Today's top news: Chad, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan, Occupied Palestinian Territory
Chad
Torrential rains are affecting thousands of people in the south of Chad, a region already wracked by food insecurity.
Since March, floods have affected more than 3,700 people and damaged houses and schools in Mandoul and Logone Oriental provinces – this is according to local authorities. The agriculture sector has also been impacted with thousands of sacks of cereal damaged and cattle missing.
Food and shelter are the top needs. The UN and its humanitarian partners are providing emergency assistance, including clothing, mosquito nets and tarps.
Heavy rains and river flooding usually affect the southern provinces annually. Last year saw a critically low level of rain, which greatly reduced crop production, while in 2022, nearly 2 million people were affected by floods nationwide.
Our humanitarian colleagues warn that one million people, in the southern provinces will be food-insecure during the 2024 lean season, from June to August. This number could increase drastically in the absence of emergency assistance and livelihood support.
The 2024 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan for Chad seeks to reach more than 1.6 million people in the southern provinces of Chad. Just six per cent – or US$71 million – of the $1.1 billion needed for the country has been received.
Somalia
In Somalia, more than 124,000 people have been affected by the seasonal rains – referred to as the Gu rains, which come between April and June.
Over 5,000 people have been displaced in the last 10 days, with seven children killed. The states of Jubaland, Hirshabelle and South West have been hardest hit by the rains.
Over the weekend, flash flooding in Jubaland inundated roads and temporarily cut off access between the Dhobley and Afmadow districts, affecting some 60,000 people.
We and our partners have pre-positioned supplies in nearly two dozen hotspot districts to meet the needs of the roughly 770,000 people who are expected to be affected. The assistance includes sandbags, shelter kits, food and nutrition supplies, cholera kits, education materials, and support for water, sanitation and hygiene.
Following the allocation of $3 million from the Somalia Humanitarian Fund, our partners have distributed some 2,000 hygiene kits in Afgooye and Jamame, as well as cash assistance to more than 2,500 people.
However, we need additional funding, with many regions of Somalia on high alert as the rains continue. This year’s $1.6 billion Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan is just over 10 per cent funded with some $164 million received to date.
Sudan
The Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Martin Griffiths, warns that an escalation of hostilities in El Fasher, in North Darfur, would be catastrophic.
In a social media post, Griffiths said civilians in the city are already struggling to survive hunger and deprivation, and they must be spared from violence.
El Fasher has more than 330,000 people facing acute food insecurity, and nearly half of its residents are internally displaced.
Griffiths called on the parties to protect civilians and ensure safe passage for those who flee to safety.
Meanwhile, the World Food Programme’s Executive Director, Cindy McCain, said today that rising violence is restricting humanitarian aid to Darfur once again. In the past month, WFP supported more than 300,000 people there with food, including 40,000 in El Fasher. McCain said we must be able to reach those who need us most in Sudan.
South Sudan
South Sudan's Humanitarian Coordinator, Anita Kiki Gbeho, warned in a statement about the impact of recently imposed taxes on the delivery of aid and called on the Government to urgently remove them.
Since February, the Government of South Sudan has imposed a series of new taxes and charges at border crossings and in the country.
These measures would add US$339,000 monthly to the cost of food assistance and the operations of the UN Humanitarian Air Service. These funds are enough to feed more than 16,300 people for one month.
Gbeho said that should the taxes remain in place, up to 145,000 people could be affected by the end of May. This is in addition to the 60,000 people who have already missed their food rations due to fuel shortages.
Acknowledging the assurances by many members of the Government of South Sudan that humanitarians are exempt, Gbeho called for urgent action to prevent humanitarian operations by the UN and NGOs from coming to a standstill.
Meanwhile, South Sudan continues to register returnees and refugees fleeing the conflict in Sudan. A year since the Sudan conflict started, more than 650,000 people have arrived and continue to strain an already highly cash strapped humanitarian response in South Sudan.
The 2024 Humanitarian Needs Response Plan seeking $1.8 billion is just 10 per cent funded at $180 million.
Occupied Palestinian Territory
The Israeli bombardment continues across much of the Gaza Strip, with intense strikes on Rafah, in the south, along with dozens of fatalities.
According to OCHA, the situation remains dire in Rafah, where more than 2 million people, about half of Gaza's population are currently seeking shelter. Residents face severe challenges in accessing basic services such as health care, clean water, and sanitation facilities, amid a noticeable surge in fatalities and heightened anxiety about an imminent large-scale Israeli ground operation.
Yesterday, the Coastal Municipalities Water Utility warned that the entire water and sanitation system is nearing collapse. To address the rising need for safe drinking water, the utility and UNICEF inaugurated a solar-operated water desalination station in Rafah last week. It is able to produce enough potable water for some 400 families at a school sheltering displaced people. UNICEF – along with more than a dozen humanitarian partners working on nutrition – has also expanded its outpatient treatment services for acutely malnourished children to more than 100 sites across Gaza, including more than 50 in Rafah and three dozen in the north.
Meanwhile, the UN Mine Action Service is warning that making Gaza safe from unexploded ordnance could take 14 years. Yesterday, UNMAS and UNRWA led a mission to assess damage to UNRWA facilities and mark any shrapnel and unexploded ordnance.