El Niño confirmed, set to fuel more extreme weather, says WMO
The UN urged all countries on Tuesday to bolster early warning systems after confirming the onset of El Niño, warning that the Pacific Ocean-warming phenomenon will bring above-average temperatures “nearly everywhere” and fuel extreme weather.
According to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), there is an 80 per cent probability that El Niño conditions will emerge between June and August, and a 90 per cent chance thereafter.
Tropical Pacific Ocean temperatures are 6°C above average, and this is fuelling concerns that in coming months, El Niño could feed on this extra heat, devastating vulnerable and unprepared communities worldwide.
WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo explained that warmer ocean conditions add heat and moisture to the climate, potentially worsening climate extremes, including heatwaves and heavy rainfall:
“The footprint of an El Niño travels far beyond its origins in the Pacific Ocean, impacting agriculture, energy supplies, trade, water resources, supply chains and livelihoods across entire regions.”
El Niño and its counterpart La Niña are opposite phases of the El Niño–Southern Oscillation, which is one of the most powerful naturally occurring climate patterns on Earth.
El Niño typically occurs every two to seven years and lasts around nine to 12 months.
Lebanon hospital strikes impact most vulnerable patients, warns WHO
The UN health agency is verifying reports of strikes on a hospital in the southern Lebanese city of Tyre, amid a rise in attacks on healthcare there.
Initial information from the Lebanese authorities indicates that at least 86 people were injured in strikes on Jabal Amel Hospital on Monday.
The attacks caused significant damage to the emergency department and the intensive care unit, disrupting essential care.
World Health Organization (WHO) representative in Lebanon, Dr Abdinasir Abubakar, explained that Jabal Amel Hospital is one of the very few still operating in the south:
“Patients are facing delays for up to 48 hours to reach the nearest referral facilities. Six hospitals have not yet resumed maternity delivery services and are currently providing only emergency room care. For pregnant women and newborns, delays in care can mean the difference between life and death.”
In just three months, WHO has verified almost 190 attacks on healthcare, which have killed 128 healthcare workers and injured 332 others. The past week alone has seen 11 attacks.
Healthcare in Tyre district has suffered the worst impacts of hostilities between Hezbollah fighters and Israel in the last few days; two hospitals are now damaged and the third is “overwhelmed”, Dr Abubakar said.
DR Congo Ebola outbreak mustn’t be allowed to spread further: IOM
Ebola outbreak news now, and an appeal from the UN migration agency, IOM, to strengthen cross-border coordination to contain the ongoing outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and neighbouring Uganda.
The International Organization for Migration cautioned against closing borders, and instead on prioritizing screening those travelling abroad.
To date, 48 people have died of Bundibugyo Ebola virus and six have recovered in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In Uganda, there have been nine confirmed cases and one death.
Ugochi Daniels, IOM Deputy Director General for Operations, said that “when borders close, people often continue moving through informal routes where health screening and surveillance are limited. The most effective response is coordinated action that keeps mobility visible, safe and monitored.”
IOM stressed that in previous health emergencies, movement restrictions have not stopped people from seeking informal routes that are often unmonitored.
This increases the difficulty of contact tracing, particularly in areas where daily cross-border movement is essential for trade, livelihoods and access to basic services.
This is the 17th Ebola outbreak recorded in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the third largest on record; it highlights the recurring nature of Ebola and the importance of sustained preparedness, the UN migration agency said.
Daniel Johnson, UN News
Source of original article: United Nations (news.un.org). Photo credit: UN. The content of this article does not necessarily reflect the views or opinion of Global Diaspora News (www.globaldiasporanews.com).
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