The Gu rains started early in most parts of southern and central Somalia. These rains may have a positive impact on both the crop and livestock production.

03/26/2013 13:24 GMT

SANAA, March 26, 2013 (AFP) - Gunmen on a motorbike wounded a Red Cross worker from Russia when they opened fire on her vehicle in Yemen's capital on Tuesday, witnesses, medics and sources from the aid group said.

"A Russian aid worker was lightly wounded by gunfire" in Sanaa, a medical official told AFP, adding that she was in "good condition".

Witnesses in Sanaa said two gunmen on a motorbike had opened fire at the vehicle carrying the woman and her husband.

In places like Afghanistan and Pakistan, strikes by unmanned planes are increasingly affecting humanitarian operations, aid workers say.

The Global Overview collates information from a wide range of sources and displays this information in a manner that allows for quick comparison of different humanitarian crises. Its primary objective is to rapidly inform humanitarian decision makers by presenting a summary of major humanitarian crises, both recent and protracted.

As Yemen prepares for national dialogue, armed conflict and violence continue in the centre and the south. Needs remain acute and the ICRC is delivering aid, providing health care, improving water supplies and visiting prisoners. ICRC operations director Pierre Krähenbühl has just returned from a visit to the country and at a press conference in Geneva today he outlined the situation and the challenges to humanitarian endeavour in the country.

Situation

The number of people in need of humanitarian assistance in Somalia has reduced by half to 1.05 million since August 2012, according to the latest data from FAO’s Food Security and Nutrition Analysis Unit (FSNAU) with the Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWSNET).

Malnutrition rates however remain among the highest in the world. Humanitarian assistance to protect livelihoods, reduce acute malnutrition, and help the most food insecure populations is still needed based on the latest projection.

420,000 people in China’s southwest Guizhou province, 10,000 in India, 2 million in Bangladesh as well as vulnerable populations in Nepal and Kyrgyzstan were affected by cold temperatures

The Global Overview is a weekly update that provides a snapshot of current humanitarian priorities and recent events. Its primary objective is to rapidly inform humanitarian decision makers by presenting a summary of major humanitarian crises, both recent and protracted.

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