Emergencies

On April 15, 2023, the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and Rapid Support Forces (RSF) began a series of attacks on each other on the right to rule the country. Thousands have already been reported killed, in parallel with a large migration crisis that has seen Sudanese fleeing externally and internally. 

On Monday, 6 February 2023, a 7.8-magnitude earthquake hit just after 4 a.m. local time, that sent tremors hundreds of miles and creating disaster zones on both sides of the Türkiye-Syria border, including areas home to millions of people already displaced by the civil war in Syria. Over a week later, the Turkish and Syrian governments are reporting over 46,000 deaths.

According to the International Rescue Committee (IRC), more than 1.5 million refugees have fled Ukraine since the Russian invasion on 24 February 2022, the vast majority of whom are women and children. Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) is a core component of the primary health care package that saves lives and upholds human dignity and must be ensured for those fleeing Ukraine. As the crisis unfolds, IAWG members are encouraged to share their guidance, evidence, and advocacy on this webpage.

West and Central Africa are facing renewed outbreaks of Ebola virus disease (EVD). The Ministry of Health of the Democratic Republic of the Congo declared an outbreak of EVD on 7 February 2021 after the confirmation of one case in Butembo, North Kivu Province. Genetic sequencing analysis indicates that this outbreak is linked to the two-year-long outbreak that took place in North Kivu and Ituri provinces from 2018 to 2020.

Mpox is an infectious disease that can cause a painful rash, enlarged lymph nodes, fever, headache, muscle ache, back pain and low energy. A global outbreak of clade IIb began in 2022 and continues to this day, including in some African countries. There are also growing outbreaks of clades Ia and Ib affecting the Democratic Republic of the Congo and other countries in Africa. As of August 2024, clade Ib has also been detected beyond Africa.

IAWG recognizes the rapidly evolving and increasingly acute humanitarian crises in Afghanistan due to the recent escalation of violence–including specifically against women and girls–and mass displacement of an estimated 3.5 million people. We recognize that community leaders, particularly those who advocate for and advance the lives of women and girls, are on the frontlines of the crises that are currently unfolding and deepening.