Speeches Shim
On October 20, the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) announced the recapture of Ar Raqqah Governorate’s city of Ar Raqqah from the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS); ISIS had taken control of the city in January 2014. SDF-led military operations to retake Ar Raqqah began on June 6 and culminated in intense fighting in the city’s centermost neighborhoods during the final weeks of the offensive, according to international media. As military operations concluded, SDF escorted the majority of civilians remaining in the city to nearby security screening sites, media reports.
The United States has had a diplomatic relationship with ASEAN since 1977, cooperating in trade, economic and social development, people-to-people connections, institutional strengthening, national security, defense, science and technology and education.
As humanitarian response efforts in Dominica continue and the transition to early recovery begins, UN agencies and NGOs—including USAID/OFDA partners—are coordinating with the GoCD to meet priority humanitarian needs, including access to safe drinking water, emergency food assistance, and shelter support. A field-based USAID regional team, including three USAID/OFDA disaster risk management specialists supporting response coordination at Dominica’s Emergency Operations Center, continues to support relief and early recovery efforts in the region.
USAID’s Reintegration and Prevention of Recruitment (RPR) activity supports the GOC in implementing prevention of recruitment strategies, and in providing ex-combatants with the support they need for successful reintegration into Colombian society.
On September 21, the U.S. Government (USG) announced more than $283.6 million in additional humanitarian funding for the South Sudan response. During FY 2017, the USG provided nearly $746 million in emergency assistance inside South Sudan, as well as approximately $246 million in life-saving assistance for South Sudanese refugees in neighboring countries.
As of September 30, health agencies had recorded nearly 772,000 suspected cholera cases and 2,132 related deaths since the outbreak resurged in late April, according to USAID/OFDA partner the UN World Health Organization (WHO). USG partners continue to distribute cholera prevention supplies, such as water purification tablets; establish additional cholera treatment centers (CTCs) and oral rehydration centers (ORCs); and provide safe drinking water to vulnerable populations.
An estimated 6.3 million people are internally displaced in Syria, while more than 5.3 million Syrian refugees remain displaced to neighboring countries, according to the UN. The Camp Coordination and Camp Management (CCCM) Cluster—the coordinating body for humanitarian CCCM activities, comprising UN agencies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and other stakeholders—recorded more than 948,600 displacements from conflict-affected areas throughout Syria from September 2016 to September 2017, with an estimated 39,000 new displacements recorded in September 2017 alone.
USAID’s Inclusion for Peace Activity (IPA) aims to foster the social and economic inclusion of Afro-Colombian and indigenous communities that have been disproportionally affected by the conflict as a means to advance peace and reconciliation in Colombia. IPA implements a cross-cutting and integrated approach that recognizes the specific necessities, interests, and realities of the Afro-Colombian and indigenous people with respect to disability, gender, sexual orientation, and age. IPA is implemented by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in nine departments (Antioquia, Bolivar, Cauca, Chocó, Cundinamarca, Guaviare, La Guajira, Nariño, and Valle del Cauca) and runs from November 2016 – November 2020.
In September, NOAA reported an increased likelihood that a La Niña climatic event could develop by late 2017. Historically, La Niña events are associated with below-average October-to-December deyr rains over the Horn of Africa, according to FEWS NET. Anticipated below-average seasonal rains in late 2017 would mark the fourth consecutive season of below-average rainfall in many areas of the region.
Communities throughout Dominica are receiving ongoing distributions of food assistance, transitional shelter support, and safe drinking water. The Government of the Commonwealth of Dominica (GoCD) and international response stakeholders are coordinating efforts to address potential gaps in assistance to ensure that all populations in need receive support, according to the UN. As of October 10, the GoCD, in coordination with the UN World Food Program (WFP) and other relief actors, had distributed a total of 150 metric tons (MT) of food, benefiting an estimated 50,000 Dominicans, or approximately 70 percent of Dominica’s residents.
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