Asia and the Pacific: Weekly Regional Humanitarian Snapshot (10 - 16 January 2023)

INDONESIA

A 6.2 magnitude earthquake Watch struck in Aceh Provinceon 16 January at 5:30 AM local time, and at a depth of 23 km. The earthquake did not trigger a tsunami, but caused some panic in areas where it was most strongly felt, particularly in four districts of Aceh Singkil, Central Tapanuli, North Nias and South Aceh Districts. Local government agencies immediately deployed rapid reaction teams to affected areas to assess impacts and damages. No fatalities have yet been reported. While international support is unlikely to be needed for this event, the UN and Humanitarian Country Team stand ready to support and complement the Government-led response as and if needed.

AFGHANISTAN

The recent ban on female NGO aid workers continues to affect aid operations across the country. At the same time, Afghanistan is entering its third consecutive year of poor rains and its second year of crippling economic decline. On 13 January, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, Roza Otunbayeva, addressed the UN Security Council and outlined the potential negative impacts of the Taliban’s decisions restricting the rights of women and girls, including, most immediately, on the delivery of humanitarian assistance to Afghans in desperate need. Despite a major scale-up of humanitarian assistance in 2022, aid levels have been sufficient to prevent catastrophe but not to move people out of crisis. In 2023 and beyond, a staggering two thirds of Afghanistan’s population – 28.3 million people – need humanitarian aid and protection.

PHILIPPINES

More than 347,000 families (1,397,000 people) have been affected by the several weather systems affecting the Philippines since early January. In the 16 January report of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), incessant rains and related incidents have displaced 211,940 people to 489 evacuations centres and have left 28 dead(15 confirmed) and 3 missing.
Most of the casualties reported were from Regions 8 (Visayas) and 10 (Mindanao).

Over 13,000 farmers and fisherfolks have been affected and 17,000 hectares of damage to agriculture is reported including to crops, high value crops and livestock, equivalent to US $6 million. The local government units affected are responding to the emergency needs of their constituents with augmentation support from their regional counterparts. While most of the flooding incidents have subsided, the low pressure area, shear line and north east monsoon will continue to affect most parts of the country over the coming days.