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Mali: Mali lures civil servants to the north with cash

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Source: IRIN
Country: Mali

BAMAKO, 21 August 2013 (IRIN) - Mali is offering cash incentives to prompt public servants to return to the northern Gao, Kidal and Timbuktu regions they fled during the Islamist rebel take-over and conflict that followed the March 2012 coup.

Around 300 government workers are eligible for the US$500 offer, which began on 19 July and will run for three months. The workers will be paid once they report to duty and are registered. France, which sent troops in January to drive out the Islamist militants, has offered US$1 million to support the scheme.

"The war is over and the terrorists [Islamist militants] have been chased out. Our workers should now resume duty. That is why we decided to give 100,000 [CFA] francs [$200] to every public servant for transport and 150,000 francs [$300] for resettlement," Abdel Karim Konaté, Mali's finance minister, told IRIN.

Mali's northern half was seized by separatist Tuareg rebels following the coup, and then by radical Islamist fighters, following the overthrow of the government in Bamako; thousands were forced to flee to other regions and neighbouring countries. A French intervention force deployed in January of this year dislodged the Islamists from much of northern region.

It is hoped the presidential elections - held on 29 July, with the runoff on 11 August - will restore stability after months of turmoil.

Restoring normalcy

Banking, health, education, police and other public services were thrown in disarray by the chaos in northern Mali, as many officials and workers fled.

Almost all the public buildings were ransacked by the rebels or damaged by French bombardments in Gao and Timbuktu, a defence ministry report said, noting that "the governors and prefects are living in atrocious conditions in those buildings."

"The government's decision [to incentivize civil servants' return] is comforting, and we have organized a convoy of 23 people to return to Gao," said Mamadou Soumountera. Soumountera works at a training school in Gao, but fled to his village in the central Kayes Region during the instability.

"It is a good initiative, but I find the amount little. I was unable to bring my whole family with the 100,000 francs. I came back alone to prepare for their arrival," said Ousmane Touré, a government veterinarian who recently returned to Gao. He is waiting to be paid the resettlement grant.

"This incentive will encourage many colleagues to return to work, but beyond the symbolism of the initiative, we need to work because we have been technically jobless for the past 18 months," Touré said.

Finance Minister Konaté said that the cash incentive was a sign of government's willingness to help restore normalcy to the affected regions. Some 120 government workers have resumed duty in Gao since the initiative was launched, he said.

Still, the presence in Kidal Region of the Tuareg National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA), which seeks the autonomy of the northern homeland they call "Azawad", continues to cause tensions.

"Kidal is a special case due to access problems and certain security constrains. Unlike Timbuktu and Gao, where the government and the army deployed soon after they were liberated [from the Islamists], the governor and some prefects returned to the region only on the eve of the elections," said Konaté.

Reviving the economy

Health, education, agriculture, housing, security service have been re-established in Gao and Timbuktu. Banks, tax and customs departments are expected to resume soon.

Naminatou Coulibaly, who works at a Timbuktu school and stayed during the Islamist occupation, said that in addition to the cash incentive, the government should consider paying a special allowance for staff in the northern region.

"The living conditions here are very tough. The cash incentive for resettlement can only cater for rent and a few items. Everything has to be re-established from the ground up because the terrorists left nothing in their wake," Coulibaly said.

The government plans to disburse US$400,000 to the local authorities in Gao and Timbuktu to allow them rent houses for governors and equip offices and homes, said Konaté.

Moussa Alassane Diallo, the head of a banks and financial institutions association, said they had agreed to resume banking services in Gao and Timbuktu on 20 August. He explained that the chaos had caused $200 million in losses for the sector.

Banking systems in Gao and Timbuktu collapsed in mid-2012, choking trade and transactions with the rest of the country.

"I have to go to Mopti [in central Mali] more than 500km away to withdraw my salary at the bank. After paying for the transport and other expenditures, I have nearly nothing," said Nouhoum Cissé, an agricultural engineer in Gao.

"With the steady return of public servants and the regional authorities, I'm sure the economy and normal life will resume in the north, because at the moment things are very slow," said Baladji Touré, a trader in Gao.

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Burkina Faso: World Food Programme Works with Partner on a Reforestation Campaign

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Source: World Food Programme
Country: Burkina Faso

On 14 August, a reforestation campaign was launched in the village of Cissin in Burkina Faso's Yatenga Province. The launch was organized by the Association Formation Développement Ruralité (AFDR), the NGO which is leading the reforestation campaign and is one of WFP's partners in the North region. Participants in the reforestation campaign will receive cash transfers from WFP as part of the Cash for Assets programme.

The people of the village of Cissin came out in force for the launch of the 2013 reforestation campaign, which aims to improve soil quality and boost agricultural production. AFDR plans to plant 400,000 trees on about 670 hectares. The species to be planted include acacia and neem, which are adapted to the region’s ecological conditions, as well as other trees such as baobab and nere, which bear highly nutritious fruit.

“This reforestation campaign supports the progress made during our previous activities with WFP. The trees will be planted alongside the stone walls built earlier this year to protect them and to counter soil erosion’, said the Executive Director of AFDR Hamidou Ouattara. He added WFP has an excellent relationship with AFDR, the local authorities and farmers in the North region.

In 2013, through cash for asset activities, WFP’s support will allow 2,448 small scale farmers (1,400 women and 1048 men) to develop 500 hectares of land. For these activities, WFP will distribute more than 110 million CFA (US$ 220,000) in 67 villages of the North region. In addition to Cash for Assets, AFDR is one of WFP's main NGO partners in the North for the Purchase for Progress (P4P) scheme, which aims to increase small scale farmers’ production and access to markets. In the past five years, small scale farmers have sold nearly 500 tons of food to WFP, receiving about 200 million CFA (US$ 400,000), according to Hamidou Ouattara.

Dr. Amadou Sidibé, Director of Market Development of agricultural products at the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, who is the P4P focal point and co-sponsor of the ceremony, said, "At the beginning, I didn’t agree with WFP’s approach, which aimed to provide food assistance to people, but today WFP has evolved, reflected in the diversity of activities such as purchasing food from small producers, building stone walls to reduce erosion and increase food production, so congratulations to WFP ". Gilbert Noël Ouedraogo, Mayor of Ouahigouya town, echoed these sentiments and noted his appreciation for the reforestation campaign and underlined its importance in the context of the current environmental problems.

AFDR took the opportunity of the launch to award prizes to the best students of the primary school of the village of Cissin. Mamadou Diouf, WFP Burkina Faso Deputy Director, provided a bicycle to the best girl student, highlighting WFP's commitment for girls’ education and gender equality. The campaign’s launch was closed by a tree planting by guests and local population who attended the ceremony.

Kenya: Poverty, goats and resilience

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Source: Caritas Australia
Country: Kenya

What do goats have to do with poverty? To Susan Leshore and her fellow Samburans from rural Kenya, who were affected by the 2011 East African drought, goats can mean the difference between having enough food and potentially losing everything.

By Luke Sypkes, Humanitarian and Emergencies Group, Caritas Australia

Susan, like many people in rural Kenya, doesn’t know how old she is – she guesses about 50 years. She measures the past according to memories of events like ‘the big drought’ that hit in 2011, the worst in the region for 60 years.

The big drought meant little rain, failing crops and, for many, a reliance on emergency support. But for Susan and thousands of other Kenyans supported by Caritas Australia, new goats mean they can now weather droughts better. They can also look towards the future with a greater sense of hope and security.

When I spoke to Susan she told me what five new goats means to her family.

“Anything less than five goats, and you are in trouble,” she said, referring to a rule of thumb that a herd of less than five goats is not sustainable. Sitting on a small wooden stool next to her ochre coloured mud and straw home, Susan told me: “Before I was given five goats, I had nothing, we were desperate. But they have made a huge difference to our lives.”

A good-natured lifeline

Goats are hardy animals. In many parts of the world, especially in areas with harsh climates, these good-natured animals are a lifeline, a critical investment for the future. In Samburan culture goats are a symbol of wealth and power, and are considered a Samburan family’s most valued asset.

In 2012, as East Africa was gripped by severe drought, Susan and her family were identified by Caritas Australia’s partners as being among the most vulnerable in her community. Alongside 460 other families in Baragoi – a sprawling dusty village in Samburu County – Susan was chosen to receive a small herd of female goats funded through Caritas Australia’s East Africa Appeal.

Growing resilience

The goats provided to Susan were stronger and more resilient than the local variety. As they breed, they are improving the ability of the region’s herds to withstand future drought.

“We have bred these goats and now we have ten!” she said excitedly. “We milk them twice a day, either for my children to drink, or to sell at the market. We used to sell them for KSH2,000 (AU $25), but now they are worth about KSH2,500 (AU $32). Sometimes the goats get sick, but now we have money to buy veterinary medicine for them and none have died.

“We also have enough money to buy school supplies and uniforms for my three children. I now have hope for them. I want to start a small business and create a small income so my children will have a good future.”

Thanks to your support and donations to the East Africa Appeal, many communities throughout this region, like Susan’s, have received life-saving assistance and are looking forward to the future with a renewed spirit.

Mali: West Africa Seasonal Monitor August 21, 2013

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Source: Famine Early Warning System Network
Country: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo
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Rainfall in parts of the Saharan zone create favorable conditions for locust development

KEY MESSAGES

  • April to July rains were below average over most of the bimodal zone, resulting in critical moisture deficits for maize and a significant drop in production levels during the July harvest. While a certain percentage of crop production from this harvest will be traded northwards to the Sahel, its impact on improving market supply during the peak of the Sahelian lean season will be weaker than usual.

  • In many areas north of the bi-modal zone, July rainfall levels were below average. This has been a source of concern, particularly in areas that have also experienced poor temporal rainfall distribution, such as the Batha region of Chad.

  • Parts of the Saharan zone where locust breeding grounds are located received above average rainfall in July. While FEWS NET is still assuming normal levels of locust-related crop losses this season, these recent rains will improve vegetation levels and provide favorable conditions for locust development in these areas.

Mali: Questions raised around IDP participation in elections in Mali

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Source: Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre
Country: Mali

To see this news alert with links to sources, click here

Against a backdrop of lingering humanitarian crisis affecting both IDPs in the south and those returning to the north, long-awaited presidential elections in Mali took place in generally satisfying conditions on 28 July and 12 August. They represent an important milestone in a country devastated by 18 months of political, security and food crises which caused the displacement of around 350,000 inside Mali and over 500,000 people total.

While voter turnout was higher than in previous such elections, IDPs’ ability to participate in the voting was far from guaranteed. Because most IDPs remain registered to vote in their areas of origin in the north, their voter cards were in many cases sent to areas they no longer occupy.

According to the NRC office in Bamako, IDPs could have their cards sent to their places of displacement through local administrative commissions. However, many IDPs were prevented from doing so due to a lack of information coupled with a tight deadline on 27 June.

Some IDPs who did not manage to get their cards transferred in time collectively sent a family member to return home and collect all the cards, despite the cost of the trip and on-going security risks. A week before the first round of elections, the number of IDPs possessing voter cards was unknown.

While IDPs still lack access to basic needs and livelihoods in the south, the economic situation is at a standstill in the north, where social services and state administration are slow to return.

For more information, visit IDMC’s page on Mali

Ethiopia: Climate Prediction Center’s Africa Hazards Outlook August 22 – August 28, 2013

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Source: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Country: Benin, Chad, Côte d'Ivoire, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Togo, South Sudan (Republic of)
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 A favorable distribution of rainfall was observed across a wide portion of Africa during the past week.

1) A delayed start of the rainfall season across northwestern Ethiopia, southern Eritrea, and bordering areas in Sudan has negatively impacted cropping activities, including planting. After this past week’s heavy rainfall, moderate rains are forecast during the next outlook period, which could help to alleviate dryness over the region.

2) Above-average rains since mid-July have resulted in accumulated rainfall surpluses across Guinea Conakry and Sierra Leone. There is an increased chance for heavy and above-average rain throughout the region during the next week, raising concerns for localized flooding.

3) Since June, an insufficient and poorly-distributed rainfall has led to growing rainfall deficits across the Gulf of Guinea countries. This has resulted in reduced maize yields in Ghana and southern Togo and deteriorated ground conditions in west-central Nigeria. Increased rains are expected over the region during the next week, although they may not be sufficient to eliminate moisture deficits.

4) Heavy and above-average rains since the beginning of August have caused fatalities, infrastructure damages, and displaced people in several states of Sudan, including the Khartoum,
River Nile, Blue Nile, El Gazeira, and Red Sea.
Additional moderate rains are expected during the next week, which may further exacerbate ground conditions.

5) Heavy rains during the past week have caused flooding, which left fatalities and displaced people in the Amhara region of Ethiopia. With the cumulative rainfall surpluses and forecast heavy rains during the next outlook period, conditions on the ground are likely to worsen.

Mali: Les femmes du Mali s’engagent pour la paix

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Source: UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali
Country: Mali

Bamako, le 15 août 2013 - Le Réseau pour la Paix et la Sécurité des Femmes de l’Espace CEDEAO / Mali en partenariat avec l’Unité Genre de la MINUSMA et ONU Femmes a lancé ce matin, à travers le district urbain de Bamako, une mobilisation populaire dénommée ‘’Caravane de la paix, de la cohésion sociale et de la stabilité nationale’’.

Composée de membres du reseau cité et de responsables d’organisations de la société civile malienne poursuivant des objectifs similaires, la caravane a sillonné une dizaine de quartiers. Elle a fait des escales dans les marchés et sur les places publiques des quartiers traversés pour adresser des messages de paix, de non-violence et de cohésion sociale aux populations. Les messages véhiculés insistaient sur le fait que la sauvegarde de la souveraineté nationale, de l’intégrité du territoire et de l’unité du pays se réalisent dans la paix.

La caravane a pris fin devant la Bourse du travail par un meeting présidé par les Maires des Communes III et IV du District de Bamako. Pour ces élus locaux, les femmes payent le plus lourd tribut quand la paix et la cohésion sociale manquent. Ils ont alors formulé le vœu de voir les femmes persévérer dans leur effort de sensibilisation des populations maliennes à la culture de la paix à la tolérance.

La caravane s’inscrit dans le cadre de la mise en œuvre du plan d’action du Réseau pour la Paix et la Sécurité des Femmes de l’Espace CEDEAO. Le reseau envisage d’organiser, avant la fin du mois, des caravanes similaires dans chaque région en vue d’accompagner le processus de paix au Mali.

Malawi: Southern Africa Price Bulletin August 2013

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Source: Famine Early Warning System Network
Country: Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe
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Most households in Southern Africa depend on maize as their main source of food and energy, given the high volumes and ease with which it is produced. Alternative food crops that are consumed as substitutes include rice, wheat, sorghum, millet, and tubers such as cassava and potatoes. Consumption of these substitutes occurs mainly when maize is not available or among those households in areas where such substitutes are more easily available (for example, cassava in northern Mozambique). The majority of rural households do grow the other cereals — especially sorghum and millet, which are more drought resilient — in relatively small quantities as a buffer in bad production years for maize. Furthermore, wealthier households (especially in urban areas) with access to a variety of costlier cereals (such as rice and wheat) do consume them to diversify their diets. While wheat is widely consumed in the form of bread, it is produced in relatively small quantities in the region. South Africa is the only country that produces substantial amounts, but still in quantities insufficient to meet domestic requirements. South Africa is also the region’s major producer of maize and acts as a major supplier and exporter. In years of relative maize surplus, sizable amounts of both formal and informal cross border trade occurs between neighboring countries.


Mali: Sahel : le formidable outil de l'hydrologie isotopique pour détecter les sources d'eau souterraines

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Source: UN Radio
Country: Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Gambia, Mali, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal

Écouter

En Afrique, la région du Sahel est l’une des régions les plus arides de la planète. Les pays qui se trouvent dans la zone souffrent d’une des pires périodes de sécheresse. Les gens d’ici comptent essentiellement sur les eaux souterraines et de la demande pour l’eau disponible est en croissance.

L’Agence internationale de l’énergie atomique (AIEA) travaille en collaboration avec les pays du Sahel pour cartographier les eaux souterraines disponibles dans la région, en utilisant une technique appelée “l’hydrologie isotopique”.

Il ya des isotopes naturels de l’eau qui ont des propriétés radioactives et les isotopes avec le temps se désintègrent et deviennent stables. En appliquant des techniques de détection d’isotopes, les scientifiques peuvent déterminer la quantité, la qualité et renouvellement de l’eau en mesurant ses isotopes radioactifs.

Les données hydrologiques générées serviront de base pour l’élaboration d’un cadre d’action de gestion intégrée de l’utilisation des ressources en eaux souterraines partagées pour chacune des cinq zones aquifères transfrontalières concernées par le projet Sahel de l'AIEA.

Eric Cole est le responsable de la gestion du programme pour le projet Sahel de l’AIEA. Au micro de Steve Thachet de l’AIEA, il fait le point sur les progrès réalisés par le projet Sahel et ses implications pour l’avenir de la région.

(Extrait sonore : Eric Cole, responsable de la gestion du programme pour le projet Sahel de l’AIEA ; propos recueillis par Steve Thachet pour l’AIEA)

Somalia: One million people in need of basic services

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Source: Agency for Technical Cooperation and Development
Country: Somalia

Nairobi, Kenya [ACTED News] – One million people still require aid to meet their basic needs, and 1.7 million people who recently emerged from a crisis could fall back without sustained support. In this alarming context, the UN announced on 16 July a CERF (Central Emergency Response Fund) allocation of $20 million to Somalia, aimed to provide life-saving services to people affected by insecurity, displacement and drought.

In May 2013, the Somalia Common Humanitarian Fund (CHF) released its first standard allocation for the year, totaling $30 million across 8 sectors, including $4.8 million for Food Security and $3.9 million for water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) interventions. This allocation was in line with the CAP (Consolidated Appeal Process) strategic priorities (2013-2015), which focus on resilience building. ACTED participated in the original CAP and revised its projects in the mid-year review. At mid-year, however, only about a third of financial requirements had been covered with certain humanitarian clusters having received less than a quarter of their requirements. Although the humanitarian situation has improved in 2013, the Somalia crisis remains one of the largest and most complex in the world.

ACTED continues to provide assistance to those in need in South Central Somalia and is currently implementing a cash transfer programme to 1,100 vulnerable households in Baidoa district.

Mali: Le Mali attire les fonctionnaires dans le Nord avec des incitations financières

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Source: IRIN
Country: Mali

BAMAKO, 22 août 2013 (IRIN) - Le Mali offre des incitations en espèces aux fonctionnaires pour les encourager à retourner dans les régions de Gao, Kidal et Tombouctou, dans le nord du pays, qu'ils avaient fui lors de la prise de pouvoir par les rebelles islamistes et du conflit qui avait suivi le coup d'État de mars 2012.

Environ 300 fonctionnaires peuvent prétendre à cette prime de 500 dollars dont la distribution a commencé le 19 juillet et qui devrait être maintenue pendant trois mois. Les employés reçoivent l'argent lorsqu'ils se présentent à leur poste et qu'ils sont enregistrés. La France, qui a envoyé ses troupes en janvier pour chasser les islamistes, a offert un million de dollars pour soutenir ce programme.

« La guerre est finie et les terroristes [islamistes] ont été chassés. Nos employés doivent désormais reprendre leurs fonctions. C'est pourquoi nous avons décidé de donner 100 000 francs [CFA, soit 200 dollars] à tous les fonctionnaires pour le transport et 150 000 francs [300 dollars] pour leur réinstallation », a dit à IRIN Abdel Karim Konaté, le ministre des Finances malien.

Des rebelles séparatistes touaregs s'étaient emparés de la moitié nord du Mali à la suite du coup d'État. Puis la région était tombée aux mains de combattants islamistes radicaux lors du renversement du gouvernement à Bamako. Des milliers de personnes avaient dû fuir vers d'autres régions ou des pays voisins, jusqu'à ce que la force d'intervention française déployée en janvier déloge les islamistes d'une grande partie du Nord.

Les élections présidentielles - dont le premier tour a eu lieu le 29 juillet et le deuxième tour le 11 août - ont fait naître l'espoir d'un retour à la stabilité après des mois de troubles.

Retour à la normale

Le secteur bancaire, la santé, l'éducation, la police et d'autres services publics ont été bouleversés par le chaos qui a envahi le nord du Mali et de nombreux hauts fonctionnaires et employés ont dû fuir.

Selon un rapport du ministère de la Défense, presque tous les bâtiments publics ont été mis à sac par les rebelles ou endommagés par les bombardements français à Gao et Tombouctou. « Les gouverneurs et les préfets vivent dans des conditions atroces dans ces bâtiments. »

« La décision du gouvernement [d'inciter les fonctionnaires à rentrer] est encourageante et nous avons organisé un convoi de 23 personnes pour rentrer à Gao », a dit Mamadou Soumountera, qui travaille dans une école de formation à Gao, mais qui avait fui dans son village dans la région centrale de Kayes pendant les troubles.

« C'est une bonne initiative, mais je trouve le montant insuffisant. Je n'ai pas pu faire venir toute ma famille avec les 100 000 francs. Je suis revenu tout seul pour préparer leur retour », a dit Ousmane Touré, vétérinaire fonctionnaire rentré récemment à Gao. Il attend encore la prime de réinstallation.

« Cette mesure incitative va encourager mes collègues à revenir travailler, mais au-delà de l'aspect symbolique de cette initiative, nous avons besoin de travailler, car nous sommes techniquement au chômage depuis 18 mois », a dit M. Touré.

Selon M. Konaté, le ministre des Finances, cette incitation financière est une preuve de la volonté du gouvernement de favoriser un retour à la normale dans les régions touchées. Environ 120 fonctionnaires ont repris leurs fonctions à Gao depuis le lancement de cette initiative, a-t-il dit.

Pourtant, la présence dans la région de Kidal des Touaregs du Mouvement national pour la libération de l'Azawad (MNLA), qui réclament l'autonomie du territoire du Nord qu'ils appellent l'Azawad, continue de causer des tensions.

« Kidal est un cas à part en raison des difficultés d'accès et de certaines contraintes concernant la sécurité. Contrairement à Tombouctou ou Gao, où le gouvernement et l'armée se sont déployés peu après [que les islamistes ont été chassés], le gouverneur et certains préfets ne sont retournés dans la région qu'à la veille des élections », a dit M. Konaté.

Relancer l'économie

Les services de santé, d'éducation, de sécurité, ainsi que l'agriculture et l'hébergement ont été rétablis à Gao et Tombouctou. Les banques, les services des impôts et les douanes devraient bientôt rouvrir leurs portes également.

Selon Naminatou Coulibaly, qui travaille dans une école de Tombouctou et n'a pas fui lors de l'occupation islamiste, outre cette incitation financière, le gouvernement devrait envisager de verser une indemnité spéciale aux employés qui travaillent dans le Nord.

« Les conditions de vie ici sont très dures. L'incitation financière pour la réinstallation ne couvre que le loyer et quelques objets. Tout doit être remis en état à partir de rien, car les terroristes n'ont rien laissé derrière eux », a dit Mme Coulibaly.

Le gouvernement prévoit de verser 400 000 dollars aux autorités locales de Gao et Tombouctou pour leur permettre de louer des maisons pour les gouverneurs et d'équiper les bureaux et les logements, a dit M. Konaté.

Moussa Alassane Diallo, directeur d'une association de banques et d'institutions financières, a dit que son association à accepté la réouverture des services bancaires à Gao et Tombouctou le 20 août. Il a expliqué que les troubles avaient entraîné 200 millions de dollars de pertes dans le secteur.

Les systèmes bancaires de Gao et Tombouctou se sont effondrés à la mi-2012, interrompant les échanges commerciaux et les transactions avec le reste du pays.

« Je dois aller à Mopti [dans le centre du Mali], à plus de 500 km d'ici, pour toucher mon salaire à la banque. Une fois payés le transport et quelques autres dépenses, il ne me reste presque rien », a dit Nouhoum Cissé, ingénieur agricole à Gao.

« Avec le retour des fonctionnaires et des autorités régionales, je suis sûr que l'économie et la vie normale reprendront dans le Nord, car pour l'instant les choses avancent très lentement », a dit Baladji Touré, commerçant à Gao.

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Mali: Waiting For The Rain

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Source: World Food Programme
Country: Mali

This year the rainy season in Mali has started late which may affect the harvest. Mali is just emerging from the 2011 food crisis and last year’s conflict which displaced many hundreds of thousands. The World Food Programme is assisting the farmers in Segou, some 200 kilometres northeast of the capital, Bamako.

“A king must protect his people. But for the rain, there is nothing I can really do.”

King Coulibaly, heir of the old Bambara kingdom of Segou, considers his 600 subjects his family.

“My children," he says, "are getting malnourished. We had to take some kids to the hospital. We live by fishing and agriculture. Over the past few years, fishing is getting bad because of pollution. We rely mostly on agriculture. That’s why the rains are so important for us.”

In Mali, the rainy season usually starts beginning of May and lasts until late October. The rains irrigate the fields of water-dependent millet, sorghum and corn, and the Niger regular flooding is vital for paddy rice cultivation. As of November, the harvest season should provide the southern population enough cereals to tide them over to the next harvest and to generate revenues by selling them to the mostly pastoralist northern people. It has been like this for centuries. But over the last couple of years, everything has changed. The 2011-2012 rainy season was very poor, as was the harvest. The populations in the South didn’t have enough cereals for themselves; the rest of Mali was affected as they had none to sell. Shortly after the conflict started, the displacement of people put additional pressure on the already limited available resources.

Throughout its operations such as food distributions, nutrition activities and, more recently cash transfers for internally displaced people and host-families, the World Food Programme (WFP) is assisting the populations, providing them with their most immediate and vital needs while enhancing their capacity of responding to food crises.

But what the Malian people need the most is a good harvest season. “This rainy season season started late," explained Mamadou Togola, Vulnerability Analysis and Mapping (VAM) Officer at WFP Mali.

"The pocket around Segou is far below average. The lack of rains has immediate consequences on the crops. Because they are too dry, plowing the fields is almost impossible, and we already know that some of the plots won’t give anything this year.”

But there are signs of hope. The meteorological previsions are quite optimistic. According to the Meteo Assistance Working Group, the last months of the rainy season have a 40 percent chance of above average rains.

“These previsions have to be taken carefully, because they don’t give information about the frequency of the rains," said Mr. Togola.

"More than 100 millimeters of heavy rain at one time, for example, can destroy everything and sometimes lead to flooding. We can’t say yet if it will be good or bad.”

Back on the roof of his red palace, King Coulibaly is still staring at the skies. “It won’t rain today, he says, and I’m afraid tomorrow will be the same. God is the one to decide whether it will rain, or not. We just need to be patient, and keep hoping that the harvest will be good this year.”

Mali: WFP Cash Transfer In Mali: New Hope For Displaced People And Host Families

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Source: World Food Programme
Country: Mali

The conflict in Mali has displaced more than 330,000 people and put huge pressure on vulnerable host communities. Having provided basic food commodities to the populations affected by both conflict and a food crisis, WFP is now entering a new phase of its assistance by providing financial support.

Kadidja Traore, 42, and Amadou Djitteye, 37, are among the thousands of displaced people from northern Mali now living in Bamako, the Malian capital. They are beneficiaries of the World Food Programme (WFP) cash transfer operation, financed by Germany and implemented by WFP’s NGO partner ACTED. This programme financially supports displaced people and their host families over a six-month period, to help them cover their food needs. A parallel ACTED programme provides a further contribution for other basic needs.

Kadidja fled her home in Gao when the crisis started. She sold the few animals she owned and took the long road towards Bamako, along with 15 members of her family. She found a host family in the capital, but after a while this family started asking money for the rent. Kadidja’s family could not afford to pay, so they moved to a smaller mud house where they could live for free. The living conditions were very bad and some of the children started having respiratory problems.

But this was not the only problem. Because she had no money to pay for transport, Kadidja was not always able to bring home the food from the WFP distribution center, located a dozen kilometers away.

“ACTED and WFP gave us enough food to survive,” said Kadidja. ”Now, with these cash transfers, we will be able to purchase and prepare our own food, and eventually start thinking about going back home.”

Amadou is from Menaka, in the north of the country, that has been occupied by armed groups for almost a year.

“We came under attack on the 17th of January 2013,” he said. “With my five children, we found a small place in an overcrowded truck going to Bamako. I left everything I had behind me, my home, and my car part business.”

Life is more difficult for Amadou in Bamako because the cost of living is so high. For him, financial assistance is vital, and the first step towards a brighter future.

“If security allows, I will go back to Menaka, to restart my business, and rebuild my life,” he says.

“Their situation remains extremely precarious,” explains Nicolas Robe, ACTED Country Director. “Financially speaking, some people are slightly falling under the emergency threshold. The crisis is slow, and invisible.”

The cash transfer programme was launched in Bamako in June 2013 and has now been extended to Mopti . WFP, with its implementing partner for the region Care Mali, is assisting over 20,000 IDPs and host families.

Later in the year, WFP hopes to assist people returning home to Timbuktu and Gao.

“This programme should enable families to purchase 2000 Kilocalories per day," said Sally Haydock, WFP Country Director in Mali. "In the meantime, it will allow them to protect their own revenues while giving them access to food and boosting the local markets.”

Chad: Revue de Presse Humanitaire au Tchad du 10 au 22 août 2013

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Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
Country: Central African Republic, Chad, Sudan
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LES TITRES

  • Journée mondiale de l’aide humanitaire : Message du Secrétaire général des Nations Unies (JDT, 19/08/13)

  • Le déplacement forcé de populations depuis la République centrafricaine se poursuit (HCR, 13/08/13)  Sahel : le formidable outil de l'hydrologie isotopique pour détecter les sources d'eau souterraines (UN Radio, 21/08/13)

  • One Mother’s Fight to Save Her Children (UNICEF, 16/08/13)

  • 104 millions de dollars de la BID pour le secteur rural de huit pays africains (APA, 22/08/13)

  • Sudan: Women Gang Raped in Central Darfur and in Chad (Radio Dabanga, 15/0813)

Niger: Niger Bulletin Humanitaire numéro 33, 22 août 2013

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Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
Country: Niger
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FAITS SAILLANTS

• En plus des importants dégâts matériels enregistrés, le bilan humain lié aux inondations s’alourdit

• Maradi s’inquiète de la détérioration de la situation nutritionnelle des enfants de moins de 5 ans

• La (DRA) de Niamey recherche 900.000 FCFA pour sauver les récoltes dans sa région


Mali: Ban pledges UN support to Malian President-elect’s efforts to advance peace, stability

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Source: UN News Service
Country: Mali

22 August 2013 – United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has spoken for the first time with Mali’s President-elect, Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, offering the Organization’s continued support to the political process in the country.

In a telephone conversation yesterday, Mr. Ban welcomed the peaceful manner in which the elections were conducted and offered support for the implementation of the 19 June Preliminary Agreement between the Government and northern armed groups.

“The Secretary-General pledged the support of the United Nations to the Government of Mali in its efforts to address the root causes of the crisis, including through dialogue and reconciliation,” his spokesperson said.

The 28 July election - as well as the run-off on 11 August - was seen as an important step on the path to recovery for Mali. Since early 2012, the country has witnessed a military coup d’état, renewed fighting between Government forces and Tuareg rebels, and the seizure of its northern territory by radical Islamists.

Acknowledging the election and its contribution to the peace and democracy in the country and the region, Mr. Ban’s Special Envoy for the Sahel, Romano Prodi, today also congratulated President-elect Keita and commended the second place candidate, Soumaïla Cissé.

“The collective focus must now move to embedding democratic institutions, fostering national reconciliation and spearheading development through economic growth and job creation,” Mr. Prodi said in a statement.

He also reiterated the regional nature of the challenges and the opportunities in the Sahel, and cautioned that the entire fragile region needs to be supported in building sustainable peace.

The Sahel stretches from Mauritania to Eritrea, including Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal and Sudan, a belt dividing the Sahara desert and the savannahs to the south.

Presenting the UN Integrated Strategy for the Sahel to the Security Council in June, Mr. Prodi said that “success or failure in Mali will affect the entire Sahel” and that the international community must “be as generous to the Sahel as they were towards Mali.”

World: [Vidéo] Échange d'expériences au Sahel et dans la Corne de l'Afrique sur la gestion de l'insécurité alimentaire et la résilience [EN/FR]

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Source: Groupe Urgence - Réhabilitation - Développement
Country: Mali, Somalia, World

Vidéo réalisée lors de la conférence « Exchange on Practices and Lessons Learnt on the Resilience in the Horn and the Sahel », le 2 et 3 juillet 2013 à Dakar.

Niger: Niger Development Operational Report 2013

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Source: IFRC
Country: Niger
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  1. Executive Summary

Overall Project/Program Status:

In the first half of 2013, Niger was involved in the implementation of activities mainly related to Complex emergency appeal food security, nutrition, WatSan, risk reduction, recovery and resilience building for the affected population as well as supporting the national society in assisting Malian refugees. More than 10 cereal banks were constructed and provided with 100 ton cereal; two vegetable gardens created, and food distributed to more than 20’000 refugees in Tillabery and Tahoua region. Nutrition activities are being carried out in more than 49 health centers in Dosso and Diffa regions. An additional community garden is planned in Diffa, while 4 additional banks cereal banks are being constructed in Tillabery region. In Tillabery, 250 heads of livestock will be distributed to the identified vulnerable families. Hygiene activities including community mobilisation, rehabilitation of water points and public latrines are being conducted in Niamey and Tillabery regions.

Key Issues: Security challenges in the region and in Niger in particular hampered and delayed the implementation pace of the emergency appeal activities. With limited funding to the appeal, some recovery activities may not have been implemented had it not have been for the additional funding that Niger Red Cross received from Japanese Red Cross. This funding will enable the National Society implement the activities that contribute to strengthening community resilience as well as monitor the activities. Though there was assistance from the Movement and other stakeholders in Niger, food security remains a big challenge and just like last year, there is a likelihood of heavy rains that may cause floods and epidemics in the country and this would worsen the situation.

Key Accomplishments: Thanks to emergency appeal intervention, significant achievements have been registered during the first half year. Relief assistance and recovery activities have been implemented including establishment of two community gardens for women associations benefitting a total of 130 women who were trained in commercialization and conservation of vegetables. Ten cereal banks were built and each stocked with 10 tons of cereal and 150 women trained in management of the cereal banks. A total of 2,500 farming families in 14 villages (17,500 beneficiaries) have received 37.5 tons of improved seeds of millet and niebe (local bean). From January to May 2013, over 63,500 malnourished children in 230 villages in the Diffa and Dosso regions were screened and over 3,000 children were identified and referred to health centers suffering from severe acute malnutrition and mild acute malnutrition to receive ready-to-use therapeutic food through the nutritional programme. A total of 150 families released from CRENI centers have received food parcels. These achievements will be maintained and reinforced in the next half of the year, at the same time RC volunteers will continue monitoring and coaching the beneficiaries.

Lesotho: Lesotho Government Team To Improve School Meals Know-How In South America

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Source: World Food Programme
Country: Lesotho

MASERU – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and an inter-ministerial Lesotho Government delegation are to travel to Brazil to learn new skills for managing the country’s school meals programme. The trip will last from 25 August till 6 September

Lesotho Government ministers and officials will learn about the so-called Zero Hunger strategy which originated in Brazil. It is being developed at the WFP Centre of Excellence Against Hunger, established in the capital, Brasilia, in partnership with the Government of Brazil. The centre was set up in 2011 to enable capacity development of national governments in the areas of school feeding, nutrition, and food security. While there, the Lesotho team will also visit national institutions as well as schools, small producers, members of civic society and local government officials.

Each year, some 125,000 children living in mountainous and difficult-to-reach areas of Lesotho receive a hot lunch through the national School Meals Programme. This programme is currently managed by WFP.

The visit – heralded as an example of South-South cooperation between countries - is designed to help Lesotho officials integrate school feeding into broader national safety net policies and poverty alleviation programmes, and to support local agricultural production.

WFP is the world’s largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide. Last year, WFP reached more than 97 million people in 80 countries with food assistance.

Follow us on Twitter @wfp_media

For more information please contact: Email: WFP.Maseru@wfp.org, Tel. Catherine Robar, WFP Lesotho office +266 2232 3989

Nigeria: Nigeria deports 22,000 as part of anti-insurgency fight

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Source: Agence France-Presse
Country: Cameroon, Chad, Niger, Nigeria

08/23/2013 15:13 GMT

KANO, August 23, 2013 (AFP) - Nigeria has deported some 22,000 illegal immigrants over the past couple of months as part of a crackdown linked to its fight against an Islamist insurgency, the government said.

Interior minister Abba Moro told reporters in the northern city of Kano late Thursday most of the deportees came from the neighbouring nations of Chad, Cameroon and Niger and were not properly documented.

He said Nigeria was engaging in the crackdown because illegal immigrants "have become ready tools in the hands of insurgents".

"So far as at today, over 22,000 of such illegal immigrants have been eased out of the country," he said in response to a question on activity in recent months with a state of emergency in place in the country's northeast.

"They are not just from one country. Most of them are Cameroonians, Chadians and Nigeriens."

Nigeria has at times sought to portray the insurgency by Islamist extremist group Boko Haram as being influenced and contributed to by foreigners.

However, most analysts see it as a domestic group fed by poverty and hopelessness in the country's north.

Nigeria is Africa's most populous nation with 160 million people, roughly divided between a mainly Muslim north and predominately Christian south.

The insurgency concentrated in the northeast has left more than 3,600 people dead since 2009, including killings by the security forces.

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© 1994-2013 Agence France-Presse

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