Natural disasters, the climate emergency and conflict all do not respect seasons and festivities. From Mozambique to Vanuatu, via Lebanon, MapAction teams have been requested to provide emergency mapping and data support in three different crises worldwide this Christmas.
Mozambique cyclone
Nearly half a million people have been affected by Cyclone Chido in Mozambique alone, according to a December 27th bulletin, based on data from the Mozambican Institute for Management and Reduction of Risk and Disasters (INGD), and published by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). Nearly 70,000 houses have been destroyed and 30,000 damaged, according to the same OCHA situation overview. MapAction’s support was requested by the 19-member state Southern African Development Community (SADC) regional bloc.
Nearly 70,000 houses have been destroyed and 30,000 damaged. Mozambican Institute for Management and Reduction of Risk and Disasters (INGD)
The MapAction team has already mapped the information made available as part of the situational assessment reports coming out nationally, helping to identify affected provinces and people in potential need. Other mapping products include: precipitation and storm track by district, as well as the affected population by density. Additionally, the MapAction team has been helping to set up online information related to the response as part of the SADC Humanitarian and Emergency Operations Centre online instance.
Vanuatu earthquake
Another team meanwhile was requested by the United Nations Disaster Assessment Coordination (UNDAC) office in Vanuatu to offer information management support in response to the devastating 7.3 magnitude earthquake on the Pacific island. The earthquake, which struck on December 17th, has already claimed 14 fatalities, according to the UN, with thousands more displaced.
MapAction as one of UNDAC’s operational partners has been requested to provide mapping support remotely in order to assist the coordination efforts by the UNDAC team in the field.
A MapAction team has already begun to map existing health facilities and create a country overview while an UNDAC field team continues to collect information from the ground to shape the emergency response. This is MapAction’s 13th response to an earthquake.
Refugees in Lebanon
Recent developments in Syria and heightened tensions in the region have seen a sharp rise in the number of displaced people on the move. A MapAction team is supporting the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) to understand the needs of refugees and IDPs affected by the recent conflict in Syria, in order to provide vital humanitarian aid.
Additional resources
For the latest maps, check out our Maps of Emergencies page: https://maps.mapaction.org/
Our Example Product Catalogue can help you present data for a plethora of crises: from earthquakes, to conflict, floods or volcanic eruptions, we can help you make sense of your data: https://guides.mapaction.org/
This work is kindly supported by the Humanitarian Assistance programme of the German Federal Foreign Office (GFFO).
