7 March 2023 – A woman looks at what is left of her house after Cyclone Freddy hit Mananjary. Photo: OCHA/V.Rakotoarivony
Tropical Storm Freddy
Tropical Cyclone Freddy is expected to make landfall for the second time in Mozambique later today or tomorrow. OCHA and its partners are mobilized and continue to support Government-led relief efforts, in both Mozambique and Madagascar.
In Mozambique, OCHA is also providing food, tents, kitchen sets, water purification and health supplies, and is preparing for the second landfall.
In Madagascar, more than 81,000 people have received humanitarian assistance, including food and water, as well as sanitation and hygiene services.
Given the continuing humanitarian needs in Madagascar, the Emergency Relief Coordinator, Martin Griffiths has allocated US$8.5 million from the United Nations’ Central Emergency Response Fund. This funding will be used to respond to Tropical Cyclone Freddy, as well as the damage wrought by tropical cyclones Emnati and Batsirai last year.
Some 470,000 people have already been affected by the storm’s passage in Madagascar and Mozambique, including nearly 300,000 people in Madagascar and about 171,400 people in Mozambique.
Freddy could then move towards Malawi, and we are working closely with the Government in pre-positioning supplies and equipment.
Ukraine
This morning, three trucks carrying UN humanitarian supplies off-loaded their cargo in Chasiv Yar, which is some 10 kilometers from Bakhmut in the Donetsk region.
The convoy carried supplies for some 2,000 people, including medical and hygiene supplies, food, solar lamps and tarpaulins.
The items were provided by the International Organization for Migration, UNICEF, the UN Refugee Agency, the World Food Programme and the World Health Organization.
Most of the 16,000 people who previously lived in Chasiv Yar and surrounding communities have fled the area. Chasiv Yar was completely cut off from gas supplies more than a month ago and all water is being trucked in. Access to electricity is extremely limited and the only ambulance which is still functioning has limited capacity due to insecurity.
OCHA and humanitarian partners, together with local groups, are committed to support people in Chasiv Yar. The city also hosts people who fled Bakhumt recently. Less than a month ago, OCHA sent another inter-agency convoy to Sloviansk with supplies to people in Soledar, Chasiv Yar and Toretsk. OCHA has been there on many other occasions before that.
So far this year, OCHA and its partners have sent 26 inter-agency convoys to communities living close to the front line, supporting nearly 230,000 people. More than 10 of them reached communities in areas controlled by Ukraine in the Donetsk region, providing much-need items to approximately 100,000 people.
Syria
OCHA and its humanitarian partners continue the response to earthquake-affected areas across Syria, where at least 8.8 million people have been affected.
Since the beginning of the emergency response, humanitarian partners have reached more than 185,000 people across Syria with supplies. More than 280,000 people have received protection services, including awareness sessions on gender-based violence and child protection.
In north-west Syria, as of 10 March, 702 trucks loaded with aid provided by seven UN agencies have so far crossed from Türkiye since the earthquakes using the three available border crossings. A month after the quake, this represents double the number of trucks crossing per day compared to last year. In addition, as of 10 March, the UN has so far completed 24 cross-border missions to north-west Syria since the first interagency visit to Idleb on 14 February.
Nigeria
The Humanitarian Coordinator, Matthias Schmale, has strongly condemned what he called the shocking killings of civilians in Borno State in the north-east of the country.
More than 30 civilians were reportedly ambushed and killed in in the village of Mukdolo village on Wednesday, March 8th. Several people were also reportedly injured and others are still missing.
The victims were fishermen and farmers. They included both internally displaced people and host community members from the neighbouring Dikwa Local Government Area.
Mr. Schmale said this attack is another horrific reminder of the real threats of violence and insecurity that internally displaced people and others, affected by more than 13 years of conflict in the region, continue to face daily in their struggle to survive.
He reminded all parties to the conflict to adhere to their obligations under international humanitarian and human rights law to protect civilians from harm and called on State authorities to speedily investigate this crime and swiftly bring the perpetrators to justice.
Niger
OCHA and its partners, together with the Government, today launched a $583 million appeal to help 2.7 million people this year.
Another appeal was also launched, calling for more than $400 million for the Government’s efforts to bolster food security for internally displaced people, host communities, refugees, and flood-affected people, among others.
Over the past six years, the number of people who need humanitarian assistance in Niger has more than doubled – from 1.9 million people in 2017 to 4.3 million this year.
Conflict and insecurity have increased chronic vulnerability, compounded by extreme weather conditions and poverty.
Niger is also one of the countries in the Sahel most affected by the effects of climate change and desertification. Every year, some 100,000 hectares of arable land are lost.
Two million people are currently acutely food insecure, and this figure is likely to increase to 2.9 million during the lean season between June and August of this year.
Last year’s humanitarian response plan, which called for $553 million, was 70 per cent funded. We have been able to reach more than 3 million people with assistance.
Humanitarian aid is making a difference in Niger and, despite mounting insecurity, aid workers and organization are committed to stay and deliver.
