Rohingya refugees arrive by makeshift raft from Myanmar to Noya Para, Bangladesh.
This article is published in association with United Nations.
At least 21 Rohingya refugees, including two teenage girls, have died after a boat carrying up to 70 people capsized in the Andaman Sea off the coasts of Malaysia and Thailand, according to UN agencies.
Thirteen survivors have been rescued by Malaysian authorities, but dozens remain missing.
Another vessel with about 230 people on board is reportedly still at sea, raising fears of further tragedy.
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Thousands of Rohingya refugees continue to attempt perilous journeys across the Bay of Bengal and Andaman Sea in search of safety, as conditions worsen in camps in Bangladesh and in conflict-affected Myanmar.
Mounting death toll
The UN refugee agency, UNHCR, and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) expressed deep concern over the mounting loss of life, noting that more than 600 people have already died or gone missing at sea this year.
Women and children make up over two thirds of those making these dangerous crossings.
The agencies praised rescue efforts by Malaysian authorities and local communities and urged stronger regional cooperation to boost search-and-rescue capacity, ensure safe disembarkation, and address the root causes of displacement in Myanmar.
Gaza: vaccination campaign begins as immunisation rate drops below critical threshold
In Gaza, a catch-up immunisation, nutrition and health campaign is underway to reach over 40,000 children under three who have missed routine vaccines due to two years of conflict.
UNICEF, the UN Children’s Fund, warned on Tuesday that vaccination rates in the enclave have fallen below 70 per cent – a key threshold for keeping preventable diseases at bay.
The campaign has already reached thousands of children after beginning at the weekend. It will be conducted in three rounds: this month, December and January.
UNICEF spokesperson Ricardo Pires noted that before the war, Gaza had 98 per cent vaccination coverage and 55 immunization sites: “Now coerage has fallen below 70 per cent with 31 vaccination facilities destroyed or damaged.”
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As a fragile ceasefire holds in Gaza, Mr. Pires explained that the biggest problem is delivering essential medical equipment into the Strip which is essential for the campaign’s success.
This includes 1.6 million syringes but the vast majority are still outside the enclave, UNICEF’s Mr. Pires said.
Fuel supplies
Between Friday and Monday, the UN Office for Project Services distributed more than 619,000 litres of diesel to humanitarian partners to support critical operations, including water services, sanitation, hygiene, health, logistics, rubble removal, education, nutrition and protection.
Between 1 November and Sunday, UN partners in Gaza provided general food assistance to some 255,000 people, distributing two food parcels per household.
“One month into the ceasefire, our partners working on food security are distributing about 160,000 bread bundles each day, which are produced by 19 UN-supported bakeries, nine of which are in northern Gaza,” said Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq.
Lending initiative boosts vulnerable food producers’ access
A UN-backed lending initiative is underway, aimed at helping small-scale farmers and producers from the Sahara and beyond, who are held back by the difficulty they often face securing business loans.
Announcing the news on Tuesday, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) explained that growers face barriers in accessing funds because the sector is perceived to be riskier than others, because of its exposure to climate shocks and price volatility.
Credit where it’s due
But thanks to the European Union which is providing guarantees to the tune of 109.5 million euros, Italian public development bank CDP will now give credit to approved lenders operating in Africa and Türkiye.
The FAO’s role is to provide technical expertise in food, agriculture and finance for the programme’s local lenders.
“Knowledge is the best de-risking instrument,” said the UN agency’s chief, Qu Dongyu.
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