Idai disaster: Stranded victims still need rescue from heavy rains as UN scales up response (21.03.2019)

The World Food Programme (WFP) said that people are still stranded on rooftops after the storm began its sweep through Mozambique, Malawi and Zimbabwe six days ago.

NEW YORK, United States of America, March 21, 2019 – Dire conditions persist in vast areas of southern Africa affected by Cyclone Idai as heavy rain continues to cause “massive destruction”, the UN said on Thursday, while aid teams scale up efforts to reach those most in need.

Warning that the situation is likely to deteriorate, the World Food Programme (WFP) said that people are still stranded on rooftops after the storm began its sweep through Mozambique, Malawi and Zimbabwe six days ago.

In Mozambique alone, the agency is seeking more than $121 million to help 1.7 million people affected through the next three months, WFP spokesperson Hervé Verhoosel said, after the Government declared a state of national emergency.

Sofala and Manica provinces were worst-hit, and extensive damage has been caused to major roads and bridges which are now impassable.

Power networks have also been severed and are unlikely to be restored for several weeks, while thousands have lost their homes, Mr. Verhoosel told journalists in Geneva, noting that WFP drones are being used to help locate stranded populations.

Thousands isolated, entire villages ‘wiped out’

According to Mozambique’s National Disaster Management Institute (INGC), more than 100,000 people are still “isolated” and without assistance in Chimoio, Dombe and other locations in Manica province.

The situation “is likely to deteriorate even more and the numbers of people affected is expected to increase as it is raining there as we speak”, Mr. Verhoosel added.

To date, WFP has provided food assistance to more than 20,000 people in Sofala, Manica, Tete and Zambezia; it aims to reach 600,000 people in the next four weeks.

But with aerial assessments over Mozambique’s Buzi valley showing “entire villages wiped out”, Mr. Verhoosel stressed that needs are likely to far outstrip initial estimates.

“It is clear that the number of 600,000 will definitely go up in the coming days,” Mr. Verhoosel said. “That has of course (an) implication on cost. If we help 600,000 people for three months, that is a cost of $42 million. If we need to help up to 1.7 million people for three months, that will be a cost of $121.5 million. Obviously, we don’t have that money today.”

Zimbabwe’s Chimanimani district hardest-hit

In Zimbabwe, 200,000 people urgently need food assistance in the coming three months, according to WFP.

Conditions in the hardest-hit district, Chimanimani, are severe, Mr Verhoosel explained, with 90 per cent of property significantly damaged.

Chimanimani is located in Manicaland province in eastern Zimbabwe, where heavy rains in both Manicaland and neighbouring Masvingo province to the south “continue to cause massive destruction”, according to WFP.

To respond to urgent needs, the agency is seeking more than $5 million to provide food, air and logistical support for the flood response.

More than $10 million required for Malawi flood response

In Malawi, where Cyclone Idai had a limited impact, 920,000 have been affected by flooding that began on 5 March, according to the Government.

People are beginning to return home and WFP has started food distributions to the worst-hit districts of Nsanje, Phalombe, Chikwawa and Zomba.

In the next two months, the agency plans to reach 650,000 people, an operation that will cost $10.3 million.

Underscoring the huge logistical challenges of the aid operation, Mr. Verhoosel explained that a WFP airplane reached the Mozambican port of Beira soon after the disaster happened, in extremely difficult conditions.

Aid has to be unloaded by hand, ‘box by box’

“That was probably the first cargo (plane) to land,” he said. “The food from that cargo is not yet fully distributed. The problem that we have is more the access…because most of the people are on rooftops or in a place that we cannot access by road.”

Mr. Verhoosel also highlighted ongoing challenges in Beira, where 90 per cent of the port city was damaged by Idai.

“In the port for the moment, you have no infrastructure,” he said, adding that the situation was the same at the airport, where people had to unload food by hand, “box by box”.

“In Beira, the level of water is not the same as in the countryside… inland, the problem is that you have basically water all around,” Mr Verhoosel said.

UNFPA protecting health and well-being of women

The UN Population Fund (UNFPA), is providing humanitarian assistance to Mozambique in the aftermath of Idai, to protect the health and well-being of women, through services for sexual and reproductive health and prevention of and response to gender-based violence (GBV).

Given the urgent needs, UNFPA said it was providing the following relief:

  • Supporting 19 mobile clinics in hard-to-reach areas.
  • Providing 2,000 dignity kits to the most vulnerable women and girls.
  • Providing 19 tents for mobile SRH services.
  • Providing 240 emergency reproductive kits to cover the needs of more than 300,000 affected people, including delivery kits for communities and hospitals, post-rape treatment kits, and kits for prevention and treatment of sexually transmitted infections.
  • Supporting GBV case management and psychosocial services for GBV survivors.

UN Report states that armed groups comes from destabilizing neighbouring countries into the DRC!

On ReliefWeb today, there was released a United Nations Security Council Report dated back to the 12th March 2019. What is vital about this report, is that what has been in the press and not been verified. Is not clearly stated in the print and reports of the United Nations. That is a very tough bargain, as the UNSC shouldn’t release reports, which is false or not verified by either its witnesses, its experts or its investigators. This is no in concern with the armed groups that is crossing into the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) from Uganda and Rwanda.

There been reports about the FDLR and Rwanda National Congress crossing into Uganda in December 2018, until now it hasn’t been verified. The UN is not saying why they crossed into the the DRC or where they came from, but the arrests and extradition was served to Rwanda. That is why, the previous reported stories in connections seems more likeable. We can wonder, why the UN didn’t verify the meetings in Kisoro, Uganda too, as it was in connection with the arrests being made in the DRC.

Alas, there are more, which is striking, because the language is dense, but still settling the score between the DRC towards the Uganda/Rwanda, who both are known for conning in the neighbour republic. They are stating it directly in this report, without no shadow of a doubt.

On 15 December, FARDC arrested the spokesperson and deputy head of intelligence of the Forces démocratiques de libération du Rwanda (FDLR), and media sources reported their extradition to Rwanda in January. While the extradition and repatriation of disarmed FDLR combatants weakened the group, FDLR remained active. On 16 and 17 December, seven FARDC soldiers were reportedly killed in two separate attacks by suspected FDLR rebels. Military operations in December and January against an FDLR splinter group, Conseil national pour le renouveau et la démocratie-Ubwiyunge, forced the latter to abandon positions in North Kivu and move into South Kivu” (UN, 2019).

Participants called for continued cooperation among the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda and Uganda to complete the repatriation of disarmed FDLR combatants and their dependants from the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo and of former M23 combatants and dependants from Rwanda and Uganda” (UN, 2019).

In furtherance of the second national commitment, namely, to “consolidate State authority, particularly in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, including to prevent armed groups from destabilizing neighbouring countries”, Congolese authorities closed FDLR transit camps in the east in November 2018 and repatriated 1,634 disarmed FDLR combatants and dependants, some of whom were previously detained, pursuant to a bilateral agreement with Rwanda” (UN, 2019).

During its fourth meeting, held on 24 January in Nairobi, the follow-up mechanism adopted a timetable for screening and sensitization missions to Uganda and Rwanda, to advance the repatriation of former M23 members, as well as a mission to Rwanda to monitor the reintegration of former FDLR combatants and their dependants. From 15 to 22 February, representatives of my Special Envoy, together with representatives of the Governments of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda and Uganda, the Expanded Joint Verification Mission and MONUSCO, visited camps hosting former M23 members in Rwanda and Uganda. Previously, from 11 to 13 February, the Office of my Special Envoy and the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region had conducted an assessment visit to the headquarters of the follow-up mechanism on ADF, located in Kasese, Uganda. While the Democratic Republic of the Congo has deployed a representative to serve on the mechanism, the delayed contribution of personnel by participating States and logistical challenges continue to hamper the operations of the follow-up mechanism” (UN, 2019).

It is really significant that it comes within the paradigm of the tenseness between Rwanda and Uganda. That the UNSC releases this report this way, that its showing the FDLR, M23 among others. Which has gotten support from Uganda/Rwanda in the past, while doing their deeds in Eastern Congo. We can clearly wonder, why they verify it now and has this report for the Secretary-General of the UN.

Because, that means the UN is taking the situation seriously and needs to see action. As the destabilizing neighbours are continuing to persist in the region, as well as it didn’t state. Cross over into themselves and create issues there. Like the MRCD or parts of the ex-FDLR are doing together with the RNC.

It is really significant what was compiled in this, by all means the connections and even the stated wording of it. That the states even hamper with the operations of the follow-up mechanism. Shows, there is clear intent from the parties, to continue to destabilizing the DRC.

Surely, someone will torn by this report. Peace.

Reference:

United Nations Security Council – ‘Implementation of the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework for the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Region – Report of the Secretary-General’ (12.03.2019)

Brexit: Working Document – European Council (Article 50) meeting (21 March 2019) – Draft conclusion (21.03.2019)

Brexit: TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady letter to Prime Minister Theresa May (21.03.2019)

Kenya: Thirdway Alliance – State of the Nation: Is the Starvation Experienced in 12 Counties Really Caused by Drought and Famine, Or is in Fact Caused by Failed Leadership and Theft of Public Money? (21.03.2019)

South Sudan: The South Sudan Civil Society Forum demands fair trial for South Sudan Peace activist Peter Biar Ajak and others (20.03.2019)

RDC: ECCHA-RDC – Declaration (21.03.2019)

Rwanda: The Turnout of FDU-Inkingi Members to Attend the Show Trial of their Members sends Shivers in the Spine of Rwanda Security Services (20.03.2019)

Brexit: Theresa May’s Lackluster Presser!

I agree. I am on your side. It is now time for MPs to decide” – Theresa May, 20th March 2019

The end of the saga is supposed to be on the 29th March 2019. Nothing is keeping up to phase, as the Prime Minister is scrambling for more time to push down the throats of the Members in Parliament, the Withdrawal Agreement, which they have already voted down twice. Alas, she still wants to buy time. This after using two years negotiating a terrible deal and a abysmal legacy of her time in office.

What we can say today, is that Prime Minster Theresa May went total Jose Mourinho, blaming the captain, the club, the sports director, the referee and the even the grass. The wind, the ball and the possible rain-fall. That is what she did today. This will not be on better the terms between her or the Parliament itself. The European Commission leaders have already told that they will not accept an extension, unless it is prospects of a deal accepted by the Parliament. Alas, that is not the case at this moment. Because, the deal are so terrible, not the Tories nor the Opposition wants to eat it. It is not edible, still in her pride. The PM is blaming them for voting it down, twice today.

So far Parliament has done everything possible to avoid making a choice. All MPs have been willing to say is what they do not want” – Theresa May (today).

Calling it politics and in-fighting, when her party and her secretaries haven’t delivered a single outstanding offer, other than empty promises and pledges since the revoking of article 50 and securing the pastures of a non-member state in the European Union. They have just been dandy and walking softly in Brussels, while talking pleasant in London. That is just what they have done.

Now, the PM looks tired, late and on overtime already, with no where to hide or go. The Parliament are not accepting it. The Speaker have spoken too. The rules of engagement is really showing there is little room for success. Clearly, sleepwalking to “No-Deal” and WTO rules, which would be costly, squeezing the economy and the imports, also harden the border movement will be the possible future. But that is something the Tories doesn’t want to tell or say.

Other than, well we can manage that too. You’ll see, it is all scaremongering and nonsense, saying it will be damaging. Nah, it is just hearsay, even if Calais and others has shown signs of the new protocol of export and importing through our ports. Well, that will not hurt us all.

So, instead of showing some finesse and that she had resolved anything. The PM just blamed everyone else. Not taking blame or seeing what she has done wrong herself. Instead, blaming the MPs and looking foolish again.

If, the Brexit could become more abysmal, more disgraceful or more distasteful. This was it, where the culprit, the leader, the one whose supposed to lead and fix it. Has given up and trying to still sell a tragic deal, on the sake of her ego and pride. Not for the betterment of the United Kingdom. Just to save her own skin. It looks unwise, it looks dumb.

Time to show some flex and character. Instead, it was more blame-game. Peace.

Brexit: Prime Minister Theresa May letter to President of European Council Donald Tusk (20.03.2019)