HIGHLIGHTS
Disasters between July and September affected 2.3 million people.
Drought exacerbates the risk of food insecurity for 1.7 million people. The most affected countries are Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador and Nicaragua.
About 68,500 unaccompanied children have been arrested in the US from October 2013 to September 2014.
Humanitarian partners continue to show interest in participating in consultations ahead of the World Humanitarian Summit (Turkey, 2016).
More than 1.7 million people affected by drought
Drought has risen to the foreground in the disasters plaguing Latin America and the Caribbean, with the number of drought-affected people since late 2013 surpassing the number affected by floods.
Compared to the second quarter of 2014 (April to June), the number of people affected by drought has increased by half a million, while over the same period in 2013, these numbers did not exceed 100,000.
Alarmingly, more than 1.7 million people have been affected by drought this year.
Next to drought, the impact of epidemics is a serious concern. Chikungunya and dengue are present in 44 countries and states in the Americas and have affected 240,000 people during the period of July to September.
During the same period, flooding affected almost 100,000 people. Other events that have had an impact include earthquakes, cold waves, volcanic activity and the migration of unaccompanied children and adolescents.
All these emergencies share the common feature of having multiple and varied impacts across numerous sectors. The consequences of drought cannot be contemplated without considering its impact on the health sector, on nutrition or even on migration flows in the region. Similarly, chikungunya and dengue cannot be tackled without involving education, water and sanitation and communication sectors, among others.
The commitment and active support of all partners is critical to minimize the impact of these disasters and to respond in an effective and timely manner.
