In the afternoon  of Thursday 10 May 2018, in the town of El-Sultan Hassan village, El Minya Governorate in Egypt, an electric circuit short caused fire in one of the village houses. This spark caused the entire house to catch flame. The barns where built of wooden beams and palm branches, and they quickly caught fire. This fire burned down four houses of which each hosted three families.  They lost most of their furniture along with the building. The fire also destroyed the livestock of 45 families. These 45 families have lost their sources of livelihoods. A total of 12 families lost their houses and most of their furniture, and other household items.

The fire has put them in a state of crisis. The fire affected persons are in a desperate situation, now faced with many unmet vital needs such as access to: sufficient food, need for safe shelter and basic of non-food items. Their nutritional health is also to be met since they lost their livelihood assets and the source of income, and also could not salvage any food out of their blazing houses.

Alerts_Fire in Egypt

During the night of Friday 2 March 2018, Nairobi County was  severely flooded. On this day, flooding caused displacement of households, interrupted transport, swept away bridges and caused the death of 11 people nationwide.

According to OCHA Flash update #1 of 25th April 2018, floods have displaced more than 211,000 people and reportedly killed 72; injuring 33 across Kenya since March 2018. Other sources confirm that floods have disrupted livelihoods with at least 8,450 acres of farmland submerged in water and more than 6,000 livestock killed in addition to destroying houses and damaging infrastructure (health facilities, schools and learning materials).

Floods have interrupted opening of schools in several counties as some school buildings are submerged or totally cut off.

The dire situation is further compounded for flood affected people with vulnerabilities, more specifically for woman and girls who are at a higher risk of gender-based violence in areas where displaced persons have sought shelter such as school’s compounds and other community centres.

ACT Kenya forum is planning to submit a funding proposal to provide food and non-food items and other essential needs to ensure that flood affected persons’ basic needs are met.

Kenya-Emergency Floods Alert.

During the night of Friday the 22 September 2017, the province of Penama in Vanuatu, was elevated to an Alert Level 4 ‘Moderate eruption state’ due to elevated activity of Manaro volcano on the island of Ambae. On Thursday 28 September A State of Emergency was declared for the entire island and on Thursday 28 September and a full, compulsory evacuation of the 11,000 residents of Ambae island was ordered to nearby islands of Espiritu Santo, Pentecost and Maewo. The volcano subsided somewhat and residents that chose to were repatriated by 30^th October 2017. On 7^th December 2017 the Alert Level was downgraded to 2 ‘Major Unrest’. However on Sunday March 18^th 2018 the volcano erupted again and the Alert Level was increased to 3 ‘Minor Eruption State’ with emissions of gas, ash and volcanic bombs. In particular the impact from the continuous outpouring of ash and gas emissions have created hazards including acid rain, flash flooding and landslides, polluted and destroyed water sources, damaged traditional housing, crops and trees, and impacted human health through direct exposure to acid rain and inhalation of fine ash particles.

ACT Alliance partners are currently monitoring the situation and are preparing a rapid needs assessment to have an in-depth context analysis and better understanding of existing vulnerabilities.

Alerts Vanuatu Volcanic Eruption 2018

In the evening of Thursday the 26 April 2018, the region of Jubaland, Galmudug, South West State, Banadir and Hirshabelle in Somalia, were flooded due to the rapid increase of river levels and continued heavy rains affecting 427, 000 people and displacing nearly 175,000 people.

The floods have put various regions in a state of crisis. The flood affected persons find themselves in a desperate situation, with many unmet vital emergency needs such as access to sufficient food, need for safe drinking water, hygiene facilities (and hygiene items), emergency education services and temporary shelter.

The dire situation is further compounded for flood-affected people with vulnerabilities. There is a pressing necessity to provide immediate assistance to minimize loss of life and to ensure that the needs of the most vulnerable are covered.
The emergency response is currently being coordinated by UNOCHA working together with authorities from affected regions.
To ensure that the humanitarian response is well coordinated and complementary, ACT Somali forum will take part in coordination meetings with all relevant sector stakeholders as they continue to engage through various lines of communication with crisis-affected persons/communities to ensure a humanitarian response that will be based on participation and feedback.

ACT Somali Forum has been working in Somalia (before 2010) and is now helping/planning to help people affected by the floods within the sectors of shelter, Non Food Items and WASH among others.

Somalia-Floods Emergency (Alert)

During the night of Wednesday the 11 April 2018, the district of Karonga in Malawi, was affected by severe floods when Karongo experienced sudden heavy rains for 7 continuous days. Floods have caused displacement of 3,570 people with three lives lost; livestock killed, crops and houses destroyed.

The flood affected persons find themselves in a desperate situation, with many unmet vital emergency needs such as access to sufficient food, need for safe water and replacement of non-food items; a task which has become difficult due to suspended livelihood activities.

The emergency response is currently being coordinated by Malawi Government through the Department of Disaster Management Affairs. ACT members in Malawi are working on the ground already; supporting displaced households with Shelter, and helping /planning to help people affected by floods

Malawi -Floods Emergency 2018

Chama district one of the newly created districts and is divided into Chama North and South. Chama in Zambia is experiencing flooding of Kamphemba river resulting in destruction of hectares of crop fields and has so far destroyed 154 houses. Flooding is due to heavy down pour of rain that affected the area in a week, causing the area to experience severe flooding when Kamphemba river and other streams across the District burst their banks, destroying crops; washing away Kemphemba bridge. As a result, 1,748 families (Chama 901; Petuke 847) are left homeless.  In addition to floods, communities in Chikwa and Chifunda in Chama district, are also seriously affected by human wildlife conflict.

In Chama District, At least 491 HH are affected and 377 community members have been evacuated and are staying in schools, churches and camps. The government has established 3 Camps (Camp 1: Is hosting 402 affected HHs, Camp 2 (Kapala Konje), Is hosting 192 affected HH and Camp 3 (Katangalikala); Is hosting 201 affected HH hosted in Churches and Schools around Katangalikal. In Petauke District Sandwe, at least 847 households (45 villages) and at least 409 households in Chibale. All 28 villages are affected by floods with 409 houses are heavily soaked and with 40 structures cracking and at risk of collapsing.

The ACT Zambia Forum is planning on submitting a funding proposal to provide shelter, WASH, food, psycho-social support, and livelihood restoration to ensure that the floods affected persons’ basic needs are met.

Alerts_ Floods Emergency_ Zambia

On the morning of Friday the 16 March 2018, the district of Mananara Nord and Maroantsetra in the peninsula of Masoala, Region of Analanjirofo, Madagascar, was affected by Eliakim, a tropical cyclone in category storm. Eliakim brought with him a maximum wind speed of 105 km. The cyclone has put Manara district in a state of crisis. The cyclone affected persons find themselves in a desperate situation, with many unmet vital humanitarian needs such as access to food, shelter, health, water, livelihood and protection services.

Eliakim has come with heavy rains, causing strong floods in the eastern part of Madagascar mainly in the Regions of Sava, Sofia, Analanjirofo, Atsinanana, Alaotra Mangoro where most of the damage is expected.  As a result, communities in affected regions have been hit by three storms namely Ava, Dilemma and Eliakim and has made communities more vulnerable every time a storm hits making their conduction worse.

The ACT Madagascar Forum is planning on submitting a funding proposal to provide food, NFI and protection to ensure that the cyclone-affected persons’ basic needs are met with regards to WASH, health and livelihoods.

Alerts_ Madagascar_ Tropical Cyclone Eliakim

Ethiopia is currently facing a complex humanitarian crisis as result of an ongoing drought combined with an ethno-political conflict. The current drought is an extension of last year’s (2017) drought which severely affected pastoral lowlands of Afar, Somali and Oromia. Over the past four decades, recurrent droughts have been affecting Ethiopia each time with increasing intensity and frequency. The current dire drought-related situation is further compounded by the ethno-political conflict in various parts of the country, namely along areas bordering two of the largest regional states of Oromia and Somali.

The government of Ethiopia has declared a state of emergency on March 2, 2018 for the next six months. The ethno-political conflict has caused large-scale displacement and has further exacerbating the already critical situation resulting from the drought. Affected communities have been forced to flee their homes with nothing more than few personal belongings and living in precarious conditions inside makeshift camps.

ACT Ethiopia Forum members are planning to respond, by providing life-saving responses in Nutrition, WASH and emergency Non-Food Items to reach 250,000 affected persons in the coming months.

Alerts_Ethiopia_Drought Emergency.

During the night of Monday the 12 February 2018, the capital of Nuku’alofa in Tonga, was hit by Category 4 Tropical Cyclone Gita passing directly over the main island, with strong wind speeds of 230 km/hour and wind gusts of 278 km/hour devastating the country’s most populated island group. Tongatapu, which includes Tongatapu island (home of the capital), as well as ‘Eua island to the southeast, were battered by the worst cyclone to hit Tonga in 60 years. TC Gita had damaged parts of neighbour Samoa before entering Tonga, where its ongoing destructive effects include heavy rain, widespread flooding, risk of disease and mass displacement. Parliament House was totally destroyed by TC Gita. Debris, uprooted trees, and no electricity or fuel means many outlying areas and islands have not had contact made, or undergone preliminary rapid assessments. Although there have been no reported deaths, many communities remain unaccounted for at time of publication of this alert.

The cyclone has put the region in a state of crisis. The cyclone affected persons find themselves in a desperate situation, with many unmet vital humanitarian needs such as access to: mosquito nets to prevent further spread of dengue fever, an outbreak of which is currently being experienced in the capital. Primary needs include:  sufficient food, safe shelter and basic non-food items, basic health services and facilities, safe drinking water, sanitation and hygiene infrastructure, livelihood activities, protection activities, and adequate nutrition.  The ACT forum is now planning on submitting a funding proposal to provide the humanitarian response  and assist the affected communities.

Alerts_Tropical_Cyclone_Gita_Tonga

Malawi is experiencing the most severe prolonged dry spells and fall army worm infestation which have threatened agricultural production of 3.8 million people (Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development Report 2018). With little or no rain still not falling in some parts of the country and fall army worms still destroying crop fields the outlook is alarming which will result in hunger to over 3.8 million people up to next growing season (Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development Report 2018). Even before the prolonged dry spells, Malawi Government had declared drought a national disaster in December 2017 because of fall army worms.

Twenty out 28 districts that include Phalombe, Mulanje, Chikwawa, Nsanje, Mangochi, Chiradzulu, Balaka, Neno, Salima, Dowa, Lilongwe with approximately 270,000 hectares under crops were affected by fall army worms and 215,000 hectares affected by dry spells.  In addition, low lying areas of southern and central areas of Malawi, cereal crops like maize (Malawi’s staple food) have dried up permanently affecting 850,000 households. According to estimates of survey done in 2017/18,  this situation is likely to compromise crop production and household food security this 2017/18 growing season if no greater efforts to mitigate and recover are taken.

The ACT Malawi forum is planning on submitting a funding proposal to provide Food assistance, Agricultural inputs and Capacity building to ensure that the drought affected persons’ basic needs are met with regards to food security, nutrition and Livelihoods.

Alerts_ Drought Emergency in Malawi