Further Crises

The world is plagued by further humanitarian crises that should neither be forgotten nor neglected. Though DONARE presently does not compile a complete crisis profile, here are snapshots of some of these humanitarian situations. The emergency situations include: the crisis in southern Turkey and northern Syria following the devastating earthquakes of early February 2023; the crisis in Pakistan following the record floods of 2022; the crisis in Kenya following the longest and most severe drought on record; the crisis in Madagascar due to ongoing food insecurity and vulnerability to climate-related disasters; and the crisis in Malawi due to the deadliest cholera outbreak in the country’s history. 
 

Turkey-Syria Earthquake Emergency

Macroseismic Intensity Map
Source: USGS

At least 18 million people have been directly affected by the devastating February 6, 2023 earthquakes that killed more than 54,000 women, men, and children and injured more than 100,000 in Turkey and Syria. At least 240,000 buildings have been destroyed or severely damaged, and more than 2.7 million people have been left homeless and are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance, including large numbers of Syrian refugees. Turkey is currently the largest refugee-hosting country in the world. 3.6 million Syrian refugees have found refuge in the country. The earthquakes have also severely affected northwestern Syria, a region where 4.1 million people already rely on humanitarian aid to survive. Emergency relief operations in Turkey and Syria are ongoing to provide life-saving assistance and assess urgent needs.  

The United Nations has launched a flash appeal for $1billion (€ 936 million) in emergency aid to help victims of the catastrophic earthquake in Turkey. The funds will provide humanitarian relief for three months to 5.2 million people. More than 9.1 million people in Turkey have been directly impacted by the disaster. A separate appeal for Syria is asking for $397.6 million (€ 373,4 Mio.)  to respond to the most pressing humanitarian needs over the next three months. The flash appeal for the earthquake response in Syria will provide emergency relief to 4.9 million people in most acute need. 8.8 million people in Syria have been affected by the devastating earthquakes. 

 Donations

See also

Pakistan Crisis

Pakistan Map
Source: OCHA/ReliefWeb

Heavy rains and a combination of riverine, urban and flash flooding led to an unprecedented climate-induced humanitarian disaster in Pakistan that started in June 2022, causing widespread fatalities, killing livestock, and damaging and destroying public and private infrastructure across the country. Rain-induced landslides and floods also damaged agricultural land and forests, impacting local ecosystems. The floods and heavy rains affected some 33 million people, including at least 7.9 million people who have been internally displaced.

Six months after the catastrophic floods in Pakistan, more than 10 million people, including children, in flood-affected areas are still without safe drinking water, according to UNICEF. This leaves families with no choice but to drink and use water potentially contaminated with disease.

The UN estimates 20.6 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance in 2023, largely driven by a lack of access to clean water and health services, and increased food insecurity and malnutrition rates.  The latest IPC food insecurity analysis indicates that around 8.62 million people were food insecure (crisis level or worse) from September to December 2022, of whom 6.02 million are estimated to be in crisis phase and 2.59 million in emergency phase. Furthermore, Pakistan hosts more than 1.4 million registered Afghan refugees who have been forced to flee their homes. 

Donations

Kenya Crisis 

Kenya Map
Source: OCHA/ReliefWeb

Countries in the Horn of Africa continue to be hit by the longest and most severe drought on record, leaving millions at risk of starvation. Among these countries, Kenya is also facing unprecedented drought due to five consecutive below-average rainy seasons. By the end of 2022, an estimated 4.4 million people will be acutely food insecure (crisis level or worse), including 1.2 million in emergency situations. At least 2.5 million livestock have died due to drought. Water sources are drying up in Kenya's pastoral areas after the end of the fifth consecutive failed rainy season.

Kenya is facing the greatest acute food insecurity ever recorded in the country, surpassing the levels of the 2011 and 2017 droughts, and the worsening drought is exacerbating insecurity and resource-related conflicts in many drought-affected regions. The United Nations estimates that 6.4 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance in 2023, including 2.2 million children. In addition, Kenya hosts some 600,000 refugees from neighboring countries, mainly Somalia.   

Donations

See also

Madagascar Crisis

Madagascar Map
Source: OCHA/ReliefWeb

Madagascar faces several humanitarian challenges. The country is increasingly vulnerable to a variety of natural hazards, including tropical cyclones, drought, and flooding. 

In February and March 2023, one of the longest-lasting tropical cyclones on record hit Madagascar, causing extensive damage and loss of lives, and leaving more than 72,000 people displaced and affecting overall at least 300,000 men, women, and children.

In 2021, the country experienced its worst drought in 40 years. While the Grand Sud of Madagascar was rocked by consecutive droughts during the 2019/2020 and 2020/2021 rainy seasons, the region is now faced with the prospect of a late start to the 2022/2023 rainy season. Following a massive scale-up in humanitarian assistance, food insecurity and malnutrition improved in the Grand Sud. However, the situation remains fragile. 

According to the latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) analysis, approximately 2.2 million people in the Grand Sud and Grand Sud-Est will likely experience crisis levels of acute food insecurity or worse between November 2022 and March 2023. This figure includes more than 250,000 people likely to face emergency levels of acute food insecurity. Around 479,000 children in the Grand Sud and Grand Sud-Est are projected to suffer from acute malnutrition, including nearly 92,000 expected cases of severe acute malnutrition. The UN estimates that 1.6 million people in Madagascar are in need of humanitarian assistance this year.

Donations

Malawi Crisis

Source: OCHA/ReliefWeb

Malawi is currently experiencing the deadliest cholera outbreak in the country’s history. The Malawi Ministry of Health declared the cholera outbreak on March 3, 2022 after the spread of several confirmed cases. The numbers of cholera cases and deaths in the country have increased exponentially since the beginning of January 2023. The current cholera outbreak has affected all 29 districts of Malawi. The number of cases increased dramatically at the start of the rainy season in November 2022. As of 18 February 2023, nearly 45,000 cases had been reported, including almost 1,450 deaths.

On February 20, 2023 the United Nations and humanitarian partner organizations in the country launched a Flash Appeal to assist 4 million people, including 56,000 refugees and asylum-seekers, who have been hardest-hit by cholera and are at highest-risk of the disease. Local health experts say if urgent action isn't taken to scale up the response, the number of cases could double in the next few months.

Malawi also experiences a variety of natural disasters, including cyclones, cyclical drought, earthquakes, flooding, and severe storms. In March 2023, one of the longest-lasting tropical cyclones on record hit Malawi, causing extensive damage, claiming the lives of hundreds of people, and leaving more than 500,000 people homeless. 

In addition, vulnerable populations experience recurring food insecurity.  An estimated 3.8 million people across Malawi will require emergency food assistance to meet basic needs during the lean season between October 2022 and March 2023, the period when food is most scarce. The international humanitarian organization CARE has listed Malawi among the ten most under-reported humanitarian crises in 2022.

Donations

There are currently few active appeals for the Malawi crisis. You may also consider an un-earmarked donation to organizations or funds that are active in the country.

Western Sahara Crisis

Western Sahara Map
Source: OCHA/ReliefWeb

The Western Sahara crisis is a long-standing conflict over the sovereignty of the Western Sahara, a territory in North Africa that is bordered by Morocco, Mauritania, and Algeria. The Sahrawi refugee crisis refers to the displacement of a large number of people from the Western Sahara, who fled their homes during the conflict. The crisis began in 1975, when Spain withdrew from the Western Sahara, and both Morocco and Mauritania claimed sovereignty over the region. The dispute led to a war between the two countries and the Western Saharan independence movement, known as the Polisario Front.

As a result of the conflict, many Sahrawi people were forced to flee their homes and became refugees in neighboring countries, particularly Algeria, which provided them with sanctuary. The refugees established camps in the Tindouf province of Algeria, where they continue to live to this day. The camps are home to an estimated 173,000 refugees, many of whom were born in the camps and have never known life outside of them.

The five Sahrawi refugee camps (Awserd, Boujdour, Dakhla, Laayoune, and Smara) in Algeria - on the border between Mauritania, Morocco, and Western Sahara - are located in a remote and inhospitable desert region, which makes it difficult to provide for the basic needs of the refugees. The refugees in the Sahrawi camps face a number of challenges, including limited access to food, water, and medical care. In addition, the long-standing conflict over the Western Sahara has made it difficult to find a lasting solution to the refugee crisis.

There is currently insufficient information on the humanitarian situation in the refugee camps in Tindouf, as well as on the exact number of people affected and in need. The refugees remain extremely vulnerable and dependent on international assistance for survival, with limited opportunities for self-reliance.

Donations

Tags