GDACS Daily Newsletter for 1/31/2012

Global Disaster Alert and Coordination System Global Disaster Alert and Coordination System — Newsletter 1/31/2012

This daily newsletter provides an overview of the natural disasters that happened in the last 24 hours and response measures for ongoing disasters. GDACS currently covers earthquakes, tsunamis, tropical cyclones, volcanic eruptions and floods. The color coding (red, orange, green) is related to the estimated humanitarian impact of the event.

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Disaster events in the last 24 hours

GDACS detected the following potential disasters. For up-to-date media coverage, latest maps and ReliefWeb content related to these disasters, please go to GDACS homepage.

Current tropical cyclones (source JRC and Pacific Disaster Center)

Automatic impact report (JRC) IGGY-12 in SEIndian
PDC—31 Jan 2012

Tropical Cyclone IGGY-12 of Saffir-Simpson Category 1 affected few people with winds above 39mph (63 km/h) and few people with hurricane wind strengths (74mph or 119 km/h). In addition, few people are living in coastal areas below 5m and can therefore be affected by storm surge.

Discussions in Virtual OSOCC

The GDACS Virtual OSOCC is a forum for emergency managers. If you are involved in an ongoing emergency as a local emergency management authority or as an international responder, please provide your information in the GDACS Virtual OSOCC. The following emergencies are currently open.

No open emergencies

ReliefWeb Situation Reports

More content on ongoing disasters on ReliefWeb.

occupied Palestinian territory: The Access Restricted Areas in the Gaza Strip: Update January-December 2011 Mon, 30 Jan 2012 16:47:54 +0000
Source:  Al Mezan Center for Human Rights, Al-Dameer, EWASH, Palestinian Centre for Human Rights, UN Mine Action Service, UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights Country:  occupied Palestinian territory

This update is issued by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) as coordinator of the Protection Cluster in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt). It has been jointly prepared by members of the Protection Cluster Working Group in the Gaza Strip, including: UNICEF, UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR), Al Dameer Association for Human Rights, Al Mezan Centre for Human Rights, UNESCO, UN Mine Action Team (UNMAT) and the Emergency Water and Sanitation Hygiene Group (EWASH).

The violence surrounding the conflict in the Gaza Strip has affected scores of civilians in many different areas. This update highlights protection of civilian concerns in the Access Restricted Areas (ARA) in the Gaza Strip only ? the sea and land areas in Gaza bordering Israel. It covers the period of January to December 2011.

Overview of the situation

Israeli authorities have continued to impose an illegal blockade on the Gaza Strip, placing physical and administrative restrictions on the movement of people and goods. This includes imposing a ?buffer zone?, or an access restricted area (ARA) on land and sea. Restricted land includes the ?no-go? zone, which covers the area between 0 - 500 metres from the Israeli fence where access is totally prohibited, and the ?high risk? zone, which covers the area from 500 - 1,500 metres up to the fence. Along most of Gaza?s coast, the restricted area begins at three nautical miles (NM) from shore1.
It is estimated that the ARA covers approximately 62.6 square kilometres - approximately 35% of Gaza?s cultivable land and 85% of Gaza?s maritime area ? making these areas totally or partially inaccessible to Palestinians2. Various forms of violence continue to be used by Israeli Forces to enforce these restrictions including: airstrikes, incursions, land levelling operations, firing of warning shots and the targeting with live ammunition Palestinian civilians living and working in these areas. In addition, Palestinian armed groups use the ARA for carrying out various military activities against Israeli targets. The overall situation in the ARA continues to have a negative impact on Palestinian civilian life and property in the Gaza Strip and is limiting the provision and access to essential services such as education, health, shelter, water and sanitation.

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Mozambique: Southern Africa Floods and Cyclones Situation Update# 1 Mon, 30 Jan 2012 16:10:01 +0000
Source:  UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Country:  Mozambique, Madagascar, Malawi, Namibia, South Africa

I. HIGHLIGHTS/KEY PRIORITIES

? Tropical Cyclone Funso is still in the Mozambique Channel, bringing rainfall to the coasts of Mozambique and Madagascar, but not expected to make landfall.

? More than 51,000 have been affected by flooding in southern Mozambique alone, and information is expected shortly on the impact of Tropical Cyclone Funso in central and northern Mozambique.

? In southern Malawi, rescue and evacuation operations are underway in flood-affected areas. An estimated 4,000 people are affected.

? Flooding has occurred in the provinces of Limpopo and Mpumalanga in South Africa, affecting hundreds of people; one municipality in Limpopo Province declared a disaster area.

? Rainfall is expected to continue over Mozambique and Malawi during the next two weeks, which could worsen flood conditions.

Ethiopia: Humanitarian Bulletin - Weekly Humanitarian Highlights in Ethiopia, 30 January 2012 Mon, 30 Jan 2012 15:51:28 +0000
Source:  UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Country:  Ethiopia, Somalia

Food Assistance Update

Eighth round relief food dispatches are nearing completion nationwide, with 96 per cent of total relief food dispatched as of 24 January. Dispatch to areas covered by the Disaster Risk Management and Food Security Sector (DRMFSS) was completed at the end of December, while dispatch to areas covered by the NGO consortium Joint Emergency Operations (JEOP) stands at 89 per cent, and to areas covered by WFP?s Hubs-and-Spokes programme in the Somali Region at 96 per cent. WFP relief food dispatches in Somali Region for the ninth round (2011), distribution of which began in January 2012, stood at 16 per cent as of the same date. For more information, contact: wfp.addisababa@wfp.org

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UNOSAT Maps

See all maps produced by UNOSAT.

No content published since yesterday.

ReliefWeb Maps

More maps in ReliefWeb Map Centre.

South Sudan (Republic of): South Sudan: Humanitarian Snapshot (as of 27 January 2012) Tue, 31 Jan 2012 00:45:07 +0000
Country:  South Sudan (Republic of) Source:  ReliefWeb, UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Paraguay: Paraguay: Drought (as of 27 January 2012) - Location Map Mon, 30 Jan 2012 21:39:20 +0000

Link: Paraguay: Drought - DREF Operation Bulletin (MDRPY011) - 30 Jan 2012

Country:  Paraguay Source:  IFRC Mozambique: Mozambique - Gaza Flood as of January 28, 2012- Disaster Extent Overview Mon, 30 Jan 2012 09:33:12 +0000

On January 16, 2012, Mozambique?s coast was hit by the tropical depression ?Dando? followed by cyclone ?Funso?. With wind speeds up to 220 km/h and torrential rains the storms have caused severe damages and floods.

About 13,000 people as well as communication and infrastructure along the coast have been affected.

Country:  Mozambique Source:  German Aerospace Center

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Created on 1/31/2012 8:02:06 AM.