In the evening of Friday the 22 September 2017, the district of Karangasem where Mt. Agung in Bali Island situated, was declared on its highest alert (red alert), followed by the instruction to exclusion zone of 9 to 12 kilometres from the summit. National and provincial authorities reported the significant increase of volcanic activity and by 23 September 2017 the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) deployed initial team to assess and set up the command post.

ACT Alliance members (ICCO, LWR and YEU) work in areas affected by the volcanic eruption, and is assessing the impact of the disaster to better understand the needs and vulnerabilities, ACT Alliance is now monitoring the situation and emergency teams are ready/preparing to respond according to the results of a contextual analysis and rapid needs assessment.

Alerts Indonesia Volcanic Eruption

In Liberia, since the beginning of this year, there have been constant storms and floods resulting in damage and losses around the country. On Tuesday, August 31, it was reported on the National Radio Station, ELBC Super Morning Show that a heavy storm had occurred in Bong County (Central Liberia) which caused the destruction of houses thereby leading to the displacement of hundreds of local community dwellers.  There are presently 5,244 people who are affected and 118 structures destroyed in Suakoko Town.

Many of them are without shelters, according to reports received from the National Disaster Committee based Gbarnga, Bong County. Other impacts of the storm and floods include the destruction of schools buildings, offices, sign boards, etc. The rainy season is at its peak in Liberia, more flooding and storms are expected.

Alerts_Liberia_Floods and Storms

On the morning of Friday the 25 August 2017, the state of Rakhine in Myanmar, conflict broke out disproportionately affecting the minority Rohingya community as a result of operations of the Myanmar military and other non state actors in response to attacks on three border posts on the border of Myanmar and Bangladesh allegedly by a group of Islamic militants leading to the death of nine policemen.  The extent and degree of implications and sufferings of people fleeing the ongoing violence still remains uncertain. Though incidents of violence against the Rohingya community are being constantly reported by the media and other sources, the Myanmar government officially have denied such events. To date, estimations based on consolidated field reports of the agencies working in Cox’s Bazar are that 370,000 people are estimated to have crossed the border into Bangladesh seeking refuge from the violence of Myanmar military and local Rakhine communities.

Alerts_Bangladesh_Rohingya Refugee Crisis

During the night of Friday, 25 August 2017, the state of Rakhine in Myanmar, was attacked by armed groups. The Arakhine Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) claimed responsibility for the attacks in three northern townships of Rakhine. The Government has officially declared ARSA a terrorist organization which gives the state authorities wide powers of arrest and detention of those suspected of belonging to ARSA. Military operations ensued immediately and have continue to-date in townships of Maungdaw, Buthidaung and Rathedaung which have been declared Military Operations areas. The UN and INGOs and the diplomatic missions have all made statements condemning the violent attacks and expressing sympathy for all those affected by the violence. According to the latest displacement figures, 300,000 conflict affected people have fled to Bangladesh.

ACT Alliance has been working in Rakhine since LWF started humanitarian work in 2012.  Christian Aid is also working in the Rakhine state through local organizations. Both are now planning to help people affected by the conflict. The ACT Myanmar forum has identified a gap in humanitarian aid and has resolved that if funded, it will have the capacity to properly bridge the identified gap.

Alerts_09_2017_Rakhine Conflict Myanmar

As of 6 September 2017, Hurricane Irma, a category 5 hurricane, with maximum sustained winds of 295 km/hour, it has significantly strengthened to become one of the most powerful hurricanes ever recorded in the Atlantic. To date, it has passed over Barbuda, Saint Barthelemy, Anguilla, Saint Marten, British and US Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Turks and Caicos, Cuba, the Bahamas and passing through Florida. Irma caused extensive damage in Barbuda and Anguilla where 70-90% of the buildings were destroyed. 27 people reported dead across affected territories, 34,000 people displaced in the Dominican Republic and Haiti. Over 1 million people were evacuated, especially from the municipalities in the northern coastline in central and eastern Cuba. 17,000 people in need of immediate shelter across the affected eastern Caribbean islands. Initial reports highlight that in Haiti there are significant damages to agricultural fields, livestock and banana plantations. Assessments will take place over the coming days to determine the number of people in need of food assistance. More than 10,000 people are in temporary shelters in the North.

Given the level of damages so far, the Haiti and Dominican Republic forums respectively decided to submit a RRF,  and an appeal is going to be submitted to respond in Cuba, the most affected among the three islands.

Alerts_09_2017_Hurricane_Irma_in_The_Caribbean_Update

Since Monday ,14 August 2017, 14 districts of Bihar state in India, were experiencing heavy rainfall.  The unprecedented rainfall and consequent floods in Nepal and Himalayan catchment areas during the last three days exacerbated a bad situation and resulted in severe flooding in the 14 districts of Bihar. Rivers such as the Mahananda, Gandak and Kankai are in spate.  98 people have lost their lives so far because of the floods  and an estimated 6.5 million people  are affected in the Bihar.

The floods have severely hampered communication. More than 248,000  people have been evacuated to safer places by the rescue teams. The state government has set up 343 relief camps in which 93,149 people are living. An additional 10 National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) battalions each comprising 40-45 personnel have been deployed in flood-hit districts of Kishanganj, Purnia and Araria to strengthen the existing 9 NDRF battalions. A team each of the NDRF has already been deployed in East and West Champaran, Muzaffarpur, Darbhanga, Supaul and Purnia districts, while two teams have been positioned at Kishanganj.

Alerts_24_ 2017_Flooding_in_Bihar, India

The first half of 2017 has marked an important period in the Iraq crisis that has been ongoing since 2014. On 17 October 2016, Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) engaged in operations to recapture the city of Mosul from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). East Mosul has been under ISF control since January 2017, and as of July 2017 the removal of ISIL has been substantially completed. Since the beginning of the operations, the cumulative number of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) from Mosul is close to 850 000. Due to an improved sense of security among affected populations, the number of returnees has grown to over 220 000 individuals by July 2017. Many of them have their houses damaged, limited access to water, food and health assistance, as well as no income opportunities.

ACT members are committed to provide assistance to vulnerable communities in many locations of Iraq and the Kurdistan region as part of their individual responses. The complex nature of Mosul’s problems requires a well-coordinated, multi-sector response, and ACT members are dedicated to combine their capacities for a more effective response.

alerts_08_2017_returnees-and-residents-of-mosul_irq161_rev-1

In the afternoon of Tuesday the 15^th August 2017 severe floods were caused due to incessant rains in 20 districts in the northern part of Bangladesh. According to National Health Crises Management Centre (NHCMC) of Director General of Health Service (DGHS) control room on 14^th August 2017, the death toll has risen to 89^[1] and approximately 1.7 million people^[2] have been affected by the floods. At least 110,400 hectors of cultivated land have been affected. An estimated 1,031 primary schools had to be closed. Even though the flood-affected families have taken shelter in higher ground but some are marooned in rising flood waters. Roads and railway communication between northern districts and the capital remain disconnected. Flood waters are flowing downstream and new areas in central part of the country are being affected. The Brahmaputra, Jamuna, Ganges and Padma rivers along with other major river systems in the country are expected to continue to rise during next couple of days, flooding more down stream areas.  Affected people have taken shelters along the highways, road sides, embankments, and schools.

[1] Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief (MoDMR)

[2] National Health Crises Management Centre (NHCMC) of Director General of Health Service (DGHS) control room

Alerts_23_2017_Flooding_in_northern_Bangladesh

On the evening of the 14^th August, mudslides triggered by three days of heavy rains poured in and around the capital of Sierra Leone, Freetown. The most severe mudslides occurred in the coastal suburb of Racecourse on the city’s eastern edge, as well as in Regent and Lumley where thousands of makeshift settlements are home to the city’s poorest communities. Torrential rains have led to a series of significant floods and mudslides in several areas of Freetown. Emergency support is being provided for the two types of responses: floods and mudslides.

According to Freetown Mayor, rescue workers have recovered 270 bodies so far mainly from the Regent neighbourhood where the mudslides happened. As rescue operations are still ongoing, the death toll is expected to rise. An estimated 3,000 or more people are believed to have lost their homes and are in immediate need of emergency assistance and shelter according to Sierra Leone’s Office of National Security (ONS).

Alerts_22_2017_Flooding in Freetown – Sierra Leone