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Mauritania: Mauritania: Humanitarian Overview (as of 10 February 2015)

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Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
Country: Mali, Mauritania

Food insecurity and overall vulnerability are results of recurring natural hazards (droughts, floods), increasing food prices and overall scarcity of resources.

The country continues to host Malian refugees; their returns are contingent on restoring peace and security in Northern Mali.

Weak access to water and hygiene aggravates the spread of epidemics (Rift Valley fever, cholera and meningitis), particularly during the rainy season.


Senegal: Senegal: Humanitarian Overview (as of 10 February 2015)

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Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
Country: Senegal

Recurrent shocks (droughts and floods), poor infrastructure and inadequate social safety nets continue to increase the overall, chronic vulnerability and to erode resilience of households and communities, many of which adopt poor coping strategies.

The late and poor rainy season, coupled with an increase in food prices, had a direct and negative impact on 2014/2015 agricultural production, with a 40% decrease in the cereal production compared to 2013/2014, and 45% compared to the average past five years.

The Ebola outbreak in the region, besides having a direct impact on food security caused by the temporary closure of markets and borders, highlighted the poor access to basic services and the lack of medical equipment and drugs in the country, that require a serious effort to strengthen the health system in order to avoid the risk of spread of ebola and other epidemics (cholera, malaria, diarrhea, etc.).

Gambia: Gambia: Humanitarian Overview (as of 10 February 2015)

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Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
Country: Gambia

Endemic of food insecurity due to crop failure/ poor harvest, rising food prices and loss of livehoods as a result of frequent natural disasters (droughts, floods).

Lack of integrated Early Warning Systems to facilitate early response and assist affected populations to cope better with shocks.

Poor coverage of sanitation and access to clean water are main causes of water-borne diseases: diarrhea among children under 5, cholera and malnutrition. Prevalence of epidemics, lack of access to adequate health services and poor state of health service delivery

Chad: Chad: Humanitarian Overview (as of 10 February 2015)

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

Food insecurity aggravated by chronic drought and negative coping strategies.
Chronic drought and floods aggravated by limited capacity.

Recent and former population displacement due to conflicts in neighboring CAR, Libya, Nigeria, and Sudan (security volatility around Chad).

Lack of functional health facilities and qualified medical staff (only 450 doctors for 13.2 million people), poor sanitation and limited access to clean water and basic services.

Mali: Sahel: FAO calls for emergency support to fight food insecurity

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Source: Food and Agriculture Organization
Country: Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria

USD 116 million are sought to protect livelihoods and support agricultural activities

13 February 2014, Dakar, Senegal – About 20 million people are still affected by food insecurity in the Sahel, and are likely to see their situation deteriorate rapidly in 2015. Among them, 2.6 million people already require urgent food assistance.

In a context of chronic food insecurity, poor harvests and pasture deficits in 2014 in localized areas of coastal countries and the Sahelian band have a direct impact on food security. This will lead to the early depletion of food stocks and livestock degradation for the most vulnerable families in the next two to three months. In order to satisfy their most urgent needs, they will turn to survival strategies such as contracting debts, reducing the number of daily meals and selling productive assets, thus depleting their scarce resources.

Population displacements due to insecurity and conflicts in the Central African Republic, Mali and Nigeria exacerbate this precarious situation. In Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Niger, Nigeria, Mali and Mauritania, nearly 3 million people are deprived of their livelihoods and no longer have access to adequate food. Displaced people and refugees often rely on the limited food reserves and resources of their host communities. The unusual movements of herders and agro-pastoralists are also likely to lead to increased competition over natural resources and cultivated areas, increasing the risk of conflict between communities.

In order to prevent a further deterioration and respond efficiently to the growing food insecurity in the region, an immediate support to the livelihoods of communities relying on agriculture is needed.

In 2015 and in the framework of the United Nations Strategic Response Plan for the Sahel, FAO is appealing for a total of USD 116 million to assist more than 5,4 million people.

The proposed activities are designed to enable the most vulnerable people, including IDPs and their host communities to continue produce their food and maintain their income. The most urgent priority is to ensure that farmers are provided with time-critical inputs for cereal production during the next planting season due to start in May. The provision of veterinary care and animal feed will also be crucial to prevent animal losses during the pastoral lean season.

‘By taking immediate measures to protect and support agriculture, partners have the opportunity to help people recover from crises with dignity and prevent the degradation of livelihoods in the Sahel. Immediate support is required for this extraordinary assistance in a context of growing insecurity that lead to important population displacements and reduces humanitarian access.” said Vincent Martin, Head of Sub-Regional Hub for Resilience and emergencies in West Africa / Sahel (REOWA).

FAO also aims to address the underlying causes of vulnerability to enhance the resilience of populations in the region, with activities such as the production of varieties of seeds adapted to climate change, or the rehabilitation of degraded land. Support to food security analysis and early warning will also be crucial to help countries and communities prepare to risk and future shocks, and improve the resilience of food and agricultural systems in the Sahel.

In 2014, FAO provided immediate assistance to more than 3 million farmers and herders in the Sahel to strengthen their food security and nutrition.

Contact:

Sonia Nguyen | Information/communication specialist | FAO Subregional Hub for Resilience and emergencies in West Africa | Tel: +221 33 889 16 28; +221 77 333 12 89 | sonia.nguyen@fao.org

Mali: 2014-2016 Plan de Réponse Stratégique Mali, Janvier 2015

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Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
Country: Mali

RÉSUMÉ

Objectifs stratégiques

  1. Recueillir les données sur les risques et les vulnérabilités, les analyser et intégrer les résultats dans la programmation humanitaire et de développement.

  2. Soutenir les populations vulnérables à mieux faire face aux chocs en répondant aux signaux d’alerte de manière anticipée, réduisant la durée du relèvement post-crise et renforçant les capacités des acteurs nationaux

  3. Fournir aux personnes en situation d’urgence une assistance coordonnée et intégrée, nécessaire à leur survie.
    Mesures prioritaires

  4. Améliorer l’accès aux services sociaux de base dans les domaines de la santé, éducation, nutrition et eau, hygiène et assainissement particulièrement dans les zones affectées par le conflit.

  5. Renforcer les activités de protection des populations les plus vulnérables, dont notamment les personnes déplacées internes, les communautés hôtes, les retournés et les rapatriés et initier une stratégie pour le développement et la mise en œuvre de solutions durables

  6. Répondre aux conséquences de la crise alimentaire et nutritionnelle via, notamment, des activités de prise en charge nutritionnelle, de l’assistance alimentaire et de l’appui à l’agriculture.

Senegal: School Feeding In Senegal Is Going Local

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Source: World Food Programme
Country: Senegal

Newly introduced food vouchers enable schools to buy local products and purchase food more regularly. WFP’s initiative – piloted across 145 schools – ensures not only more nutritious food for children, but it also boosts the local economy and agricultural production.

By Maïmouna Cissé, WFP Senegal

Darsalam, a village in the area of Nyassia, is about15 km from Ziguinchor, in southern Senegal. Like many other villages in the Casamance Naturelle, it is still bearing the brunt of its troubled past.

The local school receives about 120 students every year, including 58 girls. Thanks to WFP, the school canteen has been providing the children one hot meal every school day since 2002, helping families keep their children in school.

Up until recently, WFP has been delivering food to the school on a quarterly basis. But a new approach – the use of food vouchers – is being piloted in 145 schools, including in the school of Darsalam. “There are advantages in the introduction of the food vouchers,” says Jean Camara, the school canteen manager. “We have more independence, choice and we can buy the food more regularly. Also, we know where the food comes from as we can buy some locally, and we can ensure that the food has the highest quality.”

The local women – who are playing an important role in the running of the canteen – welcome the change. "We prefer the food vouchers as we can manage our time better. Before, we had to come to school early in the morning to sort out the food, pull out what we needed for that day. Now we can do our chores in the morning before coming to school and as you can see, after preparing the meal, we have time to tend to our peanuts,” says Aissatou Sagna, a member of the school management committee and the president of the canteen committee.

Since 2002, with the support of WFP, the school has been receiving regular supplies of cereal, pulses, oil, iodized salt and flour.

The newly introduced food vouchers enable the school to buy food more regularly (every month), and to buy local fresh products, hence enriching the nutritious value of the school meals.

The introduction of the food vouchers coincides also with the management of the canteen being transferred to the community. "We are pleased that the local community, especially the women, are taking over the management of the canteen. This will also free our time, and enable us to better focus on the teaching aspect,” said the director of the school, Aliou Dramé.

Starting from the next school year, WFP plans to introduce food vouchers across all the WFP-supported schools – 1012 schools - in Senegal. The new initiative will ensure a self-sustainable school feeding programme across the country, boost the local economy and agriculture, and ultimately help children grow healthy and keep them in school.

Mali: Ending insecurity in the Sahel requires a regional approach, says the UNDP

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Source: UN Development Programme
Country: Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, Niger

Paris – “The Sahel faces complex challenges to peace, stability and development,” said Ruby Sandhu-Rojon, the Deputy Regional Director of the UNDP Regional Bureau for Africa, as France launched the Sahel Cross-Border Cooperation Assistance Programme (ACTS). “To end insecurity, the region requires a regional approach and a coalition of the willing.”

“With chronic poverty, food insecurity worsened by climate shocks and conflicts, cross-border criminal activity and the heightened threat of terrorism, we need a new approach,” Ms. Sandhu-Rojon continued, speaking in Paris to the ministers of the interior and of security of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger. “We must combine national and transnational interventions to address the situations of extreme vulnerability that the Sahelian populations confront,”

“In an area the size of the European Union, with a population comparable to that of France, the countries of the Sahel face huge challenges beyond the permeability of borders alone. Our response must address more than the security aspect. It must be based on human security and development to ensure that safe borders allow the circulation of goods and persons.”

“Beyond developing the capacities of border control agencies and strengthening the presence of the State in those regions, interactions with the populations must improve so that they can take ownership of efforts in the areas of security and justice, while promoting cross-border trade, which is critical to the populations’ food security and income.”

The UNDP has thus conducted surveys in the field to help shape its future programmes, focusing on the proliferation of light weapons and cross-border dynamics and communities. As part of the United Nations Integrated Strategy for the Sahel, and in synergy with the activities conducted by the ACTS project in the border regions, the UNDP is developing a project to strengthen human security and involve the populations in developing policies to manage cross-border areas.

With support from the Government of Japan, the UNDP began implementation of a $20 million programme two years ago, emphasizing peace consolidation, strengthened governance and resilience in Burkina Faso, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, and Chad.


Mali: Mali : l'ONU lance une enquête pour faire la lumière sur une manifestation violente à Gao

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Source: UN News Service
Country: Mali

13 février 2015 – Les Nations Unies ont nommé vendredi une équipe de haut-niveau pour mener une enquête sur les événements qui se sont produits le 27 janvier dernier à Gao, au nord du Mali, où une manifestation violente contre un camp de la Mission multidimensionnelle intégrée des Nations Unies pour la stabilisation dans le pays (MINUSMA) a entraîné des morts et de nombreux blessés.

Selon la presse, les manifestants, qui étaient près d'un millier ce jour-là à se masser devant les portes de la base de la MINUSMA, située en plein centre-ville, avaient ensuite tenté d'y pénétrer par la force, un incident qui avait fait trois morts et de nombreux blessés parmi les manifestants.

Suite à cet évènement tragique, le Secrétaire général des Nations Unies, Ban Ki-moon, avait déploré les évènements de Gao à plusieurs reprises, notamment à l'occasion d'une rencontre avec le Ministre malien des affaires étrangères, Abdoulaye Diop, en marge du Sommet de l'Union africaine à Addis-Abeba, le 31 janvier dernier. Le chef de l'ONU avait également décidé de diligenter une enquête indépendante pour faire la lumière sur les faits entourant cette manifestation violente.

Dans un communiqué de presse rendu public au siège de l'Organisation à New York, un porte-parole du Secrétaire général a indiqué que les Nations Unies ont officiellement informé le gouvernement du Mali du lancement de cette enquête, avant de recevoir l'assurance de son plein appui.

« L'enquête, annoncée par le Secrétaire général le 29 janvier, sera menée par une équipe de trois experts indépendants ayant une vaste expérience internationale », a indiqué le porte-parole, ajoutant que l'équipe d'enquêteurs se rendra au Mali prochainement afin d'établir rapidement tous les faits autour de cette manifestation.

L'équipe d'experts chargée de mener l'enquête sera menée par Bacre Waly Ndiaye, du Sénégal, et comprendra également Ralph Zacklin, du Royaume-Uni, et Mark Kroeker, des États-Unis.

Mali: Mettre fin à l’insécurité au Sahel nécessite une approche régionale, selon le PNUD

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Source: UN Development Programme
Country: Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, Niger

Paris, France – « Confronté à des défis complexes pour la paix, la stabilité et le développement, le Sahel nécessite une approche régionale et une coalition de toutes les bonnes volontés pour mettre fin à l’insécurité », a annoncé Ruby Sandhu-Rojon, Directrice adjointe du bureau Régional pour l’Afrique du PNUD, lors du lancement par la France du projet d’Appui à la coopération transfrontalière au Sahel (ACTS).

« Face à une pauvreté chronique, une insécurité alimentaire aggravée par les chocs climatiques et les conflits, la criminalité transfrontalière et la menace accrue du terrorisme, une nouvelle approche est nécessaire et doit combiner interventions nationales et transnationales pour répondre aux situations d’extrême vulnérabilité auxquelles sont confrontées les populations sahéliennes » a affirmé Mme Sandhu-Rojon à Paris, en présence des ministres de l’intérieur et de la sécurité du Burkina Faso, du Mali et du Niger.

« Dans une zone aussi vaste que l’Europe des 28 pour une population comparable à celle de la France, les pays du Sahel font face à d’énormes défis, au-delà de la seule perméabilité des frontières» a souligné Mme Sandhu-Rojon. « Notre réponse doit non seulement prendre en compte l’aspect sécuritaire, mais elle doit placer la sécurité humaine et le développement en son cœur pour s’assurer que des frontières sûres permettent la circulation des biens et des personnes ».

Selon Mme Sandhu-Rojon, « outre le développement des capacités des agences de contrôle des frontières et le renforcement de la présence de l’Etat dans ces zones, il est crucial d’améliorer les interactions avec les populations, pour qu’elles s’approprient les efforts en matière de sécurité et justice, tout en promouvant le commerce transfrontalier, essentiel à la sécurité alimentaire et aux revenus de ces populations. »

Le PNUD a ainsi mené des enquêtes sur le terrain afin de façonner sa programmation future, avec une attention particulière sur la prolifération des armes légères et la dynamique des communautés transfrontalières. Dans le cadre de la Stratégie intégrée des Nations Unies pour le Sahel et en synergie avec les activités menées par le projet ACTS dans les zones frontalières, le PNUD est en train de développer un projet spécifique sur le renforcement de la sécurité humaine et l’implication des populations dans l’élaboration des politiques dans la gestion des espaces transfrontaliers.

Avec le soutien du Gouvernement du Japon, le PNUD met en œuvre depuis deux ans un programme de $20 millions qui met l’accent sur la consolidation de la paix, le renforcement de la gouvernance et de la résilience au Burkina Faso, au Mali, en Mauritanie, au Niger et au Tchad.

Iran (Islamic Republic of): New decisions made to help dust storm affected citizens

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Source: Islamic Republic News Agency
Country: Iran (Islamic Republic of)

Tehran, Feb 15, IRNA – Deputy interior minister said Sunday that new decisions have been taken to provide assistance to Iranian citizens who have been affected by more than two weeks of dust storms in southwestern provinces.

Esmaeil Najjar, also the head of the Organization for Crisis Management, told IRNA that surgical masks and milk are being freely distributed among local residents, as it's much recommended to drink milk and wear surgical masks when there is choking dust, especially for those suffering from respiratory diseases.

Najar said that hospitals of the dust storm hit provinces will continue to render free medical services to patients for another 15 days.

It is now more than two weeks that residents of the southwestern provinces are suffering from dust storms that have forced residents remain at homes to keep safe from possible health risks.

Dense dust has also created some problems for the flights to and from local airports. Najjar said that the flights are now under study so that normal flights to and from the affected areas can be restored.

He said that some flights can be shifted to the nights.

Experts say that the dust storms in Iran are originated from deserts of the neighboring Arab countries, Iraq in particular.

Mali: Mali/MINUSMA : Mikado FM, la naissance d'une nouvelle radio

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Source: UN Radio
Country: Mali

Écouter / Télécharger

Au Mali, après la manifestation violente de Gao au début du mois, aux cours de laquelle trois manifestants sont mort, la Mission des Nations Unies, la MINUSMA a décidé d'accélérer le lancement de sa propre radio, Radio Mikado FM. La MINUSMA a voulu ainsi combler un vide et répondre aux fausses rumeurs à l'origine de la manifestation.

Après l’installation d’un émetteur à Gao, Radio Mikado FM a donc commencé à émettre des messages de paix et d’appel au calme. Au bout de quelques jours à peine, les retours et réactions à Gao ont été très positifs.

Radio Mikado, qui tire son nom du jeu de mikado, entend ainsi établir progressivement un contact direct, sans filtre, ni tabous avec les Maliens.

La Radio prévoit d’ici quelques semaines de diffuser à Tombouctou, puis dans d’autres régions et villes du pays. D’ici la fin de 2015, la radio devrait couvrir tout le territoire malien, 24 heures sur 24.

(Interview : Hélène Papper, Responsable de Radio Mikado; propos recueillis par Jocelyne Sambira)

Mali: Sahel: Regional Dashboard (as of 10 Feb 2015)

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Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
Country: Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Gambia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal

Escalating violence is a worrying pattern that threatens hard-won gains in curbing the trend of growing needs in the Sahel. Conflicts and insecurity in northeast Nigeria, Mali and the Central African Republic create more suffering for communities that are already amongst the world’s poorest.

Sahel: A call for humanitarian aid - Responding to the needs of people affected by crises in the Sahel

Mali: Sahel: Funding Requirements (as of 10 Feb 2015)

Mali: Mali : UN - CMCoord (au 31 janvier 2015)

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Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
Country: Mali

Qu’est-ce que la CMCoord?

La Coordination civilo-militaire humanitaire des Nations Unies (UN-CMCoord) facilite le dialogue et l’interaction entre les acteurs civils et militaires - indispensables pour protéger et promouvoir les principes humanitaires, éviter la concurrence, minimiser les incohérences et le, cas échéant, poursuivre des objectifs communs.


Mali: Mali : UN - CMCoord (as of 31 January 2015)

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Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
Country: Mali

Senegal: 2015 Plan de réponse stratégique: Sénégal (février 2015)

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Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
Country: Senegal

SOMMAIRE

Objectifs stratégiques

  1. Recueillir les données sur les risques et les vulnérabilités, les analyser et intégrer les résultats dans la programmation humanitaire et de développement.

  2. Soutenir les populations vulnérables à mieux faire face aux chocs en répondant aux signaux d’alerte de manière anticipée, en réduisant la durée du relèvement post-crise et en renforçant les capacities des acteurs nationaux.

  3. Fournir aux personnes en situation d’urgence une assistance coordonnée et intégrée, nécessaire à leur survie.

Mesures prioritaires

Répondre aux conséquences de la crise alimentaire à travers des activités d’assistance alimentaire et d’appui à l’agriculture.

  • Répondre aux conséquences de la crise nutritionnelle à travers le dépistage, le référencement et la prise en charge de la malnutrition aiguë.

  • Fournir un paquet de services minimum d’Eau, Hygiène et Assainissement dans les programmes de nutrition et dans les plans d’actions de lutte contre les maladies diarrhéiques et le paludisme suite aux inondations.

  • Mettre en place des filets sociaux notamment l’assistance alimentaire et la mise à disposition d’intrants agricoles et d’élevage, le renforcement de la résilience des populations en insécurité alimentaire et la préparation et planification d’urgence pour atténuer les effets des désastres et des catastrophes.

Nigeria: Regional partners present $2 billion Sahel response plan

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Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
Country: Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Gambia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal

(Dakar, 16 February 2015): Robert Piper, the Regional Humanitarian Coordinator for the Sahel presented the Sahel humanitarian appeal for 2015 in Dakar today. The plan calls for US$1.96 billion to bring vital assistance to millions of people affected by crises in Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Gambia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria and Senegal.

Over twenty million people across the region are short of food and 2.6 million of them already depend on life-saving food assistance, with the most difficult months of the lean season still ahead. Nearly six million children under the age of five are expected to suffer from acute malnutrition in 2015.

“The vulnerability of communities in the Sahel remains appallingly high. Millions of people risk falling into crisis even with relatively small shocks,” said Piper. “The humanitarian community in the Sahel is striving to adapt its strategy to better respond to the chronic challenges of the region, boosting innovations in support to livelihoods and addressing complex issues like malnutrition and food insecurity in an integrated fashion.”

The 2015 appeal forms part of a regional multi-year strategy which emphasizes early intervention and closer partnerships with Governments and development actors. It includes plans for each of the nine countries and involves more than a hundred organizations to save lives and protect the assets of the most vulnerable. “Ultimately only national governments and development actors can permanently address the drivers of the Sahel’s chronic crises, and efforts are encouragingly on the increase. Recent initiatives, such as early warning mechanisms, safety nets, food reserves, weather-based insurance or support to pastoralists are the way forward,” said the Regional Coordinator. “But given the scale of the needs, those long-term efforts must be matched with a renewed sense of urgency.”

Violent conflict and insecurity surged over the last 12 months in many Sahel countries. 2.8 million people have been uprooted from their homes, over one million more than this time last year. In addition to the volatile situation in Mali, escalating violence in northeast Nigeria has displaced more than one million people internally and over 150 000 into neighbouring countries. “As the fate of the Sahel countries is inevitably intertwined, conflict and violence often bear serious regional implications,” warned Piper. “Insecurity is creating more human suffering for communities that are already amongst the poorest of the world, reducing access of humanitarian teams to the people who need help, and increasing the costs of assistance. Most worryingly, if the current level of violence continues, it will threaten hard-won gains in curbing the trend of growing needs in the Sahel,” said Piper.

The event in Dakar featured the presence of the Christos Stylianides European Commissioner in charge of Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management on mission to the region. Also present were Mrs. Awa Marie Coll-Seck, Minister of Health of the Republic of Senegal, and Ms. Hiroute Guebre Sellassie, the UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy for the Sahel.

To learn more about the humanitarian needs in the Sahel and how humanitarian teams plan to respond, visit: www.unocha.org/sahel2015.

For further information, please call:
Berenice Van Den Driessche, OCHA, vandendriessche@un.org, +221 77 333 91 95 Ivo Brandau, OCHA, brandaui@un.org , 221 77 450 62 32 OCHA press releases are available on http://www.unocha.org/rowca

Senegal: Les partenaires regionaux presentent le plan de reponse de 2 milliards de dollars pour le Sahel

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Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
Country: Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Gambia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal

(Dakar, 16 Février 2015) : Robert Piper, le Secrétaire général adjoint des Nations Unies et Coordonnateur Humanitaire Régional pour le Sahel a présenté aujourd’hui à Dakar l'appel de fonds humanitaire pour le Sahel pour 2015. Le plan cherche à mobiliser 1,96 milliards de dollars pour fournir une assistance humanitaire vitale à des millions de personnes affectées par les crises au Burkina Faso, au Cameroun, en Gambie, au Mali, en Mauritanie, au Niger, au Nigéria, au Tchad, et au Sénégal.

Plus de vingt millions de personnes du Sahel manquent de nourriture, dont 2,6 millions d’entre-elles dépendent déjà de l’assistance alimentaire, alors que les mois les plus difficiles sont encore à venir. Près de six millions d'enfants de moins de cinq ans souffriront de malnutrition aiguë en 2015.

«La vulnérabilité des communautés du Sahel restent effroyablement élevée, à tel point que même un choc de petite envergure suffit pour faire basculer des millions de personnes dans la crise », note Piper. «La communauté humanitaire au Sahel s’efforce à adapter sa stratégie pour mieux répondre aux défis chroniques de la région, en renforçant les innovations dans l'appui aux moyens de subsistance ou en répondant de manière intégrée aux défis complexes, telles la malnutrition et l'insécurité alimentaire. »

L’appel 2015 s’inscrit dans le cadre d'une stratégie régionale triennale qui insiste sur les interventions précoces et le renforcement des partenariats avec les gouvernements et les acteurs du développement. L’appel comprend des plans de réponse pour chacun des neufs pays et intègre les actions d'une centaine d’organisations partenaires dédiées à sauver des vies et protéger les biens des communautés les plus vulnérables . «En fin de compte, seuls les gouvernements nationaux et leurs partenaires de développement sont en mesure de s’attaquer de façon permanente aux causes structurelles des crises chroniques du Sahel, et c’est encourageant de constater que ces efforts sont à la hausse. Les initiatives récentes, comme les mécanismes d'alerte précoce, les programmes de filets sociaux, les réserves alimentaires, les assurances contre les risques climatiques extrêmes ou le soutien aux éleveurs sont définitivement la voie à suivre, » a déclaré le coordonnateur régional. « Mais face à l'ampleur des besoins, ces efforts à long terme doivent être doublés d’un sens de l’urgence renouvelé. »

Les conflits violents et l'insécurité ont fortement augmenté au cours des 12 derniers mois dans de nombreux pays du Sahel. 2,8 millions personnes ont été déracinés de leurs foyers, soit un million de plus que l'année dernière a la même époque. En plus de la situation volatile au Mali, l’escalade de la violence au nord-est du Nigéria a déplacé plus d’un million de personnes intérieurement et plus de 150,000 personnes ont fuis vers les pays voisins. «Etant donné que les sorts des neuf pays du Sahel sont inévitablement liés, les conflits et la violence ont souvent de graves implications régionales, » a averti Piper. «L'insécurité crée toujours plus de souffrance humaine pour des communautés qui comptent déjà parmi les plus pauvres du monde, réduit l'accès des équipes humanitaires aux personnes qui ont besoin d'aide, et augmente le coût de l'aide. Plus inquiétant encore, si le niveau actuel de la violence se poursuit, cela mettra en péril les progrès durement acquis pour briser le cycle récurrent des besoins croissants au Sahel, » a dit Piper.

L'événement à Dakar a s’est déroulé en présence de Christos Stylianides, Commissaire européen en charge de l'Aide Humanitaire et de la Gestion des Crises, en mission dans la région. Mesdames Awa Marie Coll-Seck, Ministre de la Santé de la République du Sénégal et Hiroute Guebre Selassie, l'Envoyé spécial du Secrétaire général des Nations Unies pour le Sahel étaient également présentes.

Pour en savoir plus sur les besoins humanitaires dans le Sahel et la réponse des équipes humanitaires, visitez : www.unocha.org/sahel2015.

Pour obtenir des informations supplémentaires, veuillez contacter : Berenice Van Den Driessche, OCHA, vandendriessche@un.org, +221 77 333 91 95 Ivo Brandau, OCHA, brandaui@un.org , 221 77 450 62 32 Les communiqués de presse d’OCHA sont disponibles sur www.unocha.org ou www.reliefweb.int

Mali: EU boosts humanitarian aid to €156 million in 2015 to meet increasing needs in Sahel region

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Source: European Union
Country: Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Gambia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal

Summary: 16 February 2015, Brussels - EU boosts humanitarian aid to €156 million in 2015 to meet the increasing needs in the Sahel region

The European Union will give €156 million in humanitarian funding in 2015 to the Sahel region, where close to 20 million people don't know where their next meal will come from and more than 5 million children suffer from acute malnutrition. The UK is contributing to the European Union's funding for the Sahel with €45 million to respond to the humanitarian challenges in the region.

This new aid has been announced by EU Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management Christos Stylianides, who is currently in Senegal and about to visit Mali.

"Sahel is the poorest region in the world and must continue to be our high priority. We need to prevent acute malnutrition and food insecurity from becoming a norm in West Africa", said Commissioner Stylianides. "Saving lives is the first priority. At the same time, we need to address the underlying causes of malnutrition and invest in sustainable development policies to reach the "Zero Hunger" goal within the next 20 years. Strengthening the resilience of the local communities to future shocks remains a key priority".

EU humanitarian aid for the Sahel will go to several priorities this year:

•€32 million will help assist the victims of malnutrition and the security crisis in Mali;

•€8 million will be used to help contain the food and security crisis in Nigeria;

•€35 million will go to Chad to tackle malnutrition and help the increasing number of refugees coming from the Central African Republic (CAR);

•€4.4 million in support for the malnourished people and refugees from CAR in Cameroon;

•€20.6 million will be used to support partners that work at the regional level in West Africa to fight food insecurity and malnutrition;

•The rest of the funds (€56 million) will cover malnutrition and food assistance in the rest of the Sahel countries (Senegal, Mauritania, Burkina Faso, Niger, Gambia).

Background

This year will be very difficult for many people in the Sahel region. Drought in the second half of 2014 has jeopardised harvests and can increase the volatility of food prices, making it even harder for the poorest to buy food. This is complicated by the conflicts in northern Mali and Nigeria, as well as by the threat of epidemics such as Ebola, measles and cholera.

Meanwhile, the Sahel region is still reeling from four consecutive food and nutrition crises (2005, 2008, 2010 and 2012). The growing humanitarian needs require both massive relief aid and measures to address the root causes of food insecurity and malnutrition and increase the resilience of the poorest people. The European Union has been instrumental in the creation of AGIR, a global alliance to strengthen resilience in West Africa which has set itself a ‘Zero hunger’ goal by 2032.

Since the start of 2014, the European Commission has provided more than €350 million to assist the people affected by the Sahel crisis. In addition, the Commission and Member States are coordinating their actions in terms of security and development in the Sahel through a new Action Plan, due to be presented by the end of March 2015. The Action Plan will reinforce EU efforts to promote good governance, human rights and democracy, education, to prevent radicalisation, to manage borders and migration issues and to support initiatives in favour of youth empowerment.

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