UNICEF and NGO Partner Premiere Urgence Internationale unload supplies for essential items to distribute to people arriving from Sudan in Koufroun, a Chadian village near the border. 29 April, 2023. UNICEF/Donaig Le Du
Sudan
Over the weekend, the Emergency Relief Coordinator, Martin Griffiths, welcomed the news of a temporary ceasefire.
He said it is time for the warring parties to silence the guns, allow the safe delivery of humanitarian aid and restore essential services.
We and our partners will continue to do everything we can, led and inspired by local organizations, he said.
We continue to scale up deliveries of life-saving assistance to those in need.
The World Food Programme (WFP) has so far reached nearly 450,000 people with food and nutrition support since its distributions resumed on 3 May.
It plans to start distributions in Wadi Halfa in Northern State to more than 9,000 people fleeing to Egypt. WFP also plans to assess the needs of 500,000 people trapped in Khartoum in the coming days if the security situation allows.
The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and its partners are providing access to clean water, sanitation and hygiene in key locations. In North Darfur, UNICEF has helped deliver some 235,000 litres of clean water to health-care facilities and in East Darfur, provided clean water to some 40,000 people in the Elneem camp for internally displaced people.
The UN Population Fund has provided fuel for four maternity hospitals in Khartoum to ensure life-saving health services are available for women and girls in the state.
Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Humanitarian Coordinator for the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Bruno Lemarquis, spoke to reporters in Geneva this morning. He warned that the humanitarian situation remains very acute and cannot be considered as business as usual.
The east of the country is grappling with the resurgence of the M23 armed group since March 2022, which has triggered massive population displacement and worsened an already fragile humanitarian situation.
More 1 million people have been displaced, mostly in North Kivu, and continue to need assistance. Many of the displaced live in spontaneous and informal sites around Goma.
Mr. Lemarquis warned of the risk faced by vulnerable groups, especially women and children, as incidents of sexual violence have risen sharply in these sites. The first three months of 2023 has seen a surge of 37 per cent in cases of gender-based violence compared to the same period last year.
The violence is also impacting other provinces, especially Ituri province in South Kivu, where armed groups have taken advantage of the security vacuum to spread violence and fear among the civilian population.
More than 26 million people need humanitarian assistance in the country and 6.3 million people are displaced within the country, the highest number in Africa.
Mr. Lemarquis said, we and our partners are doing everything we can to respond but we are facing access and funding challenges. The US$2.25 billion appeal for this year is 20 per cent funded.
Myanmar
One week after Cyclone Mocha hit Myanmar with devastating force, a clearer picture is emerging of the depth of destruction, as humanitarians work to expand assistance across affected areas.
Shelter damage is significant across all communities. There are shortages of critical items, which are becoming increasingly expensive – especially shelter materials which poses a challenge for reconstruction efforts.
Destruction of public infrastructure, as well as disruptions to water systems, continues to limit access to clean drinking water in Rakhine, increasing the risk of waterborne disease. Health centres, hospitals and schools have also been damaged or destroyed in coastal areas.
Efforts are underway to transport additional supplies to affected areas to address stockpile shortages, pending necessary approvals for movement within and from outside the country.
We will have more information for you tomorrow as we will be launching a flash appeal for the response to the humanitarian impact of Cyclone Mocha.
