Crisis watch

South Sudan – floods

An estimated 856,000 people have been affected by floods in areas along the White Nile and 366,000 people are currently displaced. Key immediate needs following these displacements are: food, basic health items/services, emergency shelter, WASH (water, sanitation, hygiene), nutritional supplies, gender-based violence protection including dignity kits.

The flood emergency is compounding already existing protracted emergencies. Nearly 7.5 million people in South Sudan are in need of some type of humanitarian assistance or protection.

Of the 78 counties in South Sudan, 45 are in severe need and 33 are in extreme need. Of these 33 counties, people in 23 of them have faced extreme need for at least two consecutive years. Some 5.2 million of the people in need are host community members or people who are otherwise affected but not displaced, while 1.4 million are internally displaced people, nearly 600,000 are returnees and about 300,000 are refugees.

CARE South Sudan proposes to do a multi-sectoral response in areas where there are gaps: health, protection, food security, livelihood and WASH.

Vietnam – floods and Typhoon Molave

Typhoon Molave made landfall on 28 October worsening the existing floods in central Vietnam and causing severe flooding in other new areas. 174 people are reported dead, 374,600 people have been evacuated and 1.5 million people are directly affected. Houses, schools and agricultural lands are severely damaged.

CARE Vietnam is preparing to start responding in Quang Tri province with distribution of water/sanitation items and households kits, conducting hygiene promotion, building safe latrines and livelihood recovery support. CARE has active local government partners on the ground: DEMA and Women’s Union at various levels (district, commune, and village). The Women’s Union is a member of the Government Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention, with a dual mandate and standing capacity on disaster response. Le Kim Dung, CARE Vietnam Country Director, says:

Many people in Vietnam are still struggling due to the devastation caused by the ongoing floods and the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic. CARE is on the ground in the worst affected areas providing water, sanitation, and hygiene support, but more funding is urgently needed.

As Storm Atsani approaches, Le Kim Dung adds: “We are worried about the compounding affects another severe weather event would have on women, girls and other vulnerable community members.”

East Africa – floods

On top of coronavirus East Africa is being hit by unprecedented levels of flooding.

The number of people hit by seasonal flooding in East Africa has increased more than fivefold in four years, according to UN figures. Nearly six million people have been affected this year with 1.5 million of them forced from their homes. Parts of the region are recording the heaviest rains in a century.

CARE is particularly worried about what these combined stresses will do to already vulnerable populations including refugees and the displaced, those living in conflict affected areas, and farming populations who rely on crops and livelihoods for their survival. Our response so far includes:

• Sudan: CARE has already provided basic relief items to more than 1,000 refugees and host community members in East Darfur as well as repairing, cleaning and disinfecting latrines for refugee populations. We are also providing cash to those affected by the floods to allow them to rebuild and spend where most needed. We are also carrying out mass awareness raising campaigns on the prevention of waterborne diseases in the capital Khartoum.
• Somalia: CARE is working through local partners targeting Hiraan and Galmudug regions as heavy rains and flooding are expected to continue in November and December. Activities being rolled out by CARE and partners include: rehabilitation of shallow wells with hand pumps; cholera prevention and control, health and hygiene promotion messages; construction of 30 desludging latrines for internally displace people; WASH committee and hygiene promoters training; training of 20 chlorinators.

Vietnam – floods

Nearly 1 million people are already struggling with the impact of severe flooding across central Vietnam over recent weeks, with a third tropical storm predicted to make landfall this Sunday 25 October. CARE is particularly worried about the impact on women and girls, and those already struggling with the economic impacts of COVID-19. Dung Kim Le, CARE Vietnam Country Director, says:

We are very worried that the situation for people in flood affected areas is likely to get even worse. We have been talking to farmers in the affected areas living on the borders with Laos. They don’t have any income for food or essential items and now the flooding has destroyed what little they have.

CARE will be focusing on water, sanitation and hygiene support, including distributing hygiene kits; cash support focussing on some of the most vulnerable, such as women and girls; and livelihoods rehabilitation for those who have lost their livelihoods.

Yemen

On World Food Day, CARE is warning of worsening hunger in Yemen, where up to 20 million people are food insecure. The combination of armed conflict, COVID-19, and economic collapse has had a direct and devastating impact on the availability and affordability of food, says Aaron Brent, CARE Yemen Country Director.

Hunger is most pronounced in areas with high levels of armed violence, while across the country food prices have been rising throughout 2020: in the capital Sana’a, for example, market assessments found that the price of fruit and vegetables had risen by 125 percent.

Taiz governorate has seen consistent fighting throughout the conflict, and almost 600,000 are classed as being in crisis or emergency food insecurity. Aaron Brent says:

Taiz provides a snapshot of the situation for countless families across Yemen. They have been dealing for years with a nightmarish combination of factors; airstrikes and attacks leading to high levels of displacement; a lack of healthcare and public services; diseases like cholera and dengue fever; and of course severe food insecurity and hunger due to the economic crisis. The result is that people are hungry and malnourished and their ability to cope is extremely low.

CARE warns that the humanitarian response is severely under-funded, and is callingn for an increase in funding – while remembering, says Aaron Brent, “that the only way to end hunger in Yemen for good is to end the conflict through a nationwide ceasefire, and an inclusive political solution.”

CARE reached 2.8 million people in the last year across 13 governorates and 95 districts, including supporting 1.5 million people with food, cash and vouchers to meet their basic and immediate food needs.