The southern part of Madagascar has been affected by famine, caused by three years of consecutive drought.
The affected region has experienced poor harvests due to lack of rain and the effects of thunderstorms, which have destroyed farm crops.
The effects of the famine are exacerbated by the effects of COVID-19 that has caused a lack of jobs and a closure of markets.
Many households are surviving on exceptionally low incomes due to loss of livelihoods and many are migrating in search of food and work consequently, school dropouts are common.
ACT Local member SAF/FJKM are monitoring the situation and coordinating regional response efforts.
Madagascar_Famine
Mozambique:Tropical Cyclone Eloise
In the afternoon of Saturday the 23rd January 2021, the province of Sofala in Mozambique, was hit by a tropical storm ELOISE. Several parts of central Mozambique have been flooded after Cyclone Eloise struck near the port city of Beira with wind speeds of up to 160km/h.
Water levels were already high, even before the tropical cyclone made landfall, causing several rivers in the region to burst their banks.
More than 1,000 houses have been destroyed and another 3,000 badly damaged. It is reported that more than 160,000 people are already directly affected in Beira according to Mozambique’s National Institute for Disaster Management and Reduction.
Preliminary reports also indicate that nearly 7,000 people have been displaced and more than 5,000 houses have been destroyed, damaged, or flooded, in Buzi, Dondo and Nhamatanda, according to the preliminary data from the Government. These numbers could rise in the days ahead as the full extent of the damage becomes known.
Cyclone Eloise is heading towards Zimbabwe and bringing heavy rainfall to the far north of South Africa, and eastern Botswana.
ACT Mozambique Forum member CEDES are conducting assessments in the affected regions.
Mozambique_Tropical Storm Eloise
Mozambique:Tropical Cyclone Eloise.
In the afternoon of Saturday the 23rd January 2021, the province of Sofala in Mozambique, was hit by a tropical storm ELOISE. Several parts of central Mozambique have been flooded after Cyclone Eloise struck near the port city of Beira with wind speeds of up to 160km/h.
Water levels were already high, even before the tropical cyclone made landfall, causing several rivers in the region to burst their banks.
More than 1,000 houses have been destroyed and another 3,000 badly damaged. It is reported that more than 160,000 people are already directly affected in Beira according to Mozambique’s National Institute for Disaster Management and Reduction.
Preliminary reports also indicate that nearly 7,000 people have been displaced and more than 5,000 houses have been destroyed, damaged, or flooded, in Buzi, Dondo and Nhamatanda, according to the preliminary data from the Government. These numbers could rise in the days ahead as the full extent of the damage becomes known.
Cyclone Eloise is heading towards Zimbabwe and bringing heavy rainfall to the far north of South Africa, and eastern Botswana.
ACT Mozambique Forum member CEDES are conducting assessments in the affected regions.
Mozambique_Tropical Storm Eloise
Madagascar: Cyclone Eloise
In the evening of Tuesday 19th January 2021, at 7.30 p.m. local time, the region of SAVA in Madagascar, was affected by an intense tropical cyclone from the Indian Ocean named ELOISE (Meteorological department Madagascar). Tropical cyclone Eloise came with winds reaching up to 100 Km/hour, touching the south of Antalaha district. The cyclone has also brought heavy rains of 100mm over 24 hours to several districts in the North West coast of Madagascar. Homes have been damaged and agriculture land destroyed leaving a high possibility of landslides. The intense tropical storm is foreseen to pass the Region of Analanjirofo, Sofia, Boeny and Melaky.
The dire situation is further compounded for the cyclone affected people with vulnerabilities and those belonging to a lower cast. Affected households are living with limited food stocks.
ACT Madagascar forum member SAF/FJKM (The Church of Jesus Christ in Madagascar) is ready to respond, by providing basic immediate needs to the affected persons in the coming weeks.
Madagascar_Cyclone Eloise
Madagascar: Cyclone Eloise.
In the evening of Tuesday 19th January 2021, at 7.30 p.m. local time, the region of SAVA in Madagascar, was affected by an intense tropical cyclone from the Indian Ocean named ELOISE (Meteorological department Madagascar). Tropical cyclone Eloise came with winds reaching up to 100 Km/hour, touching the south of Antalaha district. The cyclone has also brought heavy rains of 100mm over 24 hours to several districts in the North West coast of Madagascar. Homes have been damaged and agriculture land destroyed leaving a high possibility of landslides. The intense tropical storm is foreseen to pass the Region of Analanjirofo, Sofia, Boeny and Melaky.
The dire situation is further compounded for the cyclone affected people with vulnerabilities and those belonging to a lower cast. Affected households are living with limited food stocks.
ACT Madagascar forum member SAF/FJKM (The Church of Jesus Christ in Madagascar) is ready to respond, by providing basic immediate needs to the affected persons in the coming weeks.
Madagascar_Cyclone Eloise
Indonesia: West Sulawesi Earthquake (Updated)
A 6.2 magnitude earthquake hit the districts of Majene, Mamuju and Polewali Mandarin in West Sulawesi, Indonesia on 15th January, 2021. This was preceded by a 5.9 magnitude earthquake in the same region. Recent reports from UN OCHA and BNPB said that it caused damages to 300 houses, 1 bridge, 2 hospitals, 1 port, 1 hotel, 2 government offices, landslide on 3 spots, 242 casualties, 189 people with serious injuries, 637 people with minor injuries, and around 15,000 people are in evacuation centers where they will . The number of casualties is predicted to increase as reports from local authorities will come in. The earthquake has also affected and disrupted the community’ activities such as health facilities (including hospitals), offices, marketplaces, shops, and religious facilities. The disaster has also resulted in the cut-off of electricity, communication, water, transportation access (by air and land), and lack of food security. Indonesian government has started to deploy rescue and assistance to the affected areas.
ACT Indonesia Forum plans to give assistance to 5,000 people affected by the earthquake through ACT Alliance’s Rapid Response Fund. They plan to aid and support the disruption of health services, household items, protection for vulnerable groups, shelter materials, WASH services and materials, and assistance to support the disruption of livelihoods.
ALERT Indonesia West Sulawesi Earthquake
Alert 01 2021 Summer Floods Brazil Sao Paulo
Alert 01 2021 Brazil Summer Floods Sao Paulo
On the morning of Wednesday the 6 January 2021, the district of Sao Paulo in Brazil , was hit by summer storms.
The São Paulo State is home of around 45 million people ranging from very vulnerable communities to well structure urban and rural areas. From the beginning of the pandemic, the state has been the epicentre of the COVID-19 in Brazil, with more than 1.5 million cases and 47,768 deaths until this day(https://covid19br.wcota.me/), a quarter of the national numbers.
Data from INPE (National Institute of Space research) and the State University in São Paulo (UNESP), shows that an outstanding season of summer storms will continue in the next months, with its peak from February to April, increasing the alert for areas hit by the floods in the first weeks of 2021.
In the São Paulo Municipality, the most affected districts are in the East and in the South of the city. In the East, the Jacuí and Jardim Santa Helena neighbourhoods are in an area that follows the river course of the Rio Tietê – one of the longest and most polluted rivers in Brazil. That river has a system of dams and barriers that overflows during the rainy season affecting the life of the most vulnerable communities alongside its course. In the south, the Grajaú district has many very poor communities living in the shore of the city’s larger reservoir in informal settlements.
This situation leads to at least 1200 families affected by the floods, causing food insecurity and very low health sanitation standards. The situation is especially bad for around 2400 children, in those areas, for a total 6000 people.
Because of the fact that Summer Floods have started earlier than usual, it is expected that the amount of affected population will increase in the following months.
Syria: Humanitarian Crisis in Syria
The break out of the Syria crises has already entered its tenth year, civilians continue to bear the brunt of the conflict with an estimated 6.1 million internally displaced person and 1.4 million returnees. It is estimated that 11.06 million people in need of humanitarian assistance including 4.65 million people in acute need. While more than 90 % of the Syrian people live below the poverty line, WFP estimates that an additional 2.2 million people are at risk of food insecurity.
The impact of the conflict is also large and growing pushed millions of people into unemployment and poverty. The international sanctions especially the Caesar Act that took effect on 17 June 2020 are tightening the stranglehold on Syria’s economy and increasing the suffering among the Syrian people first and foremost and making the plight of ordinary Syrians even more desperate.
On top of all these, the COVID-19 pandemic still poses serious public health risks and caused more loss of the Syrian economy, worsening the impoverished situation of the most vulnerable people.
Syria ACT forum and through its LWF and MECC is preparing an appeal to respond to the needs of the affected communities.
Alert – Syria Conflict
Liberia: Ivorian Refugees Crisis
Since the morning of Monday the 2nd November 2020, Liberia border with Ivory Coast has been occupied by thousands of Ivorian refugees.
This is the outcome of political clashes between opposition and pro-government supporters in Côte d’Ivoire’s Central and West-Central regions.
It is highly probable that many refugees will remain in Liberia for the foreseeable future until it is safe for them to return home.
ACT Liberia Forum member, Lutheran Development Services is conducting a rapids needs assessment and plan to respond to some of the refugee needs.
Liberia_Ivorian Refugees
Liberia: Ivorian Refugees Crisis.
Since the morning of Monday the 2nd November 2020, Liberia border with Ivory Coast has been occupied by thousands of Ivorian refugees.
This is the outcome of political clashes between opposition and pro-government supporters in Côte d’Ivoire’s Central and West-Central regions.
It is highly probable that many refugees will remain in Liberia for the foreseeable future until it is safe for them to return home.
ACT Liberia Forum member, Lutheran Development Services is conducting a rapids needs assessment and plan to respond to some of the refugee needs.
Liberia_Ivorian Refugees
