UN High Commissioner for Refugees urged governments and business leaders in the Asia-Pacific to show solidarity with refugees in the region and share responsibility for protecting and finding solutions for them. Addressing ministers of 26 countries at the Seventh Ministerial Conference of the Bali Process in Indonesia, he appealed for regional support for over 700,000 Rohingya refugees who fled to Bangladesh.

More than 1,500 refugees and migrants have lost their lives attempting to cross the Mediterranean in the first seven months of this year. The bleak milestone was confirmed after more than 850 lives were lost in June and July alone, marking the Mediterranean crossing as the deadliest sea route in the world.

PARTNERS CONCERNED OVER NUTRITION PROGRAMMING GAPS IN EAST DARFUR – Nutrition programming gaps have emerged for refugees in El Ferdous settlement following the ending of Al Manar Voluntary Organization’s (AMVO) outpatient therapeutic programme (OTP). Pipeline breaks for Ready-to Use Supplementary Food (RUSF) have also disrupted Targeted Supplementary Feeding Programmes (TSFPs) for refugees in Al Nimir camp and El Ferdous. State Ministry of Health provision of nutrition supplies for the OTP in El Ferdous ended on 31 July. New nutrition programming is urgently needed.

UNHCR TO PROVIDE PLASTIC SHEETING AND OTHER NON-FOOD ITEMS (NFIs) FOLLOWING FLASH FLOODING IN EL NUHUD, WEST KORDOFAN - Flash flooding caused injuries and destroyed homes, public buildings and shops in El Nuhud locality, where nearly 4,000 South Sudanese refugees live. UNHCR and the Commission for Refugees (COR) conducted an initial rapid needs assessment on 24 July. UNHCR will provide 3,000 NFI kits to locality residents, including plastic sheeting. The local primary school attended by both refugees and host communities was also affected, with damaged latrines and fencing. OCHA led an inter-agency needs assessment for areas affected by flash flooding on 30 July.

Heavy rains from 23-25 July 2018 triggered landslides and flooding throughout Cox’s Bazar district. The Bangladesh Meteorological Department recorded 463mm of rainfall in under 24 hours on 25 July—the second highest recorded rainfall in one day for the district. Nearly 60 incidents of landslides, winds, floods, and waterlogging reported in all settlements on 25-26 July 2018, with 445 shelters damaged.

The “Community Volunteers in Action” project jointly implemented by UNHCR and Afghan Refugees Solidarity Association was officially launched on 30 June in Kayseri.

As of 17 July, the 2018 South Sudan Regional Refugee Response Plan is only 15% funded. Urgent funding is needed to meet the needs of South Sudanese refugees in CAR, DRC, Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan and Uganda.

The relocation of 10,337 Congolese refugees from Kenani Transit Centre to Mantapala Refugee Settlement in Nchelenge District, Luapula province has now been completed. The relocation to Mantapala Settlement was part of the joint effort of the Government, UNHCR and partners to consolidate the refugee operation and ensure that Congolese arrivals have a permanent home and are able to gradually build their resilience. The relocation of all refugees from Kenani Transit Centre does not mean that it will be closed. According to the Government counterpart, the Office of the Commissioner for Refugees (COR), its assets – such as buildings - will be fenced to be further used as a transit centre in case of an influx from the DRC. Other important assets and infrastructure such as boreholes, a clinic, community schools, departure and food distribution points, will be continue to be used by the local community.

WASH: in June, WASH services were provided to 125,000 Syrian refugees, living in Azraq, Zaatari, and King Abdullah camps and host communities.

Shelter: by end of May a total of 3,497 Shelters were upgraded and repaired in Azraq and Zaatari camps.