Latin America & The Caribbean Weekly Situation Update (As of 20 … – ReliefWeb

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DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: HEAVY RAINFALL

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21 PEOPLE DEAD FOLLOWING HEAVY RAINFALL AND FLOODING IN THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

Since 17 November, a tropical depression has been bringing heavy rainfall, flooding and landslides to the Dominican Republic. According to the countrys Emergency Operations Centre, the extreme weather has left at least 21 people dead and forced more than 13,000 people to evacuate. At least 15 electricity circuits and 115 aqueducts have been affected, causing disruptions in electricity service for more than 150,000 people and water service for some 1.8 million people. The National Institute of Drinking Water and Sewage and EDESUR are working to restore their respective services in the affected areas. According to preliminary reports, more than 1,500 homes, 6 roads and 5 bridges have been affected. Some 19 communities remain cut off due to the overflow of rivers. Fourteen provinces (Pedernales, San Juan, Barahona, Azua, San Jos Ocoa, Bahoruco, Independencia, Elas Pia, San Cristbal, Peravia, Snchez Ramrez, El Distrito Nacional, Santo Domingo and Duarte) across the country remain at a red alert level due to the risk of further flooding and landslides. Heavy rainfall is forecast to continue through until 20 November.

HAITI: INSECURITY & DISPLACEMENT

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1,014 PEOPLE DISPLACED IN LATEST WAVE OF VIOLENCE IN CIT SOLEIL

Since 13 November, a resurgence of violence between rival armed groups has led to injuries, displacement and death for civilians of the neighbourhoods of Cit Soleil, a commune in the Haitian capital. The violence has displaced more than 1,000 people and killed at least 166, mainly civilians. On 15 November, clashes forced the indefinite closure of the Fontaine hospital, a private facility that provided significant maternity care. Only a few weeks earlier, in late October, Saint Damiens, a maternity centre in Port-au-Prince, also closed its doors due to insecurity. All staff have been transferred to other facilities in Port-au-Prince, reducing access to medical care in Cit Soleil. Doctors Without Borders (MSF) Cit Soleil emergency hospital, where at least 50 people have been treated in the past week, is now the only medical facility in the area capable of treating patients. The surge in violence also affected an orphanage, forcing 58 children to evacuate. MSF and the Interim Humanitarian Coordinator for OCHA in Haiti have strongly condemned the frequency of attacks on health services, schools and basic social services and are calling for an end to violence against the civilian population and respect for hospitals, medical facilities and humanitarian organisations.

REGIONAL: MIGRATION & PROTECTION CONCERNS

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460K MIGRANTS CROSS PERILOUS DARIEN GAP SO FAR IN 2023

As rates of irregular migration continue to soar across the region, humanitarian organisations have renewed calls for improved protection measures and comprehensive humanitarian support for those in-transit. Almost 460,000 migrants, including nearly 100,000 children, have now made the treacherous journey across the Darien jungle between Colombia and Panama on their way north. As well as physical and environmental challenges, these routes also present significant threats to the security and wellbeing of migrants, particularly women and children, who are increasingly subject to sexual and gender-based violence, exploitation, human trafficking, assault, robbery and forced recruitment by armed groups. On the Colombian side, armed groups associated with drug trafficking regulate the routes migrants can take, often through extortion. The Colombian military estimates that one group collects, on average, US$125 per person crossing the Darien gap. If this estimate is correct, between January and October 2023, the armed group may have made $57 million from its control over this area. Organisations on the ground indicate growing reports of sexual violence along migrant routes. To date in 2023, Doctors Without Borders (MSF) have treated 397 survivors of sexual violence, including many children, after they succeeded in reaching Panama. While the month of October saw a decrease in the number of migrants crossing the Darien gap (49,256 people in October compared to 75,268 in September), MSF saw an increase in the number of survivors of sexual assault seeking assistance. In October alone, MSF teams assisted 107 people. One week saw 59 people reach out for care from MSF, the equivalent to one event of sexual violence every three hours. Three of the rape survivors were children aged 11, 12 and 16. Humanitarian organisations, including MSF, UNHCR, Human Rights Watch, International Crisis Group and Plan International, among others, are urging relevant governments to prioritise the protection of migrants and their human rights, strengthen humanitarian capacities and improve comprehensive response strategies, including increasing safe and legal pathways for migration and addressing root causes of movements.

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Latin America & The Caribbean Weekly Situation Update (As of 20 ... - ReliefWeb