GLOBAL EMERGENCY UPDATE

Transcription

1 August 2016 GLOBAL EMERGENCY UPDATE This is the latest snapshot of Catholic Relief Services ongoing emergency response and recovery activities around the world. Our work is possible thanks to the generous support of private and public donors, the dedication of local partners, and the unwavering presence of Caritas and the local Catholic Church. EUROPE + THE MIDDLE EAST AFRICA SOUTH SUDAN July has seen a significant setback in the security and stability of thousands of people, with violent clashes in the capital that have forced nearly 40,000 to flee their homes. See this op-ed in Time magazine. Volunteer teacher Lydia Freliech from Connecticut teaches Syrian children at the Caritas Athens refugee center. Photo by Andrew McConnell for CRS EUROPE In Greece, the demands continue to escalate for supporting the refugees who have fled Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq and other countries. Shelter is a top priority for the tens of thousands of refugees stranded in the country due to border closures in the Balkans. SYRIAN REFUGEE CRISIS The humanitarian needs facing Syrians across the Middle East are increasing as the situation inside the country deteriorates. CRS is working in neighboring countries to provide food, shelter, counseling, and medical and educational support. LATIN AMERICA + THE CARIBBEAN IRAQ At least 3.3 million people have fled their homes and towns due to the increasing presence and violence of ISIS. CRS is working closely with Caritas Iraq to provide more than 150,000 children and adults with shelter, food, living supplies and basic education. UKRAINE The ongoing conflict between government forces and separatist groups in the eastern Donbas region has continued for more than 2 years, claiming nearly 9,200 lives. Although a cease-fire is in place, violence has increased dramatically in recent months. WEST AND CENTRAL AFRICA People across Nigeria, Niger, Cameroon and Chad are fleeing the violence of the militant group Boko Haram, which has carried out attacks that have killed more than 13,000 people, primarily in northeastern Nigeria, since CRS is responding with vital relief and support. ETHIOPIA The country is facing its worst drought in 50 years. While the summer has seen long-awaited rains, the full impact of the drought is not yet known. Also, the rain has led to flooding. CRS is responding with food, agricultural and livelihoods support for more than 2.9 million people. CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC For the first time in its history, the country has a democratically elected president and parliament. After 3 years of devastating conflict, the small nation of 5 million people is embarking on a long path to recovery, but the situation remains tense. ECUADOR Two powerful tremors, 10 minutes apart, struck the coast of Ecuador on July 10. Reports indicate that they were aftershocks of the deadly April disaster, which claimed hundreds of lives. CRS teams are evaluating recent damage and needs, and carrying out relief and recovery efforts to April s quake.

2 EUROPE REFUGEE + MIGRANT CRISIS Europe continues to receive increasing numbers of refugees fleeing Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq and other countries where conflict or extreme poverty has uprooted lives. The number of refugees and migrants in Europe surpassed 1 million as of December 2015, with 70 percent having arrived in Greece, more than 155,000 in the first half of 2016 alone. In March, the situation changed dramatically when Balkan states closed their borders to refugees and migrants. These countries had been a major pathway for those attempting to reach Germany, Sweden and other countries. Instead of thousands traversing borders daily, about 54,000 refugees and migrants are now stranded, and several thousand more are stuck in Macedonia, Serbia and Croatia. More than 930,000 refugees have arrived in Greece in the past year. Last year, thousands crossed the border at Idomeni every day, but now there are tight restrictions. Photo courtesy of Natalia Tsoukala/Caritas The agreement between the European Union and Turkey made on March 17 resulted in a policy enacted by Greece to end migration from the islands to the mainland. People arriving after March 20 are detained at the arrival locations. What were open reception centers are now closed detention centers. There, refugees and migrants are supposed to be given the opportunity to claim asylum in Greece, apply for relocation to another European country, apply for family reunification, or return to their country of origin voluntarily. SHELTER is one of the most pressing issues, as the government-established camps in Greece are beyond capacity, and fall short of basic sanitation and protection needs. Most are not meant for long-term stays, and are far from urban centers. The Greek government has asked for support from international humanitarian organizations to help meet the increasing, diverse needs. In the past year, CRS and its local partners have provided assistance to more than 350,000 refugees and migrants across Greece and the Balkans. About 50 percent are Syrians, with Iraqis representing the next-largest nationality. CRS is working with 10 local partners in Greece, Macedonia, Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, Albania and Bulgaria, and adapts programs as the needs and contexts change. Food and emergency living supplies: With a focus on the most vulnerable women, children and the elderly support includes food packages, vouchers for food at supermarkets, sleeping bags and mats, raincoats, backpacks, sanitation supplies, hygiene kits for babies and access to toilets and showers. Temporary shelter: In the Balkan countries, CRS provided temporary shelter at transit sites during the initial months of the response. In Greece, we continue to provide temporary housing at designated hotels as we transition to longer-term options, which include restoring several large buildings for the greater number of asylum seekers. Support includes food packages, vouchers for use at supermarkets, sleeping bags and mats, raincoats, backpacks, sanitation supplies, hygiene kits for babies, and access to toilets and showers. Urban services: CRS and Caritas are managing two service hubs in central Athens that provide hot meals, child friendly spaces, shower facilities, access to social workers and translators, referrals to legal and medical services, resting areas, and Internet access. An estimated 600 people access services daily. Information, translation and legal resources: Refugees and migrants rarely receive complete or accurate information about their rights to apply for asylum. Most cannot speak the local language. CRS and Caritas provide information, translation, and legal resources so refugees and their families can understand their rights and make informed decisions. 2 GLOBAL EMERGENCY UPDATE AUGUST 2016

3 MIDDLE EAST SYRIAN REFUGEE CRISIS Five years of fighting in Syria have resulted in massive destruction of cities, farms, roads, hospitals and schools and harmed the people who lived, farmed and studied there. Over a quarter of a million people have been killed and nearly a million injured. Half of Syria s population is displaced, having fled either to other parts of Syria, or to neighboring countries, to escape the violence. And many have attempted a harrowing and sometimes deadly journey to Europe. The neighboring countries of Jordan, Turkey and Lebanon bear the heaviest burden, together hosting more than 4.1 million refugees. An attempted coup in Turkey on July 16 only further heightened concerns about regional stability. Egypt, Greece and other European countries have taken in hundreds of thousands of people. Half of all displaced Syrians are children, and the vast majority have been out of school for years. Children s lives have been defined by war or displacement. CRS has helped more than 1 million Syrians in the Students at the Latin School of Fuheis are among 7,750 people supported by our work with partners in Jordan. Photo by Oscar Durand for CRS Middle East and Europe with food, shelter, water, medical assistance, education and trauma healing. Russian-led offensives in northwestern Syria in the past 6 months have forced us to continually adjust our services as refugees relocate. CRS is providing relief to refugees in Turkey, Jordan, Lebanon and Egypt. CRS works closely with the Catholic Church especially Caritas and our religious partners, who have deep roots in the region. This network of Catholic partners allows CRS to help people quickly and efficiently, with the trust of local communities. I t is hard to imagine, sitting in our comfortable homes, what war is really like: The grief of losing loved ones, bombs raining from the sky, a home destroyed, the difficult decision to leave, the perilous journey to an unknown place, family separation, and the constant fear of how to keep your children safe. Jessica Howell CRS Relationships Manager PRIORITIES Shelter and rent assistance: Monthly rent stipends support the majority of refugees, who live in urban areas. With few opportunities to earn an income, the stipends help prevent homelessness, squatting and destitution. Living supplies: Prepackaged relief kits equip new arrivals with bedding, stoves, buckets and other items. Children s education, support and trauma counseling: CRS supports education, tutoring, recreational activities and trauma counseling for children. Food: CRS supports cash and voucher programs so people can buy the food they need. Giving families choices respects their dignity and helps support the local economy. Medical assistance: This includes immediate care for life-threatening wounds, care for chronic conditions like diabetes, and maternal and child care. Hygiene and sanitation: CRS and our partners are providing vouchers for soap, laundry detergent, diapers and other sanitary supplies to keep families healthy. 3 GLOBAL EMERGENCY UPDATE AUGUST 2016

4 IRAQ CONFLICT + DISPLACEMENT In late May, Iraqi security forces began operations to liberate the city of Fallujah from ISIS control. Throughout June, significant portions of the city came under government control and an estimated 80,000 people fled. The vast majority of uprooted families are prevented from crossing the Euphrates River or entering Baghdad. Therefore, most remain near Fallujah, where government authorities quickly established camps. In the new camps, living and sanitation conditions are abysmal. Due to overcrowding, two or three families share a single tent or caravan, while others sleep in the open. The camps have an average of 1 toilet for every 70 people, and lack clean drinking water. Since January 2014, the violence in northern and central Iraq has caused devastation and mass displacement. Last year, more than 7,500 people were killed, and 3.3 million Iraqis fled to other parts of the country. At least 1.5 million of them are living in Iraqi Kurdistan, a region in the northernmost part of the country. Despite recent military gains by the Kurdish and Iraqi forces fighting ISIS, few civilians have returned to their homes. Compounding this crisis, Iraqi Kurdistan is hosting about 280,000 Syrian refugees. Faced with the cost of war, and revenues hit by lower oil prices, the Kurdish and central governments are providing less humanitarian aid than in 2015, although the number of displaced families continues to grow. The influx of displaced families to Iraqi Kurdistan has put a significant strain on local communities. More than 80 percent of displaced people are living outside of organized camps, with host families, or in makeshift or unfinished dwellings. In all, nearly 10 million people require humanitarian assistance. In northern Iraq, thousands of displaced families live in unfinished buildings. CRS is sealing homes against the elements and providing structural upgrades for safety. Photo by Kim Pozniak/CRS CRS and its local Catholic partner, Caritas Iraq, have helped more than 150,000 displaced Iraqis. We have established offices in Dohuk, Erbil, Kirkuk and Baghdad. CRS has about 60 staff in Iraq and works with more than 250 Caritas staff and volunteers. Shelter improvements and water and sanitation facilities: CRS is repairing and improving unfinished buildings that have become homes for those displaced by violence. Families receive windows and doors to protect them from the elements; internal partitions to improve privacy; and showers, toilets, sinks, and water tanks. To date, CRS has improved 1,500 buildings serving 35,252 people, and provided water and sanitation to 19,454 people. Winter supply kits: CRS provided critical winter supply kits with blankets, carpets, heaters and kerosene to 25,377 people. Where possible, families received cash to buy the supplies, which helps to support the local economy. Cash grants have helped 35,137 people buy additional living supplies. Food assistance: CRS is providing monthly food assistance through vouchers and cash grants that have served 30,072 people. Education and counseling for children: CRS has established nine child support centers to provide counseling and educational services to 3,845 children. In addition, we are working with the Iraq Department of Education to transform these centers into formal schools. CRS has identified and trained 50 teachers and classroom assistants, and will supplement the government curriculum to support the needs of traumatized children. Emergency preparedness: CRS and Caritas Iraq are building local capacities by establishing a network of Church and community volunteers, and relationships with different stakeholders in anticipation of continued large-scale displacement. In the camps around Fallujah, CRS and Caritas are finalizing plans to expand support in the form of shelter, water and sanitation, and living supplies that will be delivered to the tens of thousands families recently uprooted. 4 GLOBAL EMERGENCY UPDATE AUGUST 2016

5 UKRAINE CONFLICT + DISPLACEMENT The conflict between Ukrainian government forces and separatist groups in the eastern Donbas region has now exceeded 2 years, claiming nearly 9,200 lives. Although a cease-fire is in place, violence has increased dramatically in recent months. The conflict has left millions of people in need of humanitarian assistance. Along the frontline, 800,000 people face daily insecurity, loss of livelihoods, absence of the rule of law, and limited means for meeting their basic needs. In areas not controlled by the government, 2.1 million people lack access to basic services and commercial goods, and have seen their pensions and government payments drastically curtailed. Humanitarian access to these areas has been severely restricted. Checkpoints continue to pose dangers for people trying to cross, most often to seek medical attention, access their banks or to care for family members. More than 1.5 million people have been internally displaced from the conflict areas, and an additional 1 million have left for other countries, mostly Russia. As the displacement crisis drags on, many have exhausted their savings. The dire situation is compounded by a severely depressed economy. In March, the government suspended social payments, including pensions, to internally displaced people severing a key lifeline for vulnerable families. The World Food Program estimates that 1.5 million people have been left hungry by the crisis, including 300,000 in need of immediate food assistance. A business hub supported by CRS and Caritas Kharkiv offers displaced entrepreneurs a work space with access to laptops, internet, printers and scanners, and a meeting room, event space and classroom. Photo by CRS staff CRS is working with Caritas partners to provide the following support to an estimated 73,000 people in the eastern third of the country: Relief to vulnerable families: Cash grants have helped 10,650 households cover urgent expenses for shelter, including rent and utilities, as well as food, clothing, medicine and fuel. Livelihoods: More than 600 former small business owners have restarted business activities with enterprise grants and support from mentors. Using grants distributed during winter, 77 percent of businesses started operations and were generating revenue. CRS and Caritas Ukraine launched a business hub in the city of Kharkiv to support displaced entrepreneurs. The hub includes an area with 30 workstations, a small meeting space, a space for large seminars and training, and a classroom. Shelter repair in the buffer zone: In areas near the frontline that are now calm, CRS and Caritas are providing financial and technical support to 400 households to perform light-to-medium repairs of roofs, windows and walls of homes damaged by explosions. Child friendly spaces: In eight CRS child friendly spaces across eastern Ukraine, 800 children benefit from activities focused on dealing with the stress of extended displacement and adapting to new living conditions. Games, recreation and art complement afterschool activities in a safe space. CRS has also launched adult-focused peer support activities to help parents deal with the stress of displacement. Human trafficking assessment: CRS and Caritas Ukraine carried out an assessment in February of trafficking in persons in Ukraine. Results showed a need to strengthen the capacity of civil society to identify victims of human trafficking, and government mechanisms for responding. Conflict mitigation: CRS and Caritas Ukraine conducted an assessment in February that found that displaced people experience discrimination as a result of their status. This undermines their attempts to find housing and employment. 5 GLOBAL EMERGENCY UPDATE AUGUST 2016

6 SOUTH SUDAN CONFLICT + DISPLACEMENT July has seen a significant setback in the security and stability of thousands of people. Violent clashes between government and opposition forces in the capital, Juba, have forced more than 40,000 people to flee their homes, while millions of others suffer amid ongoing violence, and food shortages caused by drought. Five years after the country gained independence from Sudan, political dysfunction has led to violence, displacement and hunger. While the July 11 cease-fire ended fighting in Juba, it continues in other parts of the country. Reports exist of widespread hunger and other critical needs, as people are afraid to return to their homes and livelihoods. CRS staff in Juba are carrying out rapid assessments of urgent humanitarian needs. Recent reports indicate the reopening of some businesses and banks in parts of the city. In mid-july, CRS initiated plans to support the South Sudan Council of Churches, which has identified an estimated 15,000 new internally displaced people sheltering in places of worship, faith-based schools, and health facilities. CRS support will focus on ensuring access to water and food, and may be expanded to provide emergency shelter. CRS programming continues in the city of Bor and Awerial county. In neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo and the Central African Republic, CRS is coordinating with the United Nations and other organizations to track new refugee movement and identify needs. Since 2013, the country has been embroiled in internal conflict, Uprooted families in Bor wait to be called for their monthly CRS emergency food rations. Photo by Ric Francis for CRS largely recognized as a struggle between its two largest ethnic groups. Tens of thousands of people have been killed in ethnic clashes, and a record 5.8 million people half the population have been facing severe hunger. CRS has worked in the country for more than 30 years on emergency relief and long-term development programs, and is one of the largest implementers of food assistance through the U.S. Agency for International Development and Food for Peace. The travails of South Sudan, indeed of many countries only a few decades removed from colonial rule, parallel those of [the United States]. It has taken many, many years to build our own, still imperfect, roads connecting our divided peoples. Just as we did not give up on the United States, so we should not give up on South Sudan, said Jerome Farrell, CRS country representative in Juba. Read his op-ed in Time magazine. 15,000 NEW INTERNALLY DISPLACED PEOPLE ARE SHELTERING IN PLACES OF WORSHIP, FAITH-BASED SCHOOLS AND HEALTH FACILITIES. ADVOCATING FOR SUPPORT CRS is advocating for policy changes in the United States. Our priorities are to: Call for urgent government action We urge the U.S. government to pressure the United Nations to carry out its mandate to protect civilians and monitor the conflict. Establish safe humanitarian access We urge the U.S. government to coordinate with the United Nations and other international partners to pressure both sides of the conflict to remove all barriers preventing humanitarian actors from safely reaching people in need. Implement the peace accord We must urge local, national and regional actors to fully implement the August 2015 peace deal and create a transitional government. There are opportunities for the international community and the U.S. government to provide support that will strengthen the hands of those who want to build peace. Support the local Church We urge the United States to support the Church and its call for peace, and the government to support diplomatic efforts, and help the Church find sustainable, just solutions. Stand in solidarity Visit our Action Center to use your voice on behalf of those impacted, and support the people of South Sudan. 6 GLOBAL EMERGENCY UPDATE AUGUST 2016

7 WEST AND CENTRAL AFRICA SECURITY + REFUGEE CRISIS Millions of people have been displaced and are living in dire conditions after fleeing Boko Haram. The group has carried out attacks that have killed more than 13,000 people, primarily in northeastern Nigeria, since It has planted bombs, abducted women and girls, forcefully conscripted young men and boys, and destroyed villages and towns. Farmers are afraid to go to their fields and, in some areas, entire villages are deserted. The need for urgent humanitarian assistance in multiple countries is escalating. Kolema lost everything fleeing Boko Haram in Niger, but our cash-for-work program helped her and other refugees meet their families basic needs. Photo by Michael Stulman/CRS NIGERIA Health care: CRS is supporting 259,483 eligible children with polio immunization and providing health counseling to their caregivers through the CORE Group Partners Project, or CGPP. We support care for malnutrition, diarrhea, pneumonia and other illnesses. Routine immunization: Also through the CGPP, we support 83,628 eligible children through home visits and community awareness meetings, vaccine distribution, supportive supervision visits and the monthly routine immunization working group. We also train community mobilizers. Emergency food assistance: CRS is implementing its second phase of monthly assistance through electronic food vouchers to 5,740 families (70 percent internally displaced people and 30 percent host communities) in Yobe. Water, sanitation and hygiene: CRS is providing an initial 500 families with hygiene supplies using e-vouchers through smart cards. Borno State: Efforts are underway to expand humanitarian programming into the state of Borno where more than 1.4 million recently uprooted people need help. NIGER In Diffa, CRS is providing the following support, estimated to reach 60,000 people: Food and living supplies through cash grants. Shelter support for uprooted families. Improved water, sanitation and hygiene through the construction of latrines, and awareness campaigns on health. Peacebuilding activities to reduce and prevent tensions among refugees, displaced people and host communities, where resources are becoming scarcer. Agriculture support, seed fairs and livestock assistance. T he living conditions are harsh. Most people flee their homes with nothing. There is little food and water, incessant heat and poor sanitary facilities that increase the danger of health risks. Bill Rastetter CRS country representative Niger CAMEROON Agriculture and food security: Seed-and-tools fairs, cash-for-work activities, cash grants and agricultural training to improve production. Youth empowerment: Support for Maroua-Mokolo diocese on vocational training that focuses on agricultural and livelihood income generation for unemployed and underemployed youth and young men, who are often targets for Boko Haram recruitment. CHAD Agriculture and food security: Supporting 3,500 families with food, seeds-and-tools fairs, and training in agricultural practices. Livestock: Providing 1,000 families with 2 goats each, veterinary care, and 2 months of livestock fodder. Also, training 50 animal agents on livestock health and management. Livelihoods: Supporting 1,750 people in 25 Savings and Internal Lending Communities to build financial resilience. Emergency lean season support: Supporting 700 of the most vulnerable uprooted families with 2 months of food, maize seed and fishing kits. 7 GLOBAL EMERGENCY UPDATE AUGUST 2016

8 ETHIOPIA DROUGHT + FOOD INSECURITY Women pray for rain in Ethiopia, where 10 million people depend on emergency food aid. Photo by Petterik Wiggers for CRS Above average rainfall throughout April and May has brought limited relief to a country that has faced its worst drought in 50 years. The rains allowed for some land preparation and planting. However, torrential rains caused severe flooding and landslides in some areas, uprooting 200,000 people, disrupting agricultural activities, and damaging infrastructure. It remains to be seen how much the rains will transform the areas most affected by the drought such as southern Afar, northern Somali, eastern Oromia, southern Tigray, and areas along the Tekeze catchment of Amhara and Tigray. The impacts of the drought have been diverse and far-reaching. First, without rain over the past 2 years, families have not been able to grow food to eat. Second, without crops to sell, farmers could not earn incomes. And third, many people without land earn a living harvesting crops as day laborers, but without productive land to cultivate, they are unable to earn incomes. As a result, people are turning to increasingly desperate coping mechanisms. Many sell their livestock often a family s most valuable asset at very low prices, to buy food and basic supplies like clothing for their children. Some migrate or send older children to cities and towns to find work. Many tell CRS about eating fewer meals per day, and about lacking nutrition. More than 10 million people face hunger and malnutrition and depend on emergency food aid this number is expected to grow. The government has called for international assistance. If more rain comes, recovery can begin. But without rain or immediate aid the number of people who need emergency food assistance could rise above 15 million. SLIDESHOW ON THE DROUGHT CRS Communications Director Kim Pozniak recently traveled to Ethiopia to report on the effects of the drought, and encountered women praying for rain. Watch this slideshow to hear her perspective. CRS is providing emergency food aid to 2.9 million people. We are also investing in seeds. CRS works with the government of Ethiopia at all stages, in the Oromia, Amhara, and Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples regions. Activities include: Providing emergency food to 2.8 million people through the Joint Emergency Operation Program, a USAID-funded, CRS-led consortium of NGOs. Holding seed and voucher fairs that rely on commercial seed firms as well as local seed producers and traders. Distributing seeds from local and regional suppliers where functioning markets and seeds are not available. Planting hundreds of acres with distributed seed and monitoring crop performance. Strengthening community resilience through income opportunities; soil and water conservation; restoration of crops; and improvements in water and sanitation systems and local infrastructure. Supporting Savings and Internal Lending Communities to boost financial stability. 8 GLOBAL EMERGENCY UPDATE AUGUST 2016

9 CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC SECURITY + REFUGEE CRISIS For the first time in its history, the country has a democratically elected president and parliament. After 3 years of devastating conflict, the small nation of 5 million people is embarking on a long path to recovery, but the situation remains tense. The conflict has severely affected the country s food production, leaving 2.5 million people more than half the population in need of humanitarian assistance. About 6,000 people have been killed and nearly 1 million have fled their homes, with many still living in makeshift camps within or outside the country. Camp M Poko, at Bangui M Poko International Airport, is home to 30,000 internally displaced people living in precarious conditions. CRS works with its partners to provide humanitarian assistance that incorporates and prioritizes peacebuilding and trauma-healing activities. Savings communities and agricultural interventions are helping people rebuild their lives and earn income. CRS uses a comprehensive, market-based shelter response that meets multiple needs, uses the local market and vendors, provides support for labor for extremely vulnerable families, and incorporates safe building practices. $10,000 HAS BEEN COLLECTIVELY SAVED BY 192 SAVINGS AND INTERNAL LENDING COMMUNITIES Yazam Lionnee and her daughter Ngoungouwou learn about food voucher programs in the town of Boda. Photo by Sam Phelps for CRS IMPACT TO DATE Food, agriculture, livelihoods Distributed seeds to 10 farmer groups in June who were inaccessible in May. Supported 21,881 families with seeds and tools for the 2015 planting season. Provided post-harvest kits storage sacks, water jugs and tarpaulins to 2,940 families. Led a joint field mission in June to train 60 people in three social cohesion groups, and complete the repair of three cattle pens using cash-for-work. The pens will enable breeders to vaccinate of about 75,000 cattle and 10,000 small livestock. Provided training to fish farming groups on techniques, and distributed fingerlings to the trainees. Provided training in agricultural techniques for 55 farmer groups, and training of staff to support them and the seed distribution process. Trained 250 families on land preparation for the rebuilding and placing of latrines. Provided vaccinations for 1,300 animals, supporting 400 herders. Bought 1,300 fuel-efficient cooking stoves for extremely vulnerable families to reduce the personal safety risks associated with leaving their homes in search of firewood. Shelter and cash-for-work Rehabilitated 6 fish farms and 114 miles of drainage channels. Distributed cash grants to 3,085 people to buy straw for roofing; shelter kits to 5,200 families; and living supplies to 12,221 families. Provided cash-for-work to nearly 1,700 people to repair roads and bridges, improve 200 meters of road and access to local markets, and restore vegetable stalls. Social cohesion Identified themes for radio shows to be produced in our Radio and Young Reporters program, including the rights of girls, gender-based violence, social cohesion, conflict management, child abuse and the integration or reintegration of child soldiers. In the second half of June, CRS helped produce 33 episodes of radio programs. Hosted 800 interfaith and local leaders at peacebuilding and trauma-healing workshops. Due to increased demand, CRS will quadruple the number of trained trauma-healing facilitators. The workshops include survivors, community leaders and representatives of local organizations. Brought community members together to repair schools and playing fields. 9 GLOBAL EMERGENCY UPDATE AUGUST 2016

10 ECUADOR EARTHQUAKE Two powerful tremors, 10 minutes apart and measuring 5.9 and 6.4 in magnitude, struck Esmeraldas province on the coast of Ecuador on July 10. Reports indicate that they were aftershocks of the deadly April disaster, which affected the same region and claimed hundreds of lives. CRS teams are visiting communities to evaluate the more recent damage and needs, while continuing to carry out relief and recovery efforts for the April quake. The 7.8-magnitude earthquake the country s worst since 1979 affected some 1.2 million people, and destroyed thousands of homes and roads. The cities of Manta, Portoviejo and Pedernales saw the most devastation. Damage to buildings, bridges, roads, water structures, phone towers and electrical grids was extensive. Catholic dioceses in small fishing and agricultural towns reported that up to 85 percent of structures had collapsed. The damage was exacerbated due to El Nino, with intense rains and flooding prior to the earthquake, which triggered landslides of the saturated and unstable soil. When the powerful earthquake hit, Ilfrido Alvarado, his wife Melva, and their baby took refuge in a CRS shelter. Photo by Eduardo Naranjo for CRS CRS continues to partner with Caritas in the dioceses of Esmeraldas and Portoviejo in Manabi province, reaching the most vulnerable remote areas, thanks to the trust and reach of local parishes. We have established a sub-office in Cojimies, with a warehouse at a local parish, and temporary office space 24 miles north of Pedernales. CRS and Caritas have delivered 10,000 shelter tarpaulins and 5 tons of goods to the affected areas, including food, mattresses, 1,686 hygiene kits, 364 kitchen sets, and 2,494 water containers (with a goal of 5,000). CRS has constructed 588 emergency shelters (with a goal of 900) in the provinces of Manabi and Esmeraldas, using the tarps and locally purchased shelter materials. CRS is also working with the local government to repair water systems in Pedernales, La Chorrera, Jama, and rural locations throughout the two provinces. PRIORITIES Emergency shelter: CRS will provide emergency and transitional shelter to families whose homes have been destroyed by the earthquake. Our shelter design will use local bamboo, which is cost-effective, easy to assemble and well-received by beneficiaries. It includes tarp walls, which can be either secured or rolled up to provide air circulation in hot weather. Water, sanitation and hygiene: CRS coordinated with the government of Ecuador to repair the water system in Pedernales. CRS will construct latrines, showers and hand-washing stations, and ensure access to potable water at shelter settlement areas. CRS will repair the water systems throughout rural areas in Manabi and Esmeraldas, where infrastructure completely collapsed. These efforts will benefit 28,500 people. Living supplies: CRS will provide distributions or cash transfers for people to buy key living supplies, including hygiene kits, kitchen sets and other items to allow them to live with dignity. Protection: Focusing on women and children, CRS and our partners are providing trauma counseling to hundreds of affected families impacted by the loss of friends and loved ones, and destruction of their homes and schools. 10 GLOBAL EMERGENCY UPDATE AUGUST 2016