Crisis watch

Syria

CARE and seven other organisations are warning of a humanitarian catastrophe if there is a major escalation of military action in Idlib in north-west Syria. Jumana, who was displaced to Idlib from Hama, told our local partner @SyriaRelief:

We fear an attack on Idlib and that we will be forced to flee again. How will we find another shelter? Will we be able to cross the border? What if there is a chemical attack? We are not prepared for any of this.

Read more in our press release Aid agencies call on world powers to avoid a humanitarian catastrophe in Idlib.

Afghanistan

Drought conditions and below-average rainfall in northern Afghanistan has led to severe crop losses and impacts on livestock. The majority (70%) of the population in affected rural areas depend upon agriculture and livestock for their livelihood. An estimated 1.3 million people are in need of assistance, with 150,000 people already leaving their homes to seek assistance. CARE will be responding with shelter and hygiene kits in seven provinces, and multi-purpose cash support for 4,100 households (24,600 people) in Balkh and Samangan provinces.

India

Kerala has witnessed its worst flooding in more than 100 years, with over 850,000 people affected. Floods and landslides have led to the destruction of houses, homestead land, standing crops, plantations and agricultural plots. People are sheltering in schools, community halls and temporary camps, where sanitation facilities are limited and drinking water sources are contaminated.

CARE India has sent staff to support the Rapid Needs Assessment and the Rapid Gender Analysis in Wayanad and Calicut. It has moved stocks from nearby locations and started distributions of shelter and hygiene kits, assisting 3,315 people to date.

Bangladesh

One year on from the arrival of the first refugees from Myanmar in Bangladesh, CARE has so far assisted 315,344 refugees through shelter and site management, health, gender-based violence, and water, sanitation and hygiene activities. This represents 45% of the refugee population in Cox's Bazar.

As the country enters the next round of the cyclone season from mid-October onwards, CARE has begun construction of 100 mid-term shelters (better designed, stronger, safer and more durable structures for families to live in) for people being relocated from high risk areas, and we are seeking to secure an allocation by Bangladesh authorities of additional land to construct 1,500 more mid-term shelters.

Venezuela

Venezuela is experiencing what could be its worst crisis in recent history, with 2.3 million people having fled the country in search of safety and a better life. Around 1 million people have fled to neighbouring Colombia and more than 500,000 have sought refuge in Ecuador. Milangela, a single mother of two children aged 9 and 1, told us:

My children survived the long trip thanks to the charity of passers-by.

Alexandra Moncada, Country Director for CARE in Ecuador, said:

The lack of a regular migrant status results in Venezuelans, mainly youth, earning money informally. This increases the risk of exploitation and their connection to illicit trafficking and illegal armed groups at the borders.

In partnership with local organisations, we are providing food and nutrition services as well as critical health service referrals and psychosocial support. We aim to create safe spaces for affected groups, including women and girls who have survived violence and sexual abuse.