Numerous hail storms caused extensive damage across south-central Minnesota. Golf ball to baseball-sized hail caused damage to the windows, siding and roofs of many homes, vehicles and businesses.
Hurricane Idalia made landfall near Keaton Beach in the Big Bend region of Florida as a strong Category 3 hurricane with winds of 125 mph. Idalia was the strongest hurricane to hit the Big Bend region in more than 125 years. Storm surge was about 8 feet above ground at Cedar Key, which caused heavy damage to homes, businesses, vehicles and other infrastructure. Other Big Bend coastal communities were also inundated by storm surge. Idalia produced 5 to 10 inches of rainfall across the Big Bend region of Florida and southeastern portions of Georgia and the Carolinas. The relatively low population density of the Big Bend region helped to reduce the physical exposure and damage costs. Significant flooding was reported in downtown Charleston, SC and nearby Edisto Beach. There was also 2 to 4 feet of storm surge along the Carolina coastline, which was exacerbated by the full moon and high tide cycle.
The resurgence of the Dengue epidemic in Mali since 9 September 2023, marks one of the most severe outbreaks in decades. With cases spreading rapidly, the Ministry of Health and Social Development took proactive measures by hosting a press conference on 29 November 2023, to educate the public about the disease's progression and severity. Subsequently, on 13 December 2023, the Public Health Emergency Operations Department was activated, initiating the implementation of an Incident Management System (IMS) specifically tailored for Dengue and Zika. [...] Despite concerted efforts, the epidemiological situation remains challenging. As of the latest update from the Situation Report (SitRep) dated 18 March 2024, there have been 144 suspected cases of Dengue reported this week, with 35 confirmed cases and no fatalities. Since the beginning of 2024, a total of 2,053 suspected cases of Dengue have been reported, including 355 positive cases. Cumulatively, from week 34 of 2023 to week 11 of 2024, there have been 7,422 suspected cases, with 1,163 confirmed cases and 35 deaths, resulting in a fatality rate of 3.01%. This outbreak has affected 21 health districts across six regions.
Amid escalating levels of food insecurity, Timor-Leste is already showing clear signs of drought in twelve out of fourteen municipalities based on the Combined Drought Index, produced by the Government of Timor-Leste and FAO. In addition, the country is facing the looming possibility of an extended El Niño-induced dry season and predictions of sustained low rainfall into early 2024, all of which will severely impact agriculture. (WFP, 31 Oct 2023)
Zimbabwe detected seventeen (17) circulating vaccine derived polio virus type 2 (cVDPV2) from environmental samples in Harare since October 2023. The samples were from four polio environmental surveillance sites in Harare. Polio outbreak was declared a public health emergency (PHE) by the Minister of Health and Child Care in October 2023. An index human cVDPV2 was reported in a 10-year-old female AFP case in January 2024.
Two newly confirmed AFP cases (samples from contacts) have been reported this week (cumulative 23) with a NPAFP rate at 1.3 per cent children over 15 years. A total of 10,517,500 doses of nOPV2 were received on 29 January 2024 for the planned two supplementary immunization activities (SIAs). Expiry date 14/08/2025.
A joint press release on Round 1 national nOPV2 polio SIA done by the Honorable Deputy Minister of Health and Child Care (MoHCC) with UNICEF, WHO and Partners on 16 Feb 2024.
Kazakhstan has recorded the highest incidence with 13,677 measles cases in 2023, which corresponds to over 639 cases per million population. There have been over 11 300 reported cases among children under 14 years of age in the country, with 70% of them being unvaccinated against measles.
On 26th September 2023, the National Ministry of Health declared a Hepatitis E Virus outbreak in Old Fangak, Jonglei State and Greater Pibor Administrative Area, after 3 out of 13 samples tested positive for HEV. The outbreak has affected 63 people and caused 12 deaths, with a case fatality rate of 19%.
Mongolia is currently facing a severe Dzud. This slow-onset disaster is unique to Mongolia and results from summer droughts followed by heavy snowfalls and extreme cold, leading to insufficient grazing pastures and hence underfed animals resulting in increased livestock mortality.
From the 22nd - 28th December 2023, most parts of the country received heavy rainfall coupled with strong winds which caused severe damages affecting 190 households (968pp). The impacts of the shocks (heavy rains and storms) were mostly felt by communities mostly in Maseru and Quthing district and lower impact was reported Berea, Mokhotlong, Thaba Tseka.
The Republic of Congo has been experiencing exceptionally heavy rainfall over most of the country for several weeks now. This situation has caused flooding in the country, which already has 320,891 people directly affected by the flooding, who are subject to displacement and severe losses as a result of this disaster. Situation as provided by the Government on 29 December 2023.
The worst affected departments are Likouala, Sangha, Cuvette, Plateaux, Niari, Brazzaville and Pointe-Noire (heavy downpours), with 361 villages and 36 neighbourhoods submerged due to the exceptional flooding of the Congo River and its tributaries over the last sixty years. The impact of the rains to date on the population already far exceeds the number of people affected over the OND period during the floods in 2021 (164,679 people_Evaluation with the Government) and 2022 (222,000 people).
According to experts, this rainfall is twice as heavy as the usual average. The deadly floods and heavy rains continue. The same source reported that the floods had caused 17 deaths in the departments of Likouala, Plateaux, Brazzaville and Pointe-Noire.
6 people are missing in the Likouala and Cuvette departments. In all, more than 2,292 hectares of farmland were flooded.
On 16 December in the city of Bahía Blanca, south of the Province of Buenos Aires, gusts of over 140 kms per hour not only affected access to services such as electricity and water, but also had an impact on urban infrastructure and homes. On 18 December the Governor of the Province of Buenos Aires decreed a State of Emergency for 30 days for the entire territory of the Province, which was made official in the Official Gazette.
During a health screening event held for migrants in in Kulhudhuffushi City, a northern province of the Maldives during 01st - 02nd
December 2023, 25 positive cases of Lymphatic Filariasis was identified. Following the identification in Kulhudhuffushi City, health
screening activities were also carried out in Greater Male' Area, the capital which resulted in the identification of additional 07 cases. All
the positive cases identified so far are migrants. The Health Protection Agency (HPA) reports that the source of the disease is likely from
migrant individuals who have travelled to the Maldives from regions where the disease is endemic identifying Bahar, Uttar Pradesh,
Gopalganj and Tamil Nadu India as well as Comilla , Bangladesh countries where these individuals have travelled to the Maldives in the
past 06 months
Livelihood and food insecurity vulnerabilities continue to be of great concern in the Southern African Development Community (SADC). Similarly, in Eswatini, the persistent dry spells further exacerbates the country's existing challenges of food insecurity. For successive years, Eswatini has been battling with prolonged drought whose effect on agriculture were further escalated by socio-economic cumulative challenges that the country did not overcome. ACAPS classification of the food insecurity in Eswatini on 30th November was high. 25% of the population is concerned by the food insecurity vulnerabilities with challenge accessing food needs and water insecure, with many households still reliant on welfare and social safety nets.
In the morning hours of Monday 18 December 2023, a major explosion occurred at Guinea's primary oil terminal situated in the Kaloum administrative district of Conakry, blowing out the windows of several nearby homes and forcing hundreds to flee. The incident led to a massive fire and the release of dense black smoke, visible from a considerable distance. Swiftly, firefighters arrived at the scene, while several tanker trucks departed from the depot, escorted by soldiers and police for protection. Even after the firefighters successfully brought the fire under control later in the day, a thick column of smoke and some flames remained visible. It is worth noting that Guinea does not produce oil and lacks oil refining capabilities. Instead, it relies on importing refined products, which are primarily stored in the Kaloum terminal and distributed throughout the country via trucks.
The current extent of the damage sustained by the terminal remains uncertain at this moment. However, this unfortunate incident has resulted in the loss of both lives and properties. The initial report on human casualties indicates that there are at least 12 fatalities, 190 individuals injured, and several people still missing. The injured have been promptly evacuated to Donka and Ignace Deen hospitals, while the deceased have been transported to the respective morgues. The current situation does not provide a definite count of the displaced individuals and the overall number of affected people. Nevertheless, the ongoing process of registration and assessment is already mentioning more than six thousands people being affected. Further data collection ongoing by Government and RC will offer a comprehensive understanding of the extent of the damage and the number of individuals requiring assistance. This information will be provided in SitRep#2.
Anthrax outbreak was confirmed on 29th November 2023 in Kabira, Kasasa and Lwankoni sub-counties in Kyotera district. According to the district surveillance team, Kyotera district anthrax possibly started in June 2023 on a farm in Kkyamayembe Sub-County following the consumption of meat of a dead cow. The victims presented with various signs including itchy rash, swelling and skin lesions. In early July, the first human death was reported and 24 animal deaths by October 31,2023. The consumption of meat of the dead animals continued and 3 humans developed signs of the disease. (IFRC, 15 Dec 2023)
Successive days of cumulative heavy rains were witness in Angola which brought significant floods on 30th November. According to the Angolan Civil Protection and Fire service (SPCB) preliminary data estimates 30 deaths, 5,292 affected households (26,460 people).
Besides 10,895 households have seen their crops under water. In total, 15 of the 18 Provinces are affected, with the most critical being Luanda, Huambo, Bie, Malanje and Cuanza Norte. The Government continues with Assessments at country level.
On 20 November around 5.30 UTC (16.30 local time) the Ulawun volcano, located in the northern New Britain Island in eastern Papua New Guinea, approximately 125 km south-west of Rabaul Town, started to erupt. The explosive eruption produced a plume that reached up to 18 km above sea level dispersing ash to the west. A significant pyroclastic flow occurred during the activity.
Media report, as of 21 November, a number of preventively evacuated people across the area nearby the volcano and some canceled flights from the Hoskins Town airport.
On 20 November the aviation colour code has been raised to red from the Darwin Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre (VAAC) and as of 21 November at 7.00 UTC it remains still in force.
EQ-2025-000054-TUR Earthquake,Turkey: Multiple earthquakes, the largest with a magnitude of 6.2 Richter Scale, occurred in the Marmara Region of Türkiye starting at 12:49 PM on 23 April 2025.
The epicenter of the earthquakes is approximately at the central point of the Marmara Sea. Istanbul has a population of more than 20 million people.
EP-2025-000052-AFG Epidemic,Afghanistan: The epidemiological curve of suspected measles cases has shown a steady increase since the beginning of 2025. The trend in 2025 is higher than the 3-years average (2022-2024). During week 14-2025, a total of 3,200 suspected cases and 15 associated deaths (CFR=0.5%) were reported which shows a 23.6% increase in the number of suspected cases compared to the preceding week. (9 Apr 2025)
CE-2025-000051-PAK Complex Emergency,Pakistan: Since 1 November 2023, the Government of Pakistan has implemented the Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Program (IFRP), with intermittent pauses. In March 2025, authorities issued a notification advising Afghan Citizen Card (ACC) holders and undocumented Afghan nationals to voluntarily leave the country by 31 March 2025, thereafter deportations will commence with the effect from from 1 April 2025. In the period between November 2023 and March 2025, a total of 842,429 Afghan nationals returned to Afghanistan. Of these, 40,677 individuals were deported while 51,196 returned voluntarily through facilitated processes.
Currently, the Afghan population in Pakistan includes 1.43 million Proof of Registration (PoR) card holders, 800,700 ACC holders, and 143,900 unregistered members of registered families. The government estimates there are approximately 1.7 million undocumented Afghan nationals, although precise records are unavailable. Among the registered population, 444,439 individuals reside in refugee villages (camps), while 990,947 live outside these areas.
UNHCR-IOM latest Flash update on 11 April 2025, reported the return of 19,334 Afghans while the report shared on 17 April 2025 indicate that 55,426 Afghans returned in the week of 6-12 April 2025, through the Torkham, Ghulam Khan (located in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Chaman, Badini and Bahramcha (located in Baluchistan) border crossing points to Afghanistan.
On the other hand, for the implementation of Illegal Foreigner Repatriation Plan (IFRP) the government has established a process that includes establishment of 44 holding centers across four provinces of the country. Of the total holding centers 38 have been established in Punjab, one in Sindh, two in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), and three in Baluchistan. Forced returnees are processed at the provincial holding centres before being transported to designated border crossing points, while voluntary returnees can directly approach the holding centers at crossing points.
