Every year, several hundred individuals die or are injured as a result of unplanned explosions, involving poorly maintained and badly managed ammunition stockpiles. While it is difficult to provide an accurate measure of the direct and indirect impacts of these explosive events on lives, livelihoods, housing, the environment, and development, the costs and consequences—in terms of health care, direct and indirect income loss, material damage, explosive ordnance disposal (EOD), and environmental damage—are certainly severe.

Executive Committee of the High Commissioner’s Programme

Sixty-third session

Geneva, 1-5 October 2012

Update on UNHCR’s operations in Europe

A. Situational analysis including new developments

In the first half of 2012, more than 154,000 asylum applications were lodged in the 38 European countries for which UNHCR compiles statistics. Some 122,500 of the applications were made in European Union (EU) member States. Europe continued to receive large numbers of unaccompanied and separated children (UASC).

Learning from Israel's experience: Last week 26 doctors, nurses and hospital administrators from 20 countries arrived at Rambam Health Care Campus to share Rambam's rich experience and knowhow in treating trauma victims.

Last week 26 doctors, nurses and hospital administrators from 20 countries arrived at Rambam Health Care Campus for a unique seminar. The two-week course, held in conjunction with Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has a simple - and essential - goal: to share Rambam's rich experience and knowhow in treating trauma victims with medical personnel worldwide.

05/23/2012 11:05 GMT

SOFIA, May 23, 2012 (AFP) - Europe's disaster commissioner told Bulgaria on Wednesday that it needs to boost its preparations to deal with emergencies after a 5.8-magnitude earthquake triggered panic among sleeping residents.

"Luckily, there were no casualties but people were very scared, which tells us that we have got work to do," Crisis Response Commissioner Kristalina Georgieva, who is Bulgarian, told state BNR radio in an interview.

Following the proposal of the National Emergency Management HQ after last session held on 26 February 2012, the Government of the Republic of Serbia revoked the Emergency Situation on 27 February 2012.

GENEVA, 21 February 2012 - The UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, UNISDR, today said the European Flood Alert System could soon be put to its greatest test since widespread flooding ten years ago led to its creation by the European Commission.

The UN Secretary General's Special Representative for Disaster Risk Reduction, Margareta Wahlström, said she was particularly concerned about the consequences for those countries bordering the Danube where the ice is now starting to break up in the first signs of a spring thaw.

Date: February 14, 2012

Location: Belgrade, Serbia

Report made by: International Cooperation of the Sector for Emergency Management, Ministry of Interior, Republic of Serbia

Event: Emergency Situation in Serbia due to heavy snowfalls and extreme cold

Occurrence: Date: 05/02/2012

Situation Report, No8

02/13/2012 15:15 GMT

MOSCOW, February 13, 2012 (AFP) - Some 215 Russians have died this year in a prolonged period of abnormally cold winter weather, the health ministry said Monday as the overall death toll for Europe rose to well over 600.

Heavy snow continued to fall on Monday in Romania and Bulgaria, but the cold snap that froze much of Europe for the past two weeks began to ease in the west of the continent.

February 7th 2012, Budapest - The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) has increased its emergency support and operations across Europe as temperatures remain in double digits below freezing across much of the continent.

A total of 576,000 Swiss francs (477,300 Euro, 625,000 USD) is being disbursed from the IFRC’s Disaster Relief Emergency Fund to help national Red Cross Red Crescent societies bring direct relief to some 50,000 of Europe’s most at-risk. More allocations are expected in the coming hours and days.