Submitted by Bill Tobin, Rotary Relations Manager
 
Below are updates from ShelterBox responses in Ukraine and other areas. We appreciate all the support, donations and advocacy provided by district leadership to help ShelterBox respond to disaster and conflict. We have a big mission ahead and we need your help.
 
Exclusive Briefing Conflict and Crisis: ShelterBox responds in Ukraine and Yemen.: April 20th Noon ET / 9AM PT
 
Ukraine – CONFLICT
 
Our aid has arrived in Lviv in western Ukraine and distributions begin this week. Our team in eastern Europe is now working in Moldova while coordinating with partners in Poland and Ukraine. The number of people who've had to leave their homes is close to 10 million – that’s almost a quarter of Ukraine’s population. Over 4 million children are among those displaced (more than half of the country’s estimated 7.5 million child population).
 
We are working on three projects – two within Ukraine and one supporting those fleeing the country.
 
1.      We are working with People in Need to provide thousands of mattresses for collective centers like schools and churches in Lviv, Ukraine. Our aid has arrived in Lviv and will be distributed this week to collective centers - places where people fleeing conflict-affected areas are seeking shelter and safety. The mattresses will help people sleep and keep warm at night.
2.      We are preparing to provide shelter kits with tools and rope, high thermal blankets, hygiene kits including items like soap, washing powder and toothpaste, solar lights, buckets, and water carriers to help people in Ukraine survive in buildings damaged by the conflict. 
3.      We will be supporting refugees in neighboring countries with high priority items they can carry with them, like hygiene items and cash. Our teams are working with government representatives, Rotary, and other humanitarian organizations in Moldova to draw up our plans.
Philippines – TYPHOON
 
Super Typhoon Rai, known locally as Odette, was the strongest storm in 2021 and made landfall nine times across seven provinces in The Philippines from 16-17 December. The number of assessed damaged houses has increased to nearly 1.7 million houses. Of these, 415,000 are destroyed with the most affected provinces being Cebu, Bohol and Surigao del Norte, which account for 61% of destroyed homes.
 
ShelterBox distributions are now complete in Cebu, where 7,163 Households (HH) received shelter. The Rotary Club of Cebu was our primary partner helping with transportation, training, and distributions.
 
We've worked in 118 Barangays in Bohol where distributions continue. With help from Rotary, and Humanity & Inclusion we have reached 13,028 HH with emergency shelter. We are continuing to assess needs in new Barangays. To date we supported 20,274 Households, around 100,000 people.
 
Mozambique – CONFLICT
 
Sporadic attacks by Non-State Armed Groups (NSAGs) continue in Cabo Delgado and surrounding provinces. Latest assessment from IOM is that overall, this year there has been increase in number of people displaced- up by 50,000 people compare to previous assessment in November. Total of 785,000 people. Children remain the main age group representing 49% of the overall internally displaced population.
 
In partnership with CARE Mozambique, we have recently supported over 3,200 HH with shelter and household items. Distributions and training to community on shelter techniques and protection issues continue. We are providing additional support in constructing and framing materials to build Type A Model home as designed by the Shelter Cluster. 500 vulnerable households will receive this training.
 
 
Cameroon – CONFLICT
 
The Far North Region continues to be impacted by Boko Haram related armed conflict and Cameroon remains the second most-affected country by the Lake Chad Basin emergency after Nigeria. This severe emergency has been made worse by underlying factors such as underdevelopment, unequal economic opportunities, and climate change.
 
As of December 2021, the Far North region currently hosts 117,000 refugees, over 357,000 IDPs and over 135,000 returnees (people who were previously internally displaced or refugees) and the host community is also highly vulnerable. ShelterBox has been responding to this crisis for over 5 years.
 
Project 10 is now underway to shelter new arrivals and long-term residents of the Minawao Refugee Camp and displaced families living off camp. The aim is to support a total of 5,280 households. Link to case studies from Cameroon https://assetbank.shelterbox.org/assetbank-shelterbox/action/browseItems?categoryId=1074&categoryTypeId=2
 
Note: Links directed to the ShelterBox asset bank. All photos and case studies at the asset bank are available to download. https://assetbank.shelterbox.org
ShelterBox is also responding to help people displaced by conflict in Syria, Yemen, Ethiopia, Burkina Faso, and Nigeria.  Learn more at www.shelterboxusa.org or if your district reaches into Canada, clubs north of the boarder can use www.shelterboxcanada.org