Covid-19 Pandemic in East Africa Further Aggravate

EAST AFRICA, 2 October 2020 – Kenya, Ethiopia, and Somalia see a sharp increase in positive cases and death due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Nearly 40,000 people have been infected while the death toll has reached over 700 in Kenya.

Almost 74,584 positive cases and 1,191 deaths were reported in Ethiopia as of 29 September.

The country condition is still at an alarming level due to a lack of Covid-19 screening equipment, albeit the daily reports showed a decline in the number of new cases.

Harari, Oromia, and Dire Dawa recorded the highest number of positive cases.

Apart from the Covid-19 issue, Ethiopia is also facing flooding problems in six provinces following heavy summer rains from June to September.

More than 1 million people were affected while 315,000 more were displaced.

3,588 people have tested positive for Covid-19 with 99 deaths were recorded in Somalia as of 28 September.

The number of positive cases reported to be increasing. Most cases are among males in the median age of 33.

Madina, Garowe, Wardegle, and Waberi recorded the highest number of positive cases.

Awareness campaigns are increasingly being carried out in Baidoa refugee camp areas as it has a high risk of Covid-19 transmission.

Islamic Relief has taken several initiatives to sever the chain of infections, such as organizing WASH awareness campaigns in Ethiopia and Somalia, identifying 10 locations for hand wash facilities in Afgooye, Somalia, distributing potable water and water treatment chemicals, as well as providing training to health workers regarding Covid-19.

Bulan akademik RISE ketengahkan gaya pembelajaran VAK

KAJANG, 1 Oktober – Inisiatif pusat pendidikan alternatif Rohingya Intellectual Skills and Excellence (RISE) kelolaan Islamic Relief Malaysia melancarkan program bulan akademik bertujuan untuk menambah baik proses pengajaran dan pembelajaran (P&P) kepada para pelajar.

Program itu menyasarkan objektif bagi menyediakan para pelajar dengan cara pembelajaran yang berbeza sehingga mereka mampu mengaplikasi ilmu pengetahuan ke dalam aktiviti sebagai salah satu proses pembelajaran mereka.

Pengetua RISE, Bismi Syaifullah Ishak berkata, kaedah pembelajaran Visual, Auditori, dan Kinestetik (VAK) mengetengahkan tiga aspek yang merangkumi penglihatan, pendengaran, dan pergerakan bagi menyokong secara optimum keperluan gaya belajar yang berbeza dalam kalangan pelajar.

“Saya yakin dan percaya barisan guru telah berhempas pulas untuk menjadikan platform bulan akademik ini bermanfaat kepada pelajar dalam menonjolkan potensi sebenar mereka, meningkatkan pengalaman pembelajaran, dan menarik minat mereka terhadap proses pembelajaran,” katanya ketika berucap di Majlis Pelancaran Bulan Akademik RISE, dekat sini, hari ini.

Majlis itu turut dihadiri Programme Specialist, Bahagian Program Islamic Relief Malaysia, Noor Halimahton Sa’adiah sebagai tetamu jemputan.

Halimahton dalam ucapannya berkata, memahami akan situasi negara yang berdepan dengan isu Covid-19 yang kian meruncing, beliau menzahirkan ucapan penghargaan kepada barisan guru atas jasa bakti mereka mendidik anak-anak RISE meskipun terdapat pelbagai kekangan yang tidak dapat dielakkan.

“Ilmu pengetahuan adalah prasyarat yang mampu mengubah nasib diri, keluarga, dan komuniti disamping ia turut mampu memberikan manfaat kepada orang lain,” katanya.

Sementara itu, Pengarah Program Bulan Akademik RISE, Muhammad Syazrul Shazwan berkata, guru akan bertindak sebagai pembimbing dan pemerhati manakala pelajar akan bertindak proaktif menyelesaikan segala tugasan yang diberikan sejajar pendekatan pendidikan kontemporari dalam fasa menuju era globalisasi saranan Kementerian Pendidikan Malaysia.

Tambahnya lagi, sebelum ini tenaga pengajar menggunakan cara pembelajaran konservatif, namun kini mereka menekankan dua cara pembelajaran baharu iaitu pembelajaran dua hala berasaskan aktiviti dan program.

“Pelajar akan dibimbing untuk mengaplikasi segala input yang difahami di dalam kelas dan mempraktikkannya ke dalam aktiviti. Misalnya, aktiviti jualan dan ‘puzzle’ (susun suai gambar) bagi subjek Matematik dan pertandingan memasak ‘Master Chef’ bagi subjek bahasa Inggeris.

“Saya berharap para pelajar mempunyai matlamat yang jelas hadir ke sekolah bagi memanfaatkan peluang yang telah diberikan oleh RISE dan Islamic Relief.

“Mereka sangat menghormati kami (para guru) dan mereka mempunyai semangat juang dan keinginan belajar yang sangat tinggi. Saya yakin bahawa mereka juga mampu mempunyai masa depan yang cerah,” beliau berkata mengulas isu sentimen Rohingya.

Bahasa Inggeris telah dijadikan sebagai bahasa pertuturan sepanjang berlangsungnya majlis tersebut bagi memperkasa objektif bulan akademik RISE pada tahun ini.

Majlis yang diacarakan sendiri oleh pelajar RISE itu dimulai dengan paparan video montaj, ucapan daripada pengetua dan tetamu jemputan, persembahan pelajar, sesi bergambar, dan diakhiri dengan penerangan ringkas oleh guru kepada pelajar mengenai minggu pertama bulan akademik yang bakal dijalankan minggu hadapan.

Catastrophic flooding in Sudan

SUDAN, 1 October 2020 – Catastrophic floods following heavy downpours since mid-July have driven up the number of casualties to over 120, critically affected more than 830,000 people, and resulted in widespread damage.

The heavy downpours have affected 18 states including Eastern, Northern, and Western Sudan, causing River Nile to overflow which triggering floods and landslides.

The authorities have declared a three-month state of emergency all over the country, requested for international assistance, as well as announced that the death toll from torrents and floods has risen to 128 since last June.

Humanitarian organisations in Sudan have reached over 350,000 people with life-saving assistance due to the worst floods that threaten more damages to hit the country in three decades.

Nearly 16,000 latrines were destroyed, access to water to more than 100,000 people in the Blue Nile was hampered due to the damaged of the Bout Dam, and thousands of farms were affected compromising the harvest and the food security of thousands of families.

Islamic Relief is currently in the early stages of initiating response activities apart from continuing the distribution of NFIs and hygiene kits to thousands of households.

Ongoing Conflict and Violence in Mali

MALI, 25 September 2020 – A total of 5,662 people have been forced to flee their homes due to an attack done by Barkhane in Benzena, Malaki, Talawat, in the community of Inadiafatane, Ghourma Rharous at the end of the last August. Meanwhile, an attack in Tinbamagueye, Issetane, and Azalamzalem happened in September.

Conflicts that occur between the armed groups have killed some people and arrested community elders.

Islamic Relief staffs have started to mobilize the affected areas to identify the emergency needs since 15 September.

Based on the rapid needs assessment, the urgent needs identified are shelters, food, water, sanitation & hygiene kit (WASH), and non-food item (NFI).

This aid also become one of the solutions to avoid any transmission of the COVID-19.

Further assessment following the fire in Moria refugee camp

GREECE, 24 September 2020 – The Disaster Risk Management Department deployed a staff member to Lesvos to conduct a needs assessment following the fire that occurred in the Moria camp.

According to The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), 9,100 people have been transferred to the new Kara Tepe site after about 13,000 people lost their shelters following the fire incident in the Moria refugee camp which was designed to house only 2,750 people.

Some people are returning to the Moria camp to salvage items mainly NFIs, hardware, and utensils.

The new site proximity to the sea made it susceptible to flooding and high winds.

Many facilities including the reception and identification centre, asylum centre, and Intensive Care Unit have been either destroyed or suffered serious damage.

The fire broke out following protests against the quarantine implementation after 35 cases of Covid-19 were confirmed last week.

A four-month state of emergency has been declared on the island based on public health concerns.

The immediate life-saving needs, food, water, and NFIs are being covered.

Affected people require urgent support in legal, psychosocial, and mental health due to the high level of distress because of the incident.

UNHCR, the Greek Army, implementing partners, and local organizations are delivering assistance.

Islamic Relief is working closely with other organizations in Greece to explore a potential response.

Huge Explosion in Military Depot, Jordan

Jordan, 11th September 2020 – A huge explosion has occurred in a military warehouse in Zarqa, Jordan caused by an electrical short circuit followed by a fire.

The location places several Jordanian military bases and depots which is located 35 kilometers from the capital Amman.

No casualties and injuries were reported because the depot was in a remote and uninhabited area.

However, the explosion was also felt by the residents in the neighborhood. They are also finding shattered glass outside their homes.