Attachments
HIGHLIGHTS
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UNICEF South Asia supports country offices to ensure a robust regional response for children facing humanitarian emergencies. The Regional Office is working with all eight country offices in the region to reach approximately 45 million people, including 26 million children in need of humanitarian assistance, by providing remote and in-person surge support, technical guidance on grand bargain themes, and preparedness strengthening.
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The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Executive Committee of Nepal endorsed Nepal’s National Action Plan on Monsoon Preparedness and Response - 2023. The plan projects monsoon-induced disasters could affect over 1.25 million people this year.
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In response to the measles outbreak in Nepal, 701,993 children (420,152 girls) were vaccinated in nine districts with support from UNICEF, Federal, Provincial and local governments; and other partners.
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Despite funding provided through FCDO and UNICEF National Committees, the HAC remains highly underfunded, impacting UNICEF’s ability to deliver for children in the region.
SITUATION IN NUMBERS
375,800 Children in need ofhumanitarian assistance
937,000 People in need of humanitarian assistance
500,800 people in need of health assistance
585,000 people in need of nutrition assistance
REGIONAL FUNDING OVERVIEW AND PARTNERSHIPS
In 2023, UNICEF's Humanitarian Action for Children (HAC) appeal for South Asia requires US $21.7 million to prepare for and respond to sudden-onset emergencies—including floods, public health emergencies, economic crises, population displacement—as well as protracted conflicts with cross-border dimensions, while ensuring preparedness for multi-hazards. The appeal also includes funding requirements for technical support to all eight country offices in the region.
UNICEF expresses its sincere gratitude to all public and private donors for their generous contributions, amounting to US $2.45 million (including $1.4 million carried-forward from 2022), 6.4 per cent of the total funding requirement. However, critical funding gaps of $19.2 million still remain, which significantly undermines UNICEF’s ability to scale up its humanitarian interventions and to deliver on its Core Commitments for Children (CCCs) in humanitarian situations and support timely implementation of its HAC programmatic interventions. Further support is needed to fully deliver on UNICEF's mandate for the remainder of 2023, particularly to ensure countries are prepared for any future emergencies that may arise.
REGIONAL SITUATION OVERVIEW AND HUMANITARIAN NEEDS
South Asia continues to be at high risk of recurrent natural disasters such as earthquakes, floods, landslides, and other extreme weather conditions related to climate change. Economic shocks also affect multiple countries, exacerbating existing vulnerabilities and leading to acute levels of food insecurity; an estimated 15.3 million people are projected to experience integrated food security phase classification (IPC) Phase 3 and 4 in 2023. Meanwhile, complex operating conditions significantly contribute to the deterioration of the protection environment and have devastating impacts on the lives of vulnerable populations, particularly children and women. According to the Government of Nepal’s National Action Plan on Monsoon Preparedness and Response, there are close to 1.3 million people projected to be affected by floods and landslides this year. Health emergencies remain prevalent in the region as well, with reports of a confirmed case of measles in Addu city in the Maldives.
Children in South Asia are disproportionately affected by the above-mentioned issues and tackling them will require concerted efforts and commitment-- particularly in the wake of a projected increase in the number, frequency and severity of climate-related natural disasters.
In 2023, the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan continued to deteriorate for a variety of causes, including continued insecurity and violence, economic sanctions and inflation, and natural disasters, including floods, landslides, and severe winter conditions. The operating environment became more complex during the first half of the year due to a ban on Afghan female aid workers for international and national non-governmental organizations in December 2022, which was followed by a similar ban affecting UN organizations in April 2023. The flooding season in Afghanistan typically begins in March; however, floods were observed in February in Badghis Province. Several flooding incidents were also reported in multiple provinces from March to June 2023, resulting in damage to housing and road infrastructure and, in some cases, loss of lives and livestock.
Bangladesh continues to host 961,729 Rohingya refugees from Myanmar in 33 camps in Cox’s Bazar District and Bhasan Char of Noakhali District, 52 per cent of them children. On 5 March 2023, a devastating fire broke out in Rohingya refugee Camp 11, damaging 2,805 shelters and 155 facilities including learning centres. Furthermore, on 14 May 2023, Category 5 Cyclone Mocha made landfall south of Cox’s Bazaar, affecting a total of 334,620 Bangladeshi nationals and 36,907 Rohingya refugees living in camps. Nationally, up to 236,000 households in Jamuna Basin and 45,000 households in Padma Basin are at risk of annual cyclical floods. UNICEF continues to monitor the situation of the monsoon rains to respond in the event of severe flooding.
Cyclone Mocha was followed by Cyclone Biparjoy on 26 June 2023, underscoring the growing impacts of climate change with increased cyclonic activity around the coastal regions of India. From June 11 to June 16, the eastern and certain southern states in India experienced heatwaves, while during the same period, Cyclone Biparjoy caused heavy rainfall in western and northwestern India, particularly in the state of Gujarat. These changing climatic phenomena are adding to the challenges faced during the monsoon season. UNICEF India used its scarce resources to supplement and aid the extensive efforts of the government, focusing on meeting the lifesaving and protection needs of evacuated children, women, and men accommodated in cyclone/mass shelters in Gujarat. Amidst the ever-expanding range of climate hazards in India, UNICEF focused on addressing the urgent needs of people affected by cyclones, floods, and other emergencies in the states of Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Odisha, and Manipur.
In 2022, Pakistan experienced one of the most severe monsoon seasons since 1961, leading to devastating consequences, with Sindh and Balochistan exceeding the usual forecasted rainfall by 600-700 per cent. This resulted in severe flooding which affected more than 33 million people in 94 districts, mostly in Sindh and Balochistan. Most of the hardest hit districts are amongst the most vulnerable districts in Pakistan characterized by multiple deprivations. While some populations have begun to recover from the 2022 floods during the first half of the year, they remain vulnerable to further impacts during the 2023 monsoon season. Starting from April 2023, heavy rainfall in Southwestern Pakistan, specifically in Balochistan province resulted in overflowing of rivers, flashfloods, loss of life and damage to infrastructure. Similarly, multiple districts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province were affected by heavy rainfall, leading to landslides, casualties, and damage to property and crops. The heavy rain has further contributed to the deterioration of living conditions of those population already impacted by the 2022 floods, leaving them even more vulnerable to future flooding events.
Sri Lanka experienced an economic crisis during 2022, which resulted in employment and livelihood losses. Simultaneously, the country suffered from a political crisis with unstable governance and widespread civil unrest. After Sri Lanka secured adequate debt relief assurances from the official creditors on 20 March 2023, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Board approved US$3 billion for 48 months under the Extended Fund Facility programme. With the IMF bailout, the country is currently seeing economic stability. However, Sri Lanka’s economy is forecasted to further contract in 2023 according to World Bank and IMF estimates before it begins a slow recovery process.