ECHO Daily Flash

• A sudden increase in security incidents at the hands of Non-State Armed Groups has been recorded over the past days in the Mopti and Gao region of Mali. Violent attacks in some cases have resulted in the  temporary detention of humanitarian workers, including DG ECHO partners’ staff.
• Armed conflicts continue to cause forced displacements throughout the country: Mali counts presently 332, 957 internally displaced (IDPs) according to the latest update, which represents a record number since the beginning of the crisis in 2013. 
• On 2 March 2021, UN OCHA launched the Humanitarian Response Plan for 2021 showing a substantial increase in humanitarian needs (5,9 million people in need this year compared to 4.3 million in 2020). The Plan calls for USD 563 million to target 4.7 million vulnerable people.

• Two earthquakes of 7.4 M and 8.1 M at a depth of 56 km and 19 km occurred offshore in the South Pacific Ocean very close to the northern Kermadec Islands (New Zealand) on 4 March. The epicentre of the 8.1 M earthquake was located approximately 80 km south-east of Raoul Island (northernmost of Kermadec Islands).
• A series of aftershocks of magnitude up to 6.2 M have been reported in the area.
• According to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) of New Zealand, a tsunami warning has been issued and tsunami waves have been recorded.  
• The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) maintain a tsunami threat forecast and tsunami waves reaching 0.3 to 1 metre above the astronomical tide level. GDACS issued an orange alert, as close to the epicentre, waves up to 2.4 metres have been estimated.
• New Zealand and Fiji lifted their tsunami warnings. In Samoa, all government agencies and businesses in town have been evacuated to higher grounds. In Vanuatu, Port Vila, damages to few boats along the coast, and injuried or missing people have been reported.

• The Humanitarian Needs Overview (HRO) analysis in Haiti published by UN OCHA on 4 March has revealed that more than 4.4 million Haitians, or about 40% of the population, will require humanitarian assistance in 2021. Among those Haitians in need, more than 4.4 million will be food insecure, and 3.5 million of them will present multidimensional vulnerabilities. 
• The year 2020 in Haiti was marked by the COVID-19 pandemic, tropical storm Laura and socio-political events. It was also marked by an increase in violence in the second half of the year. These events contributed to a further deterioration in the country’s economic situation, reducing the purchasing power of a large part of the population and increasing the vulnerability of many Haitians. In November 2020, 69% of households reported a decrease in their income. Half of them estimated this drop at more than 60%.
• The Humanitarian Response Plan for Haiti to be published in the coming days will estimate that USD 235.6 million will be required to address the needs of 1.5 million of the most vulnerable people in 2021.

• On 4 March, the High Representative Josep Borrell released a Declaration on behalf of the European Union on the current situation in South Sudan, to reiterate the EU’s support to the people of South Sudan while acknowledging that too little progress has taken place in the implementation of the peace agreement. 
• The Statement denounces the extremely worrisome humanitarian situation in South Sudan, with parts of the country likely facing famine, and a dire food crisis looming over the coming months, affecting more than 60% of the population. The crisis is triggered by high levels of violence, which is often politically motivated.
• The declaration urges all involved actors to protect civilians from violence and human rights violations and abuses, while guaranteeing full, safe and unimpeded humanitarian access, in compliance with International Humanitarian Law and protection of aid workers.
• Given the extreme levels of humanitarian needs, the High Representative calls for an immediate system-wide scale-up of the humanitarian response led by the UN.

• Tropical Cyclone NIRAN is moving south-est over the Coral Sea, towards New Caledonia. On 5 March at 0.00, its centre was located approximately 980 km north-west of the Belep Islands (New Caledonia), with maximum sustained wind of 204 km/h. 
• NIRAN is expected to pass along the western coast of western New Caledonia on 6 March, with maximum sustained winds up to 200-210 km/h.
• Heavy rain, strong wind and high waves could affect especially western New Caledonia from the late evening of 5 March. A Level 2 Cyclone Alert has been issued for the whole New Caledonia, starting the evening of 5 March. 

• Water, sanitation and hygiene (also known as WASH) are closely connected sectors and essential for good public health. In emergencies and crises, providing access to safe drinking water in sufficient quantities is paramount. Basic sanitation and hygiene education are important for a healthy living environment.
• According to the United Nations, over 700 children under 5 years die of diarrhoea every day, brought about by unsafe water or poor sanitation. WASH, therefore, represents one of the core sectors of humanitarian operations.
• The European Union is one of the largest humanitarian donors of WASH assistance worldwide. It contributes around EUR 200 million each year. This funding ensures timely and dignified access to sufficient and safe water services for populations threatened by humanitarian crises.

https://ec.europa.eu/echo/what/humanitarian-aid/water-sanitation-hygiene_en

• Poland: threshold level 2/2 for the Lubielske region.
• Lithuania: threshold level 3/3 for one region in the west.
• Ukraine: threshold level 3/3 for Rata river and 2/3 for Stokhid and Stir rivers.
• United Kingdom: warning level 2/3 issued for River Burn in England.

• On 5 March: no red alert issued.
• On 6 March: red alert for strong wind over central-northern coastal area of Croatia.

• On 2 March, the third attack on health services in 2021 was recorded in Burkina Faso. At least six civilians were killed when an ambulance transporting a pregnant women from Djibo (Sahel region) hit an Improvised Explosive Device (IED).
• Armed violence continues to cause forced displacements in Burkina Faso that now reach 1,097,462 individuals according to the latest update by the National Emergency Response and Rehabilitation Council (CONASUR) as of 31 January 2021. For instance, the commune of Djibo hosts approximatively 166,000 registered forcibly displaced people. Children younger than 15 (66%) and women and girls (63%) represent the majority of the displaced in Burkina Faso. 
• Among other multi-sectoral needs, the conflict drives an increase in food insecurity. The latest update of the Cadre Harmonisé (a comprehensive analytical framework) projects a new deterioration of the situation, with a forecasted 2.7 million individuals food insecure during the 2021 lean season, including 254,394 who will be severely affected (phase 4).

• At least 38 people were killed in anti-coup protests in Myanmar on 3 March, in the bloodiest crackdown yet on peaceful demonstrations against the military coup. Security forces opened fire on people protesting against military rule across Myanmar. Save the Children said in a statement that four children were among the dead.
• The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP), which has been tracking arrests since the coup, says 1,498 people have been detained with 1,192 still in detention in Myanmar since last month’s coup and many families do not know detainees health condition or whereabouts.