Safeguarding health during storm season: preparedness and emergency response in the Gulf of Aden

5 June 2018 – Within a week, 2 record-setting tropical cyclones that formed in the Gulf of Aden made landfall, wreaking widespread havoc in Somalia, Oman and Yemen. The World Health Organization is supporting direct response efforts in Somalia and Yemen, while Oman relies on its preparedness developed in partnership with WHO. On 19 May, cyclone Sagar made landfall in north-western Somaliland with heavy rainfall, strong winds and flash floods. Subsequent flooding displaced nearly 230 000 people, killed at least 34 people, damaged cropland and infrastructure, and killed livestock. In total, over 750 000 people were affected.  A week later, cyclone Mekunu landed in Oman after having devastated the Yemeni island of Socotra, killing at least 10 people on the island. Mekunu made landfall as the strongest storm Oman has ever seen, with category 3 hurricane strength and wind gusts up to 200 km/h. The cyclone dumped nearly 3 years' worth of rain in a single day on Salalah, Oman’s third most populous city, killing an additional 6 people and bringing the total death toll for both storms up to 50.  In Yemen and Somalia, the cyclones have added further pressure to the ongoing complex emergencies, prompting additional emergency response from WHO and other international agencies.  Somalia: pressure mounting on a fragile health system With the added stress of cyclone Sagar on Somalia’s already fragile health system, the need for humanitarian health response has...
Source: WHO EMRO News - Category: Middle East Health Source Type: news