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.
War-torn Libya’s COVID-19 cases have increased more than 15-fold in less than two months, spiking from 571 in June to more than 7,500 today. More than half a million people in the country need health care assistance as conflict, COVID-19 and economic collapse threaten to plunge hundreds of thousands of civilians deeper into chaos.
In Sabha Medical Centre in southern Libya, nurses are doing the job they were trained for, not letting conflict or coronavirus, deter them.
Geneva (ICRC) – Countries affected by conflict are also disproportionately impacted by climate change, a double threat that pushes people out of their homes, disrupts food production, cuts off supplies, amplifies diseases and weakens health-care services.
Wolde-Gabriel Saugeron, who leads the International Committee of the Red Cross’ team in Bor, Jonglei State, South Sudan, shares his fears that armed violence is erupting again, causing death, injury, and displacement.
There have been an estimated 200,000 confirmed cases of Covid-19 across Africa. The World Health Organisation believes the virus is accelerating across the continent, spreading out from densely populated urban areas.
Some 20,000 vulnerable households in Cross Rivers, Nassarawa, Adamawa and Bauchi States received seeds for the upcoming planting season, with distributions ongoing in Borno State to another 16,000 families.
Facebook and the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement are partnering to launch #AfricaTogether – a digital campaign and two-day festival on June 4th and 5th featuring artists from across Africa to encourage continued vigilance against Covid-19.
The ongoing economic and food security impact of COVID-19 is massive and appears likely to worsen over time.