15/01/2013

I. International

Mali - Crisis (ECHO)

• The humanitarian situation has become more confused and complex with the resumption of heavy fighting in Mali since 11 January with aerial bombing of key locations in central and northern regions. ICRC and MSF have both called on all parties to the conflict to respect the safety of civilians.
• As of 12 January, 78 wounded have been reported at Sevare hospital (including three civilians) but the exact figure cannot be verified and could increase following recent events. Evacuation of wounded to Gao hospital has also been reported but without confirmed figures so far. According to MSF, they received a dozen wounded persons in Timbuktu.
• Possible restrictions on population movements from the north to the south and from Sévaré/Mopti to the south have been reported but not fully confirmed. Overall, information on population movements’ scale is therefore unclear and more accurate figures will only be available once monitoring in host communities is consolidated and access to affected areas is improved.

Myanmar- Kachin – Conflict (ECHO)

• Mortar attacks were launched by Government forces into Laiza town, the stronghold of the Kachin Independence Organisation (KIO), on 14 January, killing at least three and wounding others.
• Civilians are trying to escape the air strikes by crossing into China or heading south to Northern Shan state, where at least 1,000 new IDPs have arrived.
• The area has been cut off from external aid since the air strikes were launched by the Government on 24 December. OCHA reports that at least 2,000 people have been displaced since December in addition to the 75,000 people displaced since the conflict started 18 months ago.
• DG ECHO has on-going humanitarian operations in Kachin for EUR 5 million but most projects have been put on hold due to security concerns.

South Sudan – Hepatitis E (ECHO)

• Substantial increase of Hepatitis E cases in the refugee camps in Maban County, Upper Nile State, over the past three weeks. 310 new cases in the first week of January. With seven deaths in a week, Yusuf Batil refugee camp is particularly affected.
• In December 2012, there were 1,461 suspected and confirmed hepatitis E cases and 38 deaths in the Maban refugee camps in Doro, Gendrassa, Jamam and Yusuf Batil.

South Sudan – Refugees (ECHO)

• There is a steady, continuous flow of new refugee arrivals from Sudan: an average of 250 people per day in Unity State, plus a few in Upper Nile State.
• To cope with this flow, UNHCR is currently finalizing the opening of two new refugee camps: "Jamjang" in Unity and "Kayad" in Upper Nile. These will also be used to relocate some of the refugees from existing camps, to limit their expansion.

Sudan – Conflict, North Darfur (ECHO)

• Heavy fighting between two Arab tribes, the Beni Hussein (Baggara) and the Jalul (Aballa/Northern Reizegat) broke out last week over the exploitation of a gold mine in the Jebel Amir area. Most of the 60,000 people working in the area, mainly as miners or traders, have been displaced; 25 villages destroyed; more than 100 killed and a large number wounded.
• Sudanese Armed Forces are now controlling the area. A reconciliation conference is scheduled for 17 January. Sudanese government is seeking international assistance for the conflict-affected people in the Jebel Amir area. Humanitarian agencies are currently negotiating access for assessments and distributions.

II. Europe

Meteoalarm – Red and Orange Alerts

• Ice and snow in Navarra (Spain) – Red Alert
• Heavy rains in southern Montenegro – Red Alert
• Ice and snow in northern Spain, northern and central France, eastern UK – Orange Alert
• Avalanches in southern France – Orange Alert
• Strong winds in north-eastern Spain, Sardinia and Sicily (Italy), north-eastern Serbia, central and northern Montenegro – Orange alert
• Heavy rains in south-western France and southern Croatia – Orange Alert
• Thunderstorms in southern and south-eastern Greece – Orange Alert  

Floods in Europe (EFAS)

• DE: Continued high water levels in the Elbe. Flood peak travelling downstream.

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