“I have never experienced a drought as bad as this in my life”, 28-year-old Akure Ewar told UNFPA.
At seven months pregnant, she complains that she is hungry and often feels dizzy when going about her day.
“The dry seasons have been progressively getting worse over the last three years, but our animals kept us going with milk and meat. This time, they have all perished and left us with nothing.”
Unattended births
Forced to migrate in search of water, food and pasture, many are unable to access health facilities for critical maternal health care.
“Before the drought, our health facilities would record an average of 411 deliveries in a month, indicating a skilled birth attendance rate of 70 per cent”, explained Maiyo Elphas, a Loima Sub-county public health officer.
“In November 2022, the number was down to 100 births recorded, which represents a very low rate of 24.6 per cent.”
UNFPA Kenya
Women have been disproportionately affected by the drought in Kenya, which has increased their vulnerability to violence and drastically reduced their access to health centres.
‘Fend for myslef’
“Every woman, rich or poor, has a 15 per cent risk for complications around the time of delivery, but almost no maternal deaths occur in developed regions”, according to the World Health Organization , explaining the importance of skilled birth attendance, meaning a childbirth assisted by a trained health professional, such as a doctor, nurse or midwife.
The rate of skilled birth attendance was already low in Kenya, a country with a high maternal death rate of 342 per 100,000 live births but the situation is worsening dramatically for those affected by drought.
In Lochorepetet Village, 30-year-old Losikiria Kuya, who is pregnant with her fourth child often goes for days without food is frequently unable to trek the 10 kilometers to the nearest health center for her ante-natal check-ups.
“Usually when it is time to deliver, my husband will take me to the center on a motorbike, but with him often gone in search of pasture, I have to be ready to fend for myself, if need be”, she said.
Rural women
The drought crisis is not only affecting women’s access to essential maternal health care; it is causing serious undernutrition among pregnant women, escalating risks to them and their future babies.
In addition to affecting the development of a fetus, undernutrition also causes a number of problems for pregnant women, including higher risk of sepsis and death.
A mother carries her child past the carcasses of livestock that died as a result of a severe drought in Marsabit, Kenya.
UNFPA and partners are providing life-saving sexual and reproductive health services that bring services closer to those who need them most.
“During the drought season, we have been carrying out health outreach activities every two weeks where we offer ante-natal and postnatal services, family planning, nutrition and immunization services to the community” Nurse Lobei Dedan Njagi told UNFPA.
During each visit, an estimated 15 to 20 pregnant women receive care.
Worries on the horizon
The severity and exceptional duration of the drought is worsening an already dire situation in Turkana County, which was already reeling from locust infestations and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Projections indicate a possible sixth consecutive poor rainy season from March to May, placing even more women and girls at risk.
UNFPA is appealing for $113.7 to fund its Response Plan for the Horn of Africa Drought Crisis 2022-2023 to support the escalating needs of women and girls.
A UNICEF worker at Sopel Primary School in Turkana County, Kenya. helps children to understand the challenges being posed by the ongoing drought crisis.
“No country can develop – indeed survive – socially and economically with half its population excluded”, said the High Commissioner for Human Rights.
“These unfathomable restrictions placed on women and girls will not only increase the suffering of all Afghans but, I fear, pose a risk beyond Afghanistan’s borders”.
He urged the de facto authorities to “respect and protect” the rights of all women and girls – to be seen, heard, and involved in all aspects of Afghanistan’s “social, political and economic life” in line with its international obligations.
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#Afghanistan: UN Human Rights Chief @volker_turk calls on de facto authorities to revoke policies that target the rights of women & girls – such policies have a “terrible, cascading effect” on their lives + risks destabilizing Afghan society: https://t.co/8teP40vRvg https://t.co/F6BrjeL9Pv
UN Human Rights
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December 27, 2022
Banned from work
On 24 December, the de facto authorities issued a decree banning women from working in non-governmental organizations (NGOs).
This latest decree followed the suspension of university education for women and secondary schooling for girls until what they termed further notice.
“Banning women from working in NGOS will deprive them and their families of their incomes, and of their right to contribute positively to the development of their country and to the well-being of their fellow citizens”, warned the High Commissioner.
Rippling effects
NGOs and humanitarian organizations provide critical life-saving services for many people in Afghanistan, including food, water, shelter and healthcare, as well as critical programmes, such as pre- and post-natal and infant care, which are only provided by women.
Many NGOs – often staffed with women, including in leadership roles – are essential partners for the UN and other agencies in administering humanitarian and development programmes throughout the country.
“The ban will significantly impair, if not destroy, the capacity of these NGOs to deliver the essential services on which so many vulnerable Afghans depend”, lamented Mr. Türk.
“It is all the more distressing with Afghanistan in the grip of winter, when we know humanitarian needs are at their greatest and the work these NGOs do is all the more critical”.
Threat of violence
The High Commissioner also voiced deep concern that increased hardship in Afghan society is likely to increase the vulnerability of women and girls to sexual and gender-based violence and domestic violence.
“Women and girls cannot be denied their inherent rights”, he underscored.
“Attempts by the de facto authorities to relegate them to silence and invisibility will not succeed – it will merely harm all Afghans, compound their suffering, and impede the country’s development. Such policies cannot be justified in any way”.
UNAMA/Abdul Hamed Wahidi
Women and children wait for alms in front of a Mosque in Herat City, Afghanistan .
Security Council weighs in
The Security Council also issued a statement expressing its profound concern that female employees of NGOs and international organizations are being banned from their work.
The Council stressed that the move would have “a significant and immediate impact for humanitarian operations in country, including those of the UN, and the delivery of aid and health work”, and that the restrictions “contradict the commitments made by the Taliban to the Afghan people as well as the expectations of the international community”.
The Security Council reiterated its full support to the UN Assistance Mission in the country, UNAMA, and Special Representative Roza Isakovna Otunbayeva, underscoring the importance that she carries out her mandate, including through monitoring and reporting on the situation, and continuing to engage with all relevant Afghan political actors and stakeholders.
#Afghanistan: UN Human Rights Chief @volker_turk calls on de facto authorities to revoke policies that target the rights of women & girls – such policies have a “terrible, cascading effect” on their lives + risks destabilizing Afghan society: https://t.co/8teP40vRvg https://t.co/F6BrjeL9Pv
UNHCR issued a statement explaining that two groups of survivors had been brought to shore off the coast of north-west Indonesia.
Believed to have been at sea for more than a month, the UN agency expressed relief that they are now safe in Indonesia.
After highlighting their plight, Ann Maymann, UNHCR Representative in Indonesia said, “we welcome this act of humanity by local communities and authorities in Indonesia”.
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UNHCR welcomes Indonesia’s act of humanity, saving desperate human lives adrift at sea: https://t.co/NvKTCvumNV via @refugees
Ann Maymann
AnnMaymann
December 27, 2022
“These actions help to save human lives from certain death, ending torturous ordeals for many desperate people.”
Attending to the new arrivals
Urgent medical care has been provided to treat survivors for exhaustion and dehydration.
According to the survivors, dire conditions onboard triggered the deaths of 26 people at sea.
UNHCR, local authorities, and humanitarian partner staff are caring for those brought ashore.
“Many require urgent medical attention to stabilize their condition”, the UN agency reported. “The agency is also rushing more supplies and staff to help local communities and local authorities support those rescued.”
Deadly passage
So far this year, more than 2,000 people have taken risky sea journeys in the Andaman Sea and Bay of Bengal, during which nearly 200 have reportedly perished.
Many are Rohingya men, women and children, who fled persecution in Myanmar for Bangladesh in 2017.
Humanitarian obligation ignored
UNHCR is also working to confirm reports that one additional boat with 180 people on board is still missing at sea – with all passengers presumed dead.
All States in the region “must fulfil their legal obligations” to save people on boats in distress to avoid further misery and deaths, the UN agency insisted.
Indonesia’s commitment
Latest UN data indicates that over the past six weeks, Indonesia has helped to save 472 people from four boats.
This demonstrates “its commitment and respect of basic humanitarian principles for people who face persecution and conflict”, UNHCR said.
“Many others did not act despite numerous pleas and appeals for help”, lamented the UN refugee agency, urging other countries in the region to follow Indonesia’s example.
UNHCR welcomes Indonesia’s act of humanity, saving desperate human lives adrift at sea: https://t.co/NvKTCvumNV via @refugees
“The costs have been catastrophic”, Secretary-General António Guterres said in a statement marking the day.
Since the pandemic struck, he pointed out that millions of lives have been lost, as hundreds of millions fallen ill.
And economies have been shattered, health systems stretched, and trillions of dollars lost.
Moreover, progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) has been “thrown off track”, the top UN official argued.
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Today is International Day of Epidemic Preparedness.
As exemplified by #COVID19 pandemic, major infectious diseases &epidemics have devastating impacts on human lives,social &economic development
It is important to have resilient &robust health systems, reaching the vulnerable. https://t.co/RWDpOZrMav
Global Goals
GlobalGoalsUN
December 27, 2022
“Developing countries were often left to fend for themselves, shamefully denied the vaccines, tests or treatments they needed to protect their people”, he lamented.
Heed the ‘harsh lessons’
COVID-19 will not be the last epidemic or pandemic humanity faces, he warned.
“As a global community, we must heed the harsh lessons of COVID-19 and make bold investments in pandemic preparedness, prevention and response”, spelled out the UN chief.
He underscored the need for better surveillance “to detect and monitor viruses with epidemic potential”; resilient health systems supported by universal health coverage; and a “well-trained, well-equipped and well-paid” health workforces.
“We also need equitable access to vaccines, treatments, diagnostics and life-saving technology for all countries”, Mr. Guterres added.
A global fight
He highlighted the need to “fight the scourge” of misinformation and pseudoscience with “science and fact-based information”, reminding that a pandemic cannot be fought country by country.
“The world must come together. COVID-19 was a wake-up call”, the Secretary-General stated.
“On this International Day of Epidemic Preparedness, I urge all countries to stand with our efforts to ensure the world is equipped and ready to take on the health challenges to come”.
Integrated approach
The UN also recalled the value of a One Health approach, which fosters the integration of human, animal and plant health, as well as environmental and other relevant sectors.
International cooperation and multilateralism play an important role in responding to epidemics.
Partnership and solidarity among every individual, community, State, and region, in all stages of epidemic management, are significant.
UN’s role
The UN system, particularly the World Health Organization, plays a pivotal role in coordinating and supporting national, regional and international efforts responding to epidemics as well as in in preventing, mitigating and addressing the impacts of infectious diseases and epidemic – with the goal of advancing the 2030 Agenda.
However, the primary role and responsibility lies with Governments and relevant stakeholders in tackling global health challenges, especially women, who make up the majority of the world’s health workers.
UN Member States have committed to ensure inclusive, equal and non-discriminatory participation, with special attention to those, who are vulnerable or in vulnerable situations with the highest chance of epidemic infection.
WHO: A global response to a global pandemic
Today is International Day of Epidemic Preparedness.
As exemplified by #COVID19 pandemic, major infectious diseases &epidemics have devastating impacts on human lives,social &economic development
It is important to have resilient &robust health systems, reaching the vulnerable. https://t.co/RWDpOZrMav
A global population weary of the chaos caused by COVID-19 pandemic had to contend with a new, highly transmissible variant at the beginning of the year: Omicron.
Omicron and on
This latest version swept across Europe, leading to record weekly case numbers, although the number of deaths was relatively low, compared to previous outbreaks.
And, although many countries began to relax lockdown and other restrictions on movements, the World Health Organization (WHO) pointed out that the disease is still a threat: by August, one million COVID-19 related deaths had been recorded.
At the agency’s World Health Assembly in May – the first to be held in-person since a pre-pandemic 2019 – the WHO chief, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, urged countries not to lower their guard.
“Is COVID-19 over? No, it’s most certainly not over. I know that’s not the message you want to hear, and it’s definitely not the message I want to deliver”, he told delegates.
UNICEF/Laxmi Prasad Ngakhusi
A health worker delivers COVID-19 vaccines, donated through the COVAX Facility, to a health post in Nepal
A billion COVAX jabs delivered
Since early on in the pandemic, the WHO consistently called out the unequal distribution of vaccines and treatments for COVID-19, urging for more to be done for those living in developing countries: the UN-backed COVAX facility, a multilateral initiative to provide equal vaccine access to all, reached a major milestone in January, when the billionth jab was recorded in Rwanda.
COVAX has undoubtedly saved many lives but, by March, Tedros was warning that a third of the world’s population had still not received a single dose of COVID-19 vaccine, including a shocking 83 per cent of all Africans.
This lack of equity was still a problem in November, when a WHO report confirmed that lower-income countries consistently struggle to access essential inoculations in demand by wealthier countries.
“This is not acceptable to me, and it should not be acceptable to anyone”, said Tedros. “If the world’s rich are enjoying the benefits of high vaccine coverage, why shouldn’t the world’s poor? Are some lives worth more than others?”
AIDS eradication targets off-track
In 2021, there were 1.5 million new HIV infections and 650,000 AIDS-related deaths. UN Member States had demonstrated their commitment to ending the virus by the end of the decade, with the signing of a political declaration at the General Assembly in 2021, but it was clear this year that swifter action would be needed, if that goal is to be met.
A July report showed a slowing of the rate at which HIV infections decline, to 3.6 per cent between 2020 and 2021, the smallest annual decline in new HIV infections since 2016. The pandemic has thrived as COVID-19, and other global crises put a strain on resources, to the detriment of HIV programmes.
On World AIDS Day in November, UN chief António Guterres declared that the 2030 goal is off-track, and noted the ongoing discrimination, stigma, and exclusion, many people living with HIV still face.
This year saw encouraging developments in drug treatments: in March, the first injection to offer long-lasting protection against HIV was rolled out in South Africa and Brazil, as an alternative to daily medication.
WHO recommended the use of the drug, Cabotegravir, which only needs to be injected six times a year, for people at substantial risk of HIV infection. In July, the UN reached a deal with the company that developed the drug, to allow low-cost, generic formulations to be produced in less-developed countries, a move that could potentially save many lives.
Ebola treatment centre in Beni, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
DRC and Uganda hit by Ebola
In April, health workers were mobilized to fight an outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the sixth recorded outbreak in just four years. “With effective vaccines at hand and the experience of DRC health workers in Ebola response, we can quickly change the course of this outbreak for the better,” said Dr Matshidiso Moeti, the WHO’s Regional Director for Africa.
An outbreak was also reported in neighbouring Uganda in August, following six suspicious deaths in the central Mubende district, a region with gold mines, which attract workers from many parts of Uganda, and other countries.
The following month, the WHO scaled up response efforts, delivering medical supplies, providing logistics, and deploying staff to support the Ugandan authorities in halting the spread of the virus.
By mid-November, 141 cases and 55 deaths had been confirmed, and the UN health agency reassured that it was working closely with the Ugandan authorities to speed up the development of new vaccines.
Cholera returns to Haiti, threatens Middle East
As the security situation in Haiti continued to degrade, cholera made an unwelcome return to the troubled country in October, linked to a degraded sanitation system and lawlessness, which made it harder for sufferers to seek treatment.
The situation was exacerbated by gangs blockading Haiti’s main fuel terminal. That led to a deadly fuel shortage that forced many hospitals and health centres to close and affected water distribution.
The UN children’s agency, UNICEF, declared in November that youngsters account for around 40 per cent of cases in Haiti, and appealed for $27.5 million, to save lives from the disease.
A young child is treated for cholera at a hospital in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.
Haiti was far from the only country to be affected by the bacterial disease: an outbreak in the Syrian city of Aleppo in September, was attributed to people drinking unsafe water from the Euphrates River and using contaminated water to irrigate crops, resulting in food contamination. An outbreak in Lebanon, the first in thirty years, spread through the country in November. WHO declared that the situation was fragile, with Lebanon facing a prolonged crisis, and limited access to clean water and proper sanitation across the country.
WHO data released in December, pointed to cases of infection in around 30 countries, whereas in the previous five years, fewer than 20 countries reported infections.
“The situation is quite unprecedented, for not only we are seeing more outbreaks, but these outbreaks are larger and more deadly than the ones we have seen in past years,” said Dr. Barboza, WHO Team Lead for Cholera and Epidemic Diarrhoeal Diseases.
Mr. Barboza said that, whilst conflict and mass displacement continue to be major factors in allowing cholera to spread, the climate crisis is playing a direct role in the growing number of simultaneously occurring outbreaks.
Monkeypox lesions often appear on the palms of hands
Mpox: a new health emergency
For many people, monkeypox was a previously unknown word to learn in 2022, although the disease has been associated with illness in humans since 1970. Monkeypox, renamed mpox by WHO, occurs primarily in tropical rainforest areas of Central and West Africa, but outbreaks began to emerge in other parts of the world this year.
In May, WHO was at pains to allay concerns that the outbreak would resemble the COVID-19 pandemic, noting that most of those infected recover, without treatment, in a number of weeks.
However, with global cases growing, WHO declared in July that mpox qualified as a “global health emergency of international concern”. Tedros stressed that, because the virus was concentrated among men who have sex with men, especially those with multiple sexual partners, the outbreak could be stopped, “with the right strategies in the right groups”.
A senior WHO official observed, in August, that the international community only became interested in mpox once infections grew in the developed world.
Assistant Director-General for Emergencies, Ibrahima Soce, said in August that “we have been working on mpox in Africa for several years, but nobody was interested”.
In late November WHO announced that they would henceforth refer to Monkeypox as mpox, citing reports of racist and stigmatizing language surrounding the name of the disease.
By December, more than 80,000 cases were reported in 110 countries, with 55 deaths.
GAVI
Malaria vaccine at a health facitlity in Kenya
Major malaria breakthrough
Hopes of an end to malaria were raised in August, when UNICEF announced that the pharmaceutical giant GSK had been awarded a $170 million contract to produce the first world’s first malaria vaccine.
Malaria remains one of the biggest killers of children under five: in 2020, nearly half a million boys and girls died from the disease in Africa alone, a rate of one death every minute.
“This is a giant step forward in our collective efforts to save children’s lives and reduce the burden of malaria as part of wider malaria prevention and control programmes”, said Etleva Kadilli, Director of UNICEF’s Supply Division.
Plans are already underway to boost production, including through technology transfer, UNICEF added, “so that every child at risk will one day have the opportunity to be immunized against this killer disease”.
In a statement released on Saturday, Mr. Guterres announced that he had full confidence in the UN system in Burkina Faso, as well as in Ms. Manzi’s commitment and professionalism.
For years, Burkina Faso has suffered from political instability, and saw two military coups in 2022 alone. This year also saw a continuation of the deadly terrorist attacks that have long blighted the country: at least 79 were killed in an attack on a town in the north of the country in June and, on Monday, a minibus reportedly hit a landmine, killing around 10 people.
Amid this lack of security, Burkina Faso is facing a huge humanitarian crisis, with more than a million people in Burkina Faso displaced from their homes, victims of ongoing conflict and poverty.
In November, in a blog published by UN News, Ms. Manzi described the vulnerability of education and health services to terror groups, many of which have been forced to close, exacerbating the crisis.
According to media reports, the Burkina Faso Foreign Ministry cited Ms. Manzi’s decision to withdraw non-essential staff from the capital, Ouagadougou as its justification for declaring her persona non grata.
However, as Mr. Guterres pointed out in his statement, the doctrine of persona non grata does not apply to United Nations officials.
“Under Article 100 and 101 of the United Nations Charter, United Nations staff members are appointed by the Secretary-General, responsible only to the Organization, and United Nations Member States undertake to respect their exclusively international character”, the UN chief declared.
The statement went on to explain that UN staff members have the right to remain in Burkina Faso in order to perform their functions on behalf of the Organization, and that only the UN Secretary-General, as the Chief Administrative Officer of the Organization, has the authority to withdraw any United Nations official.
Mr. Guterres reiterated the commitment of the United Nations to continue to engage with the transitional authorities in Burkina Faso, and to support the country and its people.
The 100 million figure, which includes those fleeing conflict, violence, human rights violations and persecution, was announced by the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) in May and described by Filippo Grandi, the head of the agency, as “a record that should never have been set”.
The figure is up from some 90 million in 2021. Outbreaks of violence, or protracted conflicts, were key migration factors in many parts of the world, including Ukraine, Ethiopia, Burkina Faso, Syria, and Myanmar.
Thousands of desperate migrants looked to Europe as a preferred destination, putting their lives in the hands of human traffickers, and setting off on perilous journeys across the Mediterranean.
All too often these journeys ended in tragedy.
IOM/Rami Ibrahim
An IOM worker distributes aid kits to newly displaced communities in Ma’rib, Yemen
Worsening conditions for migrants in Yemen
It has now been more than seven years since the protracted conflict began in Yemen, between a Saudi-led pro-Government coalition and Houthi rebels, together with their allies. It precipitated a humanitarian catastrophe, and has forced more than 4.3 million people to leave their homes.
In May, The UN migration agency IOM and the European Union’s Humanitarian Aid wing (ECHO), announced that they were scaling up efforts to respond to the needs of more than 325,000 displaced by the conflict, including migrants and the communities that host them.
“The situation is also getting worse for migrants in Yemen, especially women, who are living in dire conditions in Yemen with little control over their lives,” said Christa Rottensteiner, Chief of the IOM Mission in the country.
Despite the dire situation in Yemen, it remains a destination and transit point for migrants leaving countries in the Horn of Africa.
Upon arrival, travellers face perilous journeys, with many heading north, en route to Gulf countries in search of work.
They are often forced to journey across local frontlines, at risk of suffering grave human rights violations, such as detention, inhumane conditions, exploitation, and forced transfers.
A family living in an informal settlement in Raqqa city, northeast Syria.
Little prospect of safe return to Syria
In Syria, war has now been upending lives for 11 years: nearly five million children born in Syria have never known the country at peace.
More than 80,000 Syrians call the huge Za’atari camp, in Jordan, home: many of them may have to remain outside of their country for the foreseeable future.
“Prospects for return for the time being do not look promising”, said Dominik Bartsch, UNHCR Representative in the Jordanian capital Amman, in July. “We are not seeing an environment in Syria that would be conducive to returns.”
Overall, Jordan hosts around 675,000 registered refugees from Syria, and most of them live in its towns and villages among local communities: only 17 per cent live in the two main refugee camps, Za’atari and Azraq.
Rohingya continue to flee Myanmar
Soundcloud
More than five years ago, hundreds of thousands of Rohingya fled their homes in Myanmar, after a military campaign of persecution. Almost a million live in the vast Cox’s Bazar camp across the border in neighbouring Bangladesh.
In March, the UN launched its latest response plan, calling for more than $881 million for the refugees, and neighbouring communities (more than half a million Bangladeshis), who are also highly reliant on aid.
This year, Rohingya continued to leave Myanmar, many attempting to cross the Andaman Sea, one of the deadliest water crossings in the world.
When more than a dozen migrants, including children, reportedly died at sea off the coast of Myanmar in May, Indrika Ratwatte, the UN refugee agency’s Asia and Pacific Director, said the tragedy demonstrated the sense of desperation being felt by Rohingya still in the country.
In Kharkiv, Ukraine, a man places his hand to the window of a train car
‘Double standard’ in treatment of Ukraine refugees
10 months on from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which began on 24 February, and seems likely to continue into 2023, UN refugee agency figures show that, by December, more than 7.8 million Ukrainian refugees had been recorded across Europe.
Soon after the conflict began, UN agencies mobilized to provide support. UNHCR coordinated the refugee response together with sister UN agencies and partners, in support of national authorities.
In neighbouring Poland, for example, staff supported the authorities with registering refugees and providing them with accommodation and assistance.
Filippo Grandi praised European countries for their willingness to take in Ukrainians, the majority of whom sought shelter in neighbouring countries, but expressed his sorrow for the country and its citizens.
‘Ripped apart’
“Families have been senselessly ripped apart. Tragically, unless the war is stopped, the same will be true for many more,” he said.
However, this generosity of spirit was not always in evidence, when it came to some members of minority communities. In March, Mr. Grandi spoke out the discrimination, racism, and violence they faced.
Speaking on the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, Mr. Grandi said that the UN refugee agency had born witness “to the ugly reality, that some Black and Brown people fleeing Ukraine – and other wars and conflicts around the world – have not received the same treatment as Ukrainian refugees”.
Mr. Grandi’s concerns were echoed, in July, by González Morales, the UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants. Mr. Morales alleged that there was a double standard in the way that refugees are treated in Poland and Belarus, particularly when it comes to people of African descent, and other racial and ethnic minorities.
‘Desperate situation’ in Ethiopian camps
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UNHCR & @DEC_Ethiopia set up family tents to help shelter 4000 IDPs being relocated from Harbu to Haik, South Wollo, in #Amhara Region. They are among >100,000 displaced by conflict from #Oromia & living in dire conditions in North Wollo, South Wollo & North Shewa, Amhara. #EHF https://t.co/1OZ8SthA4j
UNHCR Ethiopia
UNHCREthiopia
December 15, 2022
In Ethiopia, millions remain displaced due to the armed conflict in the Tigray region, which began on 3 November 2020 between Ethiopian national forces, Eritrean troops, Amhara forces and other militias on one side, and forces loyal to the Tigrayan People’s Liberation front on the other.
By the end of this year, a fragile internationally-brokered truce seemed to be holding with aid returning to embattled northern regions inaccessible for months, along with many returning home to rebuild their shattered lives.
Back in January, the UN refugee agency issued the stark warning that, due to deteriorating conditions, refugees in the region were struggling to get enough food, medicine, and clean water, and risked death unless the situation improved.
“The desperate situation in these camps is a stark example of the impact of the lack of access and supplies affecting millions of displaced persons and other civilians throughout the region,” said UNHCR spokesperson Boris Cheshirkov.
Refugees also found themselves under direct attack: in February, for example, thousands of Eritreans were forced to flee a camp in the Afar region, after armed men stormed in, stealing belongings and killing residents.
By August, UN agencies put out an urgent appeal for funding to help more than 750,000 people seeking refuge in Ethiopia. The World Food Programme warned that, unless it received the funding, many refugees would have nothing to eat.
African migrants wait to be rescued by the Sea Watch vessel, in Libya
Thousands die attempting to reach Europe by boat
The number of people who died or went missing trying to reach Europe by boat doubled between 2022 and 2021, to more than 3,000. This grim statistic was released by the UNHCR in April.
“Most of the sea crossings took place in packed, unseaworthy, inflatable boats – many of which capsized or were deflated leading to loss of life,” UNHCR spokesperson Shabia Mantoo told journalists at a regular press briefing in Geneva.
This did not deter many from putting themselves at considerable risk, by trying a sea crossing. In just one attempt, in March, at least 70 migrants were reported dead or missing off the coast of Libya, the departure point for many crossings.
In August, when a boat sank off the Greek island of Karpathos in August, there were dozens of reported deaths, and in September, more than 70 bodies were recovered following a shipwreck off the coast of Syria.
Hope for a brighter future?
Amid the tragedy and difficulties faced by so many, there was at least one ray of light, reported in December.
UNHCR declared that governments around the world had pledged some $1.13 billion, a record amount, to provide a lifeline to people displaced by war, violence, and human rights violations.
“As a result of conflict, the climate emergency, and other crises, displaced people around the world face unprecedented needs,” said Mr. Grandi. “Fortunately, UNHCR’s generous donors continue to support them during these dire days, creating hope for a brighter future.”
UNHCR & @DEC_Ethiopia set up family tents to help shelter 4000 IDPs being relocated from Harbu to Haik, South Wollo, in #Amhara Region. They are among >100,000 displaced by conflict from #Oromia & living in dire conditions in North Wollo, South Wollo & North Shewa, Amhara. #EHF https://t.co/1OZ8SthA4j
A statement issued by Spokesman Stéphane Dujarric said that Secretary-General António Guterres was “deeply disturbed by the reported order of the de facto Taliban authorities” and that the UN chief “reiterates the rights of all women to participate in the workforce thus contributing to the greater good.”
According to media reports, the Taliban ordered all foreign and domestic non-governmental groups (NGOs) in Afghanistan to suspend employing women after reportedly receiving “serious complaints” about their dress code.
Reports of this latest restriction come less than a week after the Taliban authorities banned women from attending universities, prompting strong condemnation from the UN and sparking reported protests in some parts of Afghanistan.
The statement issued on Saturday by the UN Spokesman went on to note that the United Nations and its partners, including national and international NGOs, are helping more than 28 million Afghans who depend on humanitarian aid to survive.
“The effective delivery of humanitarian assistance requires full, safe and unhindered access for all aid workers, including women. The reported ban on women working with the international community to save lives and livelihoods in Afghanistan will cause further untold hardship on the people of Afghanistan,” the statement concluded.
UN in Afghanistan to seek clarification
In a separate statement, the UN humanitarian coordination office in Afghanistan, condemned the latest round of restrictions on women’s participation and emphasized that any such order by the de facto authorities “would violate the most fundamental rights of women, as well as be a clear breach of humanitarian principles.”
The UN in Afghanistan went on to say that it would seek to meet with the Taliban leadership to obtain clarity on the reported order.
“Women must be enabled to play a critical role in all aspects of life, including the humanitarian response. Their participation must be both respected and safeguarded. This latest decision will only further hurt those most vulnerable, especially women and girls,” said the statement.
In addition, the UN in Afghanistan and its partners reminded the de facto authorities that “taking away the free will of women to choose their own fate, disempowering and excluding them systematically from all aspects of public and political life takes the country backward, jeopardizing efforts for any meaningful peace or stability in the country.”
“This shocking ordeal and tragedy must not continue”, said Indrika Ratwatte, UNHCR’s Director for Asia and the Pacific.
“These are human beings – men, women and children”, he added.
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About 190 people are on the verge of perishing at sea, adrift somewhere between the Andaman Sea and the Bay of Bengal.
They are at risk without adequate food and water if they are not urgently rescued and disembarked.
Saving lives must be a priority. https://t.co/pSnMPDtqx4
UNHCR Asia Pacific
UNHCRAsia
December 23, 2022
Unraveling the situation
Reports indicate that they have been at sea in dire conditions for a month, lacking sufficient food or water, and with no efforts from any States in the region to help.
Many are women and children, with reports of up to 20 people dying on the unseaworthy vessel during the journey.
“We need to see the States in the region help save lives and not let people die”, underscored Mr. Ratwatte.
A month adrift
Since the first reports of the boat being sighted in Thai waters, UNHCR has received unverified information of the vessel being spotted near Indonesia and then subsequently off the coast of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands of India.
Its current location is reportedly once more back eastwards, in the Andaman sea north of Aceh.
UNHCR has repeatedly asked all countries in the region to make saving lives a priority and requested the Indian marine rescue centre earlier this week to allow for disembarkations.
“It is devastating to learn that many people have already lost their lives, including children”, added UNHCR’s Ratwatte.
Deadly year at sea
It is very difficult for UNHCR to verify the information, but if true, the number of dead and missing in the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea will be recorded to nearly 200 this year alone.
All States have a responsibility to rescue those on the boat and allow them to safely disembark in the name of humanity, UNHCR spelled out.
Meanwhile, this shocking number represents around 10 per cent of the estimated 2,000 people who have taken risky sea journeys in the region since January.
“Sadly, this makes it one of the deadliest years in the seas in the region’’, lamented the UNHCR Director.
Saltwater tears
One of the deadliest years in the seas in the region – UNHCR senior official
Yesterday UN-appointed independent human rights expert Tom Andrews issued a statement urging Governments to “immediately and urgently coordinate search and rescue for this boat and ensure safe disembarkation of those aboard before any further loss of life occurs”.
“While many in the world are preparing to enjoy a holiday season and ring in a new year, boats bearing desperate Rohingya men, women and young children, are setting off on perilous journeys in unseaworthy vessels”, said the UN Special Rapporteur on Myanmar.
In his plea to all regional Governments for “a more humane regional response” to those fleeing the junta’s brutal violence, including the Rohingya, Mr. Andrews called for “an absolute moratorium on any deportations or pushbacks to Myanmar” as well as harmonized search and rescues at sea.
Hazardous journeys
This is just the latest in a series of dangerous voyages, said the UN expert.
Two weeks ago, a Vietnamese oil company vessel on its way to Myanmar rescued one sinking boat with 154 Rohingya refugees aboard.
“As they were close to Myanmar waters, they reportedly handed the group over to Myanmar authorities”, he recounted.
“It has been reported that those aboard were placed in migration detention in Myanmar and may now face criminal charges”.
And last weekend, the Sri Lankan Navy rescued a third trawler in distress, carrying 104 Rohingya, including numerous children, some unaccompanied.
“The international community must step forward and assist regional actors to provide durable solutions for the Rohingya”, said Mr. Andrews.
Special Rapporteurs and independent experts are appointed by the Geneva-based UN Human Rights Council to examine and report back on a specific human rights theme or a country situation. The positions are honorary and the experts are not paid for their work.
About 190 people are on the verge of perishing at sea, adrift somewhere between the Andaman Sea and the Bay of Bengal.
They are at risk without adequate food and water if they are not urgently rescued and disembarked.
Saving lives must be a priority. https://t.co/pSnMPDtqx4
The clear need to do much more to cut greenhouse gas emissions was again underscored throughout events in 2022, said the UN weather agency, advocating for strengthened climate change adaptation, including universal access to early warnings.
“This year we have faced several dramatic weather disasters which claimed far too many lives and livelihoods and undermined health, food, energy and water security and infrastructure”, said WMO chief Petteri Taalas.
On warmest track
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Weather and climate-related disasters – extreme floods, heat and drought affected millions of people and cost billions in 2022, as tell-tale signs and impacts of #climatechange intensified. WMO #StateofClimate roundup. ⤵️ https://t.co/awryX4qCS0 Photo Kureng Dapel/WMO Calendar https://t.co/SfMtQ6KZGd
World Meteorological Organization
WMO
December 23, 2022
While Global temperature figures for 2022 will be released in mid-January, the past eight years are on track to be the eight warmest on record, according to WMO.
While the persistence of a cooling La Niña event, now in its third year, means that 2022 will not be the warmest year on record, its cooling impact will be short-lived and not reverse the long-term warming trend caused by record levels of heat-trapping greenhouse gases in our atmosphere.
Moreover, this will be the tenth successive year that temperatures have reached at least 1°C above pre-industrial levels – likely to breach the 1.5°C limit of the Paris Agreement.
Early warnings
Early warnings, increasing investment in the basic global observing system and building resilience to extreme weather and climate will be among WMO priorities in 2023 – the year that the WMO community celebrates its 150th anniversary.
“There is a need to enhance preparedness for such extreme events and to ensure that we meet the UN target of Early Warnings for All in the next five years”, said the top WMO official.
WMO will also promote a new way of monitoring the sinks and sources of carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide by using the ground-based Global Atmosphere Watch, satellite and assimilation modelling, which allows better understanding of how key greenhouse gases behave in the atmosphere.
Climate Indicators
Greenhouse gases are just one climate indicator used to observe levels.
Sea levels, which have doubled since 1993; ocean heat content; and acidification are also at recorded highs.
The past two and a half years alone account for 10 per cent of overall sea level rise since satellite measurements started nearly 30 years ago, said WMO’s provisional State of the Global Climate in 2022 report.
And 2022 took an exceptionally heavy toll on glaciers in the European Alps, with initial indications of record-shattering melt.
The Greenland ice sheet lost mass for the 26th consecutive year and it rained –rather than snowed – on the summit for the first time in September.
A young boy stands in front of a waterhole in a drought zone in Bangladesh.
National heat tolls
Although 2022 did not break global temperature records, it topped many national heat records throughout the world.
India and Pakistan experienced soaring heat in March and April. China had the most extensive and long-lasting heatwave since national records began and the second-driest summer on record.
And parts of the northern hemisphere were exceptionally hot and dry.
A large area centred around the central-northern part of Argentina, as well as in southern Bolivia, central Chile, and most of Paraguay and Uruguay, experienced record-breaking temperatures during two consecutive heatwaves in late November and early December 2022.
“Record breaking heatwaves have been observed in China, Europe, North and South America”, the WMO chief added. “The long-lasting drought in the Horn of Africa threatens a humanitarian catastrophe
And while large parts of Europe sweltered in repeated episodes of extreme heat, the United Kingdom hit a new national record in July, when the temperature topped more than 40°C for the very first time.
Record breaking rain
In East Africa, rainfall has been below average throughout four consecutive wet seasons – the longest in 40 years – triggering a major humanitarian crisis affecting millions of people, devastating agriculture, and killing livestock, especially in Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia.
Record breaking rain in July and August led to extensive flooding in Pakistan, which caused at least 1,700 deaths, displaced 7.9 million and affected 33 million people.
“One third of Pakistan was flooded, with major economic losses and human casualties”, reminded Mr. Taalas.
Weather and climate-related disasters – extreme floods, heat and drought affected millions of people and cost billions in 2022, as tell-tale signs and impacts of #climatechange intensified. WMO #StateofClimate roundup. ⤵️ https://t.co/awryX4qCS0 Photo Kureng Dapel/WMO Calendar https://t.co/SfMtQ6KZGd
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