February 2017, the TFPM has identified, 1,991,340 internally displaced persons (IDPs) (331,890 house-holds) who have been displaced due to conflict since March 2015, dispersed across 21 governorates. For the same period, the TFPM has identified 1,048,896 returnees (174,816 households), across 19 governorates.

As a result, 11.3% of the total population of Yemen has experienced the shock of displacement due to conflict in the last 23 months.

N.B. The most recent large scale displacement seen along the Western Coast of Yemen and in Dhamar gover-norate as a result of Operation Golden Spear is not fully reflected within this report as the data collection for this report concluded before major displacement from the operation.

KEY FINDINGS

• Through December 2016 and January 2017 the TFPM has observed a overall decrease in the conflict-related displacement of 15,876 individuals (-0.79%). At the governorate level the most significant decreases have been observed in Hajjah and Sana’a (16,386 and 10,284 individuals, respectively).

• On the other hand, there has been an overall increase in the conflict-affected return population by 21,222 individuals (+2%). In particular, increased return movements have been ob-served in 11 governorates, with over 18,426 new returnees identified in Al Hudaydah.

• It remains that 87% of the population who have returned from their displacement in the last 23 months have returned to 33 districts. Geographically this represents just 10% of the 333 districts in Yemen, and therefore suggests that clear pockets of return, in areas of relative stability, may be materializing.

• Of the total returnee population, an estimated 86% (or 959,540 individuals) have returned from displacement areas situated within their governorate of origin.

• Indicative data collected by the TFPM at the community level through key informants show that the number one priority need among IDPs are: food (75%), access to income (8%), shelter/housing (6%) and cooking/washing water (4%).

The ECDC Communicable Disease Threats Report (CDTR) is a weekly bulletin for epidemiologists and health professionals on active public health threats. This issue covers the period 19-25 March 2017 and includes updates on influenza, Legionnaires' disease and rubella.

More flexible physical rehabilitation services allow patients to gain time and save money.

For nearly three years, the Myanmar Red Cross is making a difference in the lives of persons with disabilities through mobile clinics that roam local communities. From July 2014 to December 2016, a total of 1,280 patients from East Bago received services alone. In a vast country such as Myanmar which is developing at he facility of physical rehabilitation services close to home saves people time and money, while giving them critical support to improve their prostheses.

It is early on a Tuesday morning at the hospital compound in Shwe Kyin, East Bago. A group of people with protheses wait patiently for the Myanmar Red Cross' mobile repair team. This region of Myanmar is one of those most heavily affected by landmines and explosive remnants of war. Zaw Win, a gold catcher of 59 years, arrived early. He stands with the others at the entrance wearing a dusty, green tee shirt.. He looks tired, but his eyes are bright with hope. Zaw Win lost one of his legs in 2000, when he stepped on a mine while working in his field.

Three dusty land cruisers, one of them carrying wheelchairs, drive into the compound. Technicians start to install their workshop material in front of one of the vehicles. They repair the prostheses of patients like Zaw Win who live in remote regions. In a few minutes, patient take seats and wait for their turn to get welding and repair services for their prostheses, foot straps, wheelchairs and other walking aids. The Myanmar Red Cross conducts the work with both the technical and financial support of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), who have experience around the world in physical rehabilitation.

"This makes our lives easier," explains Zaw Win, as his prosthetic leg is repaired . "I don't need to take time off of work. I just go to the gathering place and get the required services, and it only takes about an hour.", he says.

Zaw Win has worked as a "gold catcher" since he was 18 years old. He explains patiently how he puts the mud from the ground into the bowl, separates the gold from the mud, and then sells it to merchants. To perform his job, he needs to rest on his legs, and has to work while both standing as well as sitting.

"I live from hand to mouth, surviving on a daily wages labour job. I cannot work without my legs. I also need to get maintenance or repair services every year. To keep our prostheses in a good state is our only hope to survive for our living," he said.

Zaw Win got his first prostheses from the Myanmar Red Cross Hpa-an Orthopaedic Rehabilitation Centre (HORC), which is supported by the ICRC. He has been there three times, but he also appreciates not having to travel a far distance. "The travelling costs were high and the trip was time consuming. It took at least three to four days to get the job done. Getting a mobile repair service close to my home means a lot to me", he said.

Within one year of theMyanmar Red Cross and the ICRC opening the mobile repair workshops, a network of repairmen such as owners of bike or motorbike shops, come to occasionally provide a basic repair such as fixing a foot, or a strap.

"The Red Cross aims to invest in the local community for the long term. There was no school in Myanmar for prosthetic technicians until 2015. We sent students to Cambodia to study. There are now 15 graduated professionals in Myanmar. It is still far below the 300 technicians needed, but we are glad to support the process as it begins," explains Didier Reck, head of the ICRC physical rehabilitation programme in Myanmar.

Zaw Win's prostheses has been repaired. The gold catcher can now return to his village. Happy, his thoughts are focused on the dreams he had before he lost his legs. He would like to stop catching gold and start farming. Zaw Win has already bought three acres of land last year to cultivate lime and lemon. Saving money and having mobility allows him to slowly but surely realise this dream.

Trinidad, 24 mar (ABI).- El gobernador del Beni, Alex Ferrier, entregó el viernes un paquete de medicamentos otorgado por el Ministerio de Salud para 1.200 familias damnificadas por la crecida de ríos en el municipio de San Ignacio de Moxos, de ese departamento.

"Se tiene los medicamentos propios para este tipo de emergencia como son los antibióticos, antimicóticos, antifúngicos para el tema de hongos y bacterias", informó.

A principios de marzo, las autoridades de San Ignacio de Moxos declararon zona de desastre dos distritos de ese municipio, por el desborde de ríos en esa región del departamento del Beni.

Las familias damnificadas en San Lorenzo y en el Territorio Indígena y Parque Nacional Isiboro-Sécure (TIPNIS) suman 1.272, precisó.

Asimismo, Ferrier informó que se enviaron más de tres toneladas de alimentos a esa zona vía terrestre y fluvial.

Por su parte, el director del Servicio Departamental de Salud, Carlos Reyes, informó que en las siguientes horas se desplazarán tres médicos para atender a las familias afectadas por las riadas. esch/kpb/ ABI

ABI. Copyright 1998 - 2017.

Highlights

• Depletion of water sources and lack of sanitation facilities have led to a sharp increase in cases of AWD/cholera in 12 of 18 regions, in particular in Bay and Bakool regions. Case fatality rates at 2.3 per cent are of serious concern.

• Humanitarian partners are scaling up response and reached nearly 1.1 million people with improved access to food in February, doubling its response from January. Further scale-up is urgently required across all clusters. Priorities include treatment and prevention of AWD/Cholera, improved access to food and safe water, nutritional treatment for malnourished children, protection, shelter and non-food support to newly displaced.

• Drought Operations Coordination Centres (DOCC) were opened in Mogadishu on 27 February and in Baidoa on 19 March. A DOCC will be opened in Garowe on 30 March.

• Donors have moved quickly to support scale-up of response and a total of US$369 has been made available for humanitarian assistance since January. Additional resources are urgently required to enable further scale-up.

Situation Overview

The humanitarian situation in Somalia is rapidly deteriorating and renewed famine is a strong possibility in 2017. Out of 12.3 million Somalis, over half (6.2 million) are acutely food insecure and in need of humanitarian assistance. Of these, nearly 3 million face food security Crisis and Emergency (IPC Phases 3 and 4) and need urgent life-saving assistance.

Hundreds of thousands of vulnerable people are on the move in search of food, water and treatment for malnutrition and diseases. Rural populations make up two thirds of the people in IPC Phases 3 and 4, and nearly 90 per cent of those in IPC Phase 4. Close to one million acutely malnourished children will need treatment, including 200,000 severely malnourished children who are more vulnerable than any other group and in need of immediate life-saving support.

Extreme lack of access to water is a key driver of the crisis in arid areas. Due to the depletion of water sources, some communities are relying on buying water at prices which are on the increase, beyond the reach of many.

Over 4.5 million people are now in need of WASH assistance. Those who resort to unsafe water sources are at increased risk of water-borne diseases such as AWD/cholera. According to WHO, 15,655 AWD/cholera cases and 365 deaths have been reported between January and 20 March 2017, and the outbreak has now spread to 12 out of 18 regions. The number of cases has reached same levels reported for all of 2016 when Somalia experienced its most recent major outbreak of AWD/Cholera. The current case fatality rate is 2.3 per cent which is higher than the emergency threshold of 1 per cent and reflects the severity of the outbreak plus the limited access to proper health service for the affected communities.

The widespread water and pasture shortages have forced people to migrate in search of food and water for domestic and livestock use. Between November 2016 and the end of February 2017, around 257,000 people have been internally displaced due to drought, according to the UNHCR-led Protection and Return Monitoring Network (PRMN). Most of the newly displaced are moving into urban areas and joining existing settlements or establishing new settlements, while others are crossing into neighbouring countries. In Baidoa alone, close to 50,000 people have arrived since November, and the number of settlements for IDPs has increased from 78 to 140 sites. According to UNHCR, over 4,100 people have crossed into Ethiopia in January and February 2017.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Above-average harvest reduces food insecurity levels across Sudan

• GoS implements revised humanitarian directives to facilitate relief operations

• Humanitarian actors report improved access in Jebel Marra region

• Relief agencies coordinate to support influx of South Sudanese refugees

KEY DEVELOPMENTS

• An above-average 2016/2017 harvest and regular access to seasonal agricultural labor have reduced food insecurity across Sudan, according to the USAID-funded Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET). However, parts of South Kordofan State and Jebel Marra continue to experience elevated levels of acute food insecurity due to disrupted agricultural production, ongoing insecurity, and population displacement.

• In mid-January, the Government of Sudan (GoS) Humanitarian Aid Commission (HAC) convened a workshop in the capital city of Khartoum to communicate key elements of the revised Directives and Procedures for Humanitarian Action in Sudan.

• More than 46,000 South Sudanese refugees have arrived in Sudan since January 1, according to the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), prompting the UN agency and other humanitarian actors to scale up response activities to meet the needs of refugees and affected host community members.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Haute Kotto and Ouaka Prefectures remain areas of tension in need of assistance from the humanitarian community

• Insecurity is hindering humanitarian action. By the end of February, the 2017 Humanitarian Response Plan has only received 5% of the expected resources required for 2017. However, the humanitarian community remains ready to assist the areas of tension in spite of the humanitarian action's chronic under funding.

KEY NUMBERS

# displaced persons 402,240

# Central African refugees 475, 000

Population in need of humanitarian aid 2.2 M

Population affected by food insecurity 2M

Haute Kotto and Ouaka Prefectures remain in the eye of the storm

Ongoing conflicts

The humanitarian aid needs in Central African Republic (CAR) continues to grow. In spite of the positive commitment made at the 2016 Conference of Donors to support the peace building efforts, the country continues to be affected by violent confrontations between rival armed groups over the control of natural resources and a hold of the financial resources.

The immediate impact of this state of affairs is an ongoing deterioration of the humanitarian situation with its newly displaced persons and in some cases, the isolation of entire communities. The deterioration of the security climate combined with the emergence of new hot spots seriously limits freedom of movement by affected population thus further aggravating their vulnerability.

More displacements and increased needs

Violent confrontations around Bria – Ippy – Bambari – Grimari during the month of February 2017 have caused great concern for the humanitarian community. Since the fall of Bria, capital of Haute-Kotto in November 2016, the conflicts between armed groups have forced the community members to flee several towns and villages. The coalition of armed groups advancing towards Bambari is particularly worrisome for the protection of civilians, especially the vulnerable communities. In turn, the response to the emerging needs also faces insecurity given the anticipated reduction of the humanitarian space. This is the case for the town of Ippy located half-way between Bria and Bambari (111 km north of Bambari).

Between February 11 and 27 2017, more than 230 women and children were prevented from accessing the local market to buy food, collect water at wells, and access primary services such as health centre for fear of being attacked. Continued efforts by humanitarian partner to set up a mobile clinic to alleviate the suffering were prevented due to ongoing threats by armed groups.

Wounded and ill people were transfer to the Ippy hospital while the remaining community were evacuated and hosted by the community and humanitarian partners in Maloum, a community located 63 Km north of Bambari. The safe passage was facilitated by a joint effort from the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the Mission multidimensionnelle intégrée des Nations Unies pour la stabilisation en République centrafricaine (MINUSCA) and humanitarian partners partnered with local authorities and community leaders. plan underway in Maloum. It is important to note that this new caseload adds to the burden of the host community in Maloum who already supports 4,063 newly displaced persons. This forced movement is the direct consequence of the armed conflicts in Haute-Kotto, Basse Kotto and Ouaka (Ndjoubissi, Ndassima, Ippy, Mbroutchou and Atongo-Bakari).

Security is our highest concern

The rumour of an imminent battle to take over Bambari caused a degree of anguish among the population. The fear persists even though leaders of the armed groups have left Bambari following an ultimatum by the MINUSCA. As a result, businesses remained closed for several days until the situation in Bambari stabilises. In keeping with its mandate to protect civilians, the MINUSCA increased its presence in the region with a focus on maintaining security in the town of Bambari. In parallel, humanitarian actors monitored the situation of more than 50,000 displaced persons hosted in spontaneous camps and by the host community estimated at 160,000 inhabitants. An open conflict in the city of Bambari could further displace and increase the level of vulnerability of the affected population. OCHA in partnership humanitarian actors successfully advocated to prevent a degradation of armed violence, respect of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) and humanitarian principles. It highlighted the need for the freedom of movement allowing the affected population to access aid and the humanitarian actors to access beneficiaries as well as ensuring the protection of civilian regardless of their ethnicity, religion or political affiliation.

Este informe fue elaborado por OCHA con apoyo de UMAIC y con información de la Defensoría, y organizaciones del Comité Interinstitucional Humanitario Buenaventura-ELC Valle del Cauca

Flash Update No. 1: Desplazamiento masivo comunidades indígenas del resguardo Chagpien Tordó,
Litoral de San Juan (Chocó)

Entre el 20 y 21 de marzo, cerca de 134 personas (28 familias) del resguardo Chagpien Tordó4 , ubicado en El Litoral de San Juan (Chocó) se desplazaron hacía al casco urbano de Buenaventura, como medida de protección ante la presencia de actores armados sin identificar en cercanías a la comunidad. Es de resaltar que los desplazamientos de familias de este resguardo se vienen presentando desde el 21 de febrero (ver Flash Update No. 1). Desde entonces, la comunidad ha advertido en múltiples ocasiones que los riesgos de desplazamiento persisten.

Este nuevo grupo de familias llegó al mismo lugar (CAIJU) en el que actualmente se encuentran albergadas las 106 personas que llegaron en febrero, razón por cual la capacidad del sitio se encuentra desbordada.

Hasta el momento, la Alcaldía además de proveer el sitio de albergue, entregó, el 21 de marzo, mercados para dos días con alimentos perecederos y no perecederos. El 22 de marzo, la Defensoría tomó declaración a las 28 familias y el ICBF hizo la caracterización de niños, niñas y adolescentes para la gestión y posterior entrega de refrigerios.

Se identifican necesidades en los sectores de allbergue y bienes no alimentarios: colchones, toldillos, ropa y zapatos; en seguridad alimentaria, kits de alimentos teniendo en cuenta el enfoque diferencial, incluyendo leche para bebes, kits de cocina; en salud, kits de aseo y pañales, la realización de jornadas de salud para NNA y adultos, fumigación y tratamiento de aguas residuales. Igualmente, se evidencia la necesidad de un albergue con capadidad para recibir a todas las familias.

El 22 de marzo se llevó a cabo un Subcomité de Prevención en el cual la Alcaldía de Buenaventura hizo un balance sobre la asistencia proporcionada a las familias y se acordó una misión humanitaria a dos comunidades del río San Juan, incluyendo el resguardo de Chagpien Tordó, encabezada por las las Alcaldías de Litoral de San Juan y Buenaventura, con la participación de secretarías y entidades territoriales.

Se confirmó la realización de un Comité de Justicia Transicional ampliado entre las gobernaciones de Valle del Cauca y Chocó, el próximo 18 de abril. De igual manera la administración distrital se comprometió con la entrega de 50 colchonetas en los próximos días.

En cuanto a la respuesta internacional ACNUR ha incidido con la institucionalidad ante las necesidades de protección identificadas y ha brindado acompañamiento a las comunidades. PNUD ha acompañado a las comunidades y en los próximos días entregará alimentos perecederos por tres días, a todas las familias en el albergue. El 23 de marzo CICR entregó tres estufas con sus correspondientes pipetas de gas, y entregará elementos para la elaboración de artesanías (chaquiras) a todas las familias en el sitio de albergue.

El Equipo Local de Coordinación (ELC) Valle del Cauca y el Comité Interinstitucional Humanitario de Buenaventura (CIH) continúan monitoreando la emergencia y haciendo incidencia, en coordinación con las autoridades locales.

By More Matshediso

Pretoria– The introduction of Delamanid, a Japanese manufactured drug, has ushered in new hope in the fight against multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) in South Africa.

Delamanid, manufactured by pharmaceutical company, Otsuka, will initially be made available to 400 patients in South Africa as part of a clinical access research project.

Delamanid received its first regulatory approval from the European Medicine Agency in 2014 for treatment of adult pulmonary MDR-TB, and has since been distributed to about 45 countries for over 2 100 patients.

The South African patients come from Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, North West and Western Cape due to the high prevalence of TB there.

“We have again moved rapidly and recently secured approval from our medicines regulatory body, the Medicines Control Council (MCC) to make the drug available initially to 400 patients in four provinces as part of a research project,” said Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi on Friday.

He was speaking at the launch of the research project at Sizwe Tropical Hospital in Edenvale near Johannesburg as part of World TB Day celebrations.

“Today, we mark an important milestone through which we will invigorate South Africa’s response to its TB epidemic in general and drug-resistant TB in particular, with the launch of this Delamanid Clinical Access Research Programme,” said the Minister.

Get tested, go for screening

The Minister encouraged South Africans, especially those living near mining areas, to get tested and screened for TB because early detection enables TB to be cured.

“TB is curable. It does not have to be a death sentence. Yet it is the biggest killer amongst the infectious diseases.”

He said inmates in South Africa’s correctional services have higher chances of contracting TB, followed by mine workers. He also said inmates in all prisons get screened for TB and that 90% of mines have informed the department that they screen workers for TB. This will help manage the disease and stop new infections.

Increase in drug-resistant TB

However, the Minister said there is an increase in drug-resistant Tb due to treatment failures, caused by poor compliance to treatment, among others.

“More recently, we have discovered that there is a small but growing number of drug-resistant TB that is being transmitted amongst people who have never had TB before.”

This means that drug-resistant TB is being acquired through primary infection -- transmitted through air.

Minister Motsoaledi said several factors contribute to resistance to TB drugs, including late diagnosis, weak adherence to treatment, poor infection control, and vulnerability of new drugs.

Minister Motsoaledi said it costs government about R400 000 to treat one MDR-TB patient, and the price is double for one extreme drug-resistant (XDR) TB patient.

South Africa registers about 13 000 MDR-TB and 1 000 XDR-TB patients annually.

Minister Motsoaledi said South Africa is currently accounting for about 60% of patients receiving TB treatment globally.

Gauteng Premier David Makhura said South Africa is determined to beat TB but worried that the country’s health system is burdened with diseases and health professionals are overworked.

“We must check what is not working well and what works in our health system,” he said.

According to the National Institute for Communicable Diseases, South Africa has the highest estimated TB incidence rate amongst other 22 high burden countries globally, with 834 new TB cases per 100 000 population. - SAnews.gov.za

"Responding to the appeal made by the Secretary General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, we have arranged, through Italian Cooperation, a package of humanitarian aid worth 10 million euros in response to the very serious food crisis that is endangering the survival of 20 million people in Yemen, South Sudan, Nigeria and Somalia, including 1.4 million children under 5 with acute malnutrition problems".

This statement was made by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Angelino Alfano, specifying that the actions in question will be implemented by "the UN Agencies working on the front line of the colossal human effort currently under way, in particular the World Food Programme and UNICEF, as well as the Committee of the International Red Cross".

Specifically, the action taken by Italian Cooperation will provide funding of three million euros for the WFP and UNICEF to distribute food rations and water in the States of North Eastern Nigeria, with particular attention being paid to children and pregnant women. Two million euros will be destined for Somalia for the distribution of food and medical assistance, entrusted to the WFP and the International Red Cross, respectively, in the areas most seriously hit by the drought.

In South Sudan as well, Italian Cooperation will be working with the WFP and UNICEF, providing 2 million euros to fund a programme of school canteens and to combat acute malnutrition in children. Finally, three million euros will be allocated to Yemen for food distribution by the WFP and to provide assistance in the health sector and support for hospitals with the Yemeni Red Crescent.

"The sums put in place," concluded Minister Alfano, "are not the end of our humanitarian commitment to the affected countries. We shall soon be making further resources available to fund other emergency activities, the implementation of which will be entrusted to Italian civil society organisations".

Highlights

• Heavy rains have created emergencies in Peru and Ecuador. Rains are expected to continue through the weekend.

• In Peru, 12 departments have been declared under a state of emergency for risks from the rising Amazon Rivers. Another seven departments have been declared under state of Sanitary Emergency due to worsening health risks.

• The latest report from Peru’s National Civil Defence Institute (INDECI) indicates 111,098 people have suffered total loss, 666,534 people affected, 269 people injured, 20 people missing and 84 people killed.
  Assessments are ongoing in affected areas of Peru to better determine the scale of the needs and damages.

• A 10 member United Nations Disaster Coordination Team (UNDAC) arrived in Peru on 20 March and are currently carrying-out rapid assessments with the Humanitarian Country Team until 27 March.
  In Ecuador, the Government has declared a state of emergency for four provinces. Some 33,393 people have been affected and 22 shelters are open.

111,098 People have suffered total losses

84 People killed

12,987 Houses uninhabitable

12,985km Roads affected

7,000 Hectares agricultural crops lost

1,001 Educational institutions affected

Situation Overview

Persistent rains continue in the northern and central parts of the Peru and are expected to continue unto 25 March.

The heavy rains have caused infrastructure damage in Peru with 12,987 houses collapsed, 13,974 houses uninhabitable and 149,541 houses damaged. The majority of the people are living with friends and neighbours.

At least 35 educational institutions have collapsed, 410 are uninhabitable and 1,239 are damaged. Eleven health facilities have collapsed, 17 are uninhabitable and 70 are damaged.

The Ministry of Health (MINSA) reports that more than 13,172 people have sought medical attention in 370 districts of eleven regions that are under a state of emergency. Of the 3,722 health facilities in the emergency zones, about 99 per cent are operational and have the essential medicines.

Road infrastructure throughout the country has suffered damage, which is hampering national transport: 6,986 km of paved roads and 5,909 km of rural roads have been destroyed or damaged, while 194 bridges are destroyed and 322 are damaged.

A 10 member United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination Team (UNDAC) arrived in Peru on 20 March to support the Resident Coordinator and the Humanitarian Country Team (HCT). The UNDAC team is currently supporting the HCT in multi-cluster/sector rapid assessment missions in the departments of Lambayeque, Lima and Piura Provinces until 27 March. The analysis of the assessment will help to determine the severity of the crisis and the priority areas for assistance.

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent has launched an appeal for 3.9 million CHF (USD 3.9 million) to assist 50,000 people.

The Government of Ecuador declared a state of emergency for the provinces of Esmeraldas, Guayas, Manabi and Santa Elena) and an orange alert for the provinces of El Oro, Loja and Los Rios. Sixteen people have died, 1,181 people have suffered total loss and 33,393 people are affected. Twenty-two temporary shelters have been opened in nine provinces and are hosting 64 families.

Preliminary needs are for potable water, medical assistance, temporary shelter, food and protection. The Government, through the Secretary of Risk Management, has delivered humanitarian assistance kits and potable water. The Humanitarian Country Team (HCT) is monitoring the situation and partners (Plan International and World Vision) have distributed food and hygiene kits in in the affected provinces (Manabí and Esmeraldas).

by Adela Suliman | Thomson Reuters Foundation
Friday, 24 March 2017 07:00 GMT

Many women have lost male relatives to war and find themselves in the role of sole breadwinner. One in four Syrian refugee families is now headed by a woman.

By Adela Suliman

LONDON, March 24 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - When Islamic State militants brutally invaded her hometown of Kobani in Syria, Shorash didn't initially see it as a career opportunity.

Grabbing only what she could carry, Shorash and her family trekked on foot across the Turkish border. After months of sleeping rough in parks and bouncing from one refugee camp to another, they eventually settled near Erbil, in Iraq's relatively stable Kurdistan region.

"I had been looking for work without any success, and was feeling rather bored and frustrated," said 23-year-old Shorash, who did not disclose her surname for security reasons.

One day, her husband told her about a local women's centre, run by non-profit group "Women for Women International" (WfWI), that offered training to help women establish businesses.

A law graduate, Shorash was a diligent student and attended all classes, even giving birth to her daughter just hours after her final exams.

She developed a plan to establish a greenhouse construction business - in demand in the region as a modern way to grow fruit and vegetables.

"The programme changed my life - I no longer feel lonely and isolated as before," she said.

Gender equality and empowerment of women are among the 17 global Sustainable Development Goals designed to tackle poverty, inequality and climate change by 2030.

Nowhere is support for women more important and urgent than in post-conflict situations, experts say.

"We believe that women survivors of war are agents of change, (and) that through empowering women we will actually empower the entire community," said Mandana Hendessi, WfWI's director for the Syria crisis response and Iraq.

The WfWI centre, one of three in Iraq, enables women to rebuild their lives after conflict, to meet in a safe space, and to learn new skills.

"People do have a very distorted view of refugee life," Hendessi told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. "They think everybody is just sitting there in a tent waiting for food to arrive or for medicine... but we're talking about women who back in Syria were incredibly resourceful, generally quite educated and losing all of their identity once they became a refugee."

WOMEN BREADWINNERS

Some 4.9 million Syrians – the majority women and children – are refugees in neighbouring states, according to the U.N. refugee agency UNHCR.

The WfWI programme in Iraq supports around 400 mainly Syrian and Yazidi female refugees, and also works with men to ensure social cohesion.

As is common in post-conflict societies, many of the women have lost their male relatives to war, and find themselves thrust into the position of sole breadwinner. One in four Syrian refugee families is now headed by a woman, according to WfWI.

Projects like that supporting Shorash encourage women to grasp entrepreneurial opportunities, nurturing start-ups from wedding services and hair-salons to bakeries and sweet shops.

Research suggests men often do not adapt as well as women to new roles in times of conflict, said Nicola Jones, principal research fellow at the London-based Overseas Development Institute.

"Often women have been more flexible," she said.

Rather than waiting for institutions to be rebuilt after wars, which can take generations, women's informal networks are an increasingly powerful tool for driving forward economic and social recovery, she added.

NIGERIA NURSES

In northern Nigeria, a region under the shadow of Boko Haram militants, Fatima Adamu is working to equip young women to become midwives and healthcare practitioners.

In patriarchal rural communities, Adamu negotiates with local leaders to nominate a young woman to train in the city who will then return home to help close the village healthcare gap.

"The reality is nobody is coming from the city to fill that space for you, (so) you must provide," said Adamu, explaining how she persuades villages to participate.

The "Women for Health" programme, led by Health Partners International, aims to train more than 6,000 female workers and deploy them to rural health facilities in a region where up to 90 percent of women deliver their babies without a skilled birth attendant present.

On graduating, the young women are usually employed by local governments, and must work for a minimum of three years in their villages before they can move elsewhere.

The programme has faced some resistance, however.

At least a handful of women have been divorced during their absence or returned home to find their husbands have taken another wife, said Adamu.

In some cases, the community has rallied to pressure the husband to support his wife's training, knowing the village will benefit in the long term.

The women often take up leadership roles when they return and are more able to negotiate power structures, said Adamu.

Educating women and girls is "the surest way to address the challenges of extremism, poverty and... break the cycle of inequality", she said, in the region ravaged by Boko Haram, an Islamist group whose insurgency has killed 15,000 people and forced some 2 million from their homes. Historically, conflicts can accelerate women's rights and social opportunities, as seen after World War Two in Europe, while working women can help pick up the pieces and contribute significantly to rebuilding war-torn communities, experts say.

"Often post-conflict there are real opportunities to rethink the social and political contract with citizens," said ODI's Jones. (Reporting by Adela Suliman; editing by Megan Rowling. Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, women's rights, trafficking, property rights, climate change and resilience. Visit http://news.trust.org)

Appeal history

14 December 2015: Typhoon Melor makes landfall in Batag Island, Northern Samar, and moves westward.

16 December 2015: Typhoon Melor exits to the west of the Philippines. Information bulletin no. 1 issued.

17 December 2015: The President of the Philippines declares a state of national calamity following the devastation caused by Typhoon Melor.

18 December 2015: Tropical Depression Twenty-Three makes landfall in Davao Oriental province, eastern Mindanao. Information bulletin no. 2 issued.

19 December: Almost the whole of Philippines experiences rain, floods and landslides.

22 December: Emergency Appeal launched for CHF 3.7 million.

4 March 2016: Revised Emergency Appeal issued, seeking CHF 2 million.

25 July 2016: The 6-month operation update is published.

28 November 2016: Operations Update No. 3 provides a projection of activities which will be incorporated and implemented as part of the Operational Plan 2017 for Philippines

The situation

Typhoon Melor struck Northern Samar, Philippines, on 14 December 2015, moved westward and made five landfalls before it exited the Philippine landmass through Occidental Mindoro on 19 December. Melor left 42 people dead, almost 300,000 houses damaged of which 98,000 houses were destroyed and some PHP 4.3 billion (CHF 89 million) worth of agriculture and infrastructure assets affected. Melor came a few months after some parts of Luzon were badly affected from the effects of Typhoon Koppu (October 2015). Melor was then followed by a tropical depression (Twenty-Three), which enhanced the northeast monsoon causing heavy rainfall throughout much of the country. More than 800,000 families were affected by Typhoon Melor, Tropical Depression Twenty-Three and the northeast monsoon.

Financial status

The Emergency Appeal sought CHF 2,079,515, of which CHF 1,396,329 was raised (67 per cent coverage). The total expenditure recorded was CHF 1,396,303 (81 per cent of income), leaving a balance of CHF 265,711. Of the total expenditure, CHF 694,631 (61 per cent of total expenditure) was utilized for direct costs to affected people, with the rest covering National Society development and operational support costs, including distribution and monitoring. Total personnel costs were CHF 167,510 (15 per cent of total expenditure). Of the total expenses, CHF 229,656 (20 per cent) was utilized via cash transfer programming.

Twenty million people in Yemen, South Sudan, Somalia, and northeastern Nigeria have been grappling with a serious food crisis since 2016. Several East African countries have been hit by drought in recent months, including Somalia, Kenya, Ethiopia, Djibouti, Uganda, South Sudan and, to a lesser extent, Tanzania. In some countries, conflicts have caused severe food shortages. Handicap International is preparing to deal with one of the worst humanitarian crises since the Second World War.

SOMALIA

In Somalia, Handicap International is working with other humanitarian organizations to train them about the needs of the most vulnerable people, including people with disabilities, older people, children, pregnant woman, and others. The goal of these awareness sessions is to ensure these individuals are not forgotten and their needs are met in each actor's emergency response.

The organization will also prioritize long-term access to water and food: “After months of severe drought, the rainy season, which is starting now, could spell disaster," explains Xavier Duvauchelle, the head of the organization’s programs in East and Southern Africa. "A second drought is expected from July. Our aim is therefore to give affected people sustainable access to food and water. This could entail digging wells and cultivating land to grow agricultural products resistant to climate change.”

Handicap International also plans to provide malnourished children with physical therapy. “Many malnourished children may need support from a physiotherapist to prevent the onset of permanent disabilities," Duvauchelle adds. *"*Children affected by famine may have a developmental delay caused by under nutrition. Malnutrition can also lead to respiratory infections and physical therapists can intervene to prevent complications.”

Under these circumstances, Handicap International may also organize awareness sessions to teach parents how to detect problems.

SOUTH SUDAN

In South Sudan, Handicap International ensures the needs of people with disabilities, older people, pregnant women, children, and others are taken into account in humanitarian programs implemented by international aid organizations.

We plan to distribute food and water, supply rehabilitation care and provide psychological support sessions if needs are not adequately covered by humanitarian organizations already working in the field.

YEMEN

In Yemen, two years of fighting have given rise to widespread food insecurity: “The war in Yemen has seriously disrupted food imports and considerably reduced the livelihoods and sources of income of households,” says Arnaud Pont, the manager of the organization’s emergency operations in Yemen. Handicap International’s teams in the field are currently assessing needs in view of a possible response.

PRESS CONTACTS
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+1 (240) 450-3531
+1 (202) 290-9264
mbevington@handicap-international.us

Michele Lunsford
+1 (240) 450-3538
+1 (814) 386-3853
mlunsford@handicap-international.us

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