Snapshot 5 – 12 November
In Syria, the opposition agreed to participate in international peace talks in Geneva under the condition that President al-Assad is excluded from any transitional government, which constitutes a major obstacle to the initiation of the process as the Government stated it will not enter discussion if this demand is upheld. The peace dialogue has been repeatedly postponed and will not go ahead as planned in November. To date, the overall number of Syrian refugees is over 2.2 million and the number of people in need in the country stands at 9.3 million.
In the Philippines, Category 5 Typhoon Haiyan made landfall on the east coast on 8 November and affected more than 11.3 million people across nine regions. To date, 670,000 people are displaced, and local authorities reported 1,774 deaths. Numbers are expected to increase as more affected areas become accessible. On 12 November, the tropical depression Zoraida hit some areas affected by Haiyan, hindering rescue efforts.
As of early November, 2,770 cholera cases have been recorded in Nigeria in 2013, which represents a five-fold increase compared to the same period last year. More than 600 new cases were reported in October only, and the outbreak has cost at least 60 lives so far.
Last Updated: 12/11/2013 Next Update: 19/11/2013