Australia

This week in New York I expressed Australia’s condolences to Caribbean Foreign Ministers for the loss of life and destruction caused by hurricanes Irma and Maria. Our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with all people affected by the devastation.

The storms’ deadly and destructive impact has been felt in Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, Cuba, Dominica, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Mexico, Puerto Rico, St Martin and the Turks and Caicos.

Update on the Dengue situation in the Western Pacific Region

Northern Hemisphere

Cambodia

As of 5 September 2017, a total of 2,102 suspected dengue cases were reported in 2017. The total number of reported dengue cases including dengue haemorrhagic fever and dengue shock syndrome was lower than the 3 year-threshold of the same period from 2014-2016 (Figure 1).

China (no update)

21 septembre 2017 – Seuls 15 pays dans le monde disposent des trois politiques nationales de base qui contribuent à garantir que les parents disposent du temps et des ressources nécessaires pour soutenir le développement cérébral sain de leurs jeunes enfants, selon un nouveau rapport du Fonds des Nations Unies pour l'enfance (UNICEF) publié jeudi.

Fifty-four refugees detained by Australia on Nauru and Papua New Guinea's Manus Island have been accepted for resettlement in the United States.

Read more on Radio New Zealand International

Written by John Eyers

How can private citizens who want to contribute to international humanitarian or development efforts obtain a guide to which international non‑government organisations (INGOs) are most effective in what they do?

Feature Story

Midwifery helpline offers emergency support in Afghanistan

SAYED KHEL, Afghanistan – “It was seven in the morning, and I had not yet started my working day, when Hafsa* was brought to the clinic with normal labour pains,” said Mahbooba, a 27-year-old midwife who runs the Aqtash clinic in Afghanistan’s rural Sayed Khel District.

Only 15 countries worldwide have three essential national policies that support families with young children – UNICEF

New report says around 85 million children under five live in 32 countries that do not offer families two years of free pre-primary education; paid breastfeeding breaks for new mothers for the first six months; and adequate paid parental leave – three critical policies to support children’s early brain development

The first group of refugees from Papua New Guinea and Nauru are expected to depart PNG and Nauru in coming weeks.

The refugees will receive notification of the outcome of their application to resettle under the US Refugee Admissions Program in coming days. Processing of other individuals continues and further decisions by US authorities are expected in due course.

The Australian Aid funded Climate and Oceans Support Programme for the Pacific (COSPPac) project, commenced its specialized training of Pacific Climate Officers on the use of the Seasonal Climate Outlooks in Pacific Islands Countries (SCOPIC) tool yesterday at SPREP training centre in Vailima.

The Australian Government is deeply concerned by the deteriorating situation in Rakhine State, Myanmar, and the resulting humanitarian crisis in Myanmar and Bangladesh.

Australia will provide additional support of up to $15 million to help address the humanitarian needs of more than 300,000 people affected by this crisis.

The United Nations estimates that more than 410,000 people fleeing violence have crossed into Bangladesh since 25 August, with numbers expected to rise further.

(Bangkok) – The Australian Government must urgently work with its Cambodian counterparts to halt the imminent return of a group of 36 Montagnard refugees to Vietnam. With the group facing almost certain arrest and persecution upon return, the Australian Government has an ethical obligation to do everything in its power to stop such action.

Today I announce the Australian Government will provide further assistance in response to widespread and devastating hunger and cholera in Yemen, South Sudan and Somalia.

The Government will contribute $30 million in humanitarian assistance for people in these countries who are facing the risk of famine due to conflict and drought.

In South Sudan and Somalia, millions have been forced to flee their homes and more than 13 million people require assistance. Australia is providing $20 million to support international relief efforts in the two countries.

By Colin Packham

SYDNEY, Sept 15 (Reuters) - Approximately two hundred men held in a remote Australian-run detention centre will be moved to a new facility within weeks, the country's immigration minister said.

Read the full article on Reuters - Thomson Reuters Foundation.

By Papua New Guinea correspondent Eric Tlozek

Asylum seekers who have spent four years on Manus Island now face an indefinite stay at a new detention centre in Papua New Guinea.

Asylum seekers who have spent four years on Manus Island are now facing an indefinite stay in another detention centre in Papua New Guinea.

The Federal Government has said the men whose asylum claims have been rejected are likely to be sent to another detention centre when the Manus Island facility closes.

Highlights

• WFP is distributing biweekly rations of 25 kg of rice to newly arrived families. To date, almost 60,000 people (11,815 households) have received rice.

• WFP continues to provide high-energy biscuits to people as they cross the border.

• WFP needs at least USD 14.8 million to scale up assistance to those seeking shelter in the camps for the next four months.

In Numbers

• 370,000 people have arrived in Bangladesh

Immigration Detention And Community Statistics Summary

At 31 July 2017, there were 1298 people in immigration detention facilities, including 990 in immigration detention on the mainland and 308 in immigration detention on Christmas Island.

A further 552 people were living in the community after being approved for a residence determination and 21,540 were living in the community after grant of a Bridging Visa E.

Australia is deeply concerned by the escalating violence in Rakhine State in Myanmar and the resulting humanitarian crisis in Myanmar and Bangladesh.

We call for restraint by the Myanmar authorities, for the protection of civilians, and for unfettered access to be granted to humanitarian workers.

We recognise the heavy burden placed on Bangladesh as a result of the conflict. The United Nations estimates that over 270,000 people have now crossed the border in order to escape violence in Rakhine State.

08-09-2017 - This statement provides an update on Operation Sovereign Borders (OSB) activities related to the on-water reception and processing of illegal maritime arrivals.

The reporting period is from 1 August 2017 to 31 August 2017.

During this reporting period there were no illegal maritime arrivals transferred to Australian Immigration authorities.

No illegal maritime arrivals were transferred to regional processing centres.

September 7, 2017. Amidst horrifying reports of the murders of children, attacks on civilians, rape and concerns of genocide emerging in Myanmar’s Rakhine state, the Australian Government should act immediately to resolve the escalating regional crisis.

Paul Power, CEO of Refugee Council of Australia said “The Turnbull Government should act urgently to bring political pressure to cease the military crackdown on the Rohingya, through the delivery of emergency assistance and additionally, through the provision of refuge for people who have been forced to flee their homeland.”