Typhoon Bopha has left more than 130,000 people seeking shelter in evacuation centres, Red Cross is providing emergency relief across the southern Philippines.

Australian Red Cross CEO, Robert Tickner, said the humanitarian consequences of Typhoon Bopha are worse than was originally thought in the immediate aftermath of the disaster.

HIGHLIGHTS

Starting on December 2, Typhoon Bopha—known as Pablo in the Philippines— tracked south of the Republic of Palau (RoP) and across the Philippines, bringing winds of up to Category 5 strength and causing widespread damage.

USAID’s Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance (USAID/OFDA) deployed several staff members to the Philippines, RoP, and Guam to track the storm as it moved through the region, coordinate assistance efforts, and conduct assessments in affected areas.

Food, Water and Livelihoods in Pacific Islands under Increasing Threat from Climate Change

Invasive Species, Waste, and Extreme Weather Events among Key Challenges

Doha (Qatar), 4 December 2012 – Island communities in the Pacific Ocean are facing unprecedented challenges to their economies and environment from the impacts of climate change, according to a new report released at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Doha, Qatar.

This report covers the period January to December 2011

Programme(s) summary
• Emergency operations support was provided to all Pacific national societies in relation to a range of tsunami and cyclone warnings and disaster operations (drought, cyclone, earthquake, power supply rupture).

Pacific Islands Face Severe Water Threat, new report says

Bangkok, 23 April 2012 – Climate change will exacerbate water stress in Pacific Islands, particularly small islands that rely on seasonal rain for their freshwater needs, according to a report released by the UN Environment Programme today.

The Pacific region covers a vast geographical area comprising thousands of islands and atolls. The majority of Pacific Island countries contend with the challenges of smallness and geographic isolation. The Pacific Island countries are heavily aid-assisted.