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Chad: Chad: situation on the Lake region and the impact of the Nigerian crisis – Situation Report n°6 (20/10/2015)

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Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
Country: Chad, Nigeria

Highlights

  • On Saturday October 10th, a series of suicide attacks resulted in 43 dead and some 50 injured, among them 22 children, in Baga Sola and in the spontaneous site of Kousseri where 7,300 IDPs live.

  • Following these attacks, the authorities are planning to relocate IDP sites of Kousseri and Kafia and the refugee camp of Dar es Salaam for security reasons. The humanitarian community has expressed serious concerns about this potential relocation.

  • The estimated number of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) who arrived since July 21st stands at 52,321, a decrease of about 9% compared with prior estimates. This difference can be explained by IOM profiling in the spontaneous sites around Baga Sola.

  • Some of the IDPs in Kousseri and Kafia have ostensibly left these sites because of intercommunal tensions and fear of reprisals. So far, the humanitarian community does not have a precise vision of their number nor their new location.

  • Following the suicide attacks of October 10th, assistance activities were temporarily suspended.
    The most urgent needs are in shelter, food security (almost 40,000 people received no assistance or have already run out of the rations they were supplied), water, hygiene and sanitation (90% did not benefit from hygiene-related activities), protection and health.


Mauritania: Mauritanie : le PAM met en garde contre l'impact du manque de financement

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Source: UN News Service
Country: Mali, Mauritania

22 octobre 2015 – Alors que près d'un million de personnes souffrent d'insécurité alimentaire en Mauritanie, où la malnutrition ne cesse d'augmenter, la Directrice exécutive du Programme alimentaire mondial des Nations Unies (PAM), Ertharin Cousin, a averti jeudi qu'une pénurie de financement aurait des conséquences dramatiques pour les Mauritaniens vulnérables et les réfugiés maliens dans le pays.

« La Mauritanie a subi de plein fouet les crises alimentaires, la malnutrition chronique et l'instabilité venues du Mali voisin », a déclaré Mme Cousin dans un communiqué de presse rendu public dans la capitale Nouakchott, à l'issue d'une visite de deux jours dans le pays. « Nous sommes particulièrement préoccupés par la malnutrition grave qui affecte 14% des enfants de moins de cinq ans en Mauritanie », a-t-elle ajouté.

Au cours de sa visite, la Directrice exécutive s'est rendue dans le camp de réfugiés maliens de Mbera ainsi que dans les communautés d'accueil environnantes, au sud de la Mauritanie, près de la frontière avec le Mali. A cette occasion, elle s'est entretenue avec des réfugiés. Mme Cousin a également rencontré durant sa visite les autorités mauritaniennes, la communauté des bailleurs de fonds humanitaires, ainsi que le personnel du PAM et des autres agences de l'ONU.

« Alors que la sécurité au nord du Mali reste précaire, près de 50.000 réfugiés ont besoin d'une assistance humanitaire pour répondre à leurs besoins alimentaires. Un manque de financement cette année a entrainé une réduction des rations alimentaires, au point qu'à certaines périodes, seule la moitié de leurs besoins nutritionnels était prise en charge », a expliqué Mme Cousin.

La Directrice exécutive a par conséquent appelé les bailleurs de fonds internationaux à soutenir l'ensemble des réfugiés maliens en Mauritanie ainsi que le demi-million de Mauritaniens en prise avec l'insécurité alimentaire.

« Etant donné que moins de la moitié des besoins de financement du PAM en Mauritanie ont été perçus, le PAM a besoin de 11 millions de dollars pour répondre aux besoins urgents et immédiats », a déclaré Mme Cousin.

Le PAM estime qu'une personne sur quatre souffre d'insécurité alimentaire en Mauritanie. Parmi elles, plus de 200.000 personnes, en majorité dans des familles dirigées par des femmes, souffrent d'insécurité alimentaire sévère et ont besoin d'une assistance immédiate.

Niger: UNICEF Niger Situation Report, September 2015

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Source: UN Children's Fund
Country: Mali, Niger, Nigeria

Highlights

  • On September 24th, attacks on villages located 40 km south-west of Diffa have caused a worsening of the security situation. 15 people have been killed - including a village chief, 4 have been injured and over 6000 fled their homes, with young people counting for over 50% of the newly displaced.

  • UNICEF partner COOPI, conducted a mission on September 26th to evaluate the psychosocial situation and provided a first psychosocial support to traumatized victims in the displacement temporary sites of Koublé and Boudoum. Child Friendly Spaces were also set up. The mission reported urgent humanitarian needs in terms of food, shelter and non-food items (NFI).

  • An interagency multi-sectoral mission is planned for October, to evaluate the most urgent gaps in the temporary sites and to prepare a response plan. UNICEF will be part of the mission.

  • While schools in the whole country will reopen on October 1st, 151 schools located along the Komadougou River will remain closed due to insecurity. These schools have been closed since February 2015. The regional directorate of education is proposing a re-localization plan to guarantee primary education to the 8,089 students of the schools. The relocation plan is being prepared and budgeted by regional education authorities.

  • UNICEF continues to provide humanitarian assistance in Diffa region, in collaboration with its partners. Since the beginning of the year, as of September 20th, a total 13,672 children under five suffering from Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) have been admitted for treatment (out of target of 24,438), out of which 12 % declared their status as refugees from Nigeria;

  • As of 20th of September 2015 (week 38), 242,609 severely acute malnourished children have been admitted for treatment of severe acute malnutrition nationwide. About 12.6% (30,530) of all admissions presented severe medical complications needing intensive care and stabilization before transferring to the outpatient treatment. The admission to date represent 66% of the estimated annual caseload for 2015 (368,114).

Mauritania: WFP Chief Sees At First Hand Food And Nutrition Challenges In Mauritania

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Source: World Food Programme
Country: Mali, Mauritania

NOUAKCHOTT – Seeing the challenges facing nearly 1 million food-insecure people amid rising malnutrition, the Executive Director of the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) warned that a shortage of funding could have drastic consequences for vulnerable Mauritanians and Malian refugees.

“Mauritania has borne the brunt of recurring food crises, chronic malnutrition and instability spilling over from neighbouring Mali,” said Ertharin Cousin. “We are especially concerned about the serious malnutrition situation affecting 14 percent of Mauritania’s children under five.”

During a two-day visit, Cousin travelled to Mbera refugee camp and neighbouring host communities in southern Mauritania, on the border with Mali. She met refugees, including women at a community centre and children at a school in the camp; and mothers and their malnourished children at a local health centre. She also held meetings with the authorities, donor community, WFP staff, and UN sister agencies and partners.

With security in northern Mali still precarious, nearly 50,000 refugees need humanitarian assistance to meet their food needs. A shortage of funding this year led to refugees receiving reduced food rations at times that meet only about half their nutritional needs.

“WFP appeals for support so that the Malian refugees do not miss out on life-saving assistance. Mothers such as Maya and Hadima told me that they can’t go back to their homes until it’s safe again. They need our support,” said Cousin. “We know that the resources of donor countries are stretched by so many emergencies around the world, but WFP is committed to continue to provide vital food and nutrition assistance to all Malian refugees and more than half a million Mauritanian in the grips of food insecurity and malnutrition.”

As schools resume shortly, WFP is preparing to provide nutritious, hot meals to more than 150,000 children across the country. These meals are a lifeline for children as many parents struggle to provide two daily meals to their families. But without urgent support, WFP has sufficient resources only for two months of its 2015-2016 school meal programme.

With less than half of WFP’s funding needs in Mauritania met, WFP needs US$11 million to respond to urgent and immediate needs.

WFP estimates that one in four people are food-insecure, meaning they do not have enough food to eat to lead healthy lives. Of these, more than 200,000 people are severely food insecure and need immediate, life-saving assistance. Female-headed families are the most affected.

Latest figures show that Global Acute Malnutrition (GAM) rates in many (six out of 15) regions (including the region visited by Cousin) are above 15 percent, up to 28 percent – almost double the World Health Organization (WHO)’s critical emergency threshold. Across the country, the GAM rate increased by over four percent from 2014, to 14 percent in 2015.

WFP works closely with the Government of Mauritania and its partners to meet immediate needs while promoting sustainable long-term development through resilience building and social protection programmes.

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WFP is the world's largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide, delivering food assistance in emergencies and working with communities to improve nutrition and build resilience. Each year, WFP assists some 80 million people in around 80 countries.

Follow us on Twitter @wfp_media, @WFP_WAfrica

For more information please contact (email address: firstname.lastname@wfp.org): Adel Sarkozi, WFP/Dakar, Mobile + 221 77 637 5964 Jane Howard, WFP/Rome, Tel. +39 06 65132321, Mob. +39 346 7600521 Bettina Luescher, WFP/Geneva, Tel. +41 22 917 8564, Mob. + 41-79-842-8057 Gregory Barrow, WFP/London, Tel. +44 20 72409001, Mob. +44 7968 008474 Gerald Bourke, WFP/New York, Tel. +1-646-5566909, Mob. +1-646 525 9982

Mauritania: La directrice du PAM constate les défis alimentaires et nutritionnels en Mauritanie

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Source: World Food Programme
Country: Mali, Mauritania

NOUAKCHOTT - En voyant les défis auxquels sont confrontés près d'un million de personnes souffrant d'insécurité alimentaire et menacés par une malnutrition en hausse, la Directrice exécutive du Programme alimentaire mondial des Nations Unies (PAM) a averti qu’un manque de financements pourrait avoir des conséquences dramatiques sur les Mauritaniens vulnérables et les réfugiés maliens.

« La Mauritanie a subi de plein fouet les crises alimentaires récurrentes, la malnutrition chronique et l'instabilité débordante de son voisin, le Mali », a déclaré Ertharin Cousin. « Nous sommes particulièrement préoccupés par la malnutrition grave qui affecte 14 % des enfants de moins de cinq ans en Mauritanie. »

Lors d'une visite de deux jours, Ertharin Cousin a visité le camp de réfugié Mbera et les communautés d'accueil voisines dans le sud de la Mauritanie, à la frontière avec le Mali. Elle a rencontré des réfugiés, y compris des femmes dans un centre communautaire et des enfants à l’école du camp, et des mères avec leurs enfants souffrant de malnutrition dans un centre de santé local. Elle a également tenu des réunions avec les autorités locales, la communauté des bailleurs de fonds, le personnel du PAM, les agences sœurs des Nations Unies et les partenaires.

Avec une sécurité au nord du Mali encore précaire, près de 50 000 réfugiés ont besoin d'aide humanitaire pour satisfaire leurs besoins alimentaires. En raison d’un manque de financements, cette année les réfugiés ont reçu des rations alimentaire réduites, qui parfois ne satisfont qu’environ la moitié de leurs besoins nutritionnels.

« Le PAM lance un appel de soutien, afin que les réfugiés maliens ne manquent pas d’assistance vitale. Des mères telles que Maya et Hadima m'ont dit qu'elles ne peuvent pas retourner chez elles jusqu'à ce qu'elles se sentent à nouveau en sécurité. Ils ont besoin de notre soutien », insiste Ertharin Cousin. « Nous savons que les ressources des pays donateurs sont sollicitées au maximum par tant de situations d'urgence à travers le monde, mais le PAM est déterminé à continuer à fournir de la nourriture et de l'assistance nutritionnelle à tous les réfugiés maliens et à plus d'un demi-million de Mauritaniens souffrant d'insécurité alimentaire et de malnutrition. »

Etant donné que l’école reprend bientôt, le PAM est en train de se préparer à fournir des repas nutritifs et chauds à plus de 150 000 enfants dans le pays. Ces repas sont essentiels pour les enfants, puisque beaucoup de parents luttent pour fournir deux repas quotidiens à leurs familles. Mais sans un soutien immédiat, le PAM ne peut pas financer pendant plus de deux mois son programme de cantines scolaires 2015-2016.

Le PAM dispose seulement de la moitié de ses besoins de financement en Mauritanie. Nous avons besoin de 11 millions de dollars pour répondre à des besoins urgents et immédiats.

Le PAM estime qu’une personne sur quatre est en situation d’insécurité alimentaire, ce qui signifie qu’elle n’a pas assez de nourriture à manger pour mener une vie saine. Parmi ces personnes, plus de 200 000 personnes sont en situation d’insécurité alimentaire grave et ont besoin d’une assistance vitale immédiate. Les familles dirigées par les femmes sont les plus affectées.

Les derniers chiffres montrent que le taux de Malnutrition Globale Aigue (GAM) dans plusieurs régions (y compris la région visitée par Ertharin Cousin) varie entre 15% et 28%, ce qui représente environ le double du seuil d’urgence critique fixé par l’Organisation Mondiale de la Santé (OMS). Partout en Mauritanie, le taux de la GAM a augmenté de 4% en 2014 à 14% en 2015.

Le PAM travaille en étroite collaboration avec le Gouvernement de la Mauritanie et avec ses partenaires afin de satisfaire les besoins immédiats, en promouvant un développement soutenable à long terme par des programmes de construction de la résilience et de la protection sociale.

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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 80 pays.

Pour plus d’informations, veuillez contacter:

Adel Sarkozi, WFP/Dakar, Mobile + 221 77 637 5964
Jane Howard, WFP/Rome, Tel. +39 06 65132321, Mob. +39 346 7600521
Bettina Luescher, WFP/Geneva, Tel. +41 22 917 8564, Mob. + 41-79-842-8057
Gregory Barrow, WFP/London, Tel. +44 20 72409001, Mob. +44 7968 008474
Gerald Bourke, WFP/New York, Tel. +1-646-5566909, Mob. +1-646 525 9982

Nigeria: Suicide bombing at mosque in NE Nigeria kills 28

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Source: Agence France-Presse
Country: Nigeria

Maiduguri, Nigeria | AFP | Friday 10/23/2015 - 07:37 GMT

by Bukar HUSSAIN

At least 28 people were killed in a suicide bombing at a mosque in Maiduguri, northeast Nigeria, on Friday, raising fresh security concerns after a wave of similar attacks.

The attack happened shortly after 5:00 am (0400 GMT) in the Jidari area of the Borno state capital, which has previously been targeted by Boko Haram militants.

Maiduguri has now been hit six times this month, killing a total of 76 people, according to an AFP tally, underscoring an increased risk to civilians after similar strikes in neighbouring states and near the capital, Abuja.

Umar Sani, a civilian vigilante assisting the military in the counter-insurgency, and local resident Musa Sheriff both told AFP there were two blasts at the mosque.

"People from various mosques nearby rushed to the scene to assist the victims," said Sani.

"I was involved in the evacuation. We counted 28 dead bodies apart from the two bombers, who were identifiable by the mutilation of their bodies.

"Over 20 other people were injured."

Sheriff, who said he escaped with his life as he was late for prayers, gave a similar account.

Both men also said two other people were arrested and handed over to the military for questioning after they were seen apparently celebrating following the blasts.

The two men were "standing from afar, hugging each other like a celebration, chanting "Allahu Akbar" (God is greatest)", said Sani.

"The rescuers apprehended them. They used ropes to tie them and they confirmed that two of their comrades carried out the attacks. They were unrepentant," he added.

"To them it was a mission accomplished," said Sheriff.

- Security concerns -

Initial reports of the attack from Nigeria's National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said only six people were killed and 17 others injured.

Medical sources at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital and Borno State Specialist Hospital later gave a lower toll of 19 dead.

There are frequently conflicting death tolls in the insurgency and official statements often downplay the number of casualties.

Nigeria's military has claimed a series of successes against Boko Haram, recapturing territory seized by the militants last year, as well as the mass surrender of fighters.

Senior officers have characterised the increase in suicide bombings against "soft" targets as a sign of the group's desperation.

Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari has said the military is on track to meet a year-end deadline to bring the six-year insurgency to an end.

At least 17,000 people have been killed and more than 2.5 million made homeless by the violence, which has spread into neighbouring Niger, Chad and Cameroon.

But the latest bombings in Maiduguri will likely raise questions about how militants are able to carry out such attacks on a regular basis.

Friday's attack fits into a grim pattern of targeting places of worship and crowded spots such as markets and bus stations using multiple bombers to maximise casualties.

On October 1, a wave of suicide and bomb attacks left 10 dead in the Ajilari Cross area of the city, which was hit again on October 13, killing four.

On October 15, two suicide bombers hit a mosque in Molai, on the outskirts of Maiduguri, killing 30.

The following day, three bombers also struck just before morning prayers in nearby Umarari. Four people were killed.

Last weekend, soldiers foiled a suspected suicide attack at the city's main army base.

Boko Haram -- using the name Islamic State West Africa Province -- claimed responsibility for suicide bomb attacks near Abuja on October 2 that killed 18.

Five men appeared in court on Thursday in connection with the blasts.

str-abu-phz/wdb

Chad: EU donates additional € 1.5 million to UNICEF to combat child malnutrition in Chad

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Source: European Commission Humanitarian Aid Office, UN Children's Fund
Country: Chad

N´DJAMENA (Chad), 23rd October 2015 – The European Commission has allocated additional Euro 1.5 million in humanitarian aid funding to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) to strengthen the response to child under-nutrition in three regions in western Chad (namely Lac, Kanem and Bar El Ghazal).

This is in response to the increase in the number of cases of children suffering from under-nutrition in these regions. The deterioration of the situation is caused by a poor rainfall during the rainy season weakening the harvest and the de facto closure of the border with Nigeria due to Boko Haram-linked violence. Both have been a heavy blow to the livelihoods in Western Chad.

“Given the impact of both the seasonal and conflict related issues, there is now a need for the humanitarian community to accelerate their response with emergency food and nutrition assistance,” stated Philippe Barragne-Bigot, UNICEF Representative in Chad. “The European Commission's generous contribution, via its Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection department (ECHO), will once again ensure that Chadian children suffering from under-nutrition can be assisted.”

“Food insecurity in Western Chad has increased at an alarming rate. The violence alongside the border between Nigeria and Chad caused new population displacements with dire humanitarian consequences,” said Olivier Brouant, Head of the ECHO Office in Chad. “The additional funding will allow UNICEF to continue to tackle the nutrition challenges, by maintaining and improving the response of interventions in the three most affected regions in this area.”

A recent survey conducted by the World Food Programme (WFP) shows alarming food insecurity and under-nutrition in the Lake Region and in bordering Kanem and Barh El Gazel. The number of food insecure people in these three regions of western Chad has increased from 339,000 to 522,000 in six months. The number of admissions to the hospitals related to the under-nutrition have increased by 23% percent in the three regions compared to the same period last year. Routinely gathered data on admissions for treatment shows that between January and August 2015 more than 35,000 severely undernourished children were admitted for treatment in the three regions. The number being much higher than expected for the period, it puts a serious strain on the capacity of the health centers to respond adequately.

With this new funding UNICEF will cover 184 health facilities and provide the treatment for almost 24,000 SAM (Severely Acutely Malnourished) children. In close coordination with governmental and non-governmental organizations, UNICEF will support existing systems to improve the quality as well as increase the accessibility of basic services.

The funding comes on top of a contribution of €4 million provided earlier this year by ECHO and UK Aid from the UK Government. Thanks to the previous contribution, UNICEF ensures the treatment of the expected SAM cases among children under-five years of age in the Sahel Regions of Chad. In addition, UNICEF will continue to improve the supply chain of Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food, to provide essential drugs and to build up districts' capacities in the treatment of SAM.

About the European Commission– Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection department (ECHO) The European Union and its Member States are the world's leading donor of humanitarian aid. Relief assistance is an expression of European solidarity towards people in need around the world. It aims to save lives, prevent and alleviate human suffering, and safeguard the integrity and human dignity of populations affected by natural disasters and man-made crises.

The European Commission ensures rapid and effective delivery of EU relief assistance through its two main instruments: humanitarian aid and civil protection.

The Commission, through its Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection department (ECHO), helps over 120 million victims of conflict and disasters every year.

With headquarters in Brussels and a global network of field offices, ECHO provides assistance to the most vulnerable people solely on the basis of humanitarian needs.
For more information, please visit ECHO's website.

The Commission has assisted Chad with humanitarian aid since 1994,in the aftermath of the Darfur refugee crisis. Over the past decade, the Commission has committed more than €341 million for humanitarian programmes in the country. Since 2014, it has made available more than €89.5million for multi-sectorial assistance to people affected by the crises.

About UNICEF
UNICEF works in 190 countries and territories to help children survive and thrive, from early childhood through adolescence. The world’s largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments.
For more information about UNICEF and its work visit: www.unicef.org To find out more about the EU-UNICEF partnership, visit http://www.unicef.org/eu/

Passionate and hardworking Chadian health workers like Nutrition Counsellor Darasalam are at the frontline of saving children’s lives. Watch her story and download multimedia contents here: http://weshare.unicef.org/C.aspx?VP3=ViewBox&DNID=2AM40GXXQPXW&DM=Distribution For further information, please contact:
Mathias Eick Global Information Officer, DG ECHO (European Commission) Nairobi, + 254-717968426, Mathias.Eick@echofield.eu , http://ec.europa.eu/echo/ Lalaina Fatratra Andriamasinoro I Chief of Communication I UNICEF Chad +235 66 36 00 42 I lfandriamasinoro@unicef.org I www.unicef.org/chad

Cameroon: Cameroun: Boko Haram prend la ville de Kerawa, dans l'Extrême-Nord

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Source: Agence France-Presse
Country: Cameroon, Nigeria

23/10/2015 - 13:05 GMT

Des islamistes armés nigérians de Boko Haram ont pris le contrôle vendredi matin de la ville camerounaise de Kerawa, dans l'Extrême-Nord, située sur la frontière avec le Nigeria, a-t-on appris de sources sécuritaire et proche des autorités régionales.

"Ils contrôlent Kerawa", a affirmé à l'AFP sous couvert d'anonymat à l'AFP une source sécuritaire.

"Boko Haram contrôle Kerawa depuis ce (vendredi) matin", a indiqué de son côté une source proche des autorités de la région de l'Extrême-Nord, faisant état état de "civils tués", sans autre précision dans l'immédiat.

Selon cette source, "des renforts militaires de l'armée" camerounaise sont arrivés sur place, mais il n'était pas possible de savoir dans l'immédiat si des combats étaient engagés dans la ville. "Ils nous font dur", a commenté cette source pour définir la détermination des islamistes.

Selon la source sécuritaire, "hier (jeudi), ils ont tué plusieurs personnes dans les mosquées", évoquant un bilan non-confirmé de onze tués.

Kerawa, adossée à une ville nigériane qui porte le même nom, compte environ 50.000 habitants, dans l'arrondissement de Kolofata, cible régulière d'attaques de Boko Haram et d'attentats-suicide.

Face aux offensives des armées de la région, les insurgés de Boko Haram, qui ont rallié l'organisation de l'Etat islamique (EI) ont perdu depuis début 2015 la plupart des territoires qu'ils contrôlaient, principalement dans le nord-est du Nigeria.

Mais ils restent solidement retranchés dans des zones difficiles d'accès - forêt de Sambisa, monts Mandara, îles du lac Tchad - et multiplient les attentats-suicide, au Nigeria, mais aussi au Niger, au Cameroun et au Tchad.

Au moins 28 personnes ont été tuées vendredi dans un attentat suicide commis contre une mosquée à Maiduguri, berceau du groupe dans le nord-est du Nigeria.

Depuis 2009, l'insurrection a fait au moins 17.000 morts et 2,5 millions de déplacés. La semaine dernière le président Barack Obama a annoncé le déploiement d'un détachement de 300 soldats américains au Cameroun pour participer à la guerre contre les islamistes.

rek-mc/jhd


Cameroon: Boko Haram seizes town on Cameroon-Nigeria border: security sources

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Source: Agence France-Presse
Country: Cameroon, Nigeria

Yaoundé, Cameroon | AFP | Friday 10/23/2015 - 12:34 GMT

Boko Haram Islamists on Friday seized control of a town in the far north of Cameroon which lies on the border with Nigeria, security and regional sources said.

"They now control Kerawa," a security source told AFP on condition of anonymity, referring to the Nigerian Islamist group.

The information was confirmed by another source close to the regional authorities, who said an unspecified number of civilians had been killed in the assault.

"Boko Haram has controlled Kerawa since Friday morning," the source said adding the Cameroonian army had sent in reinforcements.

It was not immediately clear whether troops had engaged in any fighting with the Islamists.

The security source "several people" killed inside the mosques in the town on Thursday, quoting an unconfirmed report that 11 people had died.

Kerawa, which has 50,000 inhabitants, is located in the Kolofata district that is regularly targeted by Boko Haram.

There is a military camp inside the town, which was last hit by a double suicide bombing on September 3, which claimed at least 30 lives.

Cameroon, Chad and Niger have formed a military alliance with Nigeria and Benin to battle the extremists, who this year declared allegiance to the Islamic State.

The Islamists' grip on the region has suffered as a result of offensives launched by local armies.

But the group maintains strongholds in areas that are difficult to access, such as the Sambisa forest, the Mandara mountains and the numerous islands of Lake Chad.

Also on Friday, at least 28 people were killed in a suicide bombing at a mosque in Maiduguri in northeast Nigeria.

Since 2009, the insurgency has claimed at least 17,000 lives.

rek-mc/lm/hmw

© 1994-2015 Agence France-Presse

Nigeria: 27 dead, 96 wounded in Yola, NE Nigeria, mosque blast: emergency services

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Source: Agence France-Presse
Country: Nigeria

Yola, Nigeria | AFP | Friday 10/23/2015 - 16:14 GMT

At least 27 people were killed in a bomb blast at a newly-inaugurated mosque in Yola, northeast Nigeria, on Friday, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said.

"So far we have 27 dead and 96 injured," NEMA's co-ordinator in the Adamawa state capital, Sa'ad Bello, told AFP.

bur-abu-phz/hmw

© 1994-2015 Agence France-Presse

Chad: Revue de Presse Humanitaire au Tchad, du 10 au 23 octobre 2015

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

LES TITRES

  • EU donates additional € 1.5 million to UNICEF to combat child malnutrition in Chad (UNICEF,

23/10/15)

  • Le PAM devance la famine au Guéra (Le Progrès, 21/10/15)

  • Chad: Plunging from one nutrition crisis to the next (MSF, 16/10/15)

  • Un moyen pour briser la pauvreté rurale (Le Progrès, 15/10/15)

  • Au Tchad, le changement climatique transforme la pluie en mirage (Solidarités, 16/10/15)

  • TCHAD/ONU : M. Thomas Gurtner arrivé en fin de mission (Présidence du Tchad, 13/10/15)

  • Tchad: une femme kamikaze arrêtée, d'autres suspects recherchés (RFI, 23/10/15)

  • L’UA et la CBLT signent un protocole d’accord pour neutraliser le groupe Boko Haram (StarAfrica,

20/10/15)

  • 41 killed in Lake Chad blasts blamed on Boko Haram: government (AFP, 11/10/15)

Cameroon: Au Cameroun, le coordinateur des secours d'urgence appelle à plus de soutien pour les familles déplacées par les conflits et leurs hotes

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Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
Country: Cameroon, Central African Republic, Nigeria

(Yaoundé, le 23 octobre 2015) – Le Secrétaire général adjoint aux affaires humanitaires et Coordonnateur des secours d’urgence (CSU), Stephen O’Brien, exhorte la communauté internationale à accroitre son soutien à la réponse humanitaire au Cameroun, qui accueille plus de 310 000 personnes réfugiées des suites des conflits en République centrafricaine et au Nigéria voisin.

« Les familles démunies et traumatisées qui ont fui la violence en République centrafricaine et au Nigéria sont hébergées par des communautés déjà appauvries mais généreuses, qui font elles-mêmes face à des difficultés quotidiennes. Le gouvernement du Cameroun et les communautés ont fait preuve de générosité en fournissant protection et assistance aux déplacés. La communauté internationale doit faire plus pour aider à soulager la souffrance de milliers de familles », a déclaré M. O'Brien.

Le nombre total de personnes déplacées hébergées par le Cameroun a été multiplié par quatre depuis le début de l’année 2014. Les troubles en République Centrafricaine ont conduit à un afflux de 251 000 réfugiés dans les régions de l’Est du pays, tandis que des attaques transfrontalières et les attentats-suicides par des membres présumés du groupe Boko Haram ont déclenché le déplacement récent de plus de 150 000 réfugiés nigérians et déplacés internes camerounais dans l’Extrême-Nord, région la plus pauvre du pays.

« Les attaques à l'Extrême-Nord deviennent de plus en plus fréquentes. Des communautés entières ont été déracinées de leurs maisons. Des dizaines de milliers de personnes ont perdu l'accès à leurs champs et à leurs pâturages à cause de l’insécurité. En plus de répondre aux besoins essentiels des personnes déplacées, je suis profondément préoccupé par une augmentation de l'insécurité alimentaire dans les mois à venir », a déclaré M. O’Brien.

Lors de sa visite au Cameroun, M. O’Brien a rencontré les représentants du gouvernement et de la communauté humanitaire, et notamment discuté de la façon d’améliorer l’assistance aux 1,3 million de personnes qui sont vulnérables à l’insécurité alimentaire et à la malnutrition chronique, dues souvent aux conséquences d’un climat hostile et de plus en plus imprévisible.

« Plus d’un million de personnes à travers le pays sont en situation d’insécurité alimentaire, parmi lesquelles une sur cinq souffrira de faim sans assistance immédiate », a dit O’Brien. « J’appelle la communauté internationale à renforcer son aide aux organisations humanitaires et au gouvernement du Cameroun afin de mieux répondre aux besoins croissants. Les réfugiés, les personnes déplacées internes et leurs hôtes ont tous besoin de davantage de soutien pour faire face aux circonstances extrêmement difficiles. Les femmes et les enfants sont particulièrement à risque. »

Aujourd'hui, 1.8 millions de personnes à travers le pays ont urgemment besoin de protection et de l'aide la plus élémentaire. La communauté humanitaire a lancé un appel de fonds de 264 millions de dollars. A ce jour, seuls 27 pour cent de cette somme ont été reçu.

Pour obtenir des informations supplémentaires, veuillez contacter :

Otto Bakano, OCHA, bakano@un.org, +237 6 90 11 58 88
Max Schott, OCHA-Cameroon +237 6 90 11 58 72 schott@un.org

Cameroon: In Cameroon, Emergency Relief Coordinator calls for increased support to families fleeing conflicts and for their hosts

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Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
Country: Cameroon, Central African Republic, Nigeria

(Yaoundé, 23 October 2015) - The United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Stephen O’Brien, is urging the international community to increase its support for humanitarian response in Cameroon, which is hosting more than 310,000 people who have fled conflicts in neighbouring Central African Republic and Nigeria.

“Deprived and traumatized families fleeing violence in the Central African Republic and Nigeria are being hosted by impoverished but generous communities, themselves facing daily hardship. The Government of Cameroon and communities have been very generous in providing protection and assistance to the displaced. The international community must do more to help alleviate the suffering of thousands of families,” said Mr. O’Brien.

Cameroon has witnessed a fourfold increase in the number of displaced people hosted since early 2014. The unrest in the Central African Republic has led to the influx of 251,000 refugees into Cameroon’s eastern regions, while cross-border attacks and suicide bombings by suspected Boko Haram elements have triggered the recent displacement of more than 150,000 Nigerian refugees and internally displaced Cameroonians in the Far North, the country’s poorest region.

“The attacks in the Far North of Cameroon are increasing in frequency. Entire communities have been uprooted from their homes. Tens of thousands of people have lost access to their fields and grazing land due to insecurity. In addition to responding to the life-saving needs of the displaced, I am deeply concerned about a spike in food insecurity in the coming months,” Mr. O’Brien said.

During his visit to Cameroon, Mr. O’Brien met with Government officials and the humanitarian community and also discussed ways of improving assistance to the 1.3 million people chronically vulnerable to food insecurity and malnutrition, often due to the effects of hostile and changing climate.

“More than a million people across the country are food insecure; one in five of these families will go hungry without immediate food assistance.” said Mr. O’Brien. “I call on the international community to increase assistance to humanitarian organisations and the Government of Cameroon to better respond to the mounting needs. Refugees, internally displaced persons and their hosts all need more help to better cope with the extremely difficult circumstances. Women and children are particularly at risk.”

Today, 1.8 million people across Cameroon urgently require the most basic assistance and protection. The humanitarian community has appealed for US $264 million, yet only 27 per cent of this has been received.

For further information please contact

Otto Bakano Public Information Officer, OCHA, bakano@un.org, +237 6 90 11 58 88
Max Schott, Head - Humanitarian Advisory Team, OCHA-Cameroon, schott@un.org, +237 6 90 11 58 72
To learn more about the humanitarian needs in the Sahel and how humanitarian teams plan to respond, visit:
www.unocha.org/sahel2015. OCHA press releases are available on http://www.unocha.org/rowca

Cameroon: Boko Haram jihadists briefly seize town on Cameroon border

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Source: Agence France-Presse
Country: Cameroon, Nigeria

Yaoundé, Cameroon | AFP | Friday 10/23/2015 - 12:34 GMT

Boko Haram Islamists on Friday briefly seized control of a town in the far north of Cameroon which lies on the border with Nigeria, but withdrew when the army arrived, Cameroonian security sources said.

"They pulled out after the troops arrived. There hasn't been any more fighting," a source said, while another said the Islamist group had "fled" to neighbouring Nigeria.

A source close to the regional authorities said an unspecified number of civilians had been killed in the jihadists' assault.

Kerawa, which has 50,000 inhabitants, is located in the Kolofata district, which has been regularly targeted by Boko Haram.

There is a military camp inside the town, which was last hit by a double suicide bombing on September 3, which claimed at least 30 lives.

Cameroon, Chad and Niger have formed a military alliance with Nigeria and Benin to battle the extremists, who this year declared allegiance to the Islamic State.

The Islamists' grip on the region has suffered as a result of offensives launched by local armies.

But the group maintains strongholds in areas that are difficult to access, such as the Sambisa forest, the Mandara mountains and the numerous islands of Lake Chad.

Also on Friday, at least 55 people were killed, and more than 100 injured, in a suicide bombing at mosques in Maiduguri and Yola in northeast Nigeria.

Since 2009, Boko Haram's insurgency has claimed at least 17,000 lives.

bur/ri/cb

© 1994-2015 Agence France-Presse

Nigeria: Mosque blasts kill 55 in NE Nigeria

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Source: Agence France-Presse
Country: Nigeria

Maiduguri, Nigeria | AFP | Friday 10/23/2015 - 17:08 GMT

by Bukar HUSSAIN

Two bomb blasts ripped through mosques in northeast Nigeria on Friday, killing at least 55 people and injuring more than 100, as Boko Haram fighters briefly seized a town in neighbouring Cameroon.

The attacks in Maiduguri, Yola and the Cameroonian town of Kerawa again underlined the persistent national and regional threat from the Islamist militants, despite military claims of gains.

Fears will be heightened particularly in Maiduguri, which has been hit six times this month, with a total of 76 people killed, according to an AFP tally.

Questions will also again be raised about how the militants are able to carry out such attacks on a regular basis, after similar attacks in the city last month claimed 117 lives.

The bombings also demonstrated the challenges facing the United States, which last week announced the deployment of up to 300 military personnel to northern Cameroon.

The contingent will conduct surveillance and intelligence operations against Boko Haram, including within Nigeria, at a time when attacks on civilians are on the increase.

  • Suicide bomber -

The first attack in Maiduguri happened shortly after 5:00 am (0400 GMT) in the Jidari area of the Borno state capital, where Boko Haram was founded in 2002.

Umar Sani, a civilian vigilante assisting the military in the counter-insurgency, and local resident Musa Sheriff both told AFP there were two blasts at the mosque.

"I was involved in the evacuation. We counted 28 dead bodies apart from the two bombers, who were identifiable by the mutilation of their bodies," said Sani.

"Over 20 other people were injured."

Nigeria's National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said only six people were killed and 17 others injured, while hospital sources put the death toll at 19.

Both Sani and Sheriff said two other people were arrested and handed over to the military for questioning after they were seen apparently celebrating following the blasts.

The two men were "standing from afar, hugging each other like a celebration, chanting "Allahu Akbar" (God is greatest)", said Sani.

"To them it was a mission accomplished," added Sheriff.

Boko Haram, which wants to create a hardline Islamic state in northeast Nigeria, has previously targeted mosques and religious leaders who do not share their extremist ideology.

Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari has given his military commanders until December to end the insurgency, which has left at least 17,000 people dead and more than 2.5 million homeless since 2009.

  • Packed mosque -

The explosion in Yola happened at about 2:00 pm at the Jambutu Juma'at mosque in the Jimeta area of the city, shortly after the imam had finished his inaugural sermon.

At least 27 people were killed in the bomb blast at the newly-inaugurated mosque, NEMA said.

One volunteer at the Jambutu Juma'at mosque, who helped in the rescue effort but asked not to be identified, said: "This mosque was nearly built and this was the first prayers in it.

"While worshippers had risen for the prayers to start after the sermon by the imam, there was a huge blast in the premises."

NEMA's coordinator in the Adamawa state capital, Sa'ad Bello said that 116 people were being treated for injuries at two hospitals in the city.

Most of the injured were in a stable condition, with injuries ranging from fractures and burns to cuts from the blast, he added.

Yola has been seen as a relatively safe haven from the Boko Haram insurgency, which has ravaged the northeast for the last six years.

But fears were heightened after an explosive device went off at a camp for displaced people to the south of the city last month, killing seven people and injuring 20 more.

  • Town overrun -

In Cameroon, regional and security sources said the rebels had briefly overrun the town of Kerawa, in the far north, and an unspecified number of civilians were killed.

"They pulled out after the troops arrived. There hasn't been any more fighting," a source said, while another said the Islamist group had "fled" to neighbouring Nigeria.

Kerawa, which has 50,000 inhabitants, is located in the Kolofata district that is regularly targeted by Boko Haram.

There is a military camp inside the town, which was last hit by a double suicide bombing on September 3, which claimed at least 30 lives.

Cameroon, Chad and Niger have formed a military alliance with Nigeria and Benin to battle the extremists, who this year declared allegiance to the Islamic State.

The Islamists' grip on the region has suffered as a result of offensives launched by local armies.

But the group maintains strongholds in areas that are difficult to access, such as the Sambisa forest, the Mandara mountains and the numerous islands of Lake Chad.

burs-strs/ri/pvh

© 1994-2015 Agence France-Presse


Nigeria: Suicide bomber kills three in Nigeria's Maiduguri: witnesses

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Source: Agence France-Presse
Country: Nigeria

10/24/2015 - 11:39 GMT

by Bukar HUSSAIN

A female suicide bomber on Saturday blew herself up in the northeastern Nigerian city of Maiduguri, killing three people and injuring several others, residents said.

The incident in the Dala Yazaram area of the city happened a day after at least 55 people were killed in attacks in the northeast, including 28 in Maiduguri.

A local resident said he saw two female suicide bombers enter the neighbourhood of Dala Yazaram, some six kilometres (four miles) from the city but one of them was stopped by people nearby while the other blew herself up.

"Three people have been killed and many injured. One of the terrorists was arrested before she could detonate," resident Shuaibu Umara, a security guard at a nearby NNPC petrol station, told AFP.

A spokesman for the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said one person, a member of the civilian vigilante group assisting the military in the fight against Boko Haram, was killed and 10 injured in the blast.

"Four female suicide bombers at about 7:45am today in the morning attempted to enter a Dala Ajeri area of Maiduguri but were intercepted by the civilian JTF (joint military task force)," Sani Datti said in a statement.

"Three of the female suicide bombers detonated the explosions in their bodies immediately and the fourth one was intercepted but later died," he said.

He said six of the injured had been treated and discharged from the hospital.

Although no group has claimed responsibility for the blast, immediate suspicion fell on the Islamist group Boko Haram.

Maiduguri has now been hit seven times this month, killing a total of 79 people, according to an AFP tally, underscoring an increased risk to civilians after similar strikes in neighbouring states and near the capital, Abuja.

On Friday, two separate explosions ripped through two mosques in Maiduguri and nearby Yola, capital of Adamawa state, leaving at least 55 people dead and more than 100 injured.

The explosion in Yola's Jambutu Juma'at mosque took place shortly after the imam had finished a sermon to inaugurate the new mosque.

NEMA Adamawa coordinator Sa'ad Bello said on Saturday the death toll had risen to 30 from 27 on Friday.

"The death toll now stands at 30 following the death of three injured victims in hospitals while 93 are injured," he said.

Residents said the interior was still littered with shoes, prayer mats and worshippers' other belongings.

Yola has been seen as a relatively safe haven from the Boko Haram insurgency, which has ravaged the northeast for the last six years.

Boko Haram, which seeks to create a hardline Islamic state in northeast Nigeria, has regularly targeted mosques and religious leaders who do not share their extremist ideology.

Nigeria's military has claimed a series of successes against the jihadists.

President Muhammadu Buhari has given his military commanders until December to end the insurgency, which has left at least 17,000 people dead and more than 2.5 million homeless since 2009.

str-joa/cb

Mali: Mines: Trois civils tués et deux Casques bleus blessés hier à Tessalit

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

Hier, trois civils ont trouvé la mort suite à l'explosion d'une mine ou d'un engin explosif dans les environs de Tessalit, dans la région de Kidal.

Alors que la Force de la MINUSMA se rendait sur les lieux, vers 12h30, deux Casques bleus ont été blessés, dont un sérieusement, suite à l'explosion d’une autre mine, à 5km au sud du Camp de la MINUSMA à Tessalit.

La MINUSMA condamne fermement de tels actes ayant pour but de paralyser ses opérations sur le terrain et de toucher indistinctement le personnel des Nations Unies, ou des civils innocents.

La MINUSMA présente ses condoléances aux familles endeuillées, et souhaite un prompt rétablissement à ses soldats de la paix

Mali: Mali: UN mission says three civilians killed, two peacekeepers wounded by mine explosions

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Source: UN News Service
Country: Mali

26 October 2015 – The United Nations mission in Mali has condemned the explosion of a mine or an explosive device in the Kidal region of the country Saturday, killing three civilians and wounding two peacekeepers.

“MINUSMA [UN Integrated Multidimensional Stabilization Mission] strongly condemns such acts aimed at paralyzing operations on the ground and indiscriminately targeting the United Nations, or innocent civilians,” the Mission said in statement.

Around 12:30, MINUSMA went to the scene to find two peacekeepers wounded – one seriously – following the explosion of another mine 5 km south of the UN mission’s camp in Tessalit.

MINUSMA sent its condolences to the bereaved families and wishes a speedy recovery to its peacekeepers.

Mali: La Suisse versera plus de 77 millions au Mali sur trois ans

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Source: Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation
Country: Mali, Switzerland

La Suisse contribue à l'aide au développement au Mali. Elle a indiqué qu'entre 2015 et 2017, elle verserait 71 millions d'euros (CHF 77,33 millions) au pays, lors de la conférence internationale pour la relance économique et le développement du Mali.

La manne sera investie principalement dans le nord du pays, en proie à la pauvreté et l'instabilité, a indiqué jeudi à l'ats un porte-parole du Département fédéral des affaires étrangères (DFAE). Des projets seront menés à Tombouctou et Sikasso, notamment, ainsi qu'auprès d'écoles maliennes.

Le gouvernement malien et les groupes armés du nord ont signé un accord de paix en juin 2015.

L'information a été donnée lors d'une conférence sur le Mali, au Centre de conférences de l'Organisation de coopération et de développement (OCDE) à Paris. La Confédération y est représentée par Didier Berberat, envoyé spécial de la Suisse pour le Sahel. Pour en savoir plus, cliquez ici.

Source: sda-ats

World: Food Assistance Outlook Brief October 2015

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Source: Famine Early Warning System Network
Country: Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Central African Republic, Chad, Djibouti, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Guinea, Haiti, Honduras, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Tajikistan, Uganda, United Republic of Tanzania, World, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe

PROJECTED FOOD ASSISTANCE NEEDS FOR APRIL 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 ( S), Similar ( X), or Lower ( T). 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

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