The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) still desperately needs $70 million in contributions to avoid painful measures in the coming weeks and to limit the amount of liabilities carried over into 2021, Commissioner General Philippe Lazzarini has told the Agency’s Advisory Board.
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said carbon dioxide continues to be at record highs, despite COVID-19 lockdowns around the world. According to the WMO Greenhouse Gas Bulletin, carbon dioxide levels saw a growth spurt in 2019 and the annual global average breached the significant threshold of 410 parts per million.
Humanitarian partners in Honduras launched a flash appeal for $69.2 million to help the Government respond to the needs of 450,000 vulnerable people affected by Hurricane Eta, which caused catastrophic damage. Given the recent new tropical storm Iota, the plan will be updated following assessments of its impact.
The World Health Organization (WHO) today reported that the eleventh Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has ended. WHO thanked partners for their support and congratulated responders and all those who tirelessly tracked cases, provided treatment, engaged communities and vaccinated more than 40,000 people at risk.
The African Union‑United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur reported that they held two dialogue forums in North Darfur’s Khartoum Jadid and Korgul villages to help prevent tension between farmers and herders during the current harvest season. The 95 participants, including 35 women, were addressed by community and traditional leaders.
Central America is bracing for another potentially catastrophic storm – named Iota – just two weeks after Hurricane Eta made landfall in the region, causing death and destruction. Ahead of Iota, the United Nations, alongside regional and national partners, is building on preparedness and response efforts for Eta.
A series of tropical cyclones have devastated areas in the Philippines, Viet Nam, Cambodia and the Lao People’s Democratic Republic since early October, United Nations humanitarian officials report, noting that the Organization and partners are seeking $95 million to help nearly 675,000 displaced people.
The Acting Special Representative for Libya reported a breakthrough in the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum taking place in Tunisia, with participants reaching a preliminary agreement on a road map for ending the transitional period and organizing free, inclusive and credible parliamentary and presidential elections.
In Somalia, flash floods have affected nearly 73,000 people, displacing more than 13,000 and causing four deaths, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reports. The United Nations and partners have mobilized pre-positioned supplies to help those affected and provided shelter to at least 6,000 people.
COVID-19 could push more people to move out of necessity, as hunger surges among migrant and displaced communities, the International Organization for Migration and the World Food Programme warn in a new report. The World Bank expects a 14 per cent drop in remittances to low- and middle-income countries by 2021 which will impact food security.
