Crisis watch

North-east Nigeria

More than 7 million people are estimated to be in need of humanitarian assistance across the three affected states of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe. Borno state has been witnessing large scale population displacement following the recent ongoing conflict. The situation remains unpredictable and humanitarian access is very challenging.

From July to September 2019, CARE Nigeria helped 133,000 people in the states of Borno and Yobe with food, nutrition, sexual and reproductive health, gender-based violence and protection support.

North-east Syria and Iraq

More than two weeks after the escalation of violence in north-east Syria, women, children, and families continue to be uprooted from their homes, with displacement figures reaching close to 180,000, according to the United Nations. While civilians continue to bear the brunt of the recent fighting, women and girls are the most affected, reporting psychological distress, lack of medical care and need for essential items, including warmer clothing as the winter approaches.

CARE is assisting vulnerable and displaced people in northeast Syria by providing clean water, sanitation and hygiene promotion. CARE is carrying out much-needed distributions of hygiene kits and winter clothes and providing psychosocial support, including psychological first aid to those immediately affected by the violence.

• Read more in our media release Women in desperate need of assistance in north-east Syria and Iraq

Rohingya refugees

Rohingya refugees’ critical needs remain underserved, particularly for safe shelter. The Cox’s Bazar region of Bangladesh, where the refugee camps are sited, is vulnerable to natural disasters for seven months of the year. With their temporary structures, the refuges are particularly affected by flooding and high winds. So far this season, 83,885 people have been affected by the severe weather.  

Since August 2017, CARE has helped more than 193,000 people. CARE manages camps 13 and 16 and is due to commence management of camp 14 from November 2019, bringing the total number of people in camps managed by CARE to over 100,000 people. We are directly helping people in camps 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 and in host communities. Alongside shelter and site management, CARE is working hard to ensure ongoing delivery of quality water, sanitation and hygiene, sexual and reproductive health, and protection services throughout the monsoon season.

Read the latest eye-witness updates from CARE CEO Laurie Lee:

• One day with the Rohingya refugees: A home where people can feel safer – how CARE helps refugees build safer shelters in the crowded and hilly refugee camps
• Rohingya refugees: Helping today to prepare for a better tomorrow – how CARE helps women and children in the camps

Climate crisis

CARE is calling on rich countries to make new financial commitments to a Green Climate Fund to help poorer and developing countries to tackle the impacts of the climate crisis. Sven Harmeling, Global Policy Lead Climate Change and Resilience for CARE International, says:

Developed countries have a moral and legal duty to provide funds for climate action to the poorest countries. Building up a substantial Green Climate Fund to assist developing countries is necessary to ensure they can tackle the devastating climate impacts caused by the inaction of the rich. All rich countries must increase their financial commitments to the Fund.

Crispus Mugambi, Resilience and Climate Change Sector Manager, CARE Kenya, says:

Developing countries in Africa are acutely aware of the need for accelerated actions to strengthen climate resilience of their vulnerable communities and ecosystems. In particular, women are at the frontlines of the climate crisis. This role must be amplified through direct Green Climate Fund investments to women-led community organisations and institutions, which are currently under-represented in the implementation of Green Climate Fund projects.

Democratic Republic of Congo

The humanitarian situation in the DRC has deteriorated dramatically. Violence has been intensifying and the possibility of further escalation remains extremely high. More than 4 million people are currently internally displaced. More than 15 million people are in need of food assistance. The Ebola outbreak is now affecting three provinces (North Kivu, Ituri, and South Kivu). The humanitarian crisis in the DRC is one of the three biggest crises in the world along with Yemen and Syria and there is an urgent need to increase the level of attention and funding to meet the acute and immediate needs of the population.

CARE’s response includes gender-based violence prevention and support; delivering community-based responses to the Ebola outbreak (386,000 people reached so far); food and seeds distribution; emergency water, sanitation and hygiene support; livelihoods support.