IASC Regional Network for Asia-Pacific
The ongoing humanitarian impact of extreme weather events caused by El Niño, which began in 2015, are likely to continue in many cases in the Asia-Pacific region until the third quarter of 2016. While emergency needs in many countries are waning due to recent rainfalls, in many areas longer-term engagement, in particular around resilience and early recovery is still needed.
In many countries in Asia-Pacific, extended water shortages and prolonged lean seasons due to drought, coupled with underlying poor nutrition outcomes and widespread poverty, have led to the need for WASH, Food Security (incl. agriculture), Nutrition, Health and Early Recovery interventions. El Niño has also increased vulnerabilities in some countries with limited preparedness and response capacity, and has placed vulnerable groups, including women, girls, people living with a disability and the elderly, at increased risk of violence, discrimination and exclusion from basic services. More needs to be done by Governments, humanitarian and development partners alike to mitigate future risks. At the regional level humanitarian partners are coordinating to ensure effective strategic planning, including on specific issues such as population movements and gender-specific needs that may be influenced by El Niño and La Niña.
This overview highlights the on-going response, needs and challenges in the Asia-Pacific region as a result of El Niño.