Asia-Pacific region 29 January - 4 February, 2013 - Natural disasters and other events being monitored by the OCHA Regional Office for the Asia-Pacific

  1. Philippines - Heavy rains hamper humanitarian activities in Bopha-affected areas. The revised Action Plan was launched in Manila on 25 January asking for US$76 million. As of 19 Jan, nearly 6,500 people are displaced in evacuation centers while nearly 845,000 are displaced outside of formal centers.
    Source: OCHA

  2. Indonesia - Mt. Rokatenda erupted on 3 Feb resulting in the evacuation of a number of villagers. The local authorities distributed 11,000 masks to villagers remaining on Palue island, where the volcano is located.
    Source: OCHA

  3. Samoa - Widespread heavy rain has been reported across Tuvalu, Samoa, Tonga, Niue and the Cook Islands. Reports of flash flooding were received for areas in and around Apia, the capital of Samoa. There are not yet reports of casualties or humanitarian needs as a result.
    Source: OCHA

  4. Mongolia - Extreme cold and blizzards, known locally as a "dzud" is affecting Mongolia. Previous dzuds resulted in millions of dead livestock and had a severe humanitarian impact. It appears that mitigation measures taken by the government this year have greatly reduced the impact of this year's dzud, however several more months of winter remain.
    Source: OCHA

  5. Japan - A 6.9M earthquake struck northern Japan on 2 Feb. The media reports 12 people received minor injuries and 37 households were cut off from their water supply.
    Source: OCHA, Media

Precipitation Forecast - The latest forecast predicts a slightly higher than average chance for greater than normal precipitation in across much of SE Asia and Melanesia. A higher chance of increased rainfall is predicted for the Maldives. Lower than average rainfall is predicted for most of Kiribati and Tuvalu.
Source: IRI

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