9 July marks a decade of existence for South Sudan, the world’s youngest country – and it is a decade that has battered communities and families across the country with conflict and armed violence.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is increasingly worried by the rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation in Cabo Delgado province of Mozambique. More than 800,000 people have been displaced since last year, following a dramatic escalation of the conflict.
As fighting in pockets of Ethiopia’s Tigray region continues and food supplies dwindle, local farmers not only lack seeds and fertilizer ahead of the planting season but fear runs high.
Health facilities and health staff have had a difficult year in Mozambique. The health system has been the double victim of Cyclone Kenneth and a large-scale outbreak in violence which has seen the flight of healthcare workers and the destruction of more health facilities. That includes facilities that were rehabilitated after being damaged by the cyclone.
The latest clashes in the Central African Republic began in December 2020. They involve armed groups and government forces and have forced over 180,000 people to flee their homes, seeking a semblance of safety.
According to the latest statistics, over a million people have been impacted by the floods in South Sudan this year. Among them, over 481,000 have been displaced. Roads are cut off, entire villages and towns are submerged, houses and health facilities have been damaged.
ICRC teams began to distribute medical supplies today (14 December 2020) to Ayder Hospital, the Regional Health Bureau, and the ERCS pharmacy in Mekelle, the Tigray State capital, Ethiopia.
A convoy organized by the International Committee of the Red Cross and the Ethiopian Red Cross Society carrying medicines and relief supplies has reached the Tigray State capital, Mekelle, where health care facilities have become paralyzed after supplies of drugs and basics like surgical gloves ran out.
Months of conflict followed by torrential rains have created a deepening humanitarian crisis in which communities now face a heightened risk of hunger, malnutrition and disease in South Sudan’s Central, Western and Eastern Equatoria states
While COVID-19 dominates the headlines in most parts of the world, there has been no let-up in the armed conflicts in the Sahel.