ASIA-PACIFIC INTER-AGENCY REGIONAL OVERVIEW EL … · • Awareness raising sessions on child nutrition and diet diversity (IND) Asia-Pacific Regional Overview - El Niño 4 May 2016

ASIA-PACIFIC INTER-AGENCY REGIONAL OVERVIEWEL NIÑO (as of May 9th 2016)

This overview collates available evidence on the devastating impact of El

Niño across the region. It provides country overviews information on

national and local level impacts, needs and responses. The countries

featured include Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Papua

New Guinea, The Philippines, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Vanuatu and Viet

Nam.

Note the total number of affected and funding summary information

shown in this overview is incomplete and needs further updates from all

organizations responding to El Nino in Asia-Pacific.

Save the Children would like to thank CARE, World Vision, People in

Need, Plan, Oxfam, UNOCHA, and the Swiss Agency for Development

and Cooperation for providing updates and data for this brief.

9 May 2016Asia-Pacific Regional Overview - El Niño 2

About this Brief

Impact of El Niño on the region


Asia and the Pacific

Mongolia:

313,580 people affected, incl.

28,290 children under 5

Myanmar:

143,000 children

under 5 affected by

floods

India:

330 million

people affected

Cambodia:

2.5 million

people affected

Indonesia:

1.2 million people in

need of assistance

Vanuatu:

69,000 people affected

Timor-Leste:

400,000 people in

affected municipalities

Papua New Guinea:

1.8 million people affected

The Philippines:

12 million people

estimated to be affected

Viet Nam:

2.3 million people affected

Thailand:

Reservoir levels

reduced by 40-50%

32.5 million people

affected in 10 countries

in Asia Pacific

(not including India)

What happens if we do not act?

WHAT HISTORY TEACHES US

El Niño in 1997-98: 23,000 deaths and 35-45 billion USD in damages globally and had devastating impacts on the region:

• It caused a 15% spike in poverty rates in some countries.

• In Indonesia, 5 million people were affected by drought.

• In the Philippines, 2.6 million people were affected by drought.

• The Indonesian Government was forced to import 5.8 million tons of rice due to crop failures; the Philippines

imported 2.2 million tons.

• In Cambodia, an additional 100,000 participants were enrolled into WFP Food for Work scheme.

• In Papua New Guinea, 336,000 people were food insecure.

• Forest fires in Indonesia burned 5 million hectares and increased global temperatures. It cost governments in

the region up to 45 billion USD.

• Families and those reliant on agricultural livelihoods were forced to take negative coping mechanisms. Many had to

sell livestock or migrated in search of work.

• 250 million people across the region were left without shelter and possessions after La Niña flooding in 1998.


What happens if we do not act?

Comparing 2015-2016 to 1997-1998

• Past El Niño events and weather forecasts for the next few months indicate the crisis will

intensify in the region with millions more suffering if no action is taken.

• The current El Niño is comparable to the 1997-98 El Niño in terms of severity, but:

• unlike the 1997-98 El Niño that followed a relatively neutral year in 1996, 2014 witnessed

several months of a mild El Niño;

• although the worst of the 2015-16 El Niño has passed, it has already stretched over a longer

timeframe than the 1997-98 El Niño.


Current Response I

Food Security and

Livelihoods

• Cash transfers to help families cope with

reductions in income due to failed crops

(INO)

• Fodder distribution to support livestock

(MNG)

• Seed packet distribution (T-L)

• Awareness sessions on agricultural approaches

(T-L)

• Food distribution, such as rice, (PNG, VN)


Overview of inter-agency activity

Water, Hygiene and

Sanitation

• Distribution of WASH NFIs (PNG)

• Hygiene promotion training (PNG)

• Water filters for HH and schools (VN)

• Providing water containers to households (T-L)

• Installing community water storage tanks

(Vanuatu)

• Installing water supply facilities, including water

pipes and wells (VN)

• Mobile health clinics (VAN)

Current Response II

Nutrition

• Nutrition assessments among children after reports on

malnutrition (PNG)

• Awareness raising sessions on child nutrition and diet diversity

(IND)



Education

• Awareness raising sessions on education access, in response to

negative coping strategies (IND)

• Catch-up-schooling for children of herder families (MNG)

Health

• Providing fuel to hospitals, to

provide healthcare to herder

communities (MNG)

• Providing psycho-social support

to children (MNG)

• Vaccination campaigns (PNG)

Planned Response I

Food Security and

Livelihoods

• Cash-for-food transfers for households with

children of under 5 (VN)

• Expanding already existing cash transfer

schemes (INO)

• Improving access to agricultural inputs to

return to crop yields to pre-PAM Cyclone

levels (VAN)

• Improved seed storage to improve resilience

(T-L)



Water, Hygiene and

Sanitation

• Improve hygiene knowledge and good practice

(PNG)

• Providing drinking water (THL)

• Improving access to clean water (VN)

• Providing water containers (water tanks and

filters)(VN)

• Water purification treatment (T-L)

• Improving protection of water sources that are

currently unprotected and might (T-L)

Planned Response II

Nutrition

• Provision of MNP for children (VN)

• Nutrition programming for children (PNG)

• Nutrition scanning at existing health posts

(T-L)



Education

• Improving school WASH facilities (CAM,T-L)

• IEC materials will be distributed (CAM)

Health

• Improving access at targeted health care posts

(PNG)

• Following increases in cases of dengue, diarrhea,

and foot and mouth diseases among livestock,

improve access to water (VN)

Asia-Pacific Regional Overview - El Niño 4 May 2016 10

Country Specific Overviews

Cambodia


KEY FINDINGS

• El Niño induced high temperatures and low rainfall have resulted in water shortages for

both human consumption and dry season crops throughout Cambodia.

• 12 out of 25 provinces are severely affected.

• At the end of 2015, already 93,503 families were affected by the drought in Cambodia.

• The most urgent needs are WASH and FSL related.

• In Koh Kong province, the most common coping strategies are taking out loans to deal

with the affects of El Niño, migrating out of Koh Kong to Thailand, and changing daily

diet.

• The Prime Minister has issued a public call for saving water during the wet season and

army forces have been deployed to deliver water to affected communities. There is

generally low capacity to respond to the crisis at local government level.

• Children are highly at risk of long-term impacts of drought (malnutrition, migration,

children left behind by migrating parents, lack of education/drop out of school to support

families with livelihoods).

APPEAL: No appeal has been launched

SECTORS AFFECTED

Food Security

and

Livelihoods

Water,

Sanitation and

Hygiene2.5 million

people affected*Number of children

affected not known

Health*Source: Vice-president of the National Committee for Disaster Management (NCDM), Nhim Vanda, on May 5th

Cambodia

WASH

• El Niño induced drought coupled with increased

temperatures of up to 40 Degree Celsius in some places

has resulted in lowered water levels.

• The main rivers – Mekong River and Tonlé Sap – have low

water levels compared to most years.

• In March 2016, water shortages were being reported

across Koh Kong and Oddar Meanchey provinces, with

other provinces starting to report similar concerns.

• Koh Kong: an assessment by NGOs showed that HH daily

water consumption throughout March was far less than a

typical year.

• Water scarcity has also impacted personal and family

hygiene due to a lack of WASH coping mechanisms.

• There is not enough water to tend to livestock, to maintain

crops, and to grow seeds.

• HHs are now forced to buy water due to water shortages.


Overview of the impact

FSL and Household Income

• Crops have been planted later with many dying as

seedlings due to drought with some provinces reporting

90% crop failure. Kampong Speu, Battambang and Pursat

have suffered most.

• In the early months of the drought in 2015, already 185,451

hectares of agricultural land had suffered from dry

weather conditions.

• The low water levels in the Mekong have decreased fish

productivity and fertilizer availability.

• Especially those living in poverty are facing food shortages.

• Farmers in some parts of the country report they have

gotten into debt and have little means to repay it after the

likelihood of reduced profits from crop failures.

• The worst affected groups are the hand to mouth

families, small scale farming families and the poorest

families who have no capacity to manage water storage

for consumption.

Health

• The continuing drought and heat wave have increased health concerns, especially for vulnerable groups such as women, pregnant and

lactating mothers, children and elderly.

• The quality of water available has decreased, e.g. due to contamination, which has been associated with an increase of communicable

and water-borne diseases.

Cambodia

• People in Need in partnership with Save the Children

and CARE are launching a response in 20 villages in

Koh Kong Province. The initial response focuses on

FSL and WASH interventions.

• CARE International has 42,000 USD to provide

livelihoods and WASH support in Koh Kong; Ratankiri;

Mondulkiri; Krachi; Prey Veng.

The response is still being determined and will start as

soon as possible.

• Save the Children is monitoring the situation and will

be partaking in an inter-cluster assessment. The

planned response is still being developed, but WASH

will be focus point (e.g. IEC materials, WASH in

schools, water containers).

• World Vision are working to reach 47,028 beneficiaries

with 400 metric tonnes of food in the provinces of

Kampong Thom, Siem Reap and Preah Vihear.


Overview of the response (current and planned)

Summary *incomplete, need updates

Number affected:

2.5 million*

Funding Gap:

TBC

Number of beneficiaries targeted:

TBC

Funding status:

TBC

Sector needs:

FSL, WASH

Sectors targeted:

FSL, WASH

“My family faces so many difficulties due to the water

shortage, especially now that I have to buy water.”

Chet, a rice farmer in Mongkol Borey district’s Russei Krork

commune, explains the impacts of the drought on his family

*Source: Vice-president of the National Committee for Disaster Management (NCDM), Nhim Vanda, on May 5th

India


KEY FINDINGS

• One in four Indians are affected by the water shortage.

• More than 60% of people in 12 states (Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Odisha Jharkhand, Bihar, Haryana and Chattisgarh) have been affected by severe drought conditions and its effects.

• More than 160 people have died in 2016 from the high temperatures, this number is likely to rise if temperatures do not decline.

• The loss of agriculture and water scarcity have led to. food crisis, water crisis, fodder crisis, loss of livelihood and concomitant migration

• The price of sugar has increased by 18% compared to Q4 2015.

• The State Governments have requested Central Government support; the Central Government has pledged resources and has taken steps to address water scarcity.

APPEAL: An appeal has been launched for 67 million USD

SECTORS AFFECTED

Food Security

and

Livelihoods

Water,

Sanitation and

Hygiene

330 million

People affected

136 million

Children

affected

Education

Health

India

FSL

• Around 40% of all districts were declared as drought

affected.

• The situation in Bundelkhand Region of Uttar Pradesh and

Madhya Pradesh states of India and Marathwada Region of

Maharashtra State are the worst hit. In Bundelkhand and

Marathwada regions 80% of the people have been affected.

• Rainfall was twelve per cent less than normal in 2014, which

affected food grain production by ten million tons.

• Loss of agriculture and water scarcity have led to food-,

water- and fodder crisis, loss of livelihood and

concomitant migration.

• The small and marginal farmers, 85% of which are land

holders and the rest landless, are the worst affected.

• Women and children are most at risk as they traditionally

eat food last in the house and often undertake additional

activities to try and maintain the household income.



WASH & Health

• Water has become India’s scarcest resource.

• Rivers have dried up in a way not witnessed for 130 years

in some places.

• Rainfall was fourteen% lower than normal in 2015, with

water levels in reservoirs down by 30%.

• The Government is trying its best to provide water to the

most affected areas.

• More than 160 people have died in 2016 from the high

temperatures, this number is likely to rise if temperatures

do not decline.

• Children are especially vulnerable to the effects of the

heatwave, for example when engaging in farming activities,

playing in the sun, fetching water or living on the streets.

• Bundelkhand region, in Uttar Pradesh, is the most

neglected and worst affected by the drought, with high

scores of malnutrition and low birth weight.

Education• In April, schools have been closed due to the heatwave in a number of provinces, including Orissa and Telangana

India

• The Central Government has pledged resources

and water is being delivered (e.g. a train with 2.5

million litres water to the area of Latur).

However, this will not completely meet the needs

of those suffering and in need of urgent water

supplies.

• Save the Children India is currently focusing

on the three states: Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh

and Telanga. The immediate response targets

marginalized farming communities, daily wages

earners, and children in both urban and rural

areas. It will include cash transfers, installation of

sun shades, ORS distribution, drinking water

supply, water purification sachets. A long term

oriented activity will be the initiation of water

and soil conservation plans in coordination with

Local Self Governance Units.




Number affected:

TBC

Funding Gap:

TBC


TBC

Funding status:

TBC

Sector needs:

FSL, WASH, Health

Sectors targeted:

FSL, (incl. cash),WASH,Health

• World Vision are working to provide Food Security, WASH,

Livelihood/ Cash, Livestock support to 183,119 households

(806,973 people) in seven Area Development Program

locations in the drought hit districts in seven States including

Utter Pradesh, Andhara Pradesh, Maharastra, Karnataka,

Madhaya Pradesh, Odisha and Telengana. They have raised

USD 861,119 of the 3 million USD they require to meet the

needs assessed.

Indonesia


KEY FINDINGS

• The south and southeast regions, including South Sumatra, South Kalimantan, Java, Bali

and Nusa Tengara Timor (NTT) have been most impacted by the drought.

• 22 million have been affected, namely those who rely on agriculture with 1.2 million

people in need of assistance (roughly 720,000 are children).

• In September 2015, the Government declared a state of emergency in several regions

due to water shortages, low crop production and forest fires.

• Due to severe drought, crops were planted 6-8 weeks later than normal, which has

resulted in low production of staples for the year. This will have significant impacts on

food security and on the poorest families whose income relies on agriculture.

• Forecasts show rainfall is likely to remain significantly lower until the end of May.

Coupled with the likelihood of a strong La Niña, this will stretch the most affected people

even further. If rainfall remains low, health, nutrition and WASH needs may rapidly

increase.

APPEAL: No appeal has been

launched

SECTORS AFFECTED

Food Security

and

Livelihoods

Water,

Sanitation and

Hygiene

1.2 million people

need assistance

720,000 children

need assistance

Education

Nutrition

& Health

Indonesia

Food Security

• The drought has resulted in major delays of 6-8 weeks in

planting of the main season crops (e.g. rice, maize), delaying

harvest and leading to lower crop productions. This has resulted

in price increases over the past 12 months (rice prices 20%

higher than normal, maize by 30%, beans by 50%, meat by 25%).

• Food insecurity: second and third highest rates are in Kupang:

41% of households are extremely or moderately food

insecure, followed by 38% in TTS. These households should be

prioritized for assistance to prevent irreversible coping

behaviours and the consequences of extremely poor diets.



WASH (water shortages)

• The drought and delay in seasonal rains has been felt most

keenly in NTT and Papua provinces, where the

Government has provided some additional rice stocks,

drinking water supply, and agriculture support, including

cash payments to affected farmers.

• In NTT, the main source of drinking water is from hand-dug

wells and/or springs. Due to the dry conditions, 60% of the

assessed villages reported water scarcity on a household

level, with reports of increased water borne diseases incl.

diarrhoea, skin disease, and fevers.

Household Income and Expenditure

• According to survey undertaken by agencies working in the area, as much as 80% of assessed households in the worst affected provinces

reported a reduction in income due to the drought. This reduction is likely to negatively impact debt levels, which were found to be

more than 1 million IDR per household.

• There is a rise in negative coping strategies, most notably: unseasonal sale of livestock, abnormal labour migration, reducing education

expenses and increasing school dropout risks, eating less preferred food, borrowing food or buying on credit, limiting portion sizes, and

reducing the number of meals eaten in a day.

• Severe food-based negative coping strategies have resulted in concerning FCS (with below acceptable FCS for 49% of assessed

population, and 39% at a critical level).

• Given the reduced harvests and financial strain, the nutritional status of children is a serious concern; especially considering the high

levels of stunting in the worst hit provinces prior to El Niño.

Indonesia

• CARE International will provide cash and agricultural

in-kind (seeds, vines etc.) transfers, food security and

water interventions to 2500 households (15,000 persons)

in two districts of NTT province. They estimate funding

needs of 1,500.000 USD to respond to the El Niño

impacts.

• Oxfam plan to provide FSL and WASH support to 5458

people directly and 1,306,768 people indirectly over eight

months in four districts of East Nusa Tenggara Province.

They need 200,000 USD for these interventions. Oxfam

are already working with national and local government

and stakeholders to get them to engage in the response

and to also develop better response models and

preparedness measures for recurring La Niña and future

El Niño events.

• Plan International’s current response focuses on

providing water tanks and clean water, hygiene promotion

and DRR awareness for sub-districts and districts. The

response has an initial period of 45 days and targets two

districts in East Nusa Tenggara Province, Nagekeo and

TSS. Plan is engaged with the HCT and other START

agencies.




Number affected:

TBC

Funding Gap:

TBC


TBC

Funding status:

TBC

Sector needs:

FSL, WASH, Education, Health, Nutrition

Sectors targeted:

FSL, WASH, Education, Health, Nutrition

• Save the Children is one month into an El Niño response initially

focusing on NTT. This is primarily cash transfers to vulnerable

households accompanied by awareness-raising sessions on infant and

young child feeding, child rights to education and protection, as well as

positive parenting skills. Save the Children will also undertake advocacy

work at district and provincial government levels to ensure the impact

of El Niño is acknowledged and action is taken to mitigate current and

future slow onset disasters.

• World Vision (as part of the START network) plan to help 197,157

people from 13 sub-districts in five districts located in Timor Island of

NTT Province with cash transfers over 45 days in East Sumba.

Mongolia


KEY FINDINGS

• Mongolia is in the list of high-priority countries for early action related to El Niño (according

to FAO).

• 50 districts in16 provinces are experiencing dzud conditions which refers to a summer

drought followed by a severe winter. Another 120 districts in 20 provinces are experiencing

near-dzud conditions.

• The severity of the current dzud in Mongolia is thought to be linked to the El Niño effect.

• A total of 313,580 people, incl. 28,290 children under five years old, has been affected.

• 20% of the country still had snow cover in early spring and conditions remain unseasonably

cold.

• Experience of past dzuds suggests that the number of animal deaths may increase to as high

as 1.2 million during spring.

APPEAL: an appeal for 14.3 million has been launched

SECTORS AFFECTED

Food Security

and

Livelihoods313,580

People affected

28,290

Children under 5

affected

Mongolia

Food Security and

Household Income

• A total of 313,580 people, including 28,290 children

under five years old, has been affected.

• 41% of Mongolia’s total herder population (225,788

people) has been affected by the harsh winter of

2015/2016; especially 11,800 households with less

than 100 animals are considered most vulnerable.

• Around 860,000 livestock have died as a result of

harsh conditions since January 2016. What is more, in

the eastern provinces of Mongolia, over 4000 animals

have been slaughtered due to an outbreak of sheep

pox, which is likely to spread further.

• Herders are currently suffering from a lack of access

to basic services, food insecurity, loss of

livelihoods, and psychological trauma. Many lack

cash or income and debt levels are rising.

• Loss of livestock has especially affected children,

as the herd is the main source of animal milk, animal

fur to keep them warm, and income, which ensures

access to education and healthcare.



Photo credit: Tansagmaa Tsog/Save the Children

Five-year-old Enkhnyam, who Save the Children is supporting,

clutching one of his family’s baby goats, who has managed to

survive despite the brutal dzud in Mongolia.

Mongolia

• The HCT is supporting the Government of Mongolia

and NEMA in particular with the dzud response. The

HCT is seeking 14.3 million USD to provide immediate

assistance over the next six months in food security,

nutrition, protection, agriculture, livelihoods and early

recovery. 6.36 million USD has so far been secured by

the international community to complement the

Government’s efforts.

• 2.4 million USD has been allocated to the response

through the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF).

This response is divided in four project: UNDP providing

cash for early recovery, FAO providing animal feed

packages for agriculture, UNFPA providing health

packages for pregnant women, and UNICEF covering

food security and micronutrients.

• World Vision have received USD 609,771 of CERF

funding via UNICEF to distribute food rations for two

months to 5190 households (20,760 people) in six

provinces including Zavkhan, Uvs, Bayankhongor,

Arkhangai, Dundgobi and Sukhbaatar. They also received

USD 129,931 in START funding to provide food for two

months to 2200 people in 550 households in four

provinces including Khuvsgul, Bulgan, Tuv and Khentii.




Number affected:

313,580

Funding Gap:

TBC


TBC

Funding status:

TBC

Sector needs:

FSL

Sectors targeted:

FSL

• Save the Children has been executing a response in Mongolia with

START funding, since mid March. It has provided unconditional cash

transfers to 550 extremely vulnerable herder families and fodder

distributions to approximately 625 affected households. In addition, 7

hospitals have received fuel support to sustain their health care

provision to herder communities in the region. Save the Children will

be targeting a total of 15,5000 beneficiaries. Together with World

Vision, Save the Children has been coordinating food distributions.

Myanmar


KEY FINDINGS

• Cyclone Komen hit Myanmar in July 2015 causing extensive flooding

to agricultural land.

• 143,000 children under 5 were affected by the floods.

• Over the last few months, Myanmar has experienced extremely high temperatures, which pose

severe problems for people, including unusual rainfall patters, acute water shortage and diseases.

APPEAL: No appeal has been launched

SECTORS AFFECTED

Food Security

and

Livelihoods

Water,

Sanitation and

Hygiene

Not known Not known

Health

Nutrition

Myanmar

FSL and WASH

• After Cyclone Komen, most of the country

recovered well, but farmers and communities in

remote areas, particularly Chin and Rakhine, were

less able to recover. Rakhine requested funds from

the central government for water supplies, but due

to the current transition to a new government

funds are unlikely to be delivered.

• 15 districts are at risk of having significantly

reduced water reserves.

• Farming households and communities in these areas

face severe food shortages and require

immediate relief assistance as they did not recover

as fully as in less remote areas.

• Rice prices are around 37% higher than last

year (as of February 2016).

• Farmers in the most affected areas also require

seeds, storage containers for seeds, drying nets,

post-harvest equipment, replacement livestock,

fishing gear and boats.

• Cash and/or vouchers and rebuilding/

reconstruction of assets and infrastructures would

provide the best form of relief to reach those most

severely affected.



Health and Nutrition

• The flooding lead to losses of livestock and fish, leading to a reduction in

animal protein intake in the most affected areas. Reduced availability of food

and increases in price have made it harder for the poorest families to access

nutritious food.

• More than 1 in 3 children under 5 years old are too short for their age and

one in thirteen are too thin for their age. Evidence also shows flood-affected

children are at higher risk of stunting a year later, and wasting within few

months after the flood. Malnutrition has a long term impact on the health of

children, as this could affect the long term development of children, as

well as their capacity to engage in learning.

• There is limited evidence available, but findings from the Crop and Food

Security Assessment Mission (CFSAM) study demonstrate a ‘moderate

deterioration of the children’s nutritional status and limited change in

breastfeeding and complementary feeding practices due to flooding’.

Repeated episodes of wasting can lead to stunting in children and so action

towards nutrition resilience in already vulnerable children should be

prioritized.

• Any cash or vouchers would be most successful with incorporated

nutrition education and counselling to care-givers, in addition to provision

of blended food.

• There is also need to closely monitor the food situation in pocket areas,

particularly in Rakhine and Chin, where food assistance may be required.

Myanmar

• The Government of Myanmar is currently the lead

for the monitoring and the assistance for water shortages

in most of the areas. Cluster coordination is with the

government is decentralised. In addition, Myanmar is

currently in a state of transition to a new government

and therefore, government capacity is uncertain. This

means there is very little centralized support with little

known about when support will finally be available.

• Save the Children is monitoring the situation

concerning water shortages in our main areas of

intervention. In the past, Save the Children has provided

cash assistance for recovery in two states, Chin and

Magway. Although short term results were achieved,

more assistance is required to long term impact.




Number affected:

Not known

Funding Gap:

Not known


Not known

Funding status:

Not known

Sector needs:

FSL, WASH, Nutrition, Health

Sectors targeted:

N.A.

Papua New Guinea


KEY FINDINGS

• 85% of all provinces likely to experience drought by the end of April 2016.

• 1.5 million people have been affected by frost or drought, of which 180,000 require immediate

food relief.

• Food prices are reported to be increasing in some markets.

• Most urgent needs are food and nutrition. In addition, needs in agricultural recovery, WASH,

health and early recovery sectors require response.

APPEAL: an appeal for 37 million has been

launched

SECTORS AFFECTED

Food Security

and

Livelihoods

Nutrition1,473,000

People affectedNumber of children

affected not known

Papua New Guinea

FSL and Nutrition

• Since April 2015, a combination of frost in high altitude locations, drought, and flooding caused by heavy rains has

led to severe loss of crops.

• Despite slight improvements in water supply in some areas of the country due to late January rains, various locations still

face severe food and water insecurity. These include Western Province, high-altitude locations in Enga and Hela

Provinces, and Milne Bay Province.

• Food security of approximately 1.5 million people has been affected, with extreme food shortages faced by 180,000

people, who require urgent assistance (located in the aforementioned provinces).

• Since the beginning of January, reports indicated a worsening of food security, including reports about extremely

malnourished children in Western Province.

• There are strong indications that malnutrition rates in extremely food insecure Local Level Government Areas have

increased beyond pre-El Niño rates of 14 per cent Global Acute Malnutrition, due to the food security resulting from El

Niño.



Papua New Guinea

• The CERF has allocated over 4.75 million USD to

food and nutrition interventions.

• CARE International has reached 19,918

households (99,590 individuals) (aiming to reach

125,000 individuals in total) since the end of January

2016, located in Morobe, Eastern and Western

Highlands, Chimbu, Enga, and Gulf.

The response has included nutrition assessment

of children, a vaccination top-up campaign, hygiene

promotion training for community members and the

distribution of WASH NFIs and food.

The planned response will focus on improving

access to safe drinking water and good hygiene

knowledge and practice, improving food security for

affected households, improving access to agricultural

inputs, improving access to health care, and building

monitoring and evaluation capacity. Funding status is

currently at 1.6 million USD with funding needs at 2

million USD.

• World Vision has been responding to the crisis in

Papua New Guinea, targeting WASH and FSL. In

addition, it has focused on DRR programmes and

the distribution of NFIs. Locations where World

Vision is active are the Highlands, Hela Province,

Morobe and Madang provinces, and Usino Bundi

District.4 May 2016Asia-Pacific Regional Overview - El Niño 28



Number affected:

TBC

Funding Gap:

TBC


TBC

Funding status:

TBC

Sector needs:

FSL, Nutrition

Sectors targeted:

FSL, Nutrition

• The Government of Papua New Guinea started food relief in

September 2015, but food relief and other coping mechanism were

depleted by the end of 2015.

• The El Niño Response Plan for Papua New Guinea focuses on

critical needs in food assistance, nutrition, health, WASH, agricultural

recovery and early recovery. 1.473 million people are targeted,

including 180,000 people in need of food relief and 210,000 in need of

support in agricultural recovery. The response is 37.57 million USD, but

only 23% of the appeal has been funded so far.

The Philippines


KEY FINDINGS

• The Philippines has experienced significantly below-average rainfall in most parts of the

country.

• Around 42% of the country experienced drought in 2016, which started in January.

Roughly 68 out of 81 provinces have been affected.

• The drought has already damaged farms, fisheries and forests and is expected to

continue throughout April and May.

• The impact was most strongly felt in Mindanao where 15 provinces were affected. The

two worst affected provinces were in the Visayas (Negros Oriental and Siquijor) and one

in Luzon (Palawan).

• The Government declared a state of emergency in many locations, including

Zamboanga, due to the drought.

APPEAL: no appeal has been launched

SECTORS AFFECTED

Food Security

and

Livelihoods

Water,

Sanitation and

Hygiene

3.5 million

People affected

Number of children

affected unknown

The Philippines

FSL

• While Typhoons Koppu (October) and Melor (December) and the

northeast monsoon brought some respite, The Government has

estimated 3.5 million people have so far been affected by El

Niño mainly those relying on agriculture as a primary source of

livelihood, will be affected.

• El Niño induced typhoons have caused 83.7 million USD worth of

total damage and production losses in crops.

• Even before El Niño hit, small scale farmers were already suffering

poor crop production. The impacts of El Niño have pushed them

further into debt.

• Region XII of the Philippines accounts for over 40% of the country’s

food requirements. According to FAO, it also contributes 30% to

national food trade. Farmers in the region produce staple crops (incl.

rice and corn) and cultivate large plantations of cash crops (bananas

and pineapples), but 304,104 metric tons of crops have been lost.

• Livelihoods reliant on fishing are also threatened: the Bureau of

Fisheries and Aquatic Resources estimate the rise in sea temperatures

may reduce the volume of fish caught in open sea by 20%, and

in municipal water by 23%.

• 101.553 affected farming households need support to restart farming

activities in the next cropping season. At least 80% are from Mindanao.




• Due to the recent drought, there is less drinking

water available.

• There are reports of increased prevalence in

communicable diseases.

WFP Assessment in Maguindanao

and Lanao del Sur provinces:

• 24.9% of households has

inadequate food consumption

• 33.1% eats fewer than three

meals a day

• 48.9% adopts emergency

coping strategies(2016)

The Philippines




Number affected:

TBC

Funding Gap:

TBC


TBC

Funding status:

TBC

Sector needs:

FSL, WASH

Sectors targeted:

FSL, WASH

• Oxfam has launched a response in the Philippines,

targeting 32,000 families. The response has focused on

food security and livelihoods. The food security response

includes cash aid, rice, promotion of market-based

approaches to food aid, mapping of duration of food

needs. In terms of vulnerable livelihoods, the response

will support local vendors and small-businesses, provide

livelihood starter / capital support, construction of Small

Water Impounding Project or Small Farm Reservoir in

preparation of the rainy season, debt recovery plans, and

promoting gender sensitivity in all of these activities.

Oxfam is currently raising 1 million GBP in funds to start

the response that will primarily focus on support families

access food, water and other non-food needs through

market based interventions including cash grants and

vouchers.

• Plan are closely monitoring and coordinating the situation

with humanitarian partners, and maintain readiness to

respond if needed.

• World Vision are monitoring the situation and response

plans are still to be determined. World Vision have

programs running covering 18 municipalities in South

Cotabato, North Cotabato, Sarangani, Zamboanga del

Norte, Misamis Oriental, West Misamis and Bukidnon.

• Save the Children are monitoring the situation and are

already running livelihoods projects in Maguindanao and

Nueva Ecija.

• The Philippines Government plans to import around

800,000 tons of rice to ensure food security in the country.

• OCHA are convening a meeting with concerned Heads of

Agencies and cluster/sector coordinators to discuss key

strategic issues on emergency response preparedness for El

Niño, particularly the coordination and management

arrangements.

Thailand


KEY FINDINGS

• The Central and Northeast parts have been impacted the most by El Niño.

• A severe drought has caused severe depletion of natural water resources in several

regions of the country.

• Water scarcity is the main recorded impact on people living in the most affected areas.

• Some communities have been forced to find subterranean water sources or to buy

water from merchants.

• The Thai Government have not declared a state of emergency but have put some

preventative measure in place to manage the water scarcity.


SECTORS AFFECTED

Food Security

and

Livelihoods

Water,

Sanitation and

Hygiene

Number of

affected people

not known

Number of affected

children not known

Thailand


• Before 2015 El Niño hit, Thailand was already suffering

from depleted water resources from reduced rainfall in

2014. Reservoir water levels were down by 30 to 40%

resulting in the loss 800,000 million tons of rice in 2014.

Reservoir levels in late September 2015 were critically

low, 40 to 50% less than 2014’s drought affected levels.

• Many districts are now badly affected by water shortages

for daily consumption and residents have been forced to

drill artesian wells to get to subterranean water sources

while others have no choice but to buy water from

merchants.,



Food Security & Household Income

• Many provinces have been forced to make an

announcement forbidding residents from blocking, damming

or shutting of water supplies for personal use. The

announcement also forbids pumping water for use in off-

season (dry season) rice farming, because such action

could further deplete water supplies that are required for tap

water production.

• Water scarcity can have further negative impacts on

agriculture in affected areas. As water becomes scarce,

water prices go up triggering increases in the cost of living.

• Rice prices have increased by 5% from the same time

last year.

Thailand




Number affected:

TBC

Funding Gap:

TBC


TBC

Funding status:

TBC

Sector needs:

WASH

Sectors targeted:

WASH

• The Government of Thailand has coordinated with

the Royal Thai Army and the Irrigation Department to

carry out massive dredging of sediment in waterways

and locating new, and expanding existing, natural water

sources. The Department of Disaster Prevention and

Mitigation has ordered water supplies to be transported

to affected villages to supplement people daily needs.

• Save the Children has no response plans as yet, but

are monitoring the situation.

• Plan is following the situation in Thailand but are not

planning to respond at this stage.

Timor-Leste


KEY FINDINGS

• 400,000 people have been affected.

• In the five worst affected municipalities, 120,000 people are severely affected by late

and reduced rainfall since October 2015.

• Close to 46% of all households will be facing food insecurity the upcoming months.

• Quantities of drinking water and water for household use have been reduced.

APPEAL: an appeal for 25 million has been launched

SECTORS AFFECTED

Food Security

and

Livelihoods

Water,

Sanitation and

Hygiene

400,000

People affected

Number of affected

children is not known

Health

Timor-Leste

FSL

• Although Timor-Leste is largely affected by El Niño, its impact

has varied among the different regions. Some regions have

seen 68% less rain from October 2015 to January 2016,

compared to the year before.

• Highly reduced rainfall has delayed or stressed crop

planting, significantly reduced yield (or even no yield at all),

reduced water access and reduced food availability.

• According to the Ministry of Agriculture, 45.9% of

households are likely to suffer from food insecurity

from April to June 2016.

• Problems that have been identified are reductions in

number of meals, restricted diets, disruption of

normal food sources, and insufficient food stock at the

household level.



WASH & Health

• Availability of clean drinking water, of water for

household use and water in schools has been limited.

• There is a lack of clean protected water sources, which in

turn has led to increased diarrhoea cases.

Nutrition

• El Niño is likely to elevate malnutrition in Timor-Leste

Timor-Leste




Number affected:

TBC

Funding Gap:

TBC


TBC

Funding status:

TBC

Sector needs:

WASH, FSL, Nutrition, Health

Sectors targeted:


• CARE International will be targeting 90,000

beneficiaries in five districts/provinces (Ermera,

Covalima, Dili, Liquica, Viqueque). The planned activities

include community awareness sessions, covering

agricultural approaches, nutrition and food and water

conservation. It will also include the distribution of seed

packets and support the Government distributing seeds,

water filters, household storage containers, installation

of water ponds and community water storage tanks.

CARE have raised 200,000 USD out of 1 million USD

funding needs to provide this support, leaving a gap of

8000 k USD.

• Plan has an ongoing response in the Lautem

municipality, which focuses on WASH and DRR. Over a

period of six months, Plan aims to reach 2,749

households in 29 villages.

• World Vision aim to target 20,000 people in Aileu,

Bononaro, Baucau, Covalima districts with health,

livelihoods and DRR support. They also plan to continue

undertaking assessments of affected communities. The

response requires at least 86,000 USD.

• An Emergency Response Plan has been prepared by the UN

Resident Coordinator Office with the Government. Most

urgent sectors are WASH, food, nutrition, health, livelihoods and

education.

• Government of Timor-Leste: 9,000 tons of rice will be

distributed throughout the country in an effort led by the

Ministry of Interior

Vanuatu


KEY FINDINGS

• Cyclone Pam hit Vanuatu in March 2015 and caused considerable damage. Over 180,000 people

(50% of Vanuatu’s population) were affected by the cyclone in five provinces.

• The damage caused by the Cyclone has been exacerbated by drought and heatwaves across the

country.

• Forecasters predict the worst of the drought is over but its impacts, such as crop failure and

food insecurity, are likely to still be felt for much longer.

• There are reports in the media that at least two children under five have died of illnesses linked

to malnutrition as a result of the drought.


SECTORS AFFECTED

Food Security

and

Livelihoods

Water,

Sanitation and

Hygiene

69,000

People affected

Number of children

affected not known

Education

Health

Vanuatu

FSL

• The impacts of Cyclone Pam (a Category five storm

which hit in March 2015) coupled with the more recent

reduced rainfall, drought and very high temperatures has

led to food shortages as well as significantly lowered

water levels after low rainfall during July, August and

September in Vanuatu.

• Crops in South Vanuatu never recovered from the

impacts of the cyclone and have been further damaged

by the drought and dry weather.

• A lot of households rely on food grown in their gardens

and there are reports that people are starting to feel

panicked about not having enough food.



WASH

• Cyclone Pam destroyed some water reserves infrastructure,

which has been further damaged as they have been unable

to recollect water as a result of reduced rainfall.

• Many people now have to travel long distances for

drinking water. Women and children are often the ones

who collect the water leaving them at risk.

• Without a wet season arriving the upcoming months, water

supplies for communities will be not be replenished

until at the end of 2016 or the beginning of 2017, when

the next wet season is supposed to arrive.

Health & Nutrition

• There are reports of very young children dying of

malnutrition related illnesses caused by the recent drought.

• In North Tanna, there are reports that children have been

admitted to hospital with malnutrition. Children’s education

is also at risk as children suffering from illnesses cannot attend

school. There have also been reports of children fainting during

school hours and suffering from dehydration.

Vanuatu




Number affected:

TBC

Funding Gap:

TBC


TBC

Funding status:

TBC

Sector needs:


Sectors targeted:


• NGOs as well as the UN will be providing technical

assistance when requested by the Government.

• The World Health Organisation and partners have

initiated a nutrition screening process, which is

currently ongoing.

• CARE International will be targeting 27,5000

affected persons in Tafea Province. The response

will entail community awareness sessions on a

variety of topics, ranging from agricultural

approaches, water conservation, nutrition and food.

In addition, it will specifically target FSL and WASH

sectors, through distribution of seed packets and

WASH NFIs (including water storage containers

and filters).

• World Vision’s response will last over 12 months,

working with the Government to provide WASH

support.

• The Government and humanitarian partners are planning a drought

response. It is coordinated by the National Disaster Management

Office, supported by the clusters and humanitarian partners.

• Currently, emergency food deliveries are underway, to target 90,000

people (covering 18,000 households, schools and health centers). The

Government has also recently provided 480,000 USD in emergency

funding, to cover WASH, food security and logistics needs.

Viet Nam


KEY FINDINGS

• Viet Nam has been severely affected by drought and salinization in Southern Central,

Central Highland and Mekong delta. It is forecast that this will continue until June 2016.

• 14 provinces have declared a State of Emergency with a further 39 out of 63 provinces

requesting support from central government to respond to the drought.

• The drought has significantly affected livelihoods, food security and water supply. It has

also led to schools being closed and has impacted children’s nutrition with reports of families

in some provinces now eating 1-2 meals a day.

• The Government of Viet Nam has categorized this drought at Category 2 or Category 3.

APPEAL: an appeal for 48.5 million has been launched

SECTORS AFFECTED

Food Security

and

Livelihoods

Water,

Sanitation and

Hygiene

2.3 million

People affected

1,022,400

Children affected

Education

Health

Viet Nam

WASH (water scarcity)

• Since the end of 2014, El Niño has affected Viet Nam with

what is believed to be the worst drought over nearly a

century in the country. The drought has caused saline (salt)

intrusion in the Mekong Delta and affecting aquifers

(underground water sources), which usually supports the

domestic water demand. Medium and big reservoirs have also

reached low capacities on average; some reservoirs are at 60

to 70% of their full design capacity.

• There is an urgent need to provide drinking water to over

1.9 million people and to improve households’ access to

water. Also health care facilities are in in urgent need of clean

water (commune health stations in particular).

• There are a rising number of cases of dengue (from 0 to

66 case), diarrhoea (1,226 in 2015 to 2,277 in 2016), and

dysentery. Explaining factors are limited access to clean

water, and poor sanitation and hygiene practices (open

defecation).



FSL and Household Income

• UN assessments found raised concerns in terms of water

scarcity linked to food security with around 226,094

hectares of productive land affected throughout Viet Nam

and a further 352,832 hectares at risk if the drought

continues through to June. Agricultural yield is reduced by

up to 70% in some areas. Increasing numbers of foot and

mouth disease among livestock are also being reported.

There are also risks of forest fires in the Mekong Region.

• Around 1.75 million people have had their income

significantly affected due to the agricultural impact of the

drought. This includes not only severe loss of crops, but

also loss of livestock.

• Food shortages in two provinces in particular (Gia Lai and

Ninh Thuan) need to be addressed now to ensure that

destitute families survive until the drought impact subsides.

• Rice prices have increased by 10% from the same time

last year.

Viet Nam




Number affected:

TBC

Funding Gap:

TBC


TBC

Funding status:

TBC

Sector needs:


Sectors targeted:


• On 22nd March 2016, The People’s Aid Coordinating

Committee sent an appeal for emergency relief in

terms of FSL and WASH support.

• From 22nd to 24th March 2016, a joint assessment

coordinated by UN agencies was conducted in five

selected provinces.

• Save the Children launched its first emergency

response with 80,000 USD, supporting 1,600

households (about 8,000 people, including more

than 4,000 children) in terms of WASH, food

security and nutrition in two communes of Ayun and

Hbong in Chu Se district. The second response

planned will target 6972 people affected and include

the provision of water filters and rehabilitation of

water sources, clean water access in schools,

improving WASH facilities in schools, hygiene

promotion campaigns. It will also cover livelihood

support, the provision and promotion of the use of

nutritious food, and psychological support for

children. The total response target is 1.5 million

USD.

• CARE International will focus on Soc Trang

province, likely targeting 11,000 individuals. The

response will revolve around WASH activities,

including the provision of drinking water, safe water

for daily use, and containing rising cases of

diseases.

• World Vision’s response has focused on WASH and FSL. More

specifically, it included the provision of families most in need with small-

scale water supply facilities (water tanks, water pipes, digging wells). In

addition, it has promoted child-focused DRR-CCA, such as raising

awareness on climate change and disaster risks, measures for mitigation

and adaptation for teachers, children and communities, and enhancing

skills and capacity (such as ‘search and rescue’ and first aid).

• The Government has implemented some preventative measures, but

they do not reach all those affected. The Ministry of Agriculture and

Rural Development has mobilized different resources to respond to

the drought, including water trucking and repair/upgrading of irrigation

systems and reservoirs. The Government has also committed 2,000

tons of rice to address the food shortage in Central Highland.

Other countries affected by El Niño

There have been reports of impacts from El Niño from other countries in the region:

The Liaoning province of China witnessed, the lowest rainfall levels since 1951 which left more than 230,000

people without drinking water. Since June 2015,

Nepal has seen extreme drought, leading to a drop in summer crop production and a drop in the winter harvest (in

May 2016) is expected too.

As predicted, the middle of November 2015 witnessed extreme rainfall that caused severe flooding in northern Sri

Lanka experience severe flooding in the North after extreme rainfall in November. World Vision are monitoring the

situation in Sri Lanka and are planning to provide support should it be needed in food security and preparedness.

In parts the Lao People’s Democratic Republic excessively dry and hot conditions mean farmers have left fields

and rice paddies unplanted.

In Fiji, the Government sent hundreds of thousands of liters of water to parts of the Western Division, including the

outer islands.

In the Solomon Islands around 302,400 people have been affected by water shortages and low crop production.

World Vision are planning to support 9,762 people in 16 communities in Central Province and 10 communities in

East Malaita with WASH and food security interventions.

In Malaysia, there were reports that 250 schools were closed at the beginning of April 2016 due to heatwaves

after temperatures reached 37◦C.


Overview of interagency activity

ASIA-PACIFIC INTER-AGENCY REGIONAL OVERVIEW EL … · • Awareness raising sessions on child nutrition and diet diversity (IND) Asia-Pacific Regional Overview - El Niño 4 May 2016

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