Displaying items by tag: Humanitarian Crisis

A ship carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza has left Cyprus, marking the first maritime shipment of aid to the war-torn region. It aims to deliver 200 tons of food aid, equivalent to around 500,000 meals, directly to Gaza. The initiative comes amidst growing concerns over famine and malnutrition in the enclave, exacerbated by Israel's restrictions on aid distribution. However, concerns persist regarding the effectiveness of maritime and air-dropped aid compared to traditional deliveries by truck. The ongoing efforts are critical as Gaza faces acute shortages of essential supplies, with rising numbers of children dying from malnutrition and dehydration. Israel has been accused by humanitarian officials of arbitrary and contradictory criteria regarding access. In another development, the US senate majority leader has called for Benjamin Netanyahu to step down: see

On 17 January the US military launched a fourth round of missile strikes targeting Houthi-controlled sites in Yemen, aiming to prevent imminent threats to merchant vessels and US Navy ships in the region. These actions come after months of Houthi attacks on ships in the Red Sea, causing disruptions in trade between Asia and Europe. The Houthis, backed by Iran and controlling most of Yemen, claim their actions are in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. The Biden administration has now decided to designate them as ‘global terrorists’, reversing a decision made in 2021; however, some commentators felt that Biden was ‘playing with fire’, possibly worsening an already dire humanitarian situation in Yemen. Despite sanctions and previous military operations by US and British forces against the Houthis, they continue to target numerous vessels. The Pentagon press secretary confirmed that the US would persist in taking military action to try to prevent further attacks.

On 12 October, Israel said there would be no humanitarian break to its ‘total siege’ of the Gaza Strip until all its hostages were freed, even though the Red Cross pleaded for fuel to be allowed in to prevent overwhelmed hospitals from ‘turning into morgues’. Israel has vowed to annihilate the Hamas movement which rules Gaza, in retribution for the deadly attack on 7 October, when hundreds of gunmen poured across the barrier fence and rampaged through Israeli towns. The death toll in Israel is at least 1,300, with more than 2,700 injured and about 150 taken hostage: in Gaza it is at least 1,400, with over 5,600 wounded. The only power station in the enclave has run out of fuel, and already some 340,000 have been made homeless by Israel’s bombing campaign. Hamas militants holding Israeli soldiers and civilians hostage have threatened to execute a captive for each home in Gaza hit without warning. Meanwhile, Israel has shelled towns in southern Lebanon in response to a fresh rocket attack by Hezbollah: see

Azerbaijan has arrested former Nagorno-Karabakh leader Ruben Vardanyan as he attempted to flee into Armenia amidst a mass exodus of ethnic Armenians. Azerbaijan recently regained control of Karabakh in a rapid offensive, causing widespread displacement and a humanitarian crisis. The region, internationally recognised as part of Azerbaijan, has a predominantly ethnic Armenian population. Azerbaijan claims it wants peaceful reintegration and guarantees of civic rights, but faces accusations of ethnic cleansing as thousands of Armenians have fled in fear. The EU and Germany have expressed concern and called for international observers, and the UN has called for an investigation into alleged violations of the right to life. Vardanyan's arrest comes as Azerbaijan seeks to prosecute separatist leaders. The situation highlights Russia's diminished role as a security guarantor in the Caucasus region, with competing influences from Turkey, Iran, and the United States. As a result of the crisis, the current leader has said that the enclave will officially cease to exist with effect from 1 January 2024: see

Contrary to the common perception (‘Syria’s situation has settled, so Syrians no longer need urgent humanitarian aid’) conditions especially in the rebel-held northwest have been worsening. The Assad regime and Russia continue to block access to food, medicine and other vital necessities. The Covid pandemic, the war in Ukraine, and the consequent global economic downturn have exacerbated the crisis. Soaring inflation in neighbouring Turkey has also had a devastating effect on the economy in the region, where the Turkish lira is widely used along with the US dollar. Four million people in north-western Syria urgently need aid. Over 3.1 million internally displaced persons are food-insecure. Clean water is scarce. Cholera is spreading and there is a sharp decline in humanitarian aid. Pray for unconditional access to vital food and water to be guaranteed for all Syrians; International media coverage and fundraising campaigns to boost donations for the Syria crisis; and in the longer term, for Syrians to be able not merely to survive but to rebuild their lives and livelihoods.

Six years into an armed conflict that has killed and injured over 18,400 civilians, Yemen remains the largest humanitarian crisis in the world and the world's worst food security crisis (20.1 million people, two-thirds of the population, need food assistance). On 2 August the warring parties agreed to extend a UN-brokered truce for another two months. The truce has brought the longest period of relative calm in over seven years and a significant decrease in civilian casualties and increased humanitarian access. The UN is seeking an extended and expanded truce to provide a platform for further trust-building, discussions on economic priorities, and establishing a permanent ceasefire. Turning the truce into a political agreement is challenging due to deep mistrust, competing agendas among the groups vying for power, and different ideas about what a peace process looks like. Pray for the UN to successfully reopen roads and negotiate nationwide salary payments.

Last week we prayed for North Korea after Covid reached it. The World Council of Churches (WCC) has now warned of a major humanitarian crisis. There are rising Covid cases (currently 1.2 million) and 50+ deaths. 5% of the population is being monitored. The population is unvaccinated, and without adequate ventilators or other essential supplies the risk of an unprecedented death toll is very high. This outbreak greatly compounds the pre-existing humanitarian situation, particularly related to food insecurity. The WCC is calling for urgent humanitarian responses by the international community which are equal to the gravity of the crisis. In particular, newly developed antivirals such as Paxlovid must be provided as a matter of urgency, as well as diagnostics, ventilators, PPE, vaccines, and other medical needs, as well as essential food supplies. WCC wants centralised coordinated approaches through the UN, and for current sanctions to be lifted as a matter of fundamental ethical and humanitarian responsibility.

On 17 November Belarus provided temporary shelter for 1,000 freezing hungry migrants camping on its border with Poland, wanting to enter the EU. For months, thousands of men, women and children have been amassing at Belarus's western borders. Belarus has been accused of pushing migrants, mostly from Iraq, to the border to destabilise the EU. Belarus's long-time authoritarian leader, Alexander Lukashenko, has denied luring migrants to the border in revenge for EU sanctions. Iraqi Airways confirmed it would send a plane to Belarus on 18 December to take its citizens home. The EU has asked Middle Eastern countries to stop flights to Belarus; several have agreed. Poland, with EU backing, is determined not to let the migrants into the bloc and warned that the border and humanitarian crisis may go on for months. The situation will not be resolved quickly. See also

Kasia Wappa lives by Poland’s national park where a humanitarian crisis is unfolding on a scale not seen since World War 2. She is part of a network trying to save emaciated Middle Eastern immigrants who have been emerging from the wilderness since September. Most had spent days without food or water and were suffering from hypothermia and exhaustion. Some were sick from drinking swamp water. Kasia began by donating warm clothes, and now helps rescue parties retrieve lost and starving people from the woods. But the flow of migrants has increased, and she warns that many probably never make it. Ten deaths have been confirmed, and they have rescued many on the verge of dying. The Polish government has built a three-kilometre deep security cordon the length of its Belarus border to curb illegal immigration. All reporters are banned, creating a media blackout to hide the scale of the crisis. Rescuers now behave like insurgents, operating at night and evading police patrols.

Afghanistan is facing the biggest humanitarian crisis in the world. International funds which propped up the country’s fragile economy have stopped as the world debates how to deal with the Taliban. The UN has issued a stark warning - millions will die if urgent aid does not reach Afghanistan soon. A BBC video revealed a family forced to sell their baby to feed the rest of the family and other dire situations.  22.8 million people facing acute food insecurity. 3.2 million children under five could suffer acute malnutrition. The Taliban takeover weakened a fragile economy heavily dependent on foreign aid. Western powers, the World Bank, and the International Monetary Fund have suspended aid on this aid-dependent nation.