UNICEF ECAR Humanitarian Situation Report No. 01 – Mid-Year 2024 – Türkiye

Attachments

Reporting Period: 1 January to 30 June 2024

Highlights

• In the first half of 2024, floods, landslides, and mudflows affected over 131,000 people in Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Armenia, causing casualties, evacuations, damages to residential houses and infrastructure, and power cuts.
• Between January – June 2024, an estimated 69,645 refugees and migrants arrived in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Greece, Italy, and Serbia, including increasing numbers of highly vulnerable children and gender-based violence survivors. This represents a decrease of 46 per cent in total arrivals compared to the same period last year.
• Over 70,800 measles cases were registered in Europe and Central Asia, representing 40 per cent of the global cases. Highest number of measles cases were reported in Kazakhstan (24,702 cases), Azerbaijan (13,046 cases), Kyrgyzstan (9,011 cases), Romania (5,530 cases), and Uzbekistan (868 cases).
• UNICEF enhanced emergency preparedness and response capacities by collaborating with governments and partners, focusing on sudden and slow-onset emergencies, including migration, natural and climate-induced hazards, conflicts, displacements, and epidemics, while prioritizing life-saving support and protection across health, nutrition, education, WASH, child protection, social protection, and social behavior change, improving disaster risk reduction, and strengthening child protection systems, particularly for refugee and migrant children and women and other vulnerable groups.
• As of 30 June 2024, UNICEF had received US$ 9.9 million against its US$ 39.6 million funding requirement. This, in addition to US$ 8 million carry-over funds, resulted in an overall funding gap of 55 percent. UNICEF is grateful to all donors for their continued, generous, and important contributions.

Regional Situation Overview & Humanitarian Needs

In the first half of 2024, floods, landslides, and mudflows affected nearly 131,000 people in Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Armenia, causing casualties, evacuations, damages to residential houses and infrastructure, an power cuts. The events took place between March and July, which is unseasonal for the region:

In Armenia over 1,000 people were affected by floods. In Kazakhstan 119,000 people, including 44,400 children, were rescued and evacuated from emergency zones due to heavy rains and floods in April-May 2024. The Government declared emergency in 10 out of 17 regions. In Kyrgyzstan, the flood in Osh, Djalal-Abad, Batken and Talas provinces in July killed five people (two women, two children and one man) and affected around 2,000 people. From April to early July 2024, the weather-related disasters in Tajikistan affected several populated areas, including Dushanbe, Istaravshan, Panjakent, and multiple districts in Sughd and Khatlon regions, resulting in damages exceeding USD 7.5 million. Preventive measures by the Committee of Emergency Situations (CoES) minimized the death toll and facilitated timely evacuations, saving hundreds of lives. However, ten lives were lost, including six children. The disasters damaged 1,715 households, affecting over 8,690 individuals, including 5,464 children, and severely impacted infrastructure, agriculture, and educational institutions. The destruction of roads, bridges and river protection structures further isolated communities, disrupted local food supplies, and heightened the risk of future flooding.

Measles cases continued to increase in the region: preliminary data show more than 178,000 cases globally, with over 70,800 cases registered in Europe and Central Asia, representing 40 per cent of the global cases. Highest number of measles cases were reported in Kazakhstan (24,702 cases), Azerbaijan (13,046 cases), Kyrgyzstan (9,011 cases), Romania (5,530 cases), and Uzbekistan (868 cases). UNICEF is working with country offices, governments, and partners such as WHO and GAVI to address the outbreak, including immunization and communication campaigns.

Mixed migrant flows continued in the region necessitating continued humanitarian support to vulnerable children and families on their difficult journeys. In Albania, there are currently an estimated 2,400 Afghan refugees, with and the current arrival flow being around 100-120 persons per week, for an estimated stay of 2-4 weeks. Flights continued to regularly arrive and depart from Albania as part of the official agreement between the U.S. and Albanian government for Albania to host Afghan refugees whilst they are being vetted for U.S visas. In addition, refugees and migrants from the Middle East and Africa continued to arrive in Belarus intending to cross into the EU, however there is lack of reliable data and restricted access to the border areas where migrants stay.

Between January – June 2024, an estimated 69,645 refugees and migrants arrived in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Greece, Italy, and Serbia. This represents a decrease of 46 per cent compared to the same period last year. As of the end of June, approximately 139,858 adults, 662 accompanied children, and 23,224 unaccompanied and separated children were present in the five countries. The main countries of origin were Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Burundi, Egypt, Guinea, Iraq, Morocco, Pakistan, Somalia, Syria, and Tunisia.

In Bosnia and Herzegovina, 12,334 refugees and migrants arrived between January and June, a slight decrease of 5 per cent compared to the same period last year. Four temporary reception centers provide support for refugees and migrants, including specialized facilities for families and unaccompanied children during an average stay of 6 to 11 days. Efforts to enhance services are ongoing, but concerns remain about the lack of family-based care for younger unaccompanied children and the need for improved mental health support due to reports of violent pushbacks at borders.

In Bulgaria, there were 16,083 migrant entry attempts and 5,466 asylum-seekers were registered from January to June 2024 (2,852 adults, 1,775 children, 839 unaccompanied children), a similar number to the same period last year.9 The reception centers struggle with inadequate conditions, leading to capacity reductions and transfers. Enrolment rates for asylum-seeking children are low, impacted by language barriers and lack of preparatory classes.

Greece experienced a significant increase in arrivals, with 16,839 migrants arriving between January and May 2024 (180 per cent increase compared to the same period last year). This includes 1,772 unaccompanied children. With a notable rise in child arrivals, the conditions in reception centers and closed facilities remain challenging. The launch of a guardianship scheme for unaccompanied children marks a positive development. However, recent shipwrecks and high mortality rates highlight ongoing risks for refugees and migrants making perilous journeys across the Mediterranean.

In Italy, despite a 61 per cent decrease in arrivals compared to the previous year, the Mediterranean and Balkan routes remained active with 25,676 sea arrivals and 500 land arrivals (approx. 5 per cent accompanied and 14 per cent unaccompanied children). Among the arrivals, there were increasing cases of persons with severe and compound vulnerabilities, particularly children and gender-based violence (GBV) survivors. Although transfer systems from Lampedusa to Sicily have improved, there are ongoing concerns about reception conditions, long stays in receptions centres after transfer, delayed or incomplete identification of vulnerable individuals and their referral to appropriate services. Italy’s recent policy updates include extending the state of emergency, updating safe country lists, and enhancing border control measures, as well as contingency planning, to which UNICEF contributed to ensure protection measures for children were included.

Serbia saw a decrease in registered arrivals, with 8,830 newcomers from January to June 2024, while the percentage of children in reception centers increased from 7 per cent in 2023 to 13 per cent in 2024. A June cooperation agreement between Serbia and the EU boosted Frontex presence at Serbian borders, raising concerns about refugee and migrant rights. Refugees and migrants are moving quickly through Serbia to the EU, avoiding state-run centers and relying on smugglers for private accommodations, increasing their vulnerability. Most entries are from Bulgaria and Northern Macedonia, with many heading to Bosnia and Herzegovina. The government is considering closing some centers and reallocating unaccompanied children. In June, a notable increase in Turkish arrivals, from 2 per cent in April to 9 per cent, was noted.