emergency relief and Belgian Red Cross-Flanders

On Sunday, Sept. 10, Libya was hit by Hurricane Daniel. The country's extreme rainfall led to the rupture of two dams and caused disastrous flooding in northeastern Libya. The hardest hit areas included the city of Derna, where entire neighborhoods were swept into the sea. The heavy flooding affected several coastal towns such as Benghazi, Al-Jabal Al-Akhdar, Al-Marj, Batah, Bayade, Albayada, Shahta and Sousa, causing many casualties and massive damage to infrastructure. More than 45,000 people are estimated to have been displaced, 4,352 people died and 8,000 are still missing. A total of 284 educational institutions were affected and 128 health facilities. There is extensive damage to roads and shortages of water and electricity.

A massive 6.8 magnitude earthquake struck Morocco on Friday, Sept. 8. The most affected provinces are Taroudant, Marrakech, Chichawa and Al Haouz, located in central Morocco about 75km from the city of Marrakech. The affected areas are mainly in the High Atlas mountains, making accessibility difficult. As a result of the severe destruction caused by this earthquake, some 3,000 people were killed and 3,500 injured. In all, 60,000 homes were destroyed and 500,000 people were internally displaced. Some 530 schools were also damaged by the earthquake, affecting some 100,000 children and youth. 

The conflict in Sudan broke out in April and has taken a heavy toll on the population. 8.2 million people have fled, of whom 6.5 million are internally displaced and 1.76 million have sought refuge in other countries, mainly Chad, Egypt, South Sudan and Ethiopia. This situation is compounded by the pre-existing challenges facing Sudan: economic instability, climate change and persistent drought, leaving 24.8 million people in urgent need of humanitarian assistance.

Belgian Red Cross-Flanders released 150,000 euros from the Emergency Relief Fund in June 2023 for life-saving humanitarian support in Sudan. The money will be deployed through the International Red Cross, which supports the Sudanese Red Crescent in their relief efforts. The priorities are medical support and supplies on the one hand, and distribution of potable water and food on the other.

With the passage of Storm Freddy in Southeast Africa, the situation on the ground is alarming. After 3 weeks of storms, there are already nearly 600 deaths, some 400,000 displaced people and enormous material damage. In addition, about 100,000 hectares of farmland have been affected, threatening food shortages. That is why Belgian Red Cross-Flanders is releasing 100,000 euros from the emergency relief fund for humanitarian support. In addition, Belgian Red Cross-Flanders has permanent staff in Mozambique, working with the local Red Cross there to coordinate emergency relief .

The effects of storm Freddy are greatest in Malawi, but there is also a lot of human and material damage in Mozambique. Moreover, the situation is extra precarious because this crisis comes on top of two other crises: there were already heavy floods in southern Mozambique at the beginning of February, and there is a major cholera outbreak, particularly affecting Malawi. This new heavy rainfall from storm Freddy, resulting in new flooding, ensures that the cholera outbreak will continue to spread.

On Monday, Feb. 6, parts of Turkey and Syria were hit by severe earthquakes. The material damage is enormous and the human toll is also high.
The Turkish Red Crescent and the Syrian Red Crescent have been on the ground from the start of the disaster, providing the most acute assistance there, ranging from rescue operations in the affected areas, to providing medical aid, to providing housing for the victims who no longer have shelter.

The situation in Pakistan following floods is very worrying. The Pakistani government already declared a state of emergency last week. And on Wednesday, the World Health Organization declared the highest level of alert. There are already at least 1,100 dead and 3,600 injured. The needs on the ground are enormous. That's why Belgian Red Cross-Flanders is releasing 250,000 euros from the emergency relief fund. Initially, that money will be used mainly to distribute food parcels and hygiene kits to the victims.

The funds are deployed through the German Red Cross, as they have been active in Pakistan since 1983 and are also present on the ground today. There they are providing much-needed support to the Pakistan Red Crescent, the main humanitarian organization in the country. Initially, the funds will primarily be used to distribute food parcels and hygiene kits to the victims.