Key messages

• Humanitarian air services are a lifeline for millions of vulnerable people in humanitarian crises where quick and safe access is vital to save lives.

• Due to the lack of reliable roads, ports and other infrastructure, access to many crises by land or water is difficult, if not impossible. Humanitarian air services are often the only way to get access to remote places and reach people in need.

• In addition to transporting humanitarian supplies and workers, humanitarian air services perform medical and security evacuations.

• The European Commission, via its Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection department (ECHO), operates its own humanitarian air service called ECHO Flight, with hubs in Kenya, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Mali.

• The Commission funds other humanitarian air services as well in order to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of humanitarian aid delivery, and organises ad-hoc airlifts from Europe in major emergencies. The Commission also co-finances the transport of humanitarian aid and relief material through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism.

BAGA SOLA, Chad, Sept 24, (UNHCR) – Lake Chad isn't really a lake any more.

The encroaching Sahara desert has turned most of it into a mass of low-lying islands as far as the eye can see, encircled by creeks and swamps.

Thousands of years ago, this body of water covered a million square kilometres – that's larger than the modern-day Caspian Sea.

Today Lake Chad is also something else. It is the epicentre of waves of violence and suffering that are spreading into the four countries it borders.

The lands near its shores are dotted with UNHCR-run refugee camps, housing people made homeless by the violence in the region.

The core problem is Nigerians fleeing the insurgency in the north east of Africa's most populous nation.

"Boko Haram attacked our village; we had no choice but to leave," is a refrain heard over and over from the Nigerians now taking refuge in camps in Chad, Cameroon and the Republic of Niger.

In recent months, a new phenomenon has also begun.

Chadians, Cameroonians and citizens of the Republic of Niger have themselves been made homeless in large numbers by a combination of insurgent attacks spreading out from Nigeria, and the response to those attacks from the armies of the four nations bordering Lake Chad.

In Nigeria alone, there are now as many as 2.15 million Internally Displaced People (IDPs). The UNHCR's previous working figure of 1.4 million IDPs was revised upwards in early September after monitors were deployed across Nigeria to gather more accurate data.

In addition, the total number of people who have been made homeless by the Boko Haram-linked crisis across the four nations of the Lake Chad region is now over 2.5 million.

This total includes the following IDPs: Nigeria – 2,150,451; Niger – 50,000; Cameroon – 81,693; Chad 68,434.

The total number of refugees in Niger, Cameroon and Chad is 172,690.

The new phenomenon taking hold around Lake Chad goes something like this:

The insurgents terrify the population on the islands, or around the edges of the Lake.

Then the armies tell the people to leave certain locations, for their own safety, so the insurgents can be dealt with without civilians getting in the way.

These "evacuations" began earlier this year when the army of Niger Republic emptied the Lake Chad islands that are part of its territory of people.

"The islands belonging to Niger are now almost completely free of civilians", said a senior UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR, official familiar with the terrain; "there's hardly anyone left there at all".

Something similar happened in Cameroon – although, because Cameroon doesn't have many islands on the Lake, it took place on the mainland, near the water.

A series of suicide bombings began in July on northern Cameroonian towns near the Lake. These attacks were blamed by the authorities in Cameroon on Boko Haram.

In response, the Cameroon army told Nigerians living in Cameroon without official papers to return home to Nigeria.

The latest wave of displaced people is here in Chad. They're arriving in an area on the northern eastern shore of the Lake beween between the village of Baga Sola and the regional capital Bol, also near the water but two hours drive away.

The displaced come mostly from Chadian islands on the lake. They've been told by their government and army it is not safe to stay there.

Most of these people have nothing – they're short of food, shelter and medical attention. They sit under the harsh sun – and the violent rains of this current wet season – with the flimsiest of shelters made from twigs, leaves and scraps of cloth.

Some have been given plastic sheeting by the UN refugee agency, UNHCR and about a thousand families have been handed some very basic kitchen items – such as buckets and saucepans.

UNHCR's partners like Medecins Sans Frontiers and the International Medical Corps are also working hard in difficult, remote circumstances.

But the displaced are desperate. They have tried to make shelters by stretching domestic mosquito bed nets over twigs.

In the past month, according to the Chadian government, a little over 27,000 people have arrived from the Lake Chad islands belonging to Chad to seek refuge on the mainland.

That surge brings the total number subsisting between Baga Sola and Bol to some 68,000, the Chadian authorities say.

These figures are Chadian government estimates. But the UNHCR Representative in Chad, Antonio Jose Canhandula, believes them to be "very credible".

Chari Abdou, a 21 year old woman, and her 15 year old sister Hadjia, are among the Chadians displaced directly by the insurgency.

"Boko Haram came to our village in Cameroon and they said they would kill us if we didn't follow them", said Chari Abdou between nervous smiles.

"They marched us to the border with Nigeria. They had guards at the front and the back of us", she continued; "we had no choice".

The insurgents were apparently intent on taking the young women to a base inside Nigeria.

But the sisters were lucky. A Chadian army patrol came across the group before it crossed the border.

There was a fight and in the ensuing confusion.

, the sisters found themselves in the hands of the Chadian army who subsequently gave them over to the care of the UN childrens' agency, UNICEF.

Chari and 15 year-old Hajia are also lucky that they're not living on the side of the Baga Sola- Bol road under the shelter of nearly-useless leaves or mosquito nets.

Along with 37 other unaccompanied youngsters they're living in a UNICEF plastic sheeting shelter in a relatively-shaded corner of Baga Sola village.

They are receiving limited assistance and medical care.

Like other displaced nationals or refugees I met in the area, Chari and Hadjia Abdou are determined to make their lives as 'normal' as possible.

Most of the group of 39 youngsters saved by the Chadian army and now living together in Baga Sola didn't know each other before they were brought together by the UN.

But now they chat and laugh together. The girls and women plait each others' hair. The boys collect wood for cooking,

But most of all Chari and Hadjia Abdou want to return to the 'normal' of their families.

After telling their story of capture and escape the sisters said there was one thing they now wanted above all else;

"We want to find our parents", said Chari.

Hadjia, 15, silently nodded in agreement with her big sister.

By Mark Doyle, Lake Chad

Highlights

• As of August, 1,226 individuals spontaneously arrived and were registered in Minawao camp; 62% of them being children and 50% female. 87% of them were already present in the country since 2014, but decided to approach the camps due to the government’s decision to deport un-documented foreigners living in Cameroon, specially in the Far North.
  
• Opening of a second transit center close to Minawao camp in the Far North and beginning of profiling exercise (phase two) for IDPs, out of camps refugees and host communities. 163 Nigeri-ans were transferred from the transit center to Minawao camp.
  
• Several incidents of forced expulsions of Nigerian nationals from border areas in Cameroon back to Nigeria have been reported.
  
• Deteriorating security situation in the far north.

Chris Stein

LAGOS, NIGERIA— The Boko Haram insurgency has sent millions of Nigerians fleeing from the northeast, and despite recent military successes against the group, many say they have no plans to return home.

The International Organization for Migration said Boko Haram’s six-year insurgency has displaced nearly 2.1 million people inside Nigeria. Nearly 20,000 people have died from the violence.

At its height last year, entire towns and villages in the northeastern states of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa were emptying as the insurgents pushed out military forces.

Most of the towns occupied by Boko Haram were retaken earlier this year. But in recent weeks, the military said it has been making progress in securing smaller villages from the insurgents.

Displaced

Yet many of the displaced said it will take more than that to get them home.

Malami Muhammed, who fled to Bauchi from Yobe state capital Damaturu last year, said shops had been burned and vandalized, and if he goes back, he would have nowhere to stay.

Meanwhile, much of the northeast remains dangerous. As militants have lost territory this year, they have stepped up bombings against civilian targets, such as markets.

Multiple bomb attacks in Borno state Sunday killed at least 80 people and injured 150.

Sani Datti, senior information officer for the National Emergency Management Agency, said authorities are waiting for the military to deem the reclaimed areas safe before organizing returns of the displaced people.

A military spokesman could not be reached for comment.

Some have returned

However, some of the displaced have made the trip back.

Buba Musa Shehu left Bauchi this month to return to his hometown Gwoza, which he fled when it was overrun by Boko Haram in 2014. The Nigerian military retook Gwoza earlier this year.

But Shehu said the Gwoza he returned to was a mess of bombed-out buildings and dangerous countryside.

“They do come and terrorize our people. You will never go to a farm just a kilometer away from Gwoza. They will kill you," he said.

Shehu returned to Bauchi and is living in a cramped house, and like other displaced people, is waiting for a reason to return home.

Ardo Hazzad contributed to this report from Bauchi.

Regional Situation Analysis

In the month of August, large scale displacement persisted in Nigeria (about 2.1 million IDPs) and the neighbouring Chad, Cameroon and Niger (177,965).

The security situation has not improved, about 145 people has been killed during August in the four countries. For the first time at least 135 people were kidnapped in Far North Cameroon and on 27 August Nigeria marked 500 days since the 276 Chibok schoolgirls had been kidnapped by Boko Haram militants.

In Cameroon incidents of forced expulsions of Nigerian nationals from border areas back to Nigeria continued. At their arrival in Nigeria, the returnees have been registered by UNHCR and the local authorities and got assistance. The number of registered returnees, as of 9 September is 10,894. Generally, in Adamawa State, IMO estimatesthat a total of 262,324 IDPs returned.

Due to the escalating violence in north-eastern Nigeria and neighbouring countries,
WFP launched its United Nations Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) in Nigeria on 17 August, to ensure humanitarian access to the North-East and to ensure capacity to evacuate humanitarian staff when required. In Niger, WFP with SIMA continues to monitor the markets in the Diffa region, which are relatively well supplied as result of the active trade corridor in the Mainé-Soroa department. WFP in partnership with CARE carried out a one-month food distribution to 1,000 families in Chetimari and Gagamari, having fled from Damasak, Nigeria in July.

In Cameroun, in the Far North region at the border to Nigeria’s Borno state, cholera cases have been reported in the health districts of Bourha, Hina, Mogod and Mora. In Mogode, 4 new cases were reported between 11 and 14 August. The first round of an oral cholera vaccine (OCV) campaign for 60,000 persons began on 18 August in Minawao refugee camp and its surroundings.

Bamako, Mali | AFP | Thursday 9/24/2015 - 22:04 GMT

Mali's President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita named a new government on Thursday, with cabinet members replaced in the key security and justice posts in the conflict-hit west African nation.

Prime Minister Modibo Keita's second cabinet since his appointment in January, announced by presidential decree, has 31 members in addition to the premier, against 29 in the previous administration.

Salif Traore, a former regional governor, takes over the security and civil protection portfolio from Sada Samake while Sanogo Aminata Malle, a magistrate, becomes justice minister, replacing Mamadou Diarra.

No official reason was given for the departures but a presidential aide told AFP the "management of the difficult security situation" and the "slow pace of change in the world of justice" explained the decision.

The new government takes over at a crucial juncture in the country's efforts to achieve peace in the restive north.

Divided into rival armed factions, plagued by drug trafficking and at the mercy of jihadism, the region has struggled for stability since Mali gained independence in 1960.

The militant Tuareg movement has launched four uprisings since 1962 to fight the army over the territory they claim as their homeland.

In spring 2012 the north fell under the control of jihadist groups linked to Al-Qaeda who imposed a brutal interpretation of sharia law on the region, with the country reeling from a military coup.

The Islamists were largely ousted by the French-led Operation Serval launched in January 2013, although they have since launched sporadic attacks from desert hideouts on security forces.

Anti-government and loyalist armed groups came to the table earlier this year under the supervision of neighbouring Algeria and the United Nations for talks which led to the Algiers Accord.

But progress on implementing the peace deal has been slow, and the process has been undermined by tribal infighting and a new Islamist push into central and southern Mali.

In the latest of a series of recent attacks outside the north, two policemen and two civilians were killed on Saturday in the village of Bih, near the Burkina Faso border.

Earlier this week the government announced the indefinite postponement of local elections, pointing to poor security, the absence of government in several areas and a lack of progress on refugee returns.

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Heavy rainfall expected to provide some long-term dryness relief in Central America

Africa Weather Hazards

1. Significantly aboveaverage seasonal rainfall has led to saturated ground conditions in several regions of West Africa. Heavy rainfall is forecast to continue across the region during the next week, which is expected to sustain the risk of flooding.

2. Below-average rainfall over several bimodal areas of Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, Benin, and Nigeria has led to a rapid increase in moisture deficits and a degradation of ground conditions. Reduced rainfall is expected in this region during late-September.

3. While the recent increase in precipitation is expected to lead to more favorable ground conditions, a delayed onset and uneven rainfall distribution observed during the June-September season may negatively impact cropping and pastoral conditions in the region.

4. Despite recent increases in rainfall, the much delayed start to the rainfall season has resulted in drought, which has severely impacted ground conditions and led to livestock death across parts of north-central and eastern Ethiopia.

5. Below-average rainfall during August and early September has led to increased moisture deficits in several provinces in southern South Sudan and northern Uganda. Below-average rainfall is forecast in the region during the next week.

Niamey, Niger | AFP | 9/26/2015 - 02:25 GMT

Fifteen civilians were killed in an attack by Boko Haram militants on a border village in southeastern Niger, state television reported Friday, the latest deadly raid by the Islamist group.

The attack followed two months of calm in the area and took place as Muslims marked Eid al-Adha, the Feast of Sacrifice, the most important holiday of the Islamic calendar.

"We found a dreadful scene, around 15 people had been executed, four of whom were from Nigeria," Hassan Ardo, an official from the Diffa governorate told the Tele Sahel television station.

The attackers had also torched 22 houses, a car and a mill, he said, and left four others wounded.

The station said the attack took place Thursday night and was carried out by around a dozen armed militants who had arrived on foot at the village on the banks of the Komadougou Yobe river on the border with Nigeria.

One of the victims was the village chief, the Afani private radio station reported.

Niger, whose primary source of foreign income is uranium, has joined a regional military alliance, alongside Chad, Niger and Nigeria, to fight Boko Haram, infamous for mass abductions, village massacres and suicide bombings by women and teenagers.

Since February this year, the southern Diffa region has suffered several deadly Boko Haram raids.

In June, 38 civilians were killed -- including 10 children -- in a Boko Haram attack targeting two villages close to Diffa.

In July, the Islamists raided Diffa prison in a likely bid to free detained members, killing a guard. The same month Boko Haram militants killed 16 civilians in an attack on a southeastern Niger village.

Diffa lies on the border with northeast Nigeria, where the Islamists have waged a bloody uprising since 2009, leaving at least 15,000 dead and more than two million others homeless.

Thousands of Nigerian refugees have fled to southeast Niger to escape Boko Haram with one of the largest refugee camps about 10 kilometres (six miles) from Diffa.

The enrolment of youths from Niger in Boko Haram shows radical Islam has gained ground in the country and in July authorities in Diffa banned the full Islamic veil following suicide attacks in the region by women wearing the religious garment.

While Niger gets ready for general elections in 2016, its security forces must also contend with the threat of jihadist movements coming across the border from Mali and Libya.

"Niger is caught in a vice between the terrorist attacks of Boko Haram in the south, the instability in Libya in the north and the precarious situation on the west on the border with Mali," special envoy to west Africa Mohamed Ibn Chambas said earlier this month.

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© 1994-2015 Agence France-Presse

Violence related to the Boko Haram insurgency in the Lake Chad Basin which straddles Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Nigeria, has received growing attention since the conflict intensified in 2013. Less reported however and often overshadowed by pressing security and political considerations is the magnitude of the humanitarian crisis that is unfolding.

MASS DISPLACEMENT

Attacks by the Boko Haram insurgency as well as counter-insurgency measures have displaced more than 2.5 million people. This could fast become Africa’s largest displacement crisis.

Population movements in the region are dynamic and have grown in complexity: some people have been displaced several times; some have crossed international boundaries, either as refugees or as returnees seeking refuge in their countries of origin.

Up to 80% of the internally displaced have sought refuge with host communities, who are generously sharing their meagre resources thereby undermining their own coping mechanisms and resilience.

Displaced people and host communities are in need of emergency relief and protection.

International Medical Corps mobilized an emergency response in Mali in January 2013 after armed forces from the north began moving south, triggering French military intervention. As many as 4.2 million Malians are now in need of humanitarian assistance. International Medical Corps is working in the north of Mali, providing emergency health, nutrition and protection services to Malians affected by the conflict. Below, Ibrahim and Fadimata, who we reached with health services at our ECHO-funded Hamzakoma Community Health Center in the Timbuktu region, recount their stories.

Ibrahim (Bougouni Village)
“I live in Bougouni Village and I have come to the health center to see the doctor. We are very grateful for the free medical care and medicine that is now available.

During the occupation, this clinic was shut down and we had to walk long distances to see the doctor. The nearest place was 12.5 miles from my village. Now our health center has been rehabilitated; we have good doctors and nurses who listen to everyone. More than 20 of my family members have been able to use the health services here free of charge.

I know why my family gets sick - it is because of the lack of clean drinking water. The only water source available to us is from the Niger River and that often brings with it disease and sickness. Also, the hot weather has a serious effect on the health of my community. Despite the hot weather and lack of shade, many people spend their days working in the fields.

Many thanks to International Medical Corps and all the people that support them with money. They should keep on helping people in this remote rural area."

Fadimata (Minthiri Village)
“I am from Minthiri, a village located 4.5 miles away from the health center.

I am here today because my baby has been sick; the nurses said she is malnourished. They provided me with some special foods for her treatment and they are going to give me soap, tablets for water purification, jerry cans and a bucket for the storage of clean water.

My neighbour came here last month because she did not know why her son was sick. We did not recognize that he was malnourished and we had never heard about the treatment for this. She came back to our village and told all the other mothers about the symptoms of malnutrition and what to look for in your children. I am very grateful for her knowledge.

Since the health center has been rebuilt, we now know that there are people to take care of us. During the crisis, my family of 8 people used to go to Beregoungou, the only functioning health center. But that was expensive and dangerous because we required a boat cross the river.

Today, I can just walk a little to reach our health center that I am very proud of. We are no longer spending money to get health care. My wish is that we recruit new health workers to treat people faster because there are a great many patients in this area.”

New York, 25 September 2015

Good afternoon and welcome to this High-Level Event on the Lake Chad Basin. I am pleased to be here with you to discuss the humanitarian crisis that is unfolding in the region, and to consider how we can best support millions of people whose security and livelihoods are at risk.

With so many other humanitarian crises on the international agenda, we hear relatively little about the horrors taking place in the Lake Chad Basin. And yet this is the scene of the fastest-growing displacement crisis in Africa, with 2.3 million people forced from their homes since May 2013. That’s about the population of Qatar and half the population of New Zealand or Ireland -- forced to flee for their lives.

Although most of these people are in Nigeria, Boko Haram have caused mayhem with indiscriminate attacks on villages, killing men and abducting women and children in all four countries.

One woman in Dalori camp in Maiduguri told my colleagues her seventeen-year-old son was killed in front of her by militants, who then dragged her fifteen-year-old daughter away with them. Sadly, her story is not unusual. We must ensure that there is accountability for these horrific acts of violence.

A quarter of a million people have fled across borders. Many have walked hundreds of kilometres from Nigeria to Cameroon, Chad and Niger, in the most appalling conditions.

Ladies and gentlemen,

People in the Lake Chad Basin are some of the poorest and most resilient in the world, and now the region has also become an epicentre of violence and terror.

Droughts and floods hit the region repeatedly. Malnutrition and disease outbreaks hover at emergency levels. Some 5.5 million people do not have enough to eat, or cannot get hold of nutritious foods. Cholera is a regular threat, with 37,000 cases and 760 deaths in Cameroon, Niger and Nigeria last year.

The emergence of Boko Haram has pushed them over the edge.

This crisis is having an appalling impact on women and children, who are being abducted, abused, raped, exploited, trafficked, and forced to work as porters and lookouts. Children as young as six years old have been used as suicide bombers.

Over the past five months, a sharp increase in attacks by Boko Haram has uprooted 500,000 children, bringing the total number of children on the run in northeast Nigeria and neighbouring countries to over 1.4 million. Many of these children are now out of school.

And the future looks even bleaker, as farmers are unable to tend their fields and trade in some areas is at a standstill. According to some estimates, business activity in the regions affected by violence is down by 80 per cent.

Ladies and gentlemen,

We must do more for these people and communities; not only because it is our duty, but because this region is at a crossroads that links North Africa, the resource-rich Gulf of Guinea, and the entire Sahel region from the Atlantic to the Red Sea. It is a region I know well and which I care about deeply – most importantly the peoples of this region who have shown me nothing but generosity, kindness and hospitality on my many visits over the last 36 years in all the Chad Basin countries of Niger, Chad, Cameroon and Nigeria.

Entrenched poverty and the disproportionate impact of this crisis on young people should make it a priority for the international community.

If we disregard the huge scale of humanitarian needs, we could all pay a high price.

Niamey, Niger | AFP | vendredi 25/09/2015 - 22:56 GMT

Quinze civils ont été tués et quatre blessés jeudi dans une attaque du groupe islamiste Boko Haram dans un village du sud-est du Niger proche du Nigeria, a annoncé vendredi la télévision d'Etat nigérienne.

"Le bilan de cette attaque cruelle et barbare de la nébuleuse Boko Haram est lourd: 15 morts et quatre blessés", a précise la télévision d'Etat nigérienne Télé Sahel.

Les assaillants, "au nombre d'une dizaine" et "armés de fusils", étaient venus "à pied" pour "commettre le massacre" dans un village nigérien situé sur les bords de la rivière Komadougou Yobé, qui sert de frontière naturelle entre le Niger et le Nigeria, a précisé la télévision. 

Parmi les morts figure "le chef du village" attaqué, selon la radio privée Anfani. Cette attaque des islamistes est intervenue le jour de la fête musulmane d'Aïd al-Adha (fête du mouton) et après près de deux mois d'accalmie dans cette zone. Plusieurs hauts fonctionnaires locaux, des responsables militaires et des chefs coutumiers ont assisté vendredi à l'enterrement des victimes, d’après les images diffusées par Télé Sahel.

"Nous avons trouvé un spectacle désolant, une quinzaine de personnes ont été exécutées, dont quatre ressortissants du Nigeria", a déploré à la télévision Hassane Ardo, un responsable du gouvernorat de Diffa, la capitale provinciale du sud-est nigérien.

Vingt-deux maisons, un véhicule et un moulin à grains ont été incendiés par les assaillants, a déclaré Hassane Ardo. "Nous avons invité la population qui fuyait le village à rester" car "un dispositif militaire est mis en place pour leur sécurité", a-t-il assuré.

Depuis février, Boko Haram et ses éléments locaux ont perpétré des attaques meurtrières dans la zone de Diffa (sud), frontalière du nord-est du Nigeria, fief des insurgés islamistes.

Les armées du Nigeria, du Tchad, du Niger et du Cameroun luttent ensemble contre les insurgés désormais affiliés à l'organisation Etat islamique (EI), auxquels elles ont infligé de sérieux revers ces derniers mois.Mais les violences et les attentats du mouvement armé n'ont pas cessé.

Pour combattre Boko Haram, les quatre pays et le Bénin ont mis sur pied une Force d'intervention conjointe multinationale (MNJTF) dotée de 8.700 militaires, policiers et civils, avec un quartier général à N'Djamena au Tchad. La coalition "a sans conteste affaibli la nébuleuse" islamiste mais "pour autant elle ne s'avoue pas vaincue", a reconnu le président du Tchad Idriss Déby Itno lors d'une visite lundi dernier au Niger.

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25 septembre 2015 – Le Secrétaire général adjoint des Nations Unies aux affaires humanitaires, Stephen O'Brien, a appelé vendredi la communauté internationale à aider davantage les populations du bassin du lac Tchad, qui sont durement affectées par une profonde crise humanitaire et les violences commises par le groupe terroriste Boko Haram.

« Nous devons faire davantage pour ces gens et ces communautés, pas seulement parce que c'est notre devoir mais parce que cette région est à un carrefour connectant l'Afrique du Nord, le golfe de Guinée riche en ressources, et l'ensemble de la région du Sahel de l'Atlantique à la mer Rouge », a déclaré M. O'Brien lors d'une réunion de haut-niveau sur cette région organisée par le Bureau des Nations Unies pour la coordination des affaires humanitaires (OCHA) au siège de l'ONU à New York.

Selon lui, on entend relativement peu parler des horreurs qui sont commises dans le bassin du lac Tchad, alors que d'autres crises humanitaires ailleurs dans le monde accaparent l'attention internationale.

« Et pourtant, cette région est le théâtre d'une crise de déplacement qui évolue rapidement, avec 2,3 millions de personnes qui ont été forcées de quitter leurs maisons depuis mai 2013 », a ajouté le chef de l'humanitaire de l'ONU. Un quart de million de personnes ont fui leur pays pour se réfugier dans les pays voisins. « Beaucoup ont parcouru des centaines de kilomètres du Nigéria au Cameroun, au Tchad et au Niger, dans des conditions épouvantables », a souligné M. O'Brien.

Même si le Nigéria est le pays le plus touché par les violences commises par Boko Haram, les trois autres pays du bassin du lac Tchad, le Niger, le Cameroun et le Tchad, sont aussi affectés.

Cette crise intervient alors que le bassin du lac Tchad est l'une des régions les plus pauvres au monde, frappée à plusieurs reprises par les sécheresses et les inondations.

« Environ 5,5 millions de personnes n'ont pas assez à manger, ou ne peuvent pas se procurer d'aliments nutritifs. Le choléra est une menace régulière, avec 37.000 cas et 760 décès au Cameroun, au Niger et au Nigéria l'année dernière », a dit M. O'Brien, ajoutant que le chaos créé par Boko Haram aggravait une situation très difficile.

« La pauvreté persistante et l'impact disproportionné de cette crise sur les jeunes devraient en faire une priorité pour la communauté internationale. Si nous ignorons l'ampleur des besoins humanitaires, nous pourrions tous en payer un prix élevé », a-t-il conclu.

PROJECTED FOOD ASSISTANCE NEEDS FOR MARCH 2016

This brief summarizes FEWS NET’s most forward-looking analysis of projected emergency food assistance needs in FEWS NET coverage countries. The projected size of each country’s acutely food insecure population (IPC Phase 3 and higher) is compared to last year and the recent five-year average and categorized as Higher ( p), Similar ( u), or Lower ( q). Countries where external emergency food assistance needs are anticipated are identified. Projected lean season months highlighted in red indicate either an early start or an extension to the typical lean season. Additional information is provided for countries with large food insecure populations, an expectation of high severity, or where other key issues warrant additional discussion. Analytical confidence is lower in remote monitoring countries, denoted by “RM”. Visit www.fews.net for detailed country reports.

(New York, 25 September 2015) – The crisis in the Lake Chad Basin is deepening with evermore serious humanitarian consequences. Despite this, the crisis has been largely overlooked.

Violence related to the Boko Haram insurgency in the Lake Chad Basin has displaced 2.5 million people from their homes. Some 2.3 million of these are internally displaced. In addition, communities already stressed by drought and flooding struggle to host displaced people.

Many of the displaced families have been forced to relocate multiple times. Many have walked hundreds of kilometres - from Nigeria to Cameroon, Chad and Niger - in the most appalling conditions.

Up to 80 per cent of people displaced have sought refuge with already extremely poor host communities. This is taking a toll on the communities’ livelihoods whose resources were already stretched. Insecurity has prevented farming, fishing and cross-border trade. According to some estimates, there has been an 80 per cent decrease in business activity in regions affected by violence, making communities even more vulnerable.

The crisis is having an acute impact on women and children, who are being abducted, abused, raped, exploited, trafficked, and forced to work as porters and lookouts. Children as young as six years old have been used as suicide bombers.

The sharp increase in attacks by Boko Haram has uprooted 500,000 children, bringing the total number of children on the run in northeast Nigeria and neighbouring countries to over 1.4 million. Many of these children are now out of school.

Droughts and floods hit the Lake Chad Basin repeatedly. Malnutrition and disease outbreaks hover at emergency levels. Some 5.5 million people do not have enough to eat, or are unable to obtain nutritious foods. Cholera is a regular threat, with 37,000 cases and 760 deaths in Cameroon, Niger and Nigeria last year.

“Governments in affected countries have shown great leadership and initiative in responding to humanitarian needs, with the support of aid organizations,” said the UN’s relief chief, Stephen O’Brien. “However, much remains to be done. An urgent scale-up in the humanitarian response is needed. I urge the international community and all donor governments in particular to step up their generous financial support to make this possible now.”

La crise dans le bassin du lac Tchad s’intensifie avec comme corollaire toujours plus de conséquences humanitaires graves. Malgré cela, la crise a été largement négligée.

2,5 millions de personnes ont été déplacées par la violence liée à Boko Haram dans le bassin du lac Tchad. Quelque 2,3 millions d'entre eux sont des déplacés internes. En outre, des communautés déjà affectées par la sécheresse et les inondations luttent pour accueillir les personnes déplacées.

De nombreuses familles déplacées ont été forcées de le faire à plusieurs reprises. Nombre d’entre elles ont parcouru des centaines de kilomètres - du Nigeria au Cameroun, au Tchad et au Niger - dans les conditions les plus épouvantables.

Jusqu'à 80 pour cent des personnes déplacées ont cherché refuge auprès de communautés hôtes déjà extrêmement pauvres, ce qui réduit d’avantage les moyens de subsistance de ces communautés dont les ressources étaient déjà faibles. L'insécurité a entrainé un arrêt de l’agriculture, la pêche et le commerce transfrontalier. Selon certaines estimations, les activités commerciales dans les régions touchées par la violence ont diminué de 80 pour cent, rendant les communautés encore plus vulnérables.

La crise impacte de plein fouet les femmes et les enfants, qui sont enlevés, maltraités, violés, exploités ou victimes de la traite, et contraints de travailler comme porteurs et guetteurs. Des enfants âgés de six ans ont été utilisés comme kamikazes.

La forte augmentation des attaques de Boko Haram a forcé 500.000 enfants à fuir, portant le nombre total d'enfants déplacés dans le Nord-Est du Nigeria et les pays voisins à plus de 1,4 millions. Nombre de ces enfants ne sont maintenant plus scolarisés.

Les sécheresses et les inondations frappent le bassin du lac Tchad de manière récurrente. La malnutrition et les épidémies atteignent des niveaux d'urgence. Quelque 5,5 millions de personnes n’ont pas assez à manger, ou ne sont pas en mesure d'obtenir des aliments nutritifs. Le choléra menace régulièrement, avec 37.000 cas et 760 décès au Cameroun, au Niger et au Nigeria l'année dernière.

"Les gouvernements des pays touchés ont montré un grand sens de leadership et de l’initiative pour répondre aux besoins humanitaires, avec le soutien des organisations humanitaires", a déclaré le chef de secours de l'ONU, Stephen O'Brien. "Cependant, il reste beaucoup à faire. Le niveau de réponse doit augmenter sensiblement. J’appelle la communauté internationale et tous les gouvernements donateurs en particulier, à renforcer leur généreux soutien financier afin de rendre cela possible maintenant ".

For further information, please contact: Russell Geekie, OCHA NY, +1 917 36 6390, +1 347 654 0931, geekie@un.org

UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova participated on 26 September in the High-Level Event on "Curbing the threat of Boko Haram and building stability in affected countries: A long-term strat‎egy to build community resilience, particularly of women, adolescent girls and young people", convened by the United Nations Population Fund, with Nigeria and the Lake Chad Basin countries.

The Prime Minister of Benin and Ministers from Chad, Cameroon and Niger ‎all drew attention to the escalating impact of the crisis on access to health, education, food, water and urged for a collective response. This response should act on the root causes of violence by empowering youth, ensuring access to education, skills and jobs, and empowering women and girls to participate in peace building.

In a message read by the Nigeria's Ambassador to the United Nations, President Buhari of Nigeria emphasized that addressing violent extremism required a multifaceted approach and concerted actions.

‎The Director-General underlined the importance of recognizing the link between security, development and climate change, urging a strong decision reflecting this at the COP21 this December.

She also called for increased focus on refugees across the region, raising concern over a 'banalisation' of their situation. 'A change in perspective is required, she said. "Education is a security imperative and must be an integral part of the humanitarian response and the response to violent extremism." She drew attention to increasing global awareness, reflected also in the Safe Schools declaration adopted in May 20015 by 49 countries.

Special Envoy for Global Education Gordon Brown urged a global response, putting emphasis on safe schools, the inextricable links between health and education, and the need to mobilize more international resources to ensure that all children go to school.

Niger’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Ms Boulama Kane affirmed that there could be no security without development and no development without security. Th‎e Minister of Planning and International Cooperation of Chad, Ms Mariam Mahamat Nour, said that the root causes of violence - lack of opportunity and ignorance - had to be addressed by building resilience and helping communities cope with economic challenges and the impact of climate change. ‎The Minister of External Relations of Cameroon Mr Moukoko Mbonjo also stressed that youth, education and employment should be top priority in the response.

Other speakers included the Special Representative on Sexual Violence in conflict Ms Zainab Bangura, the Special Envoy for the Sahel Mr Guebre Sellassie, the principals of WFP and UNFPA and senior representatives from UNICEF, ILO and OCHA.

Over 2.‎1 million people are internally displaced in northern Nigeria, among them half a million children. ‎Since 2009, more than 15,000 civilians have lost their lives, and hundreds of thousands displaced.

Rice, millet, sorghum, and maize are the primary staple foods in Senegal.
Groundnuts are both an important source of protein and a commonly grown cash crop. Imported rice is consumed daily by the vast majority of households in Senegal particularly in Dakar and Touba urban centers. Local rice is produced and consumed in the Senegal River Valley. St. Louis is a major market for the Senegal River Valley. Millet is consumed in central regions where Kaolack is the most important regional market. Maize is produced and consumed in areas around Kaolack, Tambacounda, and the Senegal River Valley. Some maize is also imported mainly from the international market. High demand for all commodities exists in and around Touba and Dakar. They are also important centers for stocking and storage during the lean season. The harvests of grains and groundnuts begin at the end of the marketing year in October; and stocks of locally produced grains are drawn down throughout the marketing year. Senegal depends more on imports from the international market for rice than from cross border trade which mainly includes cattle from Mali and Mauritania that supply Dakar and surrounding markets

Sorghum, maize, millet, cowpea, gari (fermented cassava starch), and rice are all found in Nigerian markets. Sorghum, millet and maize are widely consumed by most households, but especially in the north, and are used by various industries. Maize is mainly used by the poultry industry as a raw material for feed while sorghum is used by breweries for producing beverages. Sorghum and millet are important for households in the north, particularly the border markets where millet is also heavily traded with Niger. Gari is widely consumed by households in the south and some in the north. Rice is produced and consumed throughout the country. The north is a major production and consumption area for cowpea which flows to the south for use by households and food processing industries. Ilela, Maidua, and Damasak are all critical crossborder markets with Niger. Saminaka, Giwa, Dandume, and Kaura Namuda are important grain markets in the north, which are interconnected with the Dawanu market in Kano, the largest wholesale market in West Africa, and some southern markets such as the Bodija market in Ibadan. Millet, sorghum, maize, and cowpea are among the most important cereals traded at Dawanu, while cassava and some cereals are traded with Bodija.