Global Surge Newsletter - Nov. 2023

?? Welcome to the November 2023 edition of the Global Surge Newsletter!

In this issue, we invite you to delve into the latest activities of the Global Surge Team. From urgent deployments in Libya to navigating complex crises in Sudan and Haiti, our team remains at the forefront of humanitarian efforts.

Join us as we share compelling stories of innovation and impactful partnerships.

?? Highlights for This Edition:

???Supporting UNDSS in the Occupied Palestinian Territory: Enhancing humanitarian access security through GIS

?? Navigating Insecurity in Haiti: Raising humanitarian efforts amidst armed groups violence

?? Scaling Up Amid Sudan's Crisis: Surge deployees in action

?? Libya Deployment: Responding to UNDAC’s call after Libya floods

?? Tackling Humanitarian Crises from Home: Supporting from afar - no matter what

?? Standby Partnership Monitoring: Assessing SBP contributions to Türkiye-Syria earthquake response

Stay tuned for these stories and more as we continue our commitment to making a positive impact in the face of complex global challenges.

HIGHLIGHTS

?? Enhancing Humanitarian Access Security in the Occupied Palestinian Territory through GIS

At the end of October, Hugo Powell , Global Surge’s Junior Information Officer and Geographic Information System (GIS) specialist, was deployed to United Nations Department of Safety and Security (UNDSS) in Jerusalem to contribute to the global effort of supporting humanitarian access and enhancing security awareness for UN personnel and partners in the region. Working remotely with the UNDSS Emergency Response Team, Hugo focuses on improving GIS capacity to aid security information analysis.

After the October 7, 2023, attack by Hamas and other Palestinian groups – that killed over 1,200 people in Israel and resulted in the abduction of 235 people – Israel declared a state of war and launched intense air strikes on the densely populated Gaza Strip, followed by a complete siege. Almost two months into the conflict, the humanitarian situation is immensely dire, with swathes of the Strip totally destroyed and essential infrastructure in ruins:?

?? 69% of Gaza's hospitals are non-functional (as of November 16, Health Cluster )

?? Over 14,800 people, including 6,000 children, killed (as of November 23, according to Gaza’s Government Media Office )

?? Eighty percent of the population, or 1.7 million people, are internally displaced in Gaza

?? In the West Bank, 231 Palestinian, including 59 children, have been killed (OCHA )?

Although a humanitarian pause began on November 24, allowing more aid into Gaza, ongoing hostilities and access restrictions pose significant challenges for efficient support delivery, conducted under extremely volatile security conditions.

A month into his deployment, we spoke with Hugo Powell about his current assignment and the pivotal role GIS can play in conflicts like the one in Gaza.

Read his interview ?? here .

?? Navigating Humanitarian Challenges Amid Armed Group Violence in Haiti

Hit over the last few years by cholera outbreaks, cyclones, earthquakes and marred in a prolonged political void, Haiti continues its descent into violence. Hundreds of armed groups are controlling large parts of the country, primarily in the capital, Port-au-Prince.??

Key figures:

?? More than 5 million in need of humanitarian assistance

?? 5,599 cases of armed-group-related violence since January

?? 200,000 IDPs?

As armed groups exert control over extensive areas of the country, severely impeding humanitarian access and forcing thousands to flee their homes, several of our Global Surge personnel are deployed to Haiti to support international organizations aiding the vulnerable populations.

Armed groups are determined to expand their territory through violent confrontations,” describes Alca Kuvituanga, an Information Management Officer (IMO) seconded to the International Organization for Migration (IOM ) for the Shelter and Non-Food Items Cluster . “This leaves the population with no recourse but to flee – to escape the violence.”

Read the full article ?? here .

?? Surge Deployees Scale Up Amid Sudan's Crisis

In its seventh month of conflict, Sudan finds itself immersed into a complex humanitarian crisis, leaving little room for an immediate resolution. Since hostilities erupted on April 15th 2023, intense battles have continued to rage across various states of Africa's third-largest country.?

Situation overview:

?? 5.5 million had to flee their homes, either within Sudan or to neighboring countries

?? 20.3 million people (42% of the population) require food assistance

?? 6.26 million are in an emergency situation, at IPC Level 4?

Hence, roadblocks, checkpoints, and looting further obstruct the efforts of humanitarian actors trying to reach affected populations. Since the onset of the conflict, over 900 incidents affecting humanitarian operations have been documented (OCHA), and at least 19 humanitarian workers have lost their lives.

Facing limited humanitarian access, an ever-changing flow of battles and persistent pre-conflict woes, nine Surge deployees are currently supporting relief efforts in the country — making Sudan the country most supported by our Global Surge.?

Read the full article ?? here .

? Responding to UNDAC’s call after Libya Floods

On September 10 and 11, Storm Daniel hit Libya's Mediterranean coast and two dams upstream of Derna succumbed to torrential rains, resulting in widespread devastation. While Derna suffered the most, other coastal cities also faced significant damage. The catastrophe left a shocking trail of destruction, with 8,540 people? missing and 4,255 confirmed dead as of September 27, 2023, according to the World Health Organization.?

In the aftermath of the destructive floods, one of our dedicated Global Surge team members, Nour Khalil , deployed as part of the UN Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC ) team to aid in the relief efforts.

Just four days after the dam broke, Nour joined the UNDAC team as an Information Management Officer, to assess the urgent needs of Libya's affected populations in the wake of this monumental disaster.

After her deployment, Nour shared her insights into this multifaceted crisis.

Read more on our latest UNDAC contribution ?? here .?

iMMAP Inc. is a proud operational partner of UNDAC to address the most pressing natural disasters worldwide. In 2023, we've been involved in three critical emergency responses:

?????? Democratic Republic of the Congo: Flood Response (?? January)

?????? Türkiye/Syria: Earthquake Response (?? February-March)

?????? Libya: Flood Response (?? September-October)

?? Tackling Humanitarian Crises from Home

This past June, our Global Surge deployees were in majority working remotely rather than directly on the field – a first since we launched our Surge in 2012.

As this shift mirrors the changing landscape of our work, it does also certainly reflect the diverse challenges humanitarian actors face regarding access to crises. Visa issues or mere security concerns can bar our personnel from entering certain countries physically – or at least delay their access, while immediate assistance is needed.

“The beauty of being an Information Management Officer is that you essentially require only a laptop and a reliable internet connection”, explains Ketankumar Trivedi, a Gender Information Management Officer seconded to UN Women Sudan from his home in Gandhinagar, India.?

Yet, home-based deployments present their own set of challenges – such as coordination and communication with colleagues on the ground, sometimes hundreds of miles away.

To gain deeper insights into the experiences of our home-based deployees, about the challenges they encounter and the strategies they use to overcome them, click here .

?? Surge & Partnerships Coordinator Chiara Mancuso co-led the latest Standby Partnership Monitoring Mission

In late September, our Global Surge & Partnerships Coordinator, Chiara Mancuso , traveled to Ankara and Gaziantep, Türkiye, to co-lead the latest Standby Partner Joint Monitoring Mission.??

When devastating earthquakes struck Türkiye and Syria in February, causing one of the most significant disasters the region had seen in recent time, our Surge deployees promptly responded to the call to support much-needed relief efforts in the region.?

A few months later and alongside other Standby Partners, the aim of the mission was to assess the overall Standby Partnership (SBP) contribution to UN operations in the context of the emergency response through:

?? Desk reviews

?? 2 Surveys

?? 26 Key Informants Interviews (KII), with 8 UN agencies representative and 19 SBP deployees?

?? Field visits

?? Focus group discussion??

This collaborative effort will yield crucial results for identifying ways to enhance the SBP mechanism and further improve the efficiency of SBP relief efforts in times of crisis.

Global Deployment Map

With the long-standing support of the USAID - Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA) , our Global Surge Team has been providing surge capacity support in emergency operations since 2012 through the Standby Partnership Programme.?