Over 80 per cent of refugees from Nigeria have found shelter in host families in Niger, most of them poor and chronically hungry themselves. This is an account of humbling hospitality and one woman’s strength.

“A cow has to carry her horns, even if they are heavy,” says Rahamatou Ousmane, a 42-year-old mother of five. Rahamatou is a resident of Nguel Kolo, a small village in Eastern Niger close to the border with Nigeria. So what exactly is the weight that Rahamatou is talking about?

Rahamatou now hosts seven of her sisters-in-laws and their 30 children. They came to her because her seven brothers were afraid for their safety after armed groups started attacking villages and towns in Nigeria. She has built some makeshift structures with wooden sticks and she pays rent for others who stay in the surrounding neighbourhood.

Over 80 per cent of refugees from Nigeria have taken refuge in host communities as they wait to move to two refugee camps currently being built in Eastern Niger. This puts an enormous burden on these generous hosts who have to feed numerous extra mouths – in a region that already suffers from chronic lack of food and water.

“I like the night, that’s when we can get some rest,” shares Rahamatou. “We spend all day trying to get food.”

For the first two months, Rahamatou and the other seven women didn’t receive any support. But now they benefit from the monthly rations distributed by CARE. However, it is far from enough because she must care for almost 40 extra people.

“Our children always say they want to go back,” explains Hawa Chaibou, a 32-year-old sister-in-law of Rahamatou. “They were used to run freely and now we are living here, waiting to return.” While they spend their time waiting, Rahamatou will continue to care for her family. She will wake up every morning knowing that the meals will not be sufficient, the money will not be enough and that the needs of everyone in her household cannot be met. But her strength, courage and generosity will keep her on her feet. And she will carry the responsibility just like a cow carries her horns.

With the rising influx of refugees from Nigeria to Eastern Niger, CARE has increased its efforts to support both displaced families and host communities. In Chetimari and other communities, CARE organises distributions of food, household and hygiene items, cash and vouchers to pay for basic necessities. Across the region, our emergency teams also rehabilitate water points, provide water to a refugee camp and organise transport for those refugees who want to move from host villages to one of the two official refugee camps that have been set up more inland. As of April 2015, CARE’s support has reached over 72,000 people across the region of Diffa in Niger.

Moki Edwin Kindzeka

MINAWAO, CAMEROON— Aid agencies say Nigerian refugees give birth to 45 children every month at the Minawao refugee camp. Most of the children do not have official birth certificates. The government of Cameroon and the United Nations refugee agency [UNHCR] have begun issuing the children birth certificates with the hope the Nigerian government will accept them when the refugees return.

Isaak Luka, leader of the group of Nigerian refugees at the Minawao refugee camp in northern Cameroon, expressed gratitude to aid agencies for helping to establish birth certificates for their new born babies.

"We are very grateful because our children will benefit their civic rights," said Luka. "We thank the government of Cameroon and the head of the refugee agency partners and the different UN agencies, without neglecting non governmental organizations and the Cameroonian government for the attention they reserve for us."

Cameroon, UNHCR deal

Theophile Nguea Beina, the highest Cameroon government official in the area, said the Nigerian children started enjoying their rights to birth registration following negotiations between the government of Cameroon and the United Nations refugee agency, UNHCR.

"Legally a right of all children to have a birth certificate and a legal existence has been respected. Socially, these children are not responsible for what happened in their country," said Beina. "They are vulnerable and the government of the Republic [Cameroon] can not stay and see this situation persist."

Djerassem Mbaiorem, UNHCR's associate reporting officer, said the birth registration does not confer Cameroonian nationality upon the refugee children. But, he said, by establishing a legal record on where a refugee was born and who their parents are, the kids can claim their Nigerian nationality when they become adults.

He said wherever children are born, they have the right to be issued birth certificates, though if they are born in a country different from that of their parents, they have up to 18 years when they become adults to decide to be nationals of that country if the constitution of the country allows him to have the nationality based on the fact that he was born there.

Ombaneme Kaniset, a midwife at the refugee camp, said they prepare a birth declaration card for each newborn baby and forward it to UNHCR officials working in collaboration with other aid agencies and the government of Cameroon. She said an average of 45 babies are born each month.

Extraordinary circumstances

She said they direct some of the pregnant women who arrive at the refugee camp from Nigeria with emergency cases to specialists and then encourage them to follow up their prenatal consultation. She added that some of them have never had prenatal care and most of them do not have medical records since they are running from violence.

Some of the mothers do not know the importance of birth certificates. Benjamin Mambou of the International Emergency and Development Aid [IEDA relief] said they have been educating women who refuse to give their children names and those who refuse to collaborate with birth registration officers.

"We will continue to sensitize [educate] parents who didn't give us the names of their children, who didn't identify their children. We will do it or we make sure that will be done," said Mambou. "We will continue to sensitize [educate] parents and to assist them in what their children become in the future. They will go to their country, the government of Nigerian will take care of them but firstly here in Cameroon. We take care of them, we give them birth certificates and we assist them."

UNHCR's Bawoing Mahamat, who has also been encouraging mothers to register their children at birth, said when the situation in Nigeria stabilizes and the refugees agree to return, they will organize a meeting with the Nigerian government to make sure the children are not discriminated against because they were born out of their country.

He said a tripartite meeting of Cameroon, Nigeria and the United Nations refugee agency will be convened to examine birth certificates delivered to Nigerian children when calm returns to their country and they agree to return.

The UNHCR reports that since January this year, more than 11,500 Nigerians have arrived in the camp. The government of Cameroon says it has counted more than 74,000 Nigerian refugees in Cameroon, and a majority are women and children. About 1,000 have so far received birth certificates.

By Monde Kingsley Nfor

MAROUA, Cameroon, 12 May 2015 (IRIN) - Tens of thousands of children in northern Cameroon, including many refugees from neighbouring Nigeria, are out of school because of cross-border attacks by Boko Haram.

“The government and aid agencies are grappling with a complex emergency situation,” said Middjiyawa Bakari, governor of Cameroon’s Far North Region.

“Getting enough classrooms, teachers and various forms of assistance to the internally displaced children and refugees remains critical,” he said.

Those now deprived of education include almost half of 62,000 children who have been internally displaced because of attacks by the Nigerian insurgency, which have led to the closure of more than 120 schools since September.

Also out of school are children among 74,000 Nigerians who have fled to Cameroon since March.

According to the UN’s agency for refugees (UNHCR), 60 percent of these new arrivals are children.

There have been at least 18 recorded attacks by Boko Haram in northern Cameroon since the beginning of the year. Almost 100,000 Cameroonians have fled their homes, UNHCR says.

In the three most-affected localities of Logone and Chari, Mayo-Sava and Mayo-Tsanaga, which lie just across the border from northeastern Nigeria, where the Islamist rebel group is most active, 60 percent of schools have been abandoned, 30 percent are now occupied by displaced people, and 10 percent have been either destroyed or looted during attacks, according to a report published last month by UNHCR.

Additional burdens

In those places where schools remain open, authorities say they have been encouraging families and relatives to re-enrol the displaced children, so that they can continue the school year, but that challenges abound.

At the Maroua Doualare I public primary school, for example, where over 200 displaced children have enrolled, head teacher Moumine Aloa told IRIN: “These children have added to the existing challenges that we already face, as the displaced have more peculiar and urgent needs than the other students. Many come in with no books or report cards or placement tests. Their class performances are very poor,” he said.

After being out of school for a number of months, children often need extra classes and sometimes psycho-social care to study well with other fellow students.

Another difficulty is that many of the families who fled have lost their sole means of livelihood and don’t have money to afford school fees.

Others no longer have the proper documentation to enrol. UNHCR estimates that 59 percent of displaced Cameroonians have lost essential documents.

Around 38 percent of the displaced children have been separated from their families and are now living with relatives, who can’t or don’t send them to school.

Many displaced children have to work just to survive.

Fifteen-year-old Soulemanu Abba, for example, told IRIN that “it was easy for me to go school when I was in Fotocol [his village] because my parents and friends were present and we had enough money to support my education. But since I came here, I now have to work to afford food for myself.”

Abba fled his home in October 2014 and now lives in Maroua where he works with his uncle selling gasoline.

It is a common story.

“I wish I could continue school because this is not a job I intended to support my life with,” said Mouktar Ismaila, 17, who drives a motorcycle taxi. “Many of us are school dropouts, some fleeing Boko Haram and others don’t just want school.”

Headmaster Aloa lamented: “Many students are skipping school to become men and it is rather unfortunate that most of them are missing opportunities of a lifetime to complete school and become important people in their communities.”

Education among refugees

In Minawao camp, the largest housing Nigerian refugees, there are only three primary schools with 21 classrooms to accommodate more than 6,600 primary school-aged children.

“Besides the fact that education is a basic human right for all children, it is especially important that refugee children receive schooling because it will create a sense of normalcy in them and will empower and expand their ability to turn their misfortune to opportunities,” said Isaac Luka, a lawyer and refugee representative.

But with no place to go, an estimated 40 percent of primary and secondary school-aged children spend their days milling around the camp, trying to make a living, authorities there say.

“The schools are overcrowded,” said Samuel Cameroun, an assistant camp manager. “In some classrooms there are over 200 children with two teachers who have to cope with children coming from very difficult environments. Aid agencies have been doing their bit by building classrooms, child-friendly environments and providing school supplies, but they are not enough given the growing needs.”

The government recently sent an additional 17 teachers to the camp and recruited 34 new teachers from among the refugee population, but there are still 150 pupils for each teacher.

John Duige, 61, a Nigerian refugee and volunteer primary school teacher in Minawao camp, told IRIN: “I have an obligation to help these children…They must have the opportunity now to study in Cameroon.”

It’s a challenging job: most of the refugee children did not attend school in Nigeria and few speak or understand English. With children speaking dozens of different dialects, finding a common language to teach in is almost impossible.

UNHCR and UNICEF have set up child-friendly tents which are managed by local NGOs and provide the children with various games and supplemental educational exercises.

“Education is a priority for most aid agencies, but the children need much more than just education to forget the trauma and images of atrocities in their minds,” Cameroun said. “They need more play areas, classrooms and psychosocial care through organised activities.”

mkn/jl/am

Period covered: January-December 2014

Overview -- DCM mission and core functions

The Disaster and Crisis Management (DCM) department’s mission is to ensure that a well functioning, relevant global disaster management system is in place to address the needs of communities who are vulnerable to or affected by disasters and crises. DCM is part of a global disaster management team guided by the following key strategic priorities:

• Providing leadership for the development of global disaster and crises management policies, strategies and programming approaches to reflect the changing humanitarian environment and the growing capacities of National Societies to coordinate and deliver humanitarian assistance.

• Developing and disseminating global disaster response guidance and procedures that clarify roles and responsibilities, set standards and help the IFRC to measure efficiency, effectiveness and the impact of operations.

• Strengthening IFRC-wide response tools and capacities for disaster and crises including in the areas of response preparedness and contingency planning, disaster needs assessment, relief to recovery planning, the scaled-up use of cash in emergencies; global surge capacity systems and tools development and improving the timeliness and quality of Emergency Appeal and Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF)-supported1 operations.

Within these key priorities, DCM delivers the following core functions:
- Conceptual leadership and remote and field-based technical support for response preparedness, relief and recovery programming globally.
- Quality assurance and approval of all DREF proposals and Emergency Appeals.
- Real time evaluations (RTE’s) of all major operations.
- Immediate mobilization of global surge capacity / disaster response tool upon request.
- Reliable disaster management information systems and maps.
- Facilitating global coordination and representation on disaster and crises management with Movement and non-Movement partners.

As part of an effective global disaster management team, DCM strives to continuously improve communications and collaboration between the department and DM colleagues at Zone, regional and country levels; regularly deploys to operations to provide surge capacity where needed, to ensure that disaster and crises operations are appropriately led and strategized and that humanitarian standards are adhered to.

Abuja, Nigeria | AFP | mardi 12/05/2015 - 11:09 GMT

Le président tchadien Idriss Deby, qui s'est rendu lundi au Nigeria pour rencontrer le président sortant Goodluck Jonathan et son successeur Muhammadu Buhari, a réclamé à nouveau une meilleure coordination des armées de la région dans la lutte contre Boko Haram.

"Si nous devons continuer la lutte encore et attraper (le chef du groupe islamiste) Abubakar Shekau, il faudra que les armées travaillent ensemble", a souligné Idriss Deby à Abuja.

"Boko Haram a été cassé mais n'est pas terminé", a-t-il déclaré à la presse. "Notre point faible: nous n'avons pas pu coordonner les opérations sur le terrain" entre les armées tchadienne et nigériane. Et cela "a été bien exploité par Abubakar Shekau", qui n'a toujours pas été retrouvé, a-t-il ajouté.

"S'il y avait eu une meilleure coopération" sur le terrain, "Shekau aurait été anéanti avec tout son état-major", a-t-il estimé.

L'armée tchadienne participe en première ligne, depuis février, à une opération militaire régionale visant à chasser le groupe islamiste des pans entiers de territoire qu'il avait capturés dans le nord-est du Nigeria.

L'armée nigériane a repris beaucoup de terrain depuis le début de l'opération, mais M. Deby s'est déjà plaint à plusieurs reprises du manque de coopération d'Abuja.

Selon des sources militaires tchadiennes, environ 5.000 soldats tchadiens sont engagés dans la lutte contre Boko Haram. En avril, N'Djamena avait déploré la mort de 71 soldats dans le cadre de cette opération, à laquelle prennent également part les armées nigérienne et camerounaise.

Quelques jours avant l'élection présidentielle nigériane en mars, M. Deby avait critiqué publiquement l'inertie de M. Jonathan et son administration et l'absence de militaires nigérians sur le terrain.

M. Deby a félicité lundi M. Jonathan, qu'il a qualifié de "panafricaniste" et de "grand démocrate", pour avoir contribué à la stabilité et à la paix de toute la région en reconnaissant sa défaite avant même la publication des résultats officiels, parce que "quand le Nigeria tousse, tous les pays voisins s'enrhument".

Il s'est ensuite entretenu avec M. Buhari, qui prend ses fonctions le 29 mai, mais n'a pas donné de détails sur la teneur de leurs discussions.

ola-cdc/jhd

© 1994-2015 Agence France-Presse

**Check against delivery

Thank you for the invitation that we value very much. We are here to share with you the urgent need to face the tragedies unfolding in the Mediterranean.

2015 looks even worse than the previous year and consider than in 2013, 3 300 migrants died trying to enter the European Union by sea. Which means that three out of four people who perished by crossing a border in the world, died in the Mediterranean Sea. This tells us that our first priority must be to save lives; to prevent the loss of lives at sea. We believe, in the European Union, that this is a huge responsibility we all share, not only as Europeans but also globally.

It is an unprecedented situation, an exceptional situation that requires an exceptional and coordinated response. There is an urgent need to respond in an immediate and joint way. An emergency response to a structural phenomenon that will remain if we don't act effectively on its deep real causes: poverty, conflicts, crisis, human rights violations all the way through Africa and the Middle East and beyond, including the situations in Syria, Afghanistan or the Horn of Africa.

We are aware of the fact that there is not one magic solution but a comprehensive response to a complex problem.

It is not only a humanitarian emergency, but also a security crisis, since smuggling networks are linked to, and in some cases finance, terrorist activities, which contributes to instability in a region that is already unstable enough.

Addressing this situation is first of all a moral duty for us, but it is also a shared interest of all countries involved; the ones around the Mediterranean as well as the countries of origin and transit.

We are here to act immediately and to act together. We need an exceptional response.

Let me say that the European Union is finally ready to take its own responsibilities: saving lives, welcoming refugees, addressing the root causes of the phenomenon, dismantling criminal organisations.

We need to address these challenge with two basic principles.

The first is Partnership. We need close partnership with the countries in the region, regional organisations starting with the African Union, the wider international community and in particular with the UN Security Council.

The second is in a comprehensive way with a comprehensive approach, addressing all related issues, the immediate humanitarian emergency, the security situation, as well as the root causes in countries of origin and transit. And let me stress that sometimes the countries of transit become countries of destination themselves.

Tackling the root causes means tackling poverty, unequal access to resources (be it natural or financial), conflicts and crisis, violation of human rights.

What we need today is shared solidarity, long term vision and immediate action, in full partnership at regional and global level. That is why it is so important for me to be here today. The European Union will do its part. We alreadydiscussed how to face these tragedies here in New York last month. As I stressed then, the European Union is increasing its work to address the root causes of the tragedies as well as tackling trafficking and smuggling in the Mediterranean.

Since then, we have worked on this with the African Union, namely doing our "college-to-college" meeting in Brussels a few weeks ago. And next Wednesday, in just two days, the European Commission will present a new European Agenda on Migration, offering solutions to both the immediate challenges and ways to manage better migration in all aspects in the longer term, taking a new approach and taking new responsibilities.

We will propose to increase our resettlement efforts and enhance legal opportunities to reach Europe. As European Commission President Juncker said in the European Parliament few days ago: "if we close the door to all, people will come in through the windows".

On the other side, you, the UN Security Council, also called for the full implementation of the Protocol against the Smuggling of Migrants and urged all Member States to address illicit migration flows, and contribute to dismantle smugglers networks in the region.

We all know that we need to work on the whole set of issues related to these tragedies. Tackling only one aspect will not lead to a solution. And we need to work together, as Europeans first of all - we have understood this - but also with the regional and global community.

As Europeans on 23 April we decided to step up our efforts to tackle the humanitarian tragedy in the Mediterranean.

This includes also efforts to disrupt trafficking and smuggling networks.

The European Council decided to strengthen immediately the European Union presence at sea, enforcing the existing operations Triton and Poseidon. Their capacities are being strengthened by trebling the financial resources available to them and the sending of additional maritime assets.

European leaders, on that occasion, also asked me to propose actions to disrupt the business model of human trafficking networks across the Mediterranean. Let me quote the statement of the European Council on 23 April, asking "…the High Representative to undertake systematic efforts to identify, capture and destroy vessels before they are used by traffickers in accordance with international law".

With this, my presence here at the Security Council today is so important for us. We have in these weeks prepared for a possible naval operation in the framework of the European Union Common Security and Defence Policy. The mandate of this operation is currently being elaborated with the EU Member States in Brussels, and will be discussed by the meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council, in a week from now, in exactly a week from now on 18 May, with a possibility of taking decisions, the first decisions already.

We want to work with the United Nations, in particular with the UNSC. We also want to work with the UNHCR. Yesterday, I spoke again with António Guterres. Our teams have already intensified the common work, as it is our firm intention to always respect international law, international humanitarian law and human rights.

This is a core fundamental value, on which the European Union was built and as I said, it is our firm intention to honour it. We are taking responsibilities, we are working hard and fast, but we do not want and we cannot work alone. We need partnerships if we want to put an end to these tragedies. We need to think and act together, we need to share responsibilities. It is a European responsibility and a global responsibility.

or the European Union, multilateralism is key. Work in partnership is key; respect and promotion of human rights and international law is key. And on issues like this, more than ever.

Let me explicitly assure you that no refugees or migrants intercepted at sea will be sent back against their will. Their rights under Geneva conventions will be fully honoured.

Let me be very clear also on another critical point, Libya. This is not all about Libya, we know that very well. This can happen in other parts of the world. But we all know also very well that the vast majority of human trafficking and smuggling in these months is happening in Libya, or rather, through Libya. As long as there is not a Unity Government that can exercise its legitimate authority over the entire territory of the country and its land and sea borders, the situation is likely to continue this way. That is why the European Union is actively and with full determination supporting the UN-led process of dialogue to reach an agreement on the formation of a Government of National Unity.

The European Union is politically, logistically, financially supporting this process. I am myself in close, daily, contact with Bernadino León in this respect. We hosted a meeting of Mayors and Municipalities of all Libya recently, as well as a business dialogue, in Brussels.

I was 10 days ago in Tunis with Bernadino León to meet and talk to all Libyan parties taking part in the dialogue. Our message to all Libyans is clear. The European Union is ready to support you in any possible way, to make sure that Libya can be the prosperous and stable country it can be, and deserves to be. Unite against all challenges your country and your people are facing, and Europe will be at your side, in the ways you will decide and determine.

In the meantime, we need to work together in partnership, Europeans and Libyans to fight trafficking and smuggling organisations. This is a Libyan interest and responsibility, this is a Mediterranean interest and responsibility, this is a European interest and responsibility, this is also an African interest and responsibility and I would say, it is a global interest and responsibility. We don't and won't act against anyone but in partnership with all. We need to work together and we are here to work together.

This is also why we are stepping up our cooperation and support to key countries in Africa and in the Arab World such as Tunisia, Egypt, as well as Sudan, Mali and Niger. We are also stepping up cooperation with Turkey in view of the situation in Syria and Iraq. We are increasing our work within existing dialogues and partnerships as well as regional efforts such as the Rabat and Khartoum processes.

These are fundamental elements of our comprehensive approach to address all migration related issues. We have already established Mobility partnerships with Morocco, Tunisia, Jordan and a dedicated dialogue with Lebanon. These are comprehensive partnerships which cover our migration related aspects: legal migration and mobility (visa facilitation), fight against irregular migration, asylum and international protection, and migration and development.

We are working with regional partners in building capacity for maritime border management and search and rescue operations.

It is also important that the EU and the countries party to the Rabat and Khartoum processes as well as the African Union work in close partnership on this issue. We therefore very much welcome the perspective of a special summit, in Malta in the autumn, as I discussed already with Mrs Zuma recently. We are addressing the issue of poverty, together, of wars, of human rights, of unequal distribution and access to resources, being it financial or other kind of resources. We need to do it in partnership with all the countries involved in this, on an equal footing in full and mutual respect.

The European Union is ready to do its part. It has not always been the case, I know. Now, I believe, we are ready to do it. I believe we are ready to address challenges that affect us all and to do it not only from a security perspective but first and foremost from a humanitarian perspective. The EU can do a lot, we will do a lot but we cannot do it alone. This has to be a common, global effort. That's why we count on your support to save lives and dismantle criminal organisations that are exploiting people's desperation. Let me end by quoting Pope Francis when he says "their stories make us cry and make us ashamed". I call on you today to help us all to stop crying and stop feeling ashamed.

Thank you

FOR FURTHER DETAILS:

Catherine Ray +32 498 96 99 21 - +32 2 296 99 21 - Catherine.Ray@ec.europa.eu - @CatherineEUspox

Maja Kocijancic +32 498 984 425 - +32 2 298 65 70 - Maja.Kocijancic@ec.europa.eu - @MajaEUspox

Nabila Massrali +32 460 75 41 75 - Nabila.Massrali@ec.europa.eu

OUAGADOUGOU – Le PAM commence a commencé le 8 mai la distribution de yaourts produits localement dans les écoles primaires bénéficiant de son programme d'alimentation scolaire.

Cette nouvelle initiative, qui vient compléter les programmes de cantines scolaires du PAM dans cette région d’Afrique de l’Ouest, a commencé dans les écoles de Dori, capitale de la région du Sahel burkinabé, et bénéficiera à 1 973 écoliers dans 12 écoles. L’initiative soutient la stratégie gouvernementale visant à assurer une transition progressive vers des cantines scolaires gérées par les communautés, appelées «cantines endogènes».

L’initiative est mise en œuvre en étroite collaboration avec le gouvernement burkinabé, en l’occurrence le Ministère de l’Education Nationale et de l’Alphabétisation (MENA), le Ministère des Ressources Animales et le Ministère de la Santé à travers le Laboratoire National de Santé Publique (LNSP).

«Nous sommes ravis d'introduire ces yaourts produits localement dans le programme de repas scolaires du PAM. Fournir des produits laitiers, qui font partie des produits alimentaires préférés dans cette partie du pays, permettra non seulement d’enrichir les repas scolaires des enfants, mais également de créer un marché pour les petits éleveurs vulnérables et les associations de femmes qui bénéficieront d’un revenu supplémentaire» a déclaré le Représentant du PAM au Burkina Faso, M. Jean-Charles Déi.

Le lait cru provenant des troupeaux des petits éleveurs est transformé en yaourt par les membres de l’association féminine Kossam Naï Bodedji de Dori, qui ont mis en place une Unité de Transformation de Lait (UTL). L'initiative est soutenue par le projet «Achats au Service du Progrès» (Purchase for Progress, P4P) du PAM, et vise à accroître la capacité des petits producteurs et éleveurs, la qualité de leurs produits, et leur permettre d’accéder à des marchés plus rémunérateurs.

La phase pilote du projet couvrira 12 écoles, et le nombre d’écoles bénéficiaires sera ensuite progressivement étendu.

Depuis 2004, le PAM met en œuvre un programme d’alimentation scolaire dans la région du Sahel au Burkina Faso avec un petit déjeuner et un déjeuner servis quotidiennement aux élèves. En outre, les filles reçoivent une ration mensuelle de céréales sèches à emporter à la maison. En 2015, plus de 127 000 enfants bénéficient des repas du PAM dans 952 écoles.

Dans cette région, les taux de scolarisation sont nettement inférieurs à la moyenne nationale. Toutefois des progrès ont été enregistrés. Ainsi, le taux brut de scolarisation qui était de 37% en 2006 est passé à 49,8% en 2014 ; celui des filles s’est également amélioré, passant de de 32% en 2006 à 48,2% en 2014.

M. Abel Aziz Dao, Directeur de l’Allocation des Moyens Spécifiques aux Structures et aux Ecoles (DAMSSE), chargé de la gestion des cantines scolaires au MENA apprécie positivement l’action du PAM et le nouveau projet: « Ce que le PAM fait dans cette région joue un rôle crucial pour le système scolaire, car, au Sahel, sans cantines il n’y a pas d’école. De plus, ce projet va permettre aux enfants de s’épanouir et de grandir en bonne santé. ».

Dans cette région du Sahel, la majorité des parents assurent difficilement deux repas quotidiens à leurs familles et les enfants demandent à aller à l’école pour pouvoir bénéficier des repas scolaires. En distribuant du lait dans les écoles de la région, le PAM entend contribuer à la lutte contre la sous-scolarisation, les inégalités, la sous-alimentation, et la malnutrition.

Le PAM compte sur la générosité des donateurs pour étendre rapidement cette initiative à toutes les écoles du Sahel, qui est l’une des régions les plus vulnérables et avec un taux de scolarisation parmi les plus bas.

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Le PAM est la plus grande agence humanitaire qui lutte contre la faim dans le monde en distribuant une assistance alimentaire dans les situations d'urgence et en travaillant avec les communautés pour améliorer leur état nutritionnel et renforcer leur résilience. Chaque année, le PAM apporte une assistance à quelque 80 millions de personnes dans près de 75 pays.

Suivez-nous sur Twitter : @wfp_media et @WFP_WAfrica.

Pour plus d’informations, veuillez contacter :

Célestine Ouédraogo, PAM Burkina Faso, Tél. +226 25 30 60 77, Mob. +226 75 14 47 47, celestine.ouedraogo@wfp.org.

Adel Sarkozi, PAM Dakar, Mob. +221 77 637 5964 , adel.sarkozi@wfp.org

The 2014 Annual report of the ICRC is an account of field activities conducted worldwide. Activities are part of the organization's mandate to protect the lives and dignity of victims of war, and to promote respect for international humanitarian law.

Facts and figures

26.2 million people had access to water and sanitation improved.
Read more on water and shelter.

9.12 million people were provided with basic aid such as food.
Read more on aid distribution.

6.2 million people received health care.
Read more on health. 800,900 detainees were visited.
Read more on visiting detainees.

470,000 calls were made between detainees and families.
Read more on restoring family links.

OUGADOUGOU – The UN World Food Programme (WFP) has begun distributing locally-produced yoghurt as part of its school feeding programme in the capital of the Sahel region, one of the most food-insecure areas of Burkina Faso.

The initiative – new to WFP’s school feeding programmes across West Africa – will initially reach nearly 2,000 students in 12 primary schools. It supports the Government’s strategy to enable communities to gradually take full ownership of the school canteens.

“We are pleased to introduce locally-produced yoghurt into WFP’s school meals. Providing dairy products, which are among the preferred foods in this part of the country, will not only enrich children’s school meals but provide a market for vulnerable small-scale farmers and women’s groups to earn an extra income,” said Jean-Charles Dei, WFP Country Director in Burkina Faso.

The milk comes from small-scale cattle breeders and is transformed into yoghurt by a women’s association, Kossam Nai Bodedji Dori, which started a milk processing unit. The initiative is supported by WFP’s Purchase for Progress (P4P) programme, which aims to build the capacity of small producers and farmers, and enable them to improve quality and sell their products on a larger scale.

The pilot phase covers initially 12 schools, but plans are underway to extend the project.

WFP has been providing school meals in the Sahel region of Burkina Faso since 2004, serving daily breakfast and lunch to students. Girls also receive a monthly ration to take home to their families as an added incentive to encourage enrolment and keep them in school.

The school feeding programme has had a positive impact on enrolment rates: since 2006, they have increased overall from 37 percent to nearly 50 percent in 2014, while for girls, enrollment has improved from 32 percent to 48 percent in the same period.

Abel Aziz Dao, a government representative who oversees the management of the school canteens in the Sahel region, says that WFP’s involvement is invaluable.

“WFP has played a crucial role in the educational system, enabling schools to grow, as without school canteens, there would be no schools in the Sahel. This project will help our children grow and develop healthily,” said Dao.

WFP’s initiative is also helping to fight malnutrition in a region where families struggle to provide two daily meals to their children, and malnutrition rates are one of the highest in the country.

“We count on the generosity of our donors so that we can extend this initiative to more schools in the Sahel region, one of the most vulnerable areas of the country,” said Dei.

In 2015, WFP plans to provide more than 127,000 children with one nutritious meal per day in 952 schools across Burkina Faso.

WFP is the world's largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide, delivering food in emergencies and working with communities to build resilience. In 2013, WFP assisted more than 80 million people in 75 countries.

Follow us on Twitter @wfp_media @WFP_WAfrica

For more information please contact (email address: firstname.lastname@wfp.org):
Célestine Ouédraogo, WFP Burkina Faso, Tel: +226 25 30 60 77, Mob. +226 75 14 47 47
Adel Sarkozi, WFP Dakar Mob. +221 77 637 5964

Snapshot 6–12 May 2015

Iraq: Conflict has escalated in a number of locations. In Anbar, fighting has displaced more than 47,000 in Karmah district, and more than 133,000 around Ramadi. Clashes between Islamic State and government forces have intensified around Baiji oil refinery, in Salah al Din.

Nepal: A second earthquake of magnitude 7.3 struck on 12 May. As of 1800 local time, 37 people have been reported killed and 1,129 injured. The earthquake was followed by aftershocks with magnitudes up to 6.3. Major landslides have been reported, further hampering relief efforts.

Niger: 3,300 suspected cases of meningitis recorded as an epidemic is declared in eight districts. Vaccines are reported to be out of stock. 39,700 people have reportedly been displaced from islands on Lake Chad, due to planned military operations against Boko Haram.

South Sudan: Since the beginning of May, up to 100,000 people have been displaced by fighting south of Bentiu, Unity state. Bentiu’s Protection of Civilians (PoC) site, housing 52,900 IDPs, is so close to the fighting that the displaced are seeking safety elsewhere. Fighting in Upper Nile saw 1,500 IDPs arrive at the Malakal PoC site over 22–23 April.

Updated: 12/05/2015. Next update: 19/05/2015

Global Emergency Overview Web Interface

Bamako, Mali | AFP | mardi 12/05/2015 - 20:11 GMT

par Serge DANIEL

Malgré les violations répétées du cessez-le-feu au Mali depuis deux semaines, la communauté internationale tente d'arracher la signature d'une partie au moins de la rébellion à dominante touareg sur un accord de paix vendredi afin de revendiquer un succès, selon des experts.

Les ministres français et algérien des Affaires étrangères, Laurent Fabius et Ramtane Lamamra, ont appelé mardi à Alger toutes les parties à signer vendredi à Bamako l'accord paraphé le 1er mars dans la capitale algérienne par le camp gouvernemental, mais pas par la rébellion.

Des délégations des groupes de la Coordination des mouvements de l'Azawad (CMA, rébellion), se rendront mercredi à Alger pour parapher "en principe" cet accord, ont indiqué à l'AFP un responsable rebelle et une source de sécurité régionale.

"Demain, les groupes armés de la CMA partiront de Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso) et de Kidal (nord-est du Mali) pour en principe parapher l'accord de paix", a déclaré ce responsable, Almou Ag Mohamed, porte-parole du Haut conseil pour l'unité de l'Azawad (HCUA).

"Attendons le paraphe d'Alger", a ajouté M. Ag Mohamed, interrogé sur une éventuelle signature au Mali. "Nous voir à Bamako en train de signer vendredi relèverait du miracle", avait-il affirmé quelques heures auparavant, excluant une signature du document en l'état.

Une source sécuritaire régionale basée dans le bastion rebelle de Kidal a confirmé à l'AFP cette réunion, estimant que "sauf surprise de dernière minute, l'accord sera paraphé à Alger lorsque tous les délégués seront sur place mercredi".

Le cessez-le-feu est battu en brèche depuis la prise le 27 avril par des groupes pro-gouvernementaux des positions rebelles à Ménaka (nord-est), près de la frontière nigérienne.

La rébellion, invoquant la "légitime défense" contre l'armée et ses "milices affiliées", a répliqué par une série d'attaques, avec de nombreux morts de part et d'autre, dont une embuscade lundi qui a fait neuf tués et 14 blessés parmi les militaires.

'Phase d'évaluation'

Selon une source de sécurité de la Mission de l'ONU au Mali (Minusma), ces violences qui menacent la signature sont liées à l'échéance du 15 mai et visent à la fois à adresser un message au gouvernement et la communauté internationale, mais aussi, pour chaque groupe de la CMA, à "marquer son territoire".

Ainsi, face au HCUA, dont Kidal est le quartier général, la branche rebelle du Mouvement arabe de l'Azawad (MAA) a fait parler d'elle dans l'assaut de lundi, mené par un de ses officiers, tandis qu'une précédente série d'attaques aux environs était l'œuvre du Mouvement national de libération de l'Azawad (MNLA), selon cette source.

Les pressions se concentrent désormais sur les différents groupes de la CMA, qui ne "parle plus de l'intérieur d'une même voix", selon un document de la médiation consulté par l'AFP, alors que le chef de la Minusma Mongi Hamdi a indiqué la semaine dernière qu'il serait possible de signer séparément après le 15 mai.

"Vendredi, la locomotive va démarrer", affirme le sociologue malien Mamadou Samaké. "Maintenant, il y a des gares d'arrêt. Les acteurs pourront rentrer dans les wagons. Mais l'important, c'est de partir, de montrer qu'on avance", ajoute-t-il.

Une vision partagée par un très proche du président malien Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta, selon lequel "on ne peut plus reculer, il faut démarrer, nos frères viendront".

"Mais vendredi, nous aurons probablement une bonne surprise, de voir de gros calibres de la CMA signer le document", a indiqué ce proche sous couvert d'anonymat.

Selon un diplomate africain en poste à Bamako, si au moins le HCUA signait, "la cérémonie de vendredi serait considérée comme un mini-succès".

Outre le le MNLA, le HCUA et une branche du MAA tous deux "en phase d'évaluation", la CMA comprend deux autres groupes qui pourraient signer vendredi, estime une source proche de la médiation internationale.

Selon Yvan Guichaoua, spécialiste du Sahel, "le paradoxe est que la médiation voulait que cette coalition (rebelle) soit forte, pour ouvrir les discussions d'Alger. Mais maintenant elle la souhaite faible, pour obtenir une signature".

Le nord du Mali est tombé au printemps 2012 sous la coupe de groupes jihadistes liés à Al-Qaïda après la déroute de l'armée face à la rébellion, d'abord alliée à ces groupes qui l'ont ensuite évincée.

Les jihadistes ont été dispersés et partiellement chassés de cette zone par une opération militaire internationale lancée en janvier 2013 à l'initiative de la France, et toujours en cours. Mais des zones entières échappent encore au contrôle du pouvoir central.

sd/mrb/sst/sba

© 1994-2015 Agence France-Presse

Algiers, Algeria | AFP | Tuesday 5/12/2015 - 16:47 GMT

by Serge DANIEL

Despite numerous ceasefire violations, international brokers are desperate to persuade at least part of Mali's rebel alliance to sign a peace accord, so they can claim the process has been a success, say analysts.

French and Algerian foreign ministers Laurent Fabius and Ramtane Lamamra, in Algiers for talks on Tuesday, called on all parties to attend the signing ceremony in Bamako on Friday.

But rebel leader Almou Ag Mohamed, of the High Council for the Unity of Azawad (HCUA), ruled out endorsing the document in its current form, adding that "us signing on Friday would be nothing short of a miracle".

The rebellion has accepted an invitation from the United Nations to talks in Algiers before Friday to "discuss and even initial the text" but Ag Mohamed said a firm signature would require "new negotiations to get things moving forward".

As the Friday deadline approaches, northern Mali has seen an upsurge in attacks by pro-government militias and various factions of the country's Tuareg-led rebellion, which have left many dead on both sides.

The UN has warned that the violence threatens to upend a peace process which, while tantalisingly close to a breakthrough, looks more fragile with every skirmish.

The violence escalated after pro-government fighters seized positions from the Coordination of Azawad Movements (CMA) rebellion in the northern town of Menaka at the end of April.

The following day 10 militants and nine soldiers died in clashes between the Malian army and the CMA in the central town of Lere.

• 'Raising the volume' -

"The attacks and fighting on the ground are clearly a response to the ceremony on Friday," a source in MINUSMA, the UN peacekeeping mission in Mali, told AFP.

"The groups are raising the volume to express their discontent against the taking of the town of Menaka by a Malian armed pro-government group."

Mali was plunged into chaos by a coup in 2012, which opened the door for Tuareg separatists and then Islamist extremists to seize the towns and cities of the vast northern desert.

A French-led military intervention returned democracy but the country remains deeply divided, with the lighter-skinned Tuareg and Arab populations of the north accusing the sub-Saharan ethnic groups in the more prosperous south of marginalising them.

The government and a coalition of armed groups from the north known as the Platform have already initialled the peace accord, negotiated under the auspices of the UN and Algerian-led mediation over eight months.

But the CMA has been holding out, demanding an amendment guaranteeing political recognition for "Azawad", the name used by the Tuareg for the northern part of Mali.

In the latest bloodshed, nine Malian soldiers were killed on Monday when they were ambushed by fighters who, according to the MINUSMA source, were from the Arab Movements of Azawad (MAA), a component of the CMA.

Meanwhile a series of attacks carried out beforehand were the work of a Tuareg CMA group, the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA), the source said.

International pressure is now coming to bear on all factions of the CMA, which "no longer speaks from the inside with one voice", according to a mediation document seen by AFP.

• 'Paradox' -

MINUSMA chief Mongi Hamdi offered a concession to the groups last week, saying it would be possible to sign the peace accord separately if things didn't work out in Bamako.

"On Friday, the locomotive will start up," said Malian sociologist Mamadou Samake.

"Now there are stations along the way where the actors can get back into the coaches. But the important thing is that it leaves, to show that we are moving forward."

Mohamed Ag Intalla, the tribal leader of the HCUA's Tuareg community in the far north-east, visited Bamako recently, where he had "constructive discussions" with the Malian authorities.

Yvan Guichaoua, a lecturer at the University of East Anglia in Britain and an expert on the Sahel region, told AFP that if mediators could not bring all the rebels on board, a "cynical" move might be to coax certain CMA figures to the signature ceremony, even if they were not backed by the others.

"They have had no luck so far, which is historically without precedent, but that doesn't mean the CMA is free from faultlines," he said.

"But these faultlines haven't led to fragmentation -- they have been dealt with internally. The big paradox is that the mediation wanted this coalition to be strong, to open discussions in Algiers. Now they want it to be weak, to obtain a signature."

A source close to the international mediators said at least two of the CMA's five armed groups were expected to sign the document while the HCUA and MAA were in an "evaluation phase" and the MNLA remained the "great unknown".

sd/mrb/sst/ft

© 1994-2015 Agence France-Presse

Le « Projet Régional TICAD Sahel – Mauritanie » est mis en œuvre par le PNUD grâce à la contribution généreuse du Gouvernement japonais. Il comprend trois composantes principales : résilience et prévention des risques de catastrophes, lutte contre la pauvreté et préservation de l’environnement et Citoyenneté, droits humains et prévention des conflits.

Parfaitement aligné sur les priorités nationales en matière de développement, le Projet a contribué à l’atteinte des objectifs définis par le gouvernement mauritanien dans le Cadre Stratégique de Lutte contre la Pauvreté (CSLP). Cette brochure retrace les principales réalisations du projet TICAD en Mauritanie. Ainsi, à travers des activités intégrées de formation, de sensibilisation, d’équipement et de création d’emplois, le Projet a centré son action sur l’habilitation des communautés vulnérables et le renforcement de capacités des institutions publiques et des organisations de la société civile.

Forts de cet appui, les acteurs gouvernementaux, la société civile et les communautés se sont engagés ensemble à construire la paix et à améliorer la gouvernance et le respect des droits humains. Ils s’attèlent, désormais, à appuyer la restauration et le renforcement des moyens de subsistance dans les zones d’intervention du Projet, ainsi que les capacités nationales de résilience aux chocs et de réponse aux situations d’urgence.

Le volet visant la réduction de la pauvreté et la préservation de l’environnement a créé des emplois et amélioré les revenus en offrant des services vitaux et des soutiens solides aux populations démunies. Sensible au genre et au principe d’équité, le Projet a principalement profité aux femmes et aux communautés les plus vulnérables.

Au-delà de ses retombées significatives sur les conditions de vies des populations, il a changé la dynamique de la participation féminine au sein de la communauté, et favorisé dans les sphères de pauvreté l’esprit d’initiatives résilientes et les efforts de récupération et de relèvement. C’est ce que résume la présente brochure à travers les témoignages vivants des bénéficiaires

éléments clés

• Le projet a centré son action dans l'habilitation des communautés vulnérablement et le renforcement des capacités des institutions publiques et de la société civile

• La société civile et les communautés se sont engagées ensemble à construire la paix et à améliorer la gouvernance et le respect des droits humains

• Sensible au genre et au principe d'équité, le projet a principalement bénéficié aux femmes et aux communautés vulnérables

• Le projet a changé la dynamique de la participation féminine au sein de la communauté, et favorisé dans les sphères de pauvreté l'esprit d'initiatives résilientesz et les efforts de récupération et de relèvement

Ce rapport est le résultat de la compilation d’informations recueillies sur terrain par les points focaux qui travaillent directement avec l’équipe IRC en collaboration avec l’équipe ANDDH et des CAC. Il donne également un aperçu sur les activités hebdomadaires en cours dans la région de Diffa.

Les points généraux

La situation sécuritaire dans la région de Diffa après avoir connu une légère accalmie ces derniers jours, s’est à nouveau détériorée avec de nouvelles attaques dans la zone de Bosso. L’on note également, dans la ville de Diffa la reprise d’un contrôle rigoureux des véhicules au delà des heures décrétées, c’est à dire après 20h.

Author: Elias Ntungwe Ngalame

YAOUNDE, Cameroon, May 12 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - For many of the past five years, Marthe Efoulan, a 42-year-old farmer in Meyomessala, in southern Cameroon, has been fooled into planting her crops too soon.

Read the full article on AlertNet

GA/AB/4155
Sixty-ninth Session,
38th Meeting (AM)
GENERAL ASSEMBLY
MEETINGS COVERAGE

As Haiti approached presidential and municipal elections, adequate international support was needed to avoid a security vacuum and a loss of gains made towards democracy and development, the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) heard today as it weighed a substantial cut to the 2015/16 budget of the United Nations peacekeeping operation in that country.

The United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) continued to play an essential role in assisting national authorities in strengthening security and stability and building the capacity of national institutions, that country’s delegate said. As the nation prepared to hold free, transparent and inclusive municipal, legislative and presidential elections, he continued, personnel in the military and police components in the Mission should be maintained at appropriate levels to prevent the emergence of a security vacuum and a squandering of gains made so far.

Ecuador’s delegate, speaking on behalf of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), said the bloc would scrutinize the proposed reduction of $110.52 million, or 22.1 per cent, to MINUSTAH’s 2015/16 budget. CELAC disagreed with any arbitrary reductions without technical justification in the resources allocated to the Mission, he said, reiterating the need for the provision of resources to ensure adequate technical, logistical and security support during the electoral process, a position supported by several other delegations.

The Committee also considered the financing of the following peacekeeping operations: United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA), United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO), United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL), United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA), United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF), United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), United Nations Mission in the Republic of South Sudan (UNMISS) and the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID).

Togo’s delegate, speaking for the African Group, stressed the importance of allocating adequate resources to each operation in general and specifically to those located in Africa, taking into account each mandate’s complexity and unique circumstances and the magnitude of challenges in the field. He said it was regrettable that unjustified cost reductions and across-the-board cuts continued to be presented to Member States, an approach that continued to have a negative impact.

Bettina Tucci Bartsiotas, Assistant Secretary-General and Controller, introduced the Secretary-General’s reports on 2014/15 budget performance and the 2015/16 budgets for those peacekeeping missions. Carlos Ruiz Massieu, Chair of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ), presented his body’s related reports.

Also speaking today were representatives of Canada (also on behalf of Australia and New Zealand), China, Guatemala, Brazil, Syria, Colombia, France and Israel.

The Committee will meet again at 10 a.m. on Thursday, 14 May, to discuss the United Nations’ financial situation and its support account for peacekeeping operations.

Financing of Peacekeeping Operations

BETTINA TUCCI BARTSIOTAS, Assistant Secretary-General and Controller, introduced the Secretary-General’s reports on 2014/15 budget performance and the 2015/16 budgets for several peacekeeping missions.

For the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) (documents A/69/633 and A/69/805), she said that the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ) had approved a commitment authority of up to $59.5 million for the period from 10 April 2014 to 30 June 2014 for the establishment of the Mission, which now had a complete uniformed personnel component. That amount had been spent and was now requested for appropriation. For 2015/16, a budget of $843.6 million, up 34.2 per cent from the previous year, had been proposed, including funding for a net increase of 166 civilian positions.

For the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) (documents A/69/620 and A/69/797), a commitment authority of $38.6 million had been requested for the period from 1 July 2014 to 30 June 2015, in addition to the $1.4 billion already appropriated, she said. Following an unexpected slowdown in joint operations with the Forces Armées de la République Démocratique du Congo (FARDC), that amount had been reduced by $11 million to $27.6 million. For 2015/16, $1.37 billion had been requested, representing a decrease of 2 per cent from the previous year, due primarily to delayed deployment of military personnel and lower costs of contingent-owned equipment.

For the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) (documents A/69/619 and A/69/785), she said the Secretary-General was proposing to reduce the budget by 22.1 per cent to $389.5 million for 2015/16. The number of military contingents was being reduced from 5,021 to 2,370, a total of 268 posts were being abolished and 38 posts were being converted to national staff. Five liaison offices and the regional office in Jacmel would be closed, the Mission’s civilian air fleet was being reconfigured and the Santo Domingo Support Office was being progressively closed.

For the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) (documents A/69/667 and A/69/820), the Secretary-General withdrew his proposal for additional funding for 2014/15, she said. For 2015/16, $355.2 million had been requested, down 16.9 per cent from the previous year primarily due to a lower level of military and civilian staffing, as well as a reduction in facilities, infrastructure and ground and air transportation.

For the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) (documents A/69/593 and A/69/784), she noted that $936 million, or an increase of 12.7 per cent, was requested to reflect additional military and police personnel, a net increase of 108 civilian posts, higher costs for camp construction for the new force laydown structure, air transportation services and contractual arrangements for improvised explosive device awareness training for all military contingents.

For the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) (documents A/69/586, A/69/586/Corr.1, A/69/586/Corr.2 and A/69/732), she said that $52.3 million had been proposed for 2015/16, down 18 per cent from the previous year due primarily to the reduction of military contingent personnel and a cut of four international and 21 national posts.

Turning to the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) (documents A/69/606, A/69/731 and A/69/731/Corr.1), she said that $517.5 million had been proposed for 2015/16, an increase of 1.6 per cent due mainly to the deployment of equipment and troops from two military contingent battalions and higher civilian personnel costs, which had been offset by reduced operation costs.

For the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) (documents A/69/677 and A/69/800), she noted that $1.1 billion, up 1.1 per cent, had been proposed for 2015/16 to reflect increased deployment of military observers, military contingents, United Nations police and formed police personnel to cope with the prolonged presence of more than 100,000 internally displaced persons. The increase was offset by reduced requirements for civilian personnel, international and national staff and United Nations volunteers.

For the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID) (documents A/69/673 and A/69/808), she noted that $1.1 billion had been proposed for 2015/16, down 1.6 per cent from the previous year. Although costs for military and police personnel had increased, operational costs had been cut by 9.5 per cent due to the reduction of air transportation and related costs, hiring costs and of two rotary-wing aircraft in the fleet.

CARLOS RUIZ MASSIEU, Chair of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions, introduced his body’s reports on budget performances for the period from 1 July 2013 to 30 June 2014 and the proposed budgets for the period from 1 July 2015 to 30 June 2016 for the following peacekeeping operations: MINUSCA, MONUSCO, MINUSTAH, UNMIL, MINUSMA, UNDOF, UNIFIL, UNMISS and UNAMID.

Sharing his observations and recommendations, he said the Advisory Committee did not concur with the Secretary-General’s proposal to charge missions for the entire costs relating to applications developed by the Office of Information and Communications Technology and the supply chain management initiative. It recommended that the proposed resource requirements in individual missions be reduced accordingly. That would result in a reduction for the missions concerned under information technology, consultancy services and official travel. Related upward adjustments were reflected in the Committee’s report on the support account, he said.

On vacancy rates applied to posts at the Regional Service Centre at Entebbe in line with the report of the Advisory Committee on the Global Field Support Strategy, he said that for missions that had contributed posts to the Centre, the Committee recommended that the vacancy rates of 17 per cent and 50 per cent be applied to national General Service posts and National Professional Officer posts, respectively.

Regarding official travel, the Advisory Committee identified a number of issues relating to trips planned for 2015/16, such as those to the same or nearby destinations and the need for more frequent use of video and teleconferencing. A consolidation of the travel requirements should be made and alternative means of communication should be used, he said, adding that the Committee recommended reductions to the proposed resources for official travel for the missions.

On MINUSCA, the Advisory Committee noted a lack of analysis of variances in the performance report of the Secretary-General, he said, noting that significant variances between expenditures and initial estimates for the period demonstrated the imprecise nature of planning estimates. The Committee, therefore, recommended that the Assembly request the Secretary-General to make further efforts to improve financial planning for future start-up missions. On the proposed budget for 2015/16, the Advisory Committee’s recommendations would entail a reduction of $14,667,100.

Turning to MONUSCO, he said the Advisory Committee’s recommendations would entail a reduction of $7,396,800 to the proposed budget of the Mission for the 2015/16 period. The Committee welcomed and encouraged continued efforts made by the Mission to proactively reprioritize its resources in order to minimize the extent of the budget shortfall. It also welcomed the progress made in completing the civilian staffing review, as well as the steps being taken to build national capacity.

Regarding MINUSTAH, Mr. RUIZ MASSEIU said the Committee’s recommendations would entail a reduction of $3,335,300 to the proposed budget for 2015/16. Under civilian staffing, the Committee did not object to the ongoing consolidation process of the Mission and recommended abolishing a post that had been vacant for more than two years.

Turning to UNMIL, he urged the Committee to defer consideration in view of the withdrawal of the Secretary-General’s note on that matter.

On MINUSMA, the Committee recommended a net decrease of $1,644,000 to the proposed budget for the Mission for 2015/16. The Committee expressed deep concern that MINUSMA continued to suffer a high number of fatalities and injuries and expected that the Secretary-General would make every effort to increase the safety and security of its military and civilian personnel.

With regard to UNDOF, the recommendation of the Advisory Committee would entail a net decrease of $40,478 to the proposed budget for 2015/16. He highlighted an inventory discrepancy in the number of armoured vehicles transferred from the United Nations Supervision Mission in Syria (UNSMIS) to UNDOF. As those vehicles had a high acquisition value, the Committee expected the Secretary-General to provide an update on their status to the Assembly.

Turning to the proposed budget for UNIFIL, the Committee recommended a reduction of $3,493,900 to the proposed budget for 2015/16. The Committee expected that information relating to alternatives that were being developed to enable the mission to maintain its operations with the proposed staffing levels would be made available to the Assembly so that it could have the necessary assurance that any endorsement of those proposals would not have a detrimental effect on the provision of essential maintenance support services.

On UNMISS, the Advisory Committee’s recommendations would entail a reduction of $14,551,700 to the proposed budget. On staffing, the Committee recommended against the proposed establishment of the D-1 Deputy Director in the Human Rights Division and recommended the abolition of 26 posts that had been vacant for two years or longer.

On UNAMID, the recommendations of the Advisory Committee would entail a reduction of $2,249,300 to the proposed budget for the Mission. Under operational costs, the Committee recommended a reduction in the proposed budget for the rental of office space and facilities for the Regional Service Centre at Entebbe for the Office of the United Nations Ombudsman and Mediation Services, with those costs to be reflected in the support account.

KODJOVI DOSSEH (Togo), speaking on behalf of the African Group, said he would be interested to learn in detail a number of key elements of budget implementation, particularly those related to facilities, infrastructure, accommodation, recruitment, human resources management and other mission support elements, during informal deliberations. With regard to the proposal for the financing of peacekeeping operations, the Group reiterated the great importance it attached to the allocation of adequate resources to each operation in general and specifically to those located in Africa, taking into account each mandate’s complexity and unique circumstances and the magnitude of challenges in the field.

The Group noted a small increase in the overall level of 0.4 per cent while acknowledging a number of proposed reductions across the missions despite the expansion of their mandate or the increase of the challenges they faced. Consideration of the peacekeeping budgets should not be taken as a simple cost-reduction exercise, but one driven by responsible mandate implementation and resource allocation. It was regrettable that unjustified cost reductions and across-the-board cuts continued to be presented to Member States, an approach that continued to have a negative impact. He requested that the Chef de Cabinet explain to the Committee some of its “unanswered questions” that involved senior managers in the Organization.

XAVIER LASSO MENDOZA (Ecuador), speaking on behalf of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), said MINUSTAH had made important progress in its support to the Haitian people’s efforts to consolidate stability and the rule of law and move forward on the path to social and economic development. Yet the situation in the country still presented several challenges. The proposed budget for the Mission for the period from 1 July 2015 to 30 June 2016 represented a decrease of $110,524,600, or 22.1 per cent, compared to the previous year. CELAC would thoroughly consider the new proposals to reduce the budget with a view to ensuring that the Mission would have the necessary resources to deliver its mandate and to help the Haitian Government in its reconstruction and development efforts.

CELAC disagreed with any arbitrary reductions without technical justification in the resources allocated to the Mission, he said, reiterating the need for the provision of resources to ensure adequate technical, logistical and security support during the electoral process. Community violence reduction programmes and quick-impact projects had proven to be critical tools in working towards sustainable peace and security and they needed appropriate financing, he said.

CONRAD LAMONT SHECK (Canada), speaking also for Australia and New Zealand, said that the Committee’s decisions should not put at risk the results achieved to date in Haiti, in particular, the ability of MINUSTAH to contribute to the stability and security during significant national events such as elections. He shared the concerns of Member States about the growing peacekeeping budget and the need to ensure that missions were mounted, resourced, maintained and eventually liquidated with a strong priority on efficiency and cost-effectiveness in mandate delivery. On MINUSTAH, he was particularly interested in issues related to the use of air assets in providing enhanced mobility for the Mission uniformed personnel in order to respond to requests for assistance, notably from the Haitian National Police, as well as the rationale for the utilization of Mission aircraft in medical evacuation scenarios. He noted the Advisory Committee’s concern that the Secretary-General had not complied with resolution 66/264 in his budget proposals for 2015/16 on the need to re-justify posts that had been vacant for two years or longer.

GUO XUEJUN (China), noting that his country was a major financial and troop contributor to the United Nations peacekeeping operations, said that his Government had no problem with increases in peacekeeping budgets as long as they were justified. With the budget of three peacekeeping missions exceeding $1 billion, however, he called for strengthening budget management. All parties should exercise realism when crafting the budget. Budget formulation should take into account that some missions were in the stage of drawdown under Security Council decisions and should address concerns of troop- and police-contributing countries, he said, adding that the United Nations should reimburse costs to them on time. Given that 42 per cent of missions operated in high-risk areas, the safety of personnel must be better secured.

DENIS RÉGIS (Haiti), aligning with CELAC, said his country had reached a decisive turning point in consolidating democracy and the rule of law. Remaining faithful to its commitment, the Government had taken all steps to hold free, transparent and inclusive municipal, legislative and presidential elections. Commending the efforts of Haitians and the international community to jointly overcome obstacles, he said the climate of trust bode well for the country. MINUSTAH continued to play an essential role in assisting Haitian authorities in strengthening security and stability and building the capacity of national institutions, he said, adding that the sustained and dynamic cooperation between the Government and the Mission was behind that positive trend.

As MINUSTAH proceeded towards a drawdown, Haiti expected the Mission to focus its attention and resources on critical areas, he said, stressing the need to consider realities on the ground while contemplating reconfiguration. Personnel in the military and police components in the Mission should be maintained at appropriate levels to prevent the emergence of a security vacuum and a squandering of gains made so far. After carefully considering the documents presented before the Committee, Haiti took particular note of the desire to boost regional cooperation towards achieving lasting stability in the country. He said his delegation was pleased to note the importance the Secretary-General’s report attached to the improvement of human rights in Haiti. Any peacekeeping operation of the United Nations was unique in terms of its context, he said, adding that each operation and transition needed to be adapted to the needs and priorities of the host country.

OMAR CASTAÑEDA SOLARES (Guatemala), aligning with CELAC, said continued and sustained support from the international community had led to considerable economic and social progress in Haiti. However, significant challenges persisted as the country worked towards national reconstruction and stabilization. It was not wise to proceed with budget cuts at a time when Haiti was facing new unrest and violence and was preparing to hold overdue municipal, legislative and presidential elections. All necessary support must be provided to the Haitian Government and people during that critical juncture. As the current mandate had not changed, it was essential to maintain resources at existing levels.

SÉRGIO RODRIGUES DOS SANTOS (Brazil), aligning with CELAC, said his country had continued to support the implementation of the MINUSTAH consolidation plan during the past year. Encouraging developments had taken place in the country during that period, including a steady decline in cholera cases and the promulgation of an electoral law to hold long overdue elections. Haitian authorities would require strong support from MINUSTAH, as well as from the country’s international partnerships in order to ensure the realization of legitimate, free and fair elections. A successful electoral process would be essential to enable a continued and sustainable drawdown of the Mission. Setbacks at the current sensitive stage may risk unravelling the security situation in the country and reversing the gains achieved since 2010. Therefore, it was crucial to adopt a responsible approach to financing the Mission’s activities for the next financial year.

ISMAIL BASSEL AYZOUKI (Syria) said that the Secretary-General’s report on UNDOF had ignored the realities on the ground. The report also ignored the reason for the deteriorating situation in the Syrian Golan that was occupied by Israel, which had acted in flagrant violation of international law. Disregarded Israel’s military activities and its support for terrorism, the report described the situation in Syria as “civil conflict”, he said, emphasizing that the current reality was that it was “a war against terrorism”. Those mistakes should be corrected, he said, adding that his delegation objected to the proposed cut of 21 national posts.

MIGUEL CAMILO RUIZ BLANCO (Colombia) stressed that it was important not to undermine the mandate of MINUSTAH and not to endanger the progress achieved so far. Reaffirming his delegation’s commitment that the Mission was equipped with sufficient resources to fulfil its mandate, he said the Mission should support the national authorities in addressing security challenges as Haiti was entering an electoral process.

VANESSA GOURET VERSCHUEREN (France) said her country had immediately responded to allegations of sexual abuse by French peacekeepers in Central African Republic, adding that an investigation was being undertaken with the United Nations. President François Hollande had repeatedly reiterated that, should the allegations be proven, punishment would be commensurate with the crime.

YOTAM GOREN (Israel), requesting the floor, said the Syrian delegate was attempting to rewrite history through his use of words. “Terrorism” occurred when a country bombed its own people. Peace was action as well as commitment, which Israel was fully committed to. The continuing politicization of the agenda in the Committee should be discontinued, he said.

Mr. AYZOUKI (Syria), taking the floor, said his comments were related to the Secretary-General’s report on UNDOF and the reasons for the current situation. It was Israel’s representative who was trying to politicize the issue by deflecting attention away from the reason why UNDOF was created in the first place.

Mr. GOREN (Israel), taking the floor for a second time, said the “ridiculous accusations” by the Syrian delegate did no service to the deliberations under way.

For information media. Not an official record.

MSF provides assistance to Nigerian returnees fleeing Niger

Thousands of people who fled violence in Nigeria, have fled fighting on the islands of Lake Chad in Niger. Tens of thousands have arrived in towns next to Lake Chad in Niger while several thousands are returning to Borno state in their home country. Around 1200 refugees have returned so far to Nigeria, and a total of 4000 are expected. Most of them are women, elderly men and children. 25% of the returnees are under five years old.

On May 9th the Nigeria State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) of Borno state set up a camp for these returnees. MSF has set up a health point in the camp to provide medical consultations, including consultations for pregnant women and screening and treating malnutrition in children under five years old. In collaboration with SEMA, MSF is also setting up water tanks and water distribution points in the camp. The amount of water will be increased in accordance to the population size. MSF is likewise providing assistance to refugees from Nigeria who have stayed in Niger.

In Nigeria, MSF is also increasing its activities in Borno state to provide assistance to the growing number of people displaced by violence in Nigeria. This includes providing health care services, shelter, water and sanitation systems. Our teams have set up a 72 bed hospitalization unit in Maimusari health centre in Maiduguri town, the capital of Borno state, to provide health services to 100,0000 people, most of whom were displaced by fighting.

CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC

ARMED GROUPS AGREE TO DISARMAMENT DEAL

On 10 May, armed groups signed an agreement to end hostilities and begin a disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration process. The accord was signed between 10 armed groups and the defence ministry during a national reconciliation forum in the capital Bangui that sought ways to end the country’s protracted conflict since the 2013 ouster of president François Bozizé. Meanwhile, the armed groups have also agreed to free up to 10,000 children in their ranks, according to UNICEF which facilitated the deal to release the minors.

GUINEA

1 OPPOSITION PROTESTER KILLED IN DEMO

A protester was killed and 15 others wounded during the latest opposition demonstration on 7 May. The opposition is demanding a change of the electoral calendar which they say favours the ruling party. Fresh protests set for 11 May were cancelled to give a chance for dialogue with the government.

LIBERIA

EBOLA OUTBREAK DECLARED OVER

On 9 May, WHO declared the end of the Ebola Virus Disease outbreak in Liberia. The announcement came after the country had gone for 42 consecutive days - two maximum incubation periods for the virus - with no new confirmed cases. The last case reported in greater Monrovia on 20 March died on 27 March. President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and WHO called for continued vigilance, noting that the most difficult task had just begun.

NIGERIA/NIGER

11,000 ARRIVE IN NIGERIA FROM LAKE CHAD ISLANDS

According to Nigeria’s National Emergency Management Authority (NEMA), as of 11 May, at least 11,000 Nigerians had arrived from Lake Chad islands, where Nigerien authorities have urged people to evacuate due to an impending military operation against Boko Haram. NEMA is relocating those who have returned to their areas of origin. By 7 May, a total of 25,700 people had left the islands for the south-eastern Niger towns of Nguigmi and Bosso.

SIERRA LEONE

0 EVD CASES IN FIVE STRAIGHT DAYS

As of 10 May, there had been no reported Ebola cases for five consecutive days (6 - 10 May) according to the National Ebola Response Centre. A total of nine confirmed cases were reported in the week to 3 May, two less than the week before. Two districts reported cases, compared with three in the previous week. The last time only two Sierra Leonean districts reported a confirmed case was in May 2014.

REGIONAL / EBOLA VIRUS DISEASE

18 CASES REPORTED, LOWEST IN 2015

A total of 18 cases were reported in Guinea and Sierra Leone in the seven days to 3 May. These were the lowest figures yet this year. Infections in both countries are now geographically limited, with only one prefecture in Guinea and two areas in Sierra Leone reporting cases. In all, 26,593 confirmed, probable and suspected cases, including 11,005 deaths have been recorded so far in the three worst affected countries.