Attachments
HIGHLIGHTS
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In 2024, South Asia remains at risk for natural disasters, political crises, public health emergencies and conflicts. The INFORM Global Risk Index ranks four of eight countries as “very high” or “high” in terms of risk of ongoing and emerging humanitarian situations. 48 million children are anticipated to be in need for humanitarian support this year, with anticipated peaks in the upcoming monsoon season.
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UNICEF South Asia supports countries to ensure a robust regional response for children facing emergencies, including technical guidance on grand bargain themes, including AAP, Cash in Emergencies, localization and preparedness. In quarter one, EPR trainings reached 53 UNICEF staff to prepare and respond to ongoing and future emergencies in South Asia.
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Nepal continues response to the 2023 Jajarkot earthquake to meet the needs of 4,050 affected households. India is supporting the government to respond to flood and drought events across the country.
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Despite generous funding provided by donors, the HAC remains highly underfunded, impacting UNICEF’s ability to deliver for children in the region.
REGIONAL SITUATION OVERVIEW AND HUMANITARIAN NEEDS
In 2024, children and their families continue to be at high risk for humanitarian emergencies, including floods, cyclones, landslides, earthquakes, disease outbreaks, economic crises, political crises, and conflicts. The INFORM Global Risk Index ranks four out of eight South Asian countries as either “very high” or “high” in terms of risk of emerging humanitarian situations: Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and India. The INFORM Climate Change Index calculated in late 2022 predicted that the worldwide number of people living in very high- or high-risk countries, including the many of those in South Asia, will nearly double by 2050, to 5.5 billion and 70 per cent of countries will not have the resources to cope. In South Asia, Nepal and Bangladesh are predicted for high increases in risk due to climate change.
Two years since the political transition in Afghanistan, humanitarian response efforts have largely prevented a catastrophe. However, the situation remains extremely difficult for millions of Afghanis, who struggle to cope with the effects of economic instability, drought, disease outbreaks, and other natural disasters. Two months of below average rainfall were followed by above average precipitation in March, which led to flooding in the Northern, Eastern and Central regions of the country. Outbreaks of measles and acute respiratory infectious continue to plague children, with over 11,000 children under five suspected as contracting measles in 2024, and over 317,000 children under five with acute respiratory infections.
Pakistan continues to host millions of Afghanis. Following the announcement of the “Illegal Foreigners’ Repatriation Plan” (IFRP) by the Government of Pakistan (GoP) on 3 October 2023, over 545,000 individuals have returned to Afghanistan between 1 September 2023 and 31 March 2024, placing additional needs for humanitarian response in Afghanistan. While returns slowed significantly in the first quarter of 2024, concerns regarding a second phase of the plan could lead to further cross-border movement. Additionally, Pakistan continues to be at risk for climate-related emergencies, including floods heatwaves and droughts. Areas hit hardest by the 2022 floods are still struggling to fully recover and while reconstruction and rehabilitation are proceeding, millions of people remain increasing vulnerable to natural hazard from the impact of the floods. High rates of acute malnutrition also put millions of children at vulnerable to the impacts of any shocks. The upcoming monsoon season may exacerbate the situation for children in Pakistan.
Bangladesh faces regular natural disasters, including floods, cyclones, and heatwaves, while also hosting nearly 1 million Rohingya refugees from Myanmar in Cox’s Bazar and Bhasan Char. On 7 January 2024, a devastating fire occurred in Rohingya refugee Camp 5, affecting blocks A, B, C, and D. Around 5,000 refugees, including 3,500 children, were displaced, with over 800 shelters fully or partially damaged.
Public health emergencies also remain a significant concern in Bangladesh; in the first three months of the year, a total of 1,705 dengue cases were reported. With the monsoon and cyclone season rapidly approaching, preparedness measures are underway to monitor flood and cyclone events, as well as potential upticks in disease outbreaks.
India continues to face more severe and less predictable weather events, exacerbated by the effects of climate change. In the first quarter of the year, several states in India faced challenging weather events. Assam State in northeastern India experienced localized convective storms in March, damaging homes and infrastructure. While heavy pre-monsoon rains were seen in Assam, the southern states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Maharashtra are facing drought conditions. These situations highlight the need for investment in preparedness. Assam needs to be ready for potential floods, while the southern states require drought risk-mitigation measures.
Emerging from a severe economic crisis, Sri Lanka continues to suffer from food insecurity, high living costs and frequent climate-induced disasters. After the end of the northeast monsoon season, in which heavy rains caused floods and landslides in various parts of the country, by February Sri Lanka started experiencing high heat and below expected rainfall. As drought conditions continue into April, affecting nearly 50,000 people, drinking water distributions and other interventions will be required to support affected communities in 10 districts. Additionally, dengue cases are on the rise, with over 20,000 patients diagnosed since the beginning of the year.
In 2023, Nepal experienced two significant earthquakes – in Bajhang and Bajura Districts on 3 October, followed by another in Jajarkot District on 3 November. The response to these earthquakes has continued throughout the reporting period to support tens of thousands of affected households. Nepal also faced several localized emergencies throughout the reporting period, including fires, lightning, windstorms, floods, and landslides, affected 1,758 families. A slight increase was in the number of reported cases of dengue fever was observed during the reporting period, and the situation is being closely monitored as the monsoon approaches.
In the reporting period, there were no humanitarian emergencies in Bhutan or the Maldives for response. Both countries instead prioritized preparedness actions for identified risks. Bhutan remains at risk of mega-earthquakes, floods, glacial lake outburst floods, landslides and forest fires, many of which are being exacerbated by climate change. The Maldives is one of the lowest elevation countries in the world and is highly vulnerable to the threats of climate change and sea level rise. Investment in preparedness for both countries is essential to be ready for the future challenges.