The first earthquake was the most devastating to hit earthquake-prone Turkey in more than 20 years and was as strong as one in 1939, the most powerful recorded there. It was centered near Gaziantep in south-central Turkey, home to thousands of Syrian refugees and the many humanitarian aid organizations also based there.
The Turkish government is leading the response there through coordination by AFAD and with the Turkish Red Crescent. State authorities declared a level-4 emergency leading to a call for international assistance. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared a three-month state of emergency in 10 of the country’s provinces.
In February, wildfires ravaged central Chile throughout the the Maule, Biobio, Ñuble, and Araucania regions. The fires expanded quickly due to high temperatures and windy conditions, causing loss of lives, destruction of homes, and damage to basic infrastructure. The wildfires killed 26 people and burned 441,316 hectares of land. Impacts on agriculture were significant, affecting 6,993 farmers, most of them small and subsistence farmers.
Cyclone Freddy, which developed over the Indian Ocean more than a month ago, has dissipated this week, after making landfall a second time in southern Africa. The death toll had exceeded 300 across Madagascar, Mozambique, and Malawi by Thursday, with more than 700 people injured, 40 missing and 80,000 displaced.
The devastation was caused by severe flooding and landslides, which swept away roads and buried homes in mud. Power outages in Mozambique have affected small villages since last weekend, hindering rescue efforts as people await food and medical assistance.
Before Freddy, Malawi was experiencing its deadliest cholera outbreak, and it is feared flood waters could exacerbate the situation and reduce access to safe water and sanitation.
The World Meteorological Organization is setting up a committee to evaluate if Freddy has broken the record for the longest-lasting tropical cyclone. The index used to measure the energy released by a tropical cyclone, known as accumulated cyclone energy, estimates Freddy had the equivalent energy of an entire North American hurricane season.
In California, the relentless conveyor belt of “atmospheric rivers” has continued to bring deluges of rainfall. It was the 11th such event this year and resulted in further flooding and mudslides that left 100,000 people without power by Thursday.
“On the early hours of Monday 6th of November 2023, several persons were killed, others gravely injured and a good number of houses burned down by unidentified Gunmen at Egbekaw village in Mamfe Central Subdivision. Up till this moment, we cannot find any reasons to justify this heinous act,” Bishop Abangalo recounted.
He added, “We vehemently condemn the atrocious act that brought about the destruction of the lives of so many innocent men, women, and children.”
The Catholic Bishop of Mamfe Diocese in Cameroon has “vehemently condemned” the killing of innocent civilians following an attack at the new Layout Egbekaw, a locality within his Episcopal See.
On November 6, unidentified gunmen reportedly opened fire on people as they slept in Egbekaw leaving at least 20 dead, many others injured and houses burnt down.
In a statement shared with ACI Africa Monday, November 6, Bishop Aloysius Fondong Abangalo provided details about the attack in his Episcopal See.
“On the early hours of Monday 6th of November 2023, several persons were killed, others gravely injured and a good number of houses burned down by unidentified Gunmen at Egbekaw village in Mamfe Central Subdivision. Up till this moment, we cannot find any reasons to justify this heinous act,” Bishop Abangalo recounted.
He added, “We vehemently condemn the atrocious act that brought about the destruction of the lives of so many innocent men, women, and children.”
“The massacre of human beings is an intrinsically evil act because it violates the fifth commandment of the Decalogue: You shall not kill,” the Cameroonian Bishop said.
He noted that the Catechism of the Catholic Church clearly explains the reason why the killing of a human being is inadmissible: “Human life is sacred because from its beginning it involves the creative action of God and it remains forever in a special relationship with the Creator, who is its sole end. God alone is the Lord of life from its beginning until its end: no one can under any circumstance claim for himself the right directly to destroy an innocent human being.”
The 50-year-old Cameroonian Bishop who started his Episcopal Ministry in May 2022 further said, “We equally use this medium to extend our sincere condolences to the bereaved families and to assure them of our closeness and prayers during this moment of pain and sorrow.”
“We have decided that Holy Mass will be celebrated in the Saint Joseph’s Cathedral Church, Mamfe, on Tuesday 7th November, 2023, at 8.00 a.m., for the eternal repose of the souls of those murdered; for the quick recovery of those gravely injured; and, for the conversion of those who perpetrated the heinous act,” Bishop Abangalo said.
Cameroon’s English-speaking regions plunged into conflict in 2016 after a protest by lawyers and teachers turned violent. An armed movement of separatists claiming independence for the so-called republic of Ambazonia emerged following the government’s crackdown on protesters.
