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OCHA - Situation Report

Partners' updates

Week of 16 - 22 August
 
This update compiles news and information on El Niño from Non-Governmental Organisations, UN, the Red Cross Movement and other partner organisations. It is not  a comprehensive overview of impact and response. OCHA's monthly El Niño overview is available here.
 

Highlights

  • OCHA issued a global overview of El Niño impact, projected humanitarian needs and response.
  • Calls for a unified, coherent preparedness and response strategy in drought-affected Zimbabwe were made during the reporting period, in particular to continue with food relief, address malnutrition and support to the start of planting season in September-October. On World Humanitarian Day on 19 August, the UN Resident Coordinator in Zimbabwe appealed for continued support and solidarity to the ongoing humanitarian needs in the country, where the number of affected population has increased to 4.1 million people.
  • Ethiopia is stepping up preparedness for flooding which may occur during a possible La Niña event. This includes an indicative guide to potential La Niña issued by the Ethiopia Humanitarian Country Team and a flood response plan from the WASH Cluster. The Famine Early Warning Systems Network forecast that potential mild La Niña conditions in August and September could lead to wetter conditions in the northern areas of East Africa including in western and central Ethiopia.
  • The Central Emergency Response Fund, which has been providing critical life-saving assistance to sudden onset or rapidly deteriorating emergencies including over US$117 million for El Niño-induced crises, reports a funding shortfall and urgently requires an additional $50 million for 2016.
 

Upcoming activities of the UN Secretary General’s Special Envoys on El Niño and Climate Change

  • 29-31 August: Mary Robinson to attend the Southern African Development Community (SADC) summit in Swaziland. She will deliver an address, visit a drought response project and meeting with the UN, government and non-governmental stakeholders.
  • 3-5 September: Ms Robinson visit to Vietnam.
  • 5-8 October: Ambassador Macharia Kamau to attend 2016 Busan Global Partnership Forum in South Korea.
  • 14 October: Amb. Kamau to attend the 36th Observance of the World Food Day in Rome.
  • 16-23 October: Amb. Kamau to join UN Peacebuilding Commission visit to the African Union Headquarters.

Global


18 August

  • OCHA: The Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) is projecting a $50 million shortfall on the $450 million annual target for 2016. The shortfall could make it impossible for CERF to respond to humanitarian crisis during the beginning of new emergencies or worsening of ongoing crises, according to a CERF Secretariat update. The CERF has allocated over $117 million to El Niño-related humanitarian response since July 2015.
  • WHO: The Regional Committee proposed some measures to strengthen its functionality to address low contributions to the African Public Health Emergency Fund (APHEF) solidarity fund. The total contribution stands at $3.6 million, which is about 1.5% of the expected amount, a WHO report says. The fund has contributed to the management of public health emergencies in the region, including support to the yellow fever outbreak in Angola and the El Niño crisis in Ethiopia in 2016.
  • World Meteorological Organization: The Integrated Drought Management Programme, which is co-sponsored by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and other partners, released the “Handbook of Drought Indicators and Indices” on the sidelines of the African Drought Conference which was held in Namibia from 15 to 19 August. The handbook contains indicators and indices available and being put into practice around the world which can be used by general drought practitioners and policymakers.


16 August

  • FAO: FAO issued an analysis on La Niña potential impacts on agriculture and food security with early warning and early action recommendations. The consequences of La Niña on agriculture and food security can be both positive and negative. It would most likely affect regions that were previously affected by El Niño.
  • OCHA: OCHA published a global overview of El Niño impact, projected humanitarian needs and response. A key message is that despite having returned to a neutral phase, El Niño’s humanitarian impact is affecting over 60 million people globally and will last well into 2017 in some regions.


Africa


22 August

  • WFP-Lesotho: WFP is mobilising resources for its Protracted Relief and Recovery Operation which aims to reach 263,000 drought-affected population, says its Country Brief. The total requirement from June 2016 to December 2017 is $27 million, with only 6% covered in July. The fund will also support WFP work to build community resilience.
  • WFP-Malawi: WFP and the Government of Malawi launched on 28 July the national humanitarian response to food insecurity as a result of El Niño event. WFP and NGO partners started food and cash distributions to people in the worst affected district of Nsanje in the Southern Region. While the response started on time and all targeted households were reached in July, WFP however had to reduce food rations due to limited funding, as reported in its Country Brief.
  • WFP-Swaziland: WFP will provide emergency food and cash-based assistance to 150,000 drought-affected people as part of its emergency operation, according to WFP Swaziland Country Brief. This support covers almost half of 350,000 people in need of emergency food assistance based on the Swaziland Vulnerability Analysis Committee and IPC analysis. The program, which will continue until March 2017, requires $13 million with 81% funding gap.
  • WFP-Zimbabwe: WFP assisted 299,000 people in 11 districts in July, and plans to scale up support to reach 344,000 food-insecure people using both food and cash assistance. The program trails behind its quarterly target due to funding constraints. It requires $142 million until March 2017, with an aim to reach 2.3 million people at peak, as reported in its Country Brief.
 

19 August

  • FEWS NET-East Africa: Above average rainfall has been recorded in most northern areas of East Africa, including most of Sudan, western and northern Ethiopia, South Sudan, Djibouti and Yemen since mid-July, according to an update from the Famine Early Warning Systems Network. This condition contributes to mostly favourable cropping and rangeland conditions. Meanwhile, rainfall has been below average in southern South Sudan, and southwestern and northeastern Ethiopia. A potential mild La Niña condition in August and September could lead to wetter conditions over northern areas of the region, especially in western and central Ethiopia, Sudan and South Sudan.
  • UN Resident Coordinator-Zimbabwe: The UNRC called upon humanitarian partners for more support to the Zimbabwe Humanitarian Response Plan which requested $360 million for people affected by drought for 12 months starting April 2016. Mr Bishow Parajuli wrote in an op-ed that about $190 million of the total request has been committed and supported 1.5 million people with relief aid. The UN and partners are revising the response plan after the number of affected population increases to 4.1 million.
  • USAID-Ethiopia: USAID announced nearly $35 million in additional humanitarian assistance to drought-affected Ethiopia, according to its press release. The funding will support USAID’s UN and NGO partners in providing humanitarian relief, including more than 6,000 metric tons of supplementary and therapeutic foods to support an estimated one million people suffering from moderate and severe acute malnutrition, increasing access to safe water and sanitation facilities and promoting hygiene practice in drought-affected communities. With this announcement, the US continues to be the single largest humanitarian donor to Ethiopia.


18 August

  • OCHA-Sudan: WFP conducted emergency food aid distributions to El Niño-affected communities in Kassala State in Sudan, the latest Sudan Humanitarian Bulletin reported. WFP had supported 2,422 people with 39 metric tonnes of food relief in Toglai and Bahardabloub villages in Rural Aroma locality, which were also affected by floods.
  • Refugees International-Zimbabwe: A report from RI calls for more unified, coherent, “no regrets” response and preparedness strategy by donors, UN agencies and INGOs that put humanitarian needs with longer-term resilience building programs in balance in Zimbabwe. The report, titled From Bad to Worse: Deepening Impacts of Zimbabwe’s Drought observes that the impact of El Niño was far worse than initially anticipated, compounded by the country’s political dynamics, lack of employment opportunities and liquidity crisis.


17 August

  • IFRC-Southern Africa: The International Federation of the Red Cross Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) warned that 579,000 children across southern Africa would require treatment for severe acute malnutrition in 2016, according to its latest report. It underlined the urgent need for basic malnutrition treatments for children and broader support to health, food, sanitation and livelihood programs as well as to build community resilience to drought. The IFRC had launched an appeal totaling more than 12.1 million Swiss francs (US$12.5 million) to provide immediate life-saving support to more than 94,000 people in Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia and Zimbabwe. As of 17 August, the appeal was 31% funded.


16 August

  • OCHA-Ethiopia: The Ethiopia Humanitarian Country Team produced an indicative guide on the impact of La Niña for preparedness planning. The report studies past La Niña patterns from 1972 following an El Niño event. The June 2016 satellite report from the UK Meteorological Department showed less rainfall in the south while the west part of the country received 15% more precipitation than normal. From August to September, above-average rainfall is slightly more probable across central and western parts of the country, while the east is more likely to receive below-average rainfall. OCHA continues to monitor the weather forecasts in partnership with Tufts University, the National Meteorology Agency and the UK Meteorological Office.
  • WASH Cluster-Ethiopia: The Cluster issued an Emergency Flood Response Plan for 2016 requesting $14.8 million to support up to three million people for six months from June to December 2016. The Cluster through UNICEF has received $2.9 million from the Ethiopia Humanitarian Response Fund, leaving $11.9 million of funding gap.

 

Asia and Pacific Islands


22 August

  • IFRC-Fiji Islands: Mr Sam Naborokia and his family will be the first recipient of a “core shelter” built by Fiji Red Cross and IFRC for people affected by Tropical Cyclone Winston. The demonstration home is constructed under a Build Back Better scheme that is able to withstand future cyclone, according to its report. The Red Cross plan to build 50 demonstration houses across 10 of its branches in the North, West and Central divisions of Fiji.
Sam Naborokia and his family.
(Photo: IFRC/Corinne Ambler)

 
 

18 August

  • IOM-Micronesia: The IOM has been responding to El Niño-induced drought in the Republic of Marshall Islands, Republic of Palau and Federated States of Micronesia, according to its latest country update. In RMI, IOM provided support in basic water, hygiene and nutrition needs were being met, with funding from USAID, Australian Aid and the New Zealand Embassy.


17 August

  • WFP-The Philippines: A total of 42,000 people received food assistance in July through the Food-Assistance for Assets (FFA) program to support the El Niño-affected population in Lanao del Sur and Maguindanao in the southern Philippines, the WFP Country Brief reported. The country office also organised a La Niña forum for five provinces in the Luzon Island which was aimed to link early warning to planning and preparedness among national and local authorities within the context of potential La Niña development by the end of the year.


16 August

  • UNICEF-Vietnam: The Government of Vietnam and international partners launched an Emergency Response Plan requesting $48.5 million to support two million people affected by water shortage, 1.1 million of whom require food assistance, 500,000 in drought-affected areas who are at risk of water-borne diseases and 66,500 acute malnourished children under five and pregnant and lactating women. The appeal was 33% funded as of 15 August. UNICEF has been responding by providing life-saving support to about 358,954 people with household water treatment and safe storage and hygiene promotion to prevent communicable diseases. Drought condition is over in the Mekong Delta but still going on in South-Central and the Central Highlands of Vietnam, and may last until the end of September 2016.


Central and Latin America and Caribbean


19 August

  • WFP-Ecuador: The Government of Ecuador and WFP agreed on strategic shift in WFP’s operations. Upon the government recommendations, the WFP’s Country Strategic Plan will support public policies and activities that are the government’s priorities. The activities would be mainly focused on nutrition, human mobility, climate change and emergency preparedness and response, WFP Ecuador Country Brief reported. WFP has been supporting and building the government capacity in needs assessments, logistics and developing preparedness plan for emergencies linked to El Niño and in preparing technical material for preparedness activities.


17 August

  • FAO-Cuba, Venezuela: The Global Information and Early Warning System on Food and Agriculture (GIEWS) forecast that cereal production in Cuba in 2016 will increase from late August as rainfall levels recovered in June with the end of the El Niño phenomena. However, cereal imports for the 2016/2017 marketing year are forecast to increase moderately.  Meanwhile, cereal production in Venezuela will remain at below-average level mainly reflecting difficulties in accessing inputs coupled with the effects of El Niño-induced dry season, according to the GIEWS. Severe food shortages and lack of foreign exchange reserves have continued to exert strong upward pressure on prices in 2016. The Governments of Venezuela and Colombia agreed on 12 August to gradually re-open their border crossings to prevent food smuggling from Venezuela.

Media Updates


22 August

  • New Era-Namibia: The Windhoek Drought Declaration was launched at the end of the African Drought Conference on 19 August to make operational the strategic framework for drought risk management and resilience building, New Era reported. The Strategic Framework contains six main pillars including the drought policy and governance for drought risk management; drought response and early warning; drought mitigation and preparedness and drought vulnerability and impact assessment.


18 August

  • Inter Press Service-Namibia: Ms Monique Barbut, the Executive Secretary of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) proposed three important pillars to build resilience against drought: setting up early warning systems, conducting vulnerability and risk assessments and implementing drought risk mitigation measures. Ms Barbut wrote an op-ed on the occasion of the African Drought Conference in Namibia.
Monique Barbut. (Photo: Inter Press Service)
 
  • South Africa Broadcasting Corporations: FAO has called for support for farmers in drought-hit Southern Africa to plant for the next harvest and stop the food crisis by 2017. The planting season will begin in October, and the next harvest in February and March next year. The IFRC also reported children were missing out on school or married off early, Reuters reported.
Southern Africa has been badly affected over the past year by El Niño weather pattern which has wilted crops, slowed down economic growth and increased food prices. (Photo: Reuters)


16 August

  • Inter Press Service-Djibouti: The bottleneck at Djibouti port, Ethiopia customs procedures and the lack of efficient means of transport have caused major delay in food aid distribution to Ethiopia.
  • Philippine Information Agency-The Philippines: Agriculture Secretary, Emmanuel Piñol, announced some climate change adaptation measures to be implemented by his office, according to local media report. These include pre-positioning of food that is good for six months through Rice Productivity Enhancement Program. He was quoted by the media as saying that aspects of food production, particularly its availability and preparedness to face unpredictable changes of climate, remain a challenge.
To include your news in the update, contact Ivy Susanti (susantii@un.org). To leave or join the mailing list, use the links below.
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