Monthly Risk Briefing: October

The monthly risk briefing provides information on global weather, volcanic, human and health events where members may consider using the Start Fund’s Crisis Anticipation Window. It reports on new, emerging or deteriorating situations; therefore, ongoing events that are considered to be unchanged are not featured and risks that are beyond the scope and scale of the Start Fund are also not featured. This monthly risk briefing is collated by the Start Network Anticipation team using information from academia and research institutes, government departments, ACAPS, global risk indexes, risk information provided by Start Members and their partners, and the media. Key risks are shared and collated each month with FOREWARN input.

What is high priority this month?

Senegal and Mauritania are experiencing a severe dry spell of rain in particular areas - it is likely to have a severe impact on their crops. In an update from Africa Risk View, it is estimated that over 400,000 persons to be at risk of being affected by drought in Senegal in 2018/19. The Start Network and ARC Replica are currently discussing a potential drought insurance pay-out and an anticipation alert to complement the pay-out. 

Zimbabwe: Due to a delayed start to the last rainy season, there was a heavy loss of crops. An assessment carried out in January 2018, highlights a looming food crisis in Zimbabwe’s urban areas. It indicates that in the urban areas surveyed, 38% of the population is food insecure. Start members raised an Analysis for Action (AA) Grant on 11 October to analyse the escalating risks.

More than 277,000 children are at risk of contracting water-borne diseases in schools which have just reopened in Basra, Iraq. Water and sanitation facilities have collapsed, aid agencies and the local authorities say they are overwhelmed by the scale of need. Teachers report they are witnessing concerning numbers of children hospitalised since they returned to school, suffering from diarrhoea, vomiting, rashes and scabies. 

Download this month's briefing to learn about the risk of outbreak of disease in Nigeria; flooding in Niger & Burkina Faso; drought in Guatemala, violence in Honduras and a possible volcanic eruption in The DRC.