Tag: Humanitarian aid

Humanitarians respond to growing health needs — Global Issues

Concerns also remain for those unable to leave the Karabakh Region town of Khankendi – known as Stepanakert among Armenians – which the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said was close to empty.

Its priority remains finding those too vulnerable to help themselves.

Deserted city

“The city is now completely deserted. The hospitals, more than one, are not functioning,” said Marco Succi, ICRC Head of Rapid Deployment.

“The medical personnel have left. The water board authorities left. The director of the morgue…the stakeholders we were working with before, have also left. This scene is quite surreal.”

Mr. Succi confirmed that electricity and water were still available in the city and that the priority was to find those “extremely vulnerable cases, elderly, mentally disabled people, the people left without anybody”.

Helpless and alone

This included an elderly cancer patient, Susanna, who had been found in the last few days in a fourth-floor apartment building “alone and unable to get out of her bed.

“Neighbours had left her food and water several days beforehand but their supplies were running out. While she waited for help, she had started to lose all hope. After ensuring she was stable, she was evacuated by ambulance into Armenia.”

Among the humanitarian relief destined for the city, the ICRC official reported that some 300 food parcels were expected to arrive on Tuesday from Goris, a key point of entry from the Karabakh Region, to provide essential commodities to those left behind.

“Many people left their houses and shops open for those who may be in need,” said Mr. Succi, reporting how an elderly lady had cleaned her fridge and house, “leaving the door open to ventilate the house, you know, for the newcomers”.

Massive influx

Echoing the urgency of the situation in neighbouring Armenia, the UN World Health Organization’s Dr. Marthe Everard, Special Representative of the WHO Regional Director to Armenia, said that the country’s health system needed to be strengthened to cope with the “massive” influx of refugees.

Speaking to journalists in Geneva via Zoom after returning from the town of Goris, Dr. Everard said that infectious diseases needed to be monitored and treated, while measles vaccination gaps should also be addressed.

Mental health and psychosocial support remained “critical”, she insisted.

Additional urgent needs among the new arrivals beside shelter included treatment for chronic diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, heart disease and cancer, the WHO official continued, noting the agency’s commitment to support the “extensive” efforts of the Armenian Government.

Integrating health workers

“This includes supporting the integration of more than 2,000 nurses and over 2,200 doctors into the Armenian health system,” Dr Everard said.

The WHO official also noted that the UN agency had scaled up emergency support to Armenia by providing supplies to help treat more than 200 adults and children who received terrible burns in the fuel depot explosion in Karabakh last week, which also claimed 170 lives.

A specialist burns team had also been deployed as part of WHO Emergency Medical Teams Initiative and arrived in Yerevan over the weekend, Dr. Erevard said. “We have issued a wider call for further specialist teams to complement this workforce and to support moving some of these most critical patients to specialized centres abroad.”

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Looming hunger emergency for South Sudanese families fleeing war — Global Issues

Nearly 300,000 people have arrived in South Sudan since the conflict began across the border in mid-April, most of whom are returnees.

Among them, one in five children is malnourished and 90 per cent of families are experiencing moderate or severe food insecurity.

Screening data from the border crossing also revealed that more than a quarter of pregnant and breastfeeding women are malnourished.

Fleeing danger, finding disaster

“We are seeing families leave one disaster for another as they flee danger in Sudan only to find despair in South Sudan,” said Mary-Ellen McGroarty, WFP’s Country Director in South Sudan.

The returnees are coming back to a country that is already facing unprecedented humanitarian needs.

Years of conflict, violence, food insecurity, climate impacts and public health challenges have left some 9.4 million people in need of protection and assistance, according to the UN humanitarian affairs office, OCHA.

Robbed on the run

WFP said the rainy season has made conditions at crowded transit centres and border crossings even more difficult as flooding is worsening food insecurity and contributing to the spread of disease.

Many families also report being robbed and experiencing violence as they escaped from Sudan with nothing but the clothes on their backs. Families arriving now are in an even more vulnerable condition than those who fled in the early weeks of the conflict.

WFP is providing food assistance at the border, delivering hot meals, high-energy biscuits, dry rations, and cash-based transfers. Children and mothers are also receiving specialized nutrition support.

Mounting needs, dwindling funds

“The humanitarian situation for returnees is unacceptable and WFP is struggling to meet the mounting humanitarian needs at the border,” said Ms. McGroarty. “We simply do not have the resources to provide life-saving assistance to those who need it most.”

WFP urgently requires more than $120 million to ramp up support over the next few months. Significant resources are also needed to help people move onwards from the crowded border area and to support returnees as they rebuild their lives in a country where many have never actually lived.

Across South Sudan, WFP has a funding gap of $536 million over the next six months and has only reached 40 per cent of food insecure people with assistance. Furthermore, these beneficiaries are only receiving half rations due to funding shortfalls, which is further entrenching food insecurity.

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UN Karabakh mission told ‘sudden’ exodus means as few as 50 ethnic Armenians may remain — Global Issues

In a statement issued following Sunday’s mission led by the UN’s Resident Coordinator in Azerbaijan, together with other senior agency officials, they heard and saw for themselves that in the city of Khankendi at least, there were no signs of damage to public buildings.

“The mission was struck by the sudden manner in which the local population left their homes and the suffering the experience must have caused,” the UN team said.

The team added that they did not hear – from either locals interviewed or others – of incidences of violence against civilians following the latest ceasefire.

“The team heard from interlocutors that between 50 and 1,000 ethnic Armenians remain in the Karabakh region.”

Saw no damage

During their visit, the UN team travelled from Aghdam to Khankendi, which is also known by ethnic Armenians as Stepanakert.

In the areas they visited, there was no visible damage to public infrastructure, including hospitals, schools, housing, or cultural and religious structures. Additionally, shops were closed.

The team noted that the Government of Azerbaijan was making preparations to restore health services and certain utilities in the city.

The mission did not get access to rural areas, but did not see any signs of destruction of agricultural infrastructure or livestock.

Lachin route

The mission followed the Lachin road to the border crossing, a route taken by over 100,000 ethnic Armenians in recent days. They did not encounter civilian vehicles heading towards Armenia.

The team said that “it is difficult to determine at this stage whether the local population intends to return”, from the conversations they were able to have.

What was clear is that there is a need to build trust and confidence, and this will require time and effort from all sides, the statement added.

It also called for all efforts to be made to ensure the protection of the rights of the local population, adding that the UN team in Azerbaijan stands ready to support the remaining local population and those who wish to return, in support of the Government of Azerbaijan.

© WHO/Nazik Armenakyan

Refugees at a registration centre in Goris, Armenia, on 29 September.

Situation in Armenia

In Armenia, the majority of refugees who arrived in the border town of Goris have since dispersed to other parts of the country.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has reported that many of those who sought refuge in Armenia undertook arduous journeys, often walking for days and finding shelter in caves or basements, enduring extremely challenging conditions.

“There are reports of malnutrition, particularly among the elderly and among children, and diseases such as high fevers and pneumonia,” Joe Lowry, IOM spokesperson told UN News in an interview on Monday from Yerevan, Armenia.

Mental health prioritized

Collaborating closely with the Government of Armenia, UN teams in the country are making mental health support a top priority for the refugees. On Monday, IOM opened two mobile clinics, with four more to be opened in the coming days.

The clinics will have trained psychologist on hand to help people with their immediate mental health and psychosocial needs, and to refer them onward for care, as needed, he told UN News.

Other UN agencies also continue their response. On Monday, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) delivered vital medical supplies, including bandages, syringes and medications.

The UN Population Fund (UNFPA), for its part, is delivering hygiene kits to refugee women and girls in several regions in Armenia. It also trained local partners on responding to gender-based violence, and plans to set up safe spaces where survivors can access medical and mental health services.

New services

Given the influx of approximately 100,000 into a country with a population of around three million, there will be a significant demand for the expansion of national services. This includes bolstering educational institutions and healthcare facilities.

“People will need new schools, which will have to be built – it won’t be a case of adding four or five more chairs into a classroom – new schools or wings on schools will have to be built, the same for hospitals, too,” Mr. Lowry said.

He emphasized that the arrivals would also need livelihood assistance, such as jobs, and new homes. At the same time, the host community will also require support.

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UN teams support burn victims amidst Karabakh crisis — Global Issues

More than 170 people were killed and over 200 more injured, many with grievous burns and in a critical condition, in an explosion at a crowded fuel depot along the route taken by those entering Armenia last Monday.

‘Heart-breaking’ scenes

WHO Special Envoy Robb Butler, who visited a burns treatment centre in the Armenian capital, Yerevan, described the suffering as “heart-breaking”.

“Every single bed in this 80-bed hospital is occupied with a survivor from the explosion in Karabakh. Health workers here are working hard to treat and rehabilitate them, but this is a small country with limited capacity, and the needs are immense.”

The UN health agency, for its part, is bringing in burns kits as well as mobilizing international support to deploy burns specialist to support the needs there. It is also gauging how it can best support rehabilitation for the survivors in the medium and longer term.

Addressing needs

Alongside support to the victims of the fire, WHO is providing refugees with vital health services, including mental health and psychosocial support.

It is setting up modular prefabricated clinics, and is supporting the Armenian Government integrate health workers, including about 300 doctors and 1,200 nurses – who arrived as of Saturday from the Karabakh region – into primary healthcare centres and hospitals in Armenia. It is also sending medicines for non-communicable diseases, which will cover three months of treatments for up to 50,000 persons.

© WHO/Nazik Armenakyan

Refugees in the border town of Goris in Armenia.

Coordinated UN effort

According to latest estimates, about 100,000 people have crossed into Armenia. Working with the authorities and partners, UN teams on the ground are supporting the arrivals.

The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has established a children’s’ safe space in Goris, serving nearly 300 children every day along with their parents. It offers a space for children to play, a breastfeeding space for mothers, and paediatric support to help with acute concerns.

The World Food Programme (WFP), UN’s emergency food relief agency is providing people with hot meals, food parcels and food cards, while the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) is supporting the Government with technical equipment, including laptops and tablets, to facilitate registration.

It also provided essential relief items such as foldable beds and mattresses for refugees.



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From Afghan refugee to Ukraine aid worker — Global Issues

Having previously endured conflict in Afghanistan, Ali comprehended the far-reaching implications of large-scale military actions on the lives of civilians.

Immediately after the start of the Ukraine war, Ali and his wife, the owners of a small clothing store in Odessa, began to engage in relief work and donate clothes to people who had been forced to flee their homes due to the conflict,

He told UN News about his work for The Tenth of April relief organization which works alongside the UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR, in Ukraine.

© UNHCR/Victoria Andrievska

‘More concerned about war in Ukraine’

“Twenty-four years ago, my parents took me and my brother and sister and moved from Afghanistan, fleeing war and persecution. This country became our new home.

We are more concerned and worried about the situation in Ukraine than in Afghanistan, and we are trying to help as much as we can.

At such a moment, when the country desperately needs help, it is necessary to get involved, to do something good.

Now I work a lot with people who suffer from shelling in Odessa oblast. We distribute humanitarian aid, which is extremely necessary for the affected people.

With each passing day, we see an increasing number of people seeking assistance.

I can speak a number of languages, so I am able to work with The Tenth of April to aid refugees and asylum seekers who had earlier fled to Ukraine to seek protection. I am now engaged as a social worker and logistician.

Frontline destruction

What is happening in the villages near the frontline is simply terrible. Everything is broken there, Houses are destroyed. People barely survive there.

Gratitude in people’s eyes inspires me the most. Because of it, I forget about tiredness. A girl, an internally displace person from a family from Kherson, once gave me a yellow-blue ribbon, which she made herself, and it touched me very much. Such moments are unforgettable.

Staff members of this organization supported my family when we were asylum seekers in Ukraine, I saw how committed they were to their work.

My wife and 15-year-old son do not want to leave Ukraine and are trying to help however they can.

Recently, during the distribution of construction materials among the residents of the house that was damaged during the shelling in Odessa, my son went to the distribution and helped unload, and he was with me until night.

Today, among my colleagues are internally displaced people from Kherson, from Mykolaiv. I see that they put their heart into everything they do, and this inspires me to work as best as possible and do more.”

How UNHCR is helping Ukrainians

  • The UN estimates that 18 million people will need humanitarian assistance this year.
  • Humanitarian needs are particularly acute for internally displaced persons who have been away from home for a long time and for those who have remained in frontline areas during the war.
  • The UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR, cooperates with 29 partner organizations, such as The Tenth of April, to help people in need throughout Ukraine.
  • With the support of its donors, UNHCR aims to help 3.6 million people in Ukraine in 2023.

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Karabakh emergency escalates, thousands still pouring into Armenia: UN agencies

Over 88,000 refugees from the Karabakh region have fled to Armenia in less than a week and humanitarian needs are surging, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) said on Friday.

Read the full story, “Karabakh emergency escalates, thousands still pouring into Armenia: UN agencies”, on globalissues.org →

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Mediterranean ‘becoming a cemetery for children and their futures’ — Global Issues

More than 11,600 unaccompanied children have crossed the Central Mediterranean to Italy so far this year the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said on Friday, an increase of 60 per cent compared with last year.

The number of arrivals peaked this month on the small island of Lampedusa off Italy’s southern coast, with 4,800 people arriving on a single day, the agency noted.

According to news reports, a migrant reception centre there was overwhelmed earlier this month, as aid and medical workers coped with transferring thousands of people to the mainland.

Many of the flimsy and crowded boats sink or capsize in the Mediterranean, leading to over 2,000 deaths so far this year, according to UN migration agency IOM.

The real figure is likely considerably higher due to boats that sink that without trace.

Overcrowded dinghies

“Children who undertake these harrowing journeys alone are often placed in overcrowded inflatable dinghies or shoddy wooden fishing boats unsuitable for poor weather conditions. Some are placed in the hold of the ship, some on iron barges – particularly dangerous for navigation,” UNICEF stated.

According to the UN humanitarian agency, “the lack of regionwide, coordinated and adequate search and rescue capacities and cooperation at sea on disembarkation compound the dangers children face when crossing.”

War, conflict, violence and poverty are among the main factors, prompting children to flee their home countries alone.

UNICEF highlighted that “Evidence shows that unaccompanied children are at risk of exploitation and abuse on every step of their journeys, with girls and children from sub-Saharan Africa the most likely to suffer abuse.”

Nearly 1,000 dead on central route

It said between June and August this year, at least 990 people including children died or disappeared as they attempted to cross the Central Mediterranean, triple the number compared to the same period last summer when at least 334 people lost their lives.

Children who survive their journeys are first held in centres known as hotspots before being transferred to reception facilities that are often closed and limit movement.

More than 21,700 unaccompanied children across Italy are currently in such facilities, up from 17,700 a year ago.

‘Broken migration system’

“The Mediterranean Sea has become a cemetery for children and their futures. The devastating toll on children seeking asylum and safety in Europe is a result of policy choices and a broken migration system,” said Regina De Dominicis, UNICEF Regional Director, and Special Coordinator for the Refugee and Migrant Response in Europe.

“The adoption of a Europe-wide response to supporting children and families seeking asylum and safety and a sustained increase in international aid to support countries faced by multiple crises are desperately needed to prevent more children suffering.”

In line with international law and the Convention on the Rights of the Child, UNICEF is calling on governments to provide safer and legal pathways for seeking asylum and ensure children are not held in closed facilities.

Boost protection

It’s also recommending strengthened national child protection systems and more coordination of search and rescue operations that lead to safe disembarkation.

The agency said the ongoing debate between the European Parliament and EU Member States on a new pact on migration and asylum presents an immediate opportunity to affirm and uphold key child protection principles.

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Aid workers under threat, DR Congo food crisis, Niger floods — Global Issues

OCHA spokesperson Jens Laerke told reporters in Geneva that out of 71 aid worker deaths recorded so far this year, 22 had been working in South Sudan and 19 in Sudan.

The victims are overwhelmingly local humanitarians working on the front lines of the response, Mr. Laerke said.

He stressed that attacks on aid workers and aid facilities are violations of international humanitarian law and insisted that perpetrators must be held accountable.

Rules of warfare

“Parties to conflict have an obligation to respect the laws of war without exceptions,” he said.

Mr. Laerke highlighted the dire humanitarian needs in both countries and the funding gaps. The humanitarian response plan for Sudan remains only 32 per cent funded while the response in South Sudan has received 53 per cent of the required funds.

The World Health Organization (WHO) also sounded the alarm about the situation in the South Sudan, where three in four people need humanitarian assistance and two in every three are facing crisis levels of hunger.

Over 25 million Congolese in food crisis: UN agencies

More than 25 million people continue to face crisis or emergency levels of food insecurity in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), according to the latest international food security report (IPC) released on Friday.

The country continues to be one of the world’s largest food crises, said the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and UN World Food Programme (WFP).

Despite high levels of hunger, DRC boasts fertile lands and abundant water resources that should make it self-sufficient – if not a net exporter.

However, various underlying causes such as intensifying conflict in the restive east and a lack of investment in rural development, are preventing the country from producing enough supplies.

“I am alarmed by the number of people who continue to face hunger across the country,’’ said Peter Musoko, the World Food Programme’s Country Director and Representative in the DRC.

“In such a fragile context, the cost of inaction is truly unthinkable. Together, we need to work with the government and the humanitarian community to increase resources for this neglected crisis.”

Niger floods cause death and destruction as rains continue

As heavy rains continue in Niger, UN humanitarians are growing increasingly concerned by flooding which is hitting the south of the country hard.

“Last week alone, 13,000 people were affected and since July, according to the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, some 160,000 people have been impacted by the floods with more than 14,000 houses that have collapsed and over 50 deaths”, said UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric, briefing reporters in New York on Friday.

Military leaders seized power in Niger in July, ousting the democratically elected president Mohamed Bazoum, who has remained in detention ever since. Some western nations and regional powers have imposed sanction on the new military rulers.

The de facto authorities and aid agencies continue to support the aid response for Nigeriens impacted by the severe flooding and have distributed mattresses, mosquito nets, blankets and other essential supplies, said Mr. Dujarric.

More than 13,000 families have also received food support.

“Humanitarian colleagues are warning that major gaps persist, particularly in the areas of shelter, water and sanitation, and health. We are also working with communities on flood preparedness”, added the Spokesperson.

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‘Tragedy is not over’ warns UNICEF — Global Issues

UNICEF stated that many more children are affected due to lack of essential services, such as health, schooling and safe water supply.

“When disasters hit, children are always among the most vulnerable,” said Adele Khodr, UNICEF’s Regional Director, who has just returned from a visit to Al Bayda and Derna.

Catastrophic flooding

Storm Daniel struck eastern Libya on 10 September and left widespread flooding and destruction in its wake across Derna, Albayda, Soussa, Al-Marj, Shahat, Taknis, Battah, Tolmeita, Bersis, Tokra and Al-Abyar.

Torrential rainfall and the collapse of two dams flooded the coastal city, sweeping entire neighborhoods into the Mediterranean Sea.

Close to 4,000 died in the floods and 9,000 more are still unaccounted for, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

While the missing are presumed dead, their bodies still trapped under debris or in the sea, many still hope their loved ones could still be alive. The deadly flooding has forced schools to host some displaced families.

UNICEF has been working with authorities and partners since the beginning of the tragedy to respond to the urgent needs of children and families in the affected areas.

Haunted day and night

“I saw the devastating toll the floods have already taken on children and families. I met families grappling with a high psychological burden and I spoke to children in extreme distress, many not sleeping and unable to interact and play”, Ms. Khodr said.

“The memory of what happened still haunts their dreams and their thoughts. Now is the time to focus on recovery, including support the reopening of schools, provide psychosocial support, rehabilitate primary health care facilities and restore water systems. The tragedy is not over, and we should not forget the children of Derna and Al Bayda,”

Cry for help

The number of children among the casualties is not yet confirmed but UNICEF fears hundreds died in the disaster, given that children account for about 40 per cent of the population.

Significant damage to health and education infrastructure means children once again risk further disruption to their learning and the outbreak of deadly diseases. In the impacted region, out of 117 schools, four were destroyed and 80 partially damaged.

Waterborne illnesses are a growing concern due to water supply issues, significant damage to water sources and sewer networks.

In Derna alone, 50 per cent of water systems are estimated to have been damaged.

Clinging to hope

UNICEF has been actively supporting the children in eastern Libya since day two of the crisis. Sixty-five metric tonnes of relief supplies have been delivered to affected areas, including medical supplies for 50,000 people for three months, family hygiene kits for almost 17,000 people, 500 children’s winter clothing sets, 200 school-in-a-box kits and 32,000 water purification tablets.

The children’s agency has also dispatched mobile child protection and psychosocial support teams.

“As we continue our life-saving response efforts, we also appeal to the authorities and donors to invest in long-term recovery that is equitable, resilient and child-focused,” added Ms. Khodr.

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Response continues amid the wreckage — Global Issues

Over the weekend, agency staff led missions into Derna, Shahat, Soussa and al Bayda, delivering emergency medical supplies, food, water purification kits and shelter material.

‘Horrific’ situation

The situation is “horrific” in Derna, said Rana Ksaifi, leading a UN refugee agency (UNHCR) team to the city.

Derna bore the brunt of the floods after two dams on the city’s outskirts collapsed, sending a torrent of water through the streets that swept entire buildings out to sea.

“I cannot explain what I saw on the way coming to Derna: roads split in half, massive rocks moved from the mountains to coastal areas, and destroyed homes,” she said.

According to the Libyan Red Crescent, over 11,000 people are reported dead there, with a further 10,100 missing. More than 30,000 people have been displaced out of a population of around 150,000 before the disaster.

‘Very slim’ chance of survivors

Though search and rescue efforts are ongoing, chances of finding survivors are “very slim”, said UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Libya, Georgette Gagnon, who also visited Derna in the aftermath of the flood.

“Given the nature and scope of this tragedy, we are very concerned about the health impact and the potential spread of waterborne diseases as water sources and sewer networks have been severely damaged,” she told reporters at UN Headquarters in New York on Monday.

Ms. Gagnon also expressed concern over the potential for floodwaters to have displaced landmines and unexploded ordinance (UXO) by the floodwaters, putting both residents and humanitarians at risk.

“The response is coming together, and we are trying to navigate the challenges of damaged infrastructure,” she added.

Averting a second crisis

UN World Health Organization (WHO) teams, along with local officials and partner organizations, are working to prevent diseases from taking hold and causing a second devastating crisis.

“This is a disaster of epic proportions,” said Ahmed Zouiten, WHO Representative in Libya.

On Sunday, the agency dispatched approximately 29 metric tonnes of medical supplies, brought from its contingency store in United Arab Emirates, to hospitals and primary health centres to help restore some functionality.

“We are saddened by the unspeakable loss of thousands of souls. Our thoughts are with the families who have lost loved ones, as well as with all of the affected communities. We are committed to providing the necessary support to restore health services for the affected population in eastern Libya,” Dr. Zouiten said.

Emergency appeal

UN agencies have also launched a $71.4 million emergency humanitarian appeal, in addition to $10 million released from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), to provide lifesaving assistance and protection.

For an initial period between September-December, the Flash Appeal targets assistance for 250,000 most vulnerable among some 884,000 people in need.

According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), critical needs identified so far include emergency healthcare, water and sanitation, food, and heavy equipment to clear tonnes of debris.

Assessments are ongoing, OCHA added.



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