In this issue:
The health response to the humanitarian crises in the Central African Republic and Somalia. The World Humanitarian Day campaign provides an opportunity to say thanks to humanitarian health workers.
Central African
Situation Highlights - CAR
Security issues have recently increased in the western and north-western parts of the country. On the main supply road (Cameroon-Bouar), convoys have been experiencing violent attacks. Recently in Bambari, violent clashes led to the death of a dozen internally displaced people (IDPs).
Almost 400 000 people remain in IDP camps, including 30 186 in Bangui. The IDPs are among the 2.7 million Central Africans, more than half of the population, who depend on humanitarian aid to survive, including 1.2 million people who are food insecure.
Neighbouring countries still host more than 461 000 Central African refugees.
Cameroon is now home to more than 53% of refugees from the Central African Republic (244 819), while the Democratic Republic of the Congo hosts 98 281,
Chad 91 211 and the Republic of Congo 27 654.In May 2015, OCHA projected that an estimated 32 000 children may experience severe acute malnutrition and approximately 78 000 will exhibit moderate acute malnutrition.
Over the last three months, measles outbreaks were reported in Birao (Vakaga prefecture, close the Sudanese border), Bangassou (Mbomou prefecture) and Kaga Bandoro (Nana Gribizi prefecture). At the end of July, 583 cases including six deaths were reported in those localities.
Malaria remains the primary cause of mortality. An epidemic of rubella, lasting 24 weeks, affected 1611 people, mostly children under five. From April to June, four deaths related to rabies were reported in Bouar (Nana Mambere prefecture).
Situation highlights - Somalia
Conflict continues to cause displacement in southern and central Somalia. In June, at least 93 violent attacks were reported, with 197 fatalities. Aid delivery is restricted by threats against humanitarian workers and ongoing military offensives.
Conflict-affected areas are also likely to face serious food insecurity when vital supply roads are blocked by armed groups. Currently, 2.3 million people are in food security stress. A short-term deterioration of the food security situation is projected between July and December, mainly in southern and central zones.
Currently, 1.1 million people are internally displaced and a further 1 million are living as refugees in neighbouring countries.Furthermore, the volatile situation in Yemen has led to an influx of people to Somalia in May and June. As of 3 July, about 22 000 people had arrived in Somalia from Yemen to escape the ongoing crisis, 20 000 of whom are Somalis and 2000 are refugees.
Around 3 million people are in need of emergency health services, particularly in Bay, Bakool, Galgaduud, Middle Juba and parts of Gedo. An estimated 1.3 million people are in need of nutritional support. The situation is significantly worse in Dhobley in the southern region, and Doolow and Gaalkacyo in the central region, with global acute malnutrition levels above the WHO’s 15% emergency threshold.
As of 31 May close to 1000 cases of acute watery diarrhoea (AWD) and suspected cholera have been reported including four deaths in Dhobley.Lack of funding for the 2015 Humanitarian Response Plan, as well as the lack of prioritization of secondary health service provision, has left more than 1.5 million people cut off from primary or secondary health care services.