(Bangui, 27 November 2015): The Humanitarian Coordinator, Aurélien A. Agbénonci, calls for more support to the Central African Republic as he warns the emergency is rapidly becoming another forgotten humanitarian crisis; as thousands of people are still displaced inside and outside the country. He also welcomes Pope Francis’ scheduled visit to sites for internally displaced people (IDPs) during his three-day visit; aimed at promoting reconciliation in the country.

More than half of the population consisting of 2.3 million people is in dire need of urgent humanitarian assistance nearly three years after the outbreak of violence in the country. The humanitarian appeal remains dramatically underfunded, with funding levels of only 48.6 per cent. Since January 2015, the Strategic Response Plan (SRP) has received US$297.8 million. While aid agencies continue to face severe access constraints in their operations; they now have serious funding problems too. "The current funding does not enable us to ensure the protection of displaced persons or to provide the minimum of what is needed to meet the huge humanitarian needs. If we do not take action to increase aid efforts, the situation in the country could become one of the largest humanitarian crises of our time. We can no longer allow the millions of Central African people to suffer in silence. We still have time to act that is why we are calling on international donors to look at CAR and act accordingly,” Mr. Agbénonci said.

More than 447,000 people are still displaced across the country, including 58,000 in Bangui, fearing violence and human rights violations. Over 452,000 people have fled to neighboring countries including 254,115 in Cameroon, 66,382 in Chad, 101,866 in DRC and 29,884 in Congo. “Conflict has devastated hundreds of thousands of people, trapping them in conflict areas and denying them access to basic provisions and healthcare. Many live in fear on displacement sites or in the bush, children can’t go to school and parents can’t go out to work. The humanitarian situation is becoming protracted.

Enough funds will help us to provide the relief required. CAR is a difficult and dangerous place to work but the humanitarian community remains committed to helping the most vulnerable people caught in the crisis,” Mr. Agbénonci added.

“I appreciate Pope Francis’ planned visit to affected communities without distinction of beliefs or origin in the country; to bring a message of interfaith dialogue, human rights and peace which could really rebuild social cohesion,” Mr. Agbénonci added.

Despite relative calm since January 2015, the capital Bangui has been severely affected by violence since 26 September, when armed clashes left at least 90 people dead and forced more than 40,000 people to flee to safer areas. This new spiral of violence caused additional humanitarian needs and the increasing insecurity is rendering the work of humanitarian actors more challenging.

For further information please contact:

OCHA CAR: Gemma Cortes, Head Public Information Office, +236 70087565, cortesg@un.org

Laura Fultang, Public Information Officer, +236 70007579, fultangl@un.org

OCHA press releases are available at http://ochaonline.un.org or www.reliefweb.int

Background

UNHCR Nigeria’s strategic objective is to strengthen and expand the protection of very vulnerable persons of concern in the country, especially in response to the humanitarian crisis in the North East and the resulting displacement. This is achieved through a range of protection activities, including provision of protection services, coordinating protection response, building the capacity of the Government of Nigeria and key humanitarian partners in Nigeria on IDP protection issues. Crucial to safeguarding the protection of IDPs will be the enactment of an IDP Policy and Legal Framework which domesticates the AU Kampala Convention.

Besoins humanitaires et chiffres clés

Le contexte humanitaire reste marqué par l’insécurité alimentaire, la malnutrition, les mouvements de population, les épidémies et les inondations.

En 2016, le nombre de personnes dans le besoin est estimé à 2 millions. Parmi celles-ci, 2 millions ont besoin d´une aide alimentaire, 1,9 million d'une aide nutritionnelle tandis que 428 000 migrants, réfugiés, déplacés, retournés et familles hôtes vulnérables ont également besoin d'une forme d'assistance humanitaire. Le nombre de personnes qui risquent d'être affectées par les épidémies et les inondations est estimé à 24 000 et 105 000 respectivement.

(Bangui, le 27 Novembre 2015) : Le Coordonnateur humanitaire, Aurélien A. Agbénonci, appelle davantage à un soutien pour la République centrafricaine (RCA) en rappelant que la situation d'urgence est en train de devenir une autre crise humanitaire oubliée et que des milliers de personnes sont toujours déplacées à l'intérieur et l'extérieur du pays. Il se félicite aussi de la visite du Pape François prévue dans les sites des personnes déplacées internes (PDIs) au cours de sa visite de trois jours, visant à promouvoir la réconciliation dans le pays.

Plus de la moitié de la population, plus de 2,3 millions, de personnes est dans un besoin urgent d'assistance humanitaire près de trois ans après le déclenchement de la violence dans le pays. Le plan de réponse stratégique de 2015 reste considérablement sous-financé, avec seulement 48,6 pour cent de financement. Depuis janvier 2015, le Plan de Réponse Stratégique a reçu 297,8 millions de dollars. Alors que les organismes d'aide continuent de faire face à des contraintes d'accès graves dans leurs opérations, ils ont maintenant de graves problèmes de financement aussi.

"Le financement actuel ne nous permet pas d'assurer la protection des personnes déplacées ni de fournir le minimum de ce qui est nécessaire pour répondre aux besoins humanitaires les plus critiques. Si nous ne prenons pas des mesures pour accroître l’aide, la situation dans le pays pourrait devenir l'une des plus grandes crises humanitaires de notre temps. Nous ne pouvons plus permettre que des millions de centrafricains souffrent en silence. Nous avons encore le temps d'agir, c’est pourquoi nous appelons les donateurs internationaux à regarder ce qui se passe en Centrafrique et à agir en conséquence," a dit M. Agbénonci.

Plus de 447 000 personnes sont toujours déplacées à travers le pays, y compris 58 000 à Bangui, craignant la violence et les violations des droits humains. Plus de 452 000 personnes ont fui vers les pays voisins, dont 254 115 au Cameroun, 66 382 au Tchad, 101 866 en République démocratique du Congo et 29 884 au Congo.

«Le conflit a affecté des centaines de milliers de personnes, confinées dans les zones de conflit et sans accès aux services sociaux de base. Beaucoup vivent dans la crainte, dans des sites de déplacés ou dans la brousse, les enfants ne peuvent pas aller à l'école et les parents ne peuvent pas aller travailler. Un financement suffisant nous aidera à fournir l’aide nécessaire. La RCA est un endroit dangereux t où les conditions de travail sont difficiles, mais la communauté humanitaire reste déterminée à aider les personnes les plus vulnérables affectées par la crise", a ajouté M. Agbénonci. "Je remercie le Pape François pour sa visite prévue aux communautés affectées, sans distinction de croyances ou d’origine. La diffusion d’un message de dialogue inter communautaire, et de paix pourrait vraiment reconstruire la cohésion sociale", a ajouté M. Agbénonci.

Malgré un calme relatif constaté depuis janvier 2015, la capitale Bangui a été sévèrement touchée par la violence depuis le 26 septembre, lorsque des affrontements armés ont fait au moins 90 morts et contraint plus de 40 000 personnes à fuir vers des zones plus sûres. Cette nouvelle spirale de la violence a causé des besoins humanitaires supplémentaires et l'insécurité croissante a rendu le travail des acteurs humanitaires plus difficile.

Pour plus d’informations, veuillez contacter:

OCHA RCA: François Goemans Chef de Bureau +236 70 73 87 30, goemans@un.org
Gemma Cortes, Chargée de l’Information publique, +236 70087565, cortesg@un.org
Laura Fultang, Officier de l’information Publique, fultangl@un.org
Les communiqués de presse OCHA sont disponibles sur http://ochaonline.un.org or www.reliefweb.int

Kano, Nigeria | AFP | Friday 11/27/2015 - 16:37 GMT

by Aminu ABUBAKAR

At least 21 people were killed on Friday when a suicide bomber blew himself up in the crowds at a Shia Muslim procession near the north Nigerian city of Kano, in the latest violence to hit the troubled region.

The attack happened in the village of Dakasoye, some 20 kilometres (13 miles) south of the city, during a march by followers of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria.

"Our procession came under a suicide attack," Muhammad Turi, who was leading thousands of people from Kano to Zaria, in the neighbouring state of Kaduna, told reporters at the scene.

"We lost 21 people and several others have been injured. We are not surprised that we've been attacked because this is the situation all over the country.

"This will not deter us from our religious observance. Even if all of us were bombed the last person will carry on with this duty."

An AFP reporter in Dakasoye said the road was splattered with bloodstains but the followers had continued their march.

Most were wearing black and carrying flags or portraits of the Prophet Mohammed's grandson, Hussein, and were flanked by security guards.

One organiser, who asked to remain anonymous, told AFP the bomber ran into the crowd before he could be spotted and detonated his explosives.

"He was dressed in black like everyone else. His accomplice was initially arrested and confessed they were sent by Boko Haram," he added.

"They were part of the young men abducted by Boko Haram in (the Borno state town of) Mubi last year and taken to Sambisa Forest where they were given some military training.

"They were sent to Kano 11 days ago and kept in a house specifically for this attack."

The bomber detonated his explosives after realising his accomplice had been arrested, the organiser added.

• 'Symbolic trek' - Boko Haram, the radical Sunni jihadists who want to create a hardline Islamic state in northeast Nigeria, has previously been blamed for attacks on Shia Muslims in the region.

Last November at least 15 people were killed and some 50 others injured in a suicide bombing targeting the Shia Muslim festival of Ashura in the city of Potiskum, in Yobe state.

Ashura marks the death of Hussein.

In April, a suicide bomber targeted a group of Shiite Muslims outside an open-air mosque, also in Potiskum. He killed himself and wounded three worshippers.

Boko Haram, whose six-year insurgency has left at least 17,000 people dead and made more than 2.6 million homeless, condemns Shias as heretics who should be killed.

The followers were on a "symbolic trek" to Zaria, where the Islamic Movement of Nigeria's leader Sheikh Ibrahim Zakzaky is based, to mark the 40th day of Ashura.

Their arrival on December 3 is designed to coincide with the gathering of pilgrims at Hussein's tomb in the Iraqi city of Karbala.

Friday's attack came after a female bomber killed eight in the northeastern city of Maiduguri last Sunday and four teenage girls blew themselves up in northern Cameroon on Saturday killing five.

Boko Haram has increasingly used suicide bombers against "soft" civilian targets since the start of a military offensive earlier this year that has pushed them out of controlled territory.

Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari has given his military commanders until next month to end the conflict but there are fears suicide and bomb attacks may persist.

Senior military, security and intelligence figures on Thursday questioned the deadline and said it was "unrealistic" because of the wave of bombings in the region.

abu-phz/txw

© 1994-2015 Agence France-Presse

Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso | AFP | vendredi 27/11/2015 - 18:37 GMT

par Patrick FORT / Romaric Ollo HIEN

Cinq millions d'électeurs sont attendus dimanche pour la première présidentielle post-Compaoré au Burkina Faso, dont le vainqueur dirigera la première alternance démocratique depuis des décennies dans un pays à l'histoire marquée par de nombreux coups d'Etat.

"Pour la première fois depuis 50 ans, il y a une incertitude électorale, on ne connaît pas le vainqueur à l'avance. C'est un point positif et ça change fondamentalement par rapport aux autres élections que nous avons connues", analyse Abdoulaye Soma, agrégé de droit et président de la Société burkinabè de droit constitutionnel.

Initialement prévues le 11 octobre, les élections présidentielle et législatives ont été reportées au 29 novembre en raison du coup d'Etat manqué du 17 septembre mené par un ancien bras droit de l'ex-président Blaise Compaoré, le général Gilbert Diendéré, qui a depuis été arrêté.

La mobilisation populaire a mis le putsch en échec et l'attente est désormais grande dans ce pays pauvre d'Afrique de l'Ouest d'un peu moins de 20 millions d'habitants qui espère voir dans ces élections le début d'une longue ère démocratique.

Ces scrutins doivent tourner la page de la transition politique mise en place après l’insurrection populaire qui a chassé fin 2014 Blaise Compaoré, qui tentait de modifier la Constitution pour briguer un nouveau mandat, après 27 ans au pouvoir.

Quatorze candidats sont en lice pour un mandat de cinq ans renouvelable une seule fois.

Aucun membre de la Transition - président et ministres - qui a succédé au régime de Compaoré n'est autorisé à participer à cette élection.

• L'ombre du "Beau Blaise" -

C'est la première fois depuis le début des années 1980 que M. Compaoré sera physiquement absent d'une élection à enjeu national. Son parti, le Congrès pour la démocratie et le progrès (CDP), qui fonctionnait jadis comme un parti-Etat remportant tous les scrutins, ne sera pas non plus représenté à la présidentielle.

Plusieurs proches du régime ont été exclus des deux scrutins. Une loi controversée interdit aux pro-Compaoré ayant soutenu le projet de révision constitutionnelle de briguer des mandats électoraux.

Mais l'ombre du "Beau Blaise", exilé en Côte d'Ivoire voisine, planera sur cette campagne.

Sept des quatorze candidats ont été plus ou moins des compagnons et des barons du régime déchu. Roch Marc Christian Kaboré et Zéphirin Diabré, considérés comme les deux favoris, sont des anciens ministres.

Le premier est resté avec Compaoré pendant 26 ans, occupant les prestigieux postes de Premier ministre puis de président de l'Assemblée nationale. Il a aussi été patron du CDP avant de tomber en disgrâce. Il a quitté le parti dix mois avant la chute du régime.

"Nous allons bâtir un Burkina Faso nouveau où il fait bon vivre, où les fruits de la croissance seront partagés entre tous et non par une seule poignée de personnes qui se sucrent sur le dos de la population", a-t-il promis. Il espère une victoire dès le premier tour.

Pour sa part, même s'il a quitté le pays pendant de nombreuses années pour travailler dans le privé, M. Diabré doit une grande partie de sa carrière à Compaoré.

"J'ai quitté les affaires de l'Etat en 1997. Je suis passé par le sas de décontamination!", a-t-il dit, soulignant qu'il a été le chef de file de l'opposition jusqu'à la chute de Compaoré. "Ce qui fait la chimie entre les Burkinabè et moi, c'est le rôle politique que j'ai joué pour amener le changement".

La plupart des candidats, dont deux femmes, se posent en représentant du "changement".

"Celui qui gagnera devra faire une révolution interne et marquer une rupture par rapport aux pratiques du passé", commente M. Soma qui estime que la participation devrait être supérieure aux scores habituels tournant autour de 50% lors des élections de l'ère Compaoré.

Environ 25.000 membres des forces de l'ordre ont été déployés pour sécuriser l’élection dans ce pays à majorité musulmane qui a été touché pour la première fois de son histoire par le jihadisme en 2015. Les attaques, dont la plus spectaculaire a coûté la vie à trois gendarmes et un civil en octobre, se sont produites dans le Nord près de la frontière avec le Mali, touché par l'attaque du 20 novembre.

Le gouvernement a annoncé vendredi la fermeture des frontières terrestres jusqu'à mardi alors que la Commission électorale nationale indépendante (Céni) a indiqué de son côté que les premiers résultats provisoires sont attendus lundi.

roh-pgf/de/sba

© 1994-2015 Agence France-Presse

HIGHLIGHTS

• In Nigeria, the security situation in the north-east is volatile as fighting continues between the insurgents and the Multinational Joint Task Force. The insurgents continue to sack communities, worship centres and other public structures in the north-east. The Nigerian Government recently unfolded a ‘North-East Marshall Plan’ (NEMAP) aimed at assisting those internally displaced by the insurgency.

• In Niger, there have been numerous attacks in the Bosso department over the last month. At least 25 people have died, villages have been burnt to the ground and populations forced to flee from their homes. UN agencies have not been able to access Bosso since February 2015 but local authorities have returned to providing escorts to humanitarians in order for interventions to take place.

• In Cameroon, the security situation remains precarious and volatile. During the reporting period, clashes between the Cameroonian army and the insurgents resulted in 27 civilian deaths and many torched homes. Spontaneous arrivals originating from the affected border villages continue to be registered at the Gourounguel transit centre.

• In Chad, a state of emergency was declared on 11 November in the Lake Region following the 10 attacks that took place during the month of October. Vehicle and foot traffic are forbidden, security zones have been established, public gatherings are forbidden, and raids authorized at any time of day; furthermore, the press and radio are under state control.

RECENT DEVELOPMENTS

Operational Context

NIGERIA– The security situation in the north-east is volatile as fighting continues between the insurgents and the Multinational Joint Task Force. The insurgents continued to sack communities, worship centres and other public structures. The Nigerian Government recently unfolded a ‘North-East Marshall Plan’ (NEMAP) aimed at assisting those internally displaced by the insurgency. Over USD 450 million have been allocated for this purpose. Further provisions will be made in the long term to address the needs of IDPs that are unable to return home.

NIGER– There have been numerous attacks in the Bosso department over the last month. At least 25 people have died, villages have been burnt to the ground and populations forced to flee from their homes. UN agencies have not been able to access this part of the region since February 2015 but local authorities are providing escorts in order for interventions to take place once again. The reason behind this development is primarily linked to the need of populations in the area to be relocated to safety. Authorities will therefore be providing escorts and support to the humanitarian community in order for profiling, and assistance to take place. While the Red Cross and MSF have been physically present throughout the year, UNHCR has provided basic health services through Action Pour le Bien-Etre (APBE) under its remote management framework. There are urgent needs in the shelter, food, WASH, and education sectors and the Bosso Prefect has planned to hold monthly meetings with humanitarian actors to monitor the situation. The security situation in the Diffa region as whole remains volatile and the state of emergency has been extended until January 2016.

CAMEROON– Ms. Annick Girardin, the French secretary of State for Development and Francophonie visited Maroua on 3 November to take stock of the situation in the Far North, in company of the French Ambassador to Cameroon and the Director of the French Red Cross. She was informed of the coordination and humanitarian intervention activities that have taken place to date and made aware of existing gaps. From 20 to 22 October the UNHCR Representative in Cameroon visited the Far North region. During this mission, he showed solidarity to the local authorities and humanitarian colleagues. He met with administrative and traditional authorities and discussed Minawao’s water shortage issue, and plans to supply water through a river near Mokolo as advocating that a new camp be provided by the authorities has not yielded results. Alternative solutions are being looked into, to find a durable solution for the gaps in water provision, which are currently being covered through water trucking. On the same occasion, he presented two pickup vehicles (to reinforce escorts), school supplies, three newly constructed classrooms and a security post to the authorities, in support of their efforts in favour of the refugees. The security situation remains precarious and volatile. During the reporting period, clashes between the Cameroonian army and the insurgents resulted in 27 civilian deaths and many torched homes. Spontaneous arrivals originating from the affected border villages continue to be registered at the Gourounguel transit centre.

CHAD– A state of emergency was declared on 11 November in the Lake Region following the 10 attacks that took place during the month of October. Vehicle and foot traffic are forbidden, security zones have been established, public gatherings forbidden, and raids authorised at any time of day; furthermore, the press and radio are under state control. Local authorities in the Mamdi department have proposed to relocate Kafia and Kousseri IDP sites and Dar Es Salam refugee camp. Since authorities voiced this idea a number of population movements have been reported. The Kousseri site is reportedly empty and UNHCR is following up on the whereabouts of its former inhabitants. The IDPs are thought to have departed from Kousseri between 20 and 27 October in a spontaneous manner, following the Government’s decision and for pre-emptive reasons, should there be another insurgent attack. Part of the Kafia site population is also reported to have left. On 28 October, the humanitarian country team (HCT) called on humanitarian actors to carry on with their activities, while it awaits further information on these recent movements, the needs that may derive from them, and the eventual relocation by the Government. UNHCR voiced its preference for the local integration of refugees into the local community instead of relocation. Discussions are underway with Chadian authorities to this effect.

Nigeria Situation: UNHCR Regional Update No. 18 (17 October – 18 November 2015)

27 November 2015 – An attack on a village in the Diffa region of Niger on 25 November has left 18 dead and 16 wounded, according to local authorities. The wounded were treated on site by local health staff, while six people with severe injuries have been transferred to Diffa hospital with the help of a team from MSF.

Some 100 houses were also burnt during the attack on Gogoni, a village in the Bosso district of southeast Niger. An MSF nurse and mental health counsellor visited Bosso town health centre immediately after the attack, and will provide mental health support to the people affected.

Wednesday’s attack on Gogoni is the latest in a series of violent raids on villages in the region. According to the UN, more than 60 attacks have been carried out in Diffa since February by militants from Boko Haram, also known as the Islamic State’s West Africa Province (Iswap). There is ongoing fighting in the region between the militants and the Nigerien army.

Just two weeks ago, some 9,000 people were forced to leave their homes after an attack on Barwa village, in Bosso district. According to reports, the attackers abducted women and children and stole cattle.

After the attack, Barwa village was left empty, with its population scattered to neighbouring towns. An MSF team distributed essential relief items, including blankets, mosquito nets and nutritional supplements to the families of 1,078 children under five, and screened children for signs of malnutrition. The team is currently constructing latrines and providing mental health assistance to people from Barwa who have been displaced from their homes.

The widespread instability has seen more than 47,000 people displaced from their homes since February in a region which is already hosting more than 165,000 people who have fled violence in northern Nigeria.

“These people have fled their homes to escape the violence in the Diffa region or in northern Nigeria,” says Omar Ahmed Abenza, MSF’s deputy head of mission in Niger. “They can’t find a safe place to stay and fear has become a fact of life.”

During October, MSF medical teams carried out 4,601 outpatient consultations in Bosso district. More than half of the patients reported being traumatised by the ongoing violence.

“More and more of our patients are describing a devastating situation,” says Luis Encinas, MSF’s programme manager for Niger. “The already vulnerable situation of people in Diffa, who are facing peaks of malnutrition and malaria, has further deteriorated due to the ongoing violence.”

MSF has been working in the Diffa region of Niger since December 2014 to assist displaced people fleeing violence in the region or across the border in northern Nigeria. MSF teams are is currently supporting several health centres in the districts of Diffa, Nguigmi and Bosso, including a maternal and child health centre in the city of Diffa.

Diffa

· Au cours de cette semaine, les déplacements internes des populations se sont poursuivis dans la région à la suite des divers incidents sécuritaires survenus, ainsi environ 500 ménages d’environ 3000 individus se sont déplacés de villages de Tchoukoundi, Barwa et Bori pour s’installer au quartier Diffa Festival et dans les villages de Toumour et Garanna. La plus part de ces mouvements sont des déplacements préventives.

· Le 16 novembre 2015, le Programme Protection IRC a tenu une séance de sensibilisation sur les formes des violences basées sur le genre, leurs conséquences et les services de prise en charge au centre de santé intégré de Chétimari. 87 femmes refugiées et autochtones y ont pris part.

· Le 19 novembre 2015, IRC a procédé à une remise officielle de Kits post viol acquis sous financement BPRM à la Direction Régionale de la Santé Publique (DRSP) de Diffa. La donation fait suite à une requête de la DRSP en vue d’améliorer la qualité de la prise en charge des survivantes de violences sexuelles.

· Du 16 au 19 novembre 2015, le Programme Protection IRC a organisé une séance de sensibilisation sur la protection de l’enfance en faveur de 289 personnes dont 155 hommes et 134 femmes au niveau du site spontané d’Assaga à 13 km de Diffa. Un groupe de 24 jeunes filles du centre d’apprentissage du service éducatif judiciaire et préventif SEJUP de Diffa ont aussi bénéficié d’une sensibilisation sur le même thème. Toutes ces personnes ont été édifiées sur les droits des enfants notamment le droit à l’éducation, à la santé et à l’identité. Les services disponibles dans la région, les services offerts par IRC ont été portés à la connaissance des participants.

Key messages

• AGIR - the Global Alliance for Resilience Initiative - was launched during the Sahel food and nutrition crisis of 2012 with the aim of achieving 'Zero Hunger' in the West Africa Sahel region by 2032. The EU was closely involved in establishing AGIR and continues to provide support.

• Emergencies and crises have become a permanent reality for many people in West Africa. Humanitarian aid provides vital relief but cannot prevent crises. To break the cycle of emergencies, it is crucial for governments and international aid organisations to build the resilience of the most vulnerable population groups.

• Building resilience is about understanding and addressing the root causes of crises and pushing for durable improvements with a specific target on the most vulnerable people. Making adequate basic services available to mothers and their children and ensuring that aid programmes effectively target the poorest people are essential measures.

• Successful resilience building requires a joint approach to relief, development and governance. It is about bridging the gap between humanitarian and development aid. It is also about encouraging governments to take ownership and supporting them to achieve their resilience agenda.

• The momentum created by AGIR has prompted 16 countries in the region to adopt national resilience priorities. They are seeking comprehensive support from the international aid community to translate these priorities into effective action.

Read the full factsheet

27 November 2015

In most developing countries, smallholder farmers are the main actors in agriculture, though they tend to benefit little from their sales. With Purchase for Progress (P4P), the World Food Programme (WFP) seeks to provide these farmers with additional marketing options, in which they can capture larger margins by making collective sales to large-scale buyers like WFP.

Smallholder farmers tend to sell limited quantities of low quality crops directly from the farm gate, often to small-scale traders whose prices are low, partly due to transportation costs. Farmers in less remote locations may also sell their crops in small-scale local marketplaces. P4P has worked to expand smallholders’ marketing options by providing them with an attractive alternative – selling collectively to large-scale buyers that are interested in bulked volumes of quality commodities, like WFP. To take advantage of this marketing opportunity, and earn better prices, farmers generally work together through farmers’ organizations, aggregating, cleaning and marketing their crops collectively to meet the buyers’ quantity and quality requirements.

Individual farmers’ marketing strategies

A study carried out under P4P, entitled Smallholder Farmers’ Marketing Choices examines the complex ways in which individual members of such farmers’ organizations develop their marketing strategies. Based on research carried out in Burkina Faso and Rwanda, the study identifies the factors that influence farmers’ decisions on which marketing channel to use, and in particular, whether or not to market crops through their organization.

Although farmers hope to sell for the highest price possible, by the time the harvest arrives they often have an urgent need for cash to cover expenses such as school fees and loan repayment. Because smallholders tend to have few savings and limited access to credit and market price information, they may prefer buyers who can offer immediate cash upon delivery, such as traders buying at the farm gate. However, there are often more lucrative marketing options available for farmers capable of waiting a few weeks for their payment. Plus, smallholders are often located in rural locations with poor infrastructure, and they must factor in transportation costs. This generates additional challenges for remote farmers to market their crops beyond the farm gate.

Farmers’ organization capacity

These limitations can pose a challenge for collective sales through farmers’ organizations to reach formal markets. The process of aggregating crops and waiting for collection and payment tends to be a time-consuming process. Unless farmers’ organizations have access to credit to offer members partial or full payment upon delivery, this can lead lower income and more remote farmers to be unable to participate in group sales. The services farmers’ organizations are able to offer members – such as access to inputs and credit – also play a major role in encouraging smallholders’ sales. In some cases, farmers were able to access credit or inputs through their farmers’ organizations, on the condition that they repay them by participating in collective sales. Finally, price premiums offered for quality crops must be high enough to cover the costs of aggregation and value addition. While WFP pays premium price for products meeting the organization’s strict quality standards, large private buyers often already own equipment to add value to crops and are therefore unwilling to do so.

Transparency and trust

The level of transparency of farmers’ organization leadership played a major role in farmers’ decision whether or not to market through the organization. Without a sense of trust or loyalty, farmers were less likely to market their crops through the organization. For example, in Rwanda, one organization’s lack of transparency led to defaults due to members’ distrust. In contrast, in Burkina Faso, women members located near the headquarters of the Union Provinciale des Professionnels Agricoles du Houet (UPPA Houet) have embraced the production of quality crops and preferred marketing through the farmers’ organization. This loyalty to the organization was likely thanks to the broader benefits earned through their participation in P4P.

Enhancing women’s participation

In Burkina Faso, farmers’ organizations enacted additional measures to address the substantial challenges women face, and encourage their participation in collective sales. The trust and loyalty generated amongst women in the UPPA Houet farmers’ organization seemed to be in large part due to the presence of a female field monitor hired jointly by UPPA Houet, WFP and Oxfam. UPPA Houet also provided a cash advance for values of up to 300 kg, exclusively for women members. To increase women’s ability to contribute to sales, Union des Groupements pour la Commercialisations des Produits Agricoles (UGCPA) waived the minimum transaction volume for women’s cowpea sales through the organization.

Examining marketing strategies in Burkina Faso and Rwanda

In Burkina Faso, most farmers adopted a smart marketing strategy to maximize their profit whilst allowing them to meet their short-term needs. These farmers sold their crops in three separate transactions to different buyers at different times. First, a portion was sold immediately after harvest to traders at the farm gate to address urgent cash needs. The bulk of production was then sold through the farmers’ organization at a later date in order to earn larger margins and repay credit acquired through the organization. Finally, the portion of crops remaining were sold later in the season to finance inputs for the coming season.

In Rwanda, members of Coopération des Agriculteurs des Céréales de Musaza (COACMU) and COTEBARU – which are located more centrally and along paved roads – primarily marketed their crops through the organizations, while selling small quantities of food to traders to cover their immediate cash needs. Members of farmers’ organizations in more remote locations generally marketed basic-grade commodities from their household plots directly to traders at the farm gate, while selling higher quality crops from communal plots through their farmers’ organization. Overall, farmers’ decisions were made primarily based upon the distance to the storage location and their ability to wait for payment.

Continued efforts to make organizations inclusive

To ensure that farmers’ organizations are truly inclusive of all farmers – including those with less available cash and in more rural locations – additional efforts are needed to strengthen the organizations’ capacity. Organizational strengthening and increased access to credit are particularly critical. On the part of buyers, additional efforts are needed to reduce the amount of time from delivery to payment, reducing the pressure placed upon farmers and their organizations to ensure the availability of cash in this period.

25 novembre 2015 – Le Secrétaire général de l'ONU, Ban Ki-moon, a condamné une attaque à l'engin explosif perpétrée mardi contre un convoi de la Mission multidimensionnelle intégrée des Nations Unies pour la stabilisation au Mali (MINUSMA), qui a fait un mort.

Le convoi se déplaçait sur l'axe Goundam-Tombouctou, dans la région de Tombouctou, au nord du Mali. « L'attaque a causé la mort d'un membre du personnel civil de la MINUSMA », a précisé le porte-parole du Secrétaire général dans un communiqué de presse.

« Le Secrétaire général souhaite réaffirmer que ces attaques n'entameront pas la détermination des Nations Unies à soutenir le peuple malien et le processus de paix, y compris à travers son assistance à la mise en œuvre de l'Accord de paix et de réconciliation au Mali », a-t-il ajouté. « La MINUSMA continue de renforcer les mesures pour lutter contre la menace posée par les engins explosifs au Mali pour la protection du personnel des Nations Unies, ainsi que des Maliens ».

Ban Ki-moon a salué les courageux hommes et femmes servant dans le cadre de la MINUSMA pour leur efforts visant à apporter une paix durable aux Maliens dans ces conditions difficiles. Il a exprimé ses sincères condoléances à la famille de la victime.

Ten years after the Economic Community of West African States launched its policy on food and agriculture, coordination remains a serious challenge. Several regional initiatives compete with each other at the political and the project levels, in a complex and fragmented institutional context.

This paper is one of a series published by Oxfam in West Africa since 2009 on the effectiveness of aid in the agriculture and food sector. It analyses the West African context and reviews ECOWAP (the ECOWAS Regional Agricultural Policy) by looking at the processes and complex institutional structures currently in place. The paper suggests a series of recommendations for the main stakeholders aimed at improving donor coordination and strengthening regional institutions so that they can elaborate, implement and finance effective public policies for agriculture

INTRODUCTION

Depuis la crise alimentaire de 2008/09, chaque année ou presque a été l’occasion du lancement au niveau international d’une nouvelle initiative sur l’agriculture, la sécurité alimentaire et la nutrition. C’est le cas en 2009 de l’Initiative de l’Aquila pour la sécurité alimentaire (AFSI) adoptée au sommet du G8. L’année suivante est lancé le mouvement Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) aujourd’hui soutenu par 55 pays, ainsi que du Plan d’action pour lutter contre la volatilité des prix du G20 agricole de Paris, soutenant la création de réserves alimentaires d’urgence. En 2012, c’est la Nouvelle alliance pour la sécurité alimentaire et la nutrition (NASAN) qui est adoptée par le G8 de Camp David, six des dix pays de l’initiative étant ouest-africains. Cette même année sont également lancées les alliances sur la résilience (AGIR et SHARE) ainsi que le Défi Faim Zéro promu par le Secrétaire Général des Nations Unies. En 2015 enfin, la déclaration du G7 d’Elmau en juin comprend à nouveau un engagement sur la sécurité alimentaire. En septembre, l’Objectif de développement durable n°2 adopté par les Chefs d’États et de gouvernement pendant l’Assemblée générale des Nations Unies vise à mettre un terme à la faim et à la malnutrition sous toutes leurs formes d’ici 2030.

La majorité de ces initiatives cible directement le continent africain ou y est décliné au niveau de certaines régions ou de groupes de pays. L’Afrique de l’Ouest est bien souvent au premier rang des bénéficiaires. Il est donc indéniable que le secteur de l’agriculture et la sécurité alimentaire, oublié pendant des décennies, est de retour dans les agendas de l’aide internationale. Les États Africains ont de leurs coté réitéré lors du Sommet de l’Union Africaine à Malabo en juin 2014 leur engagement à investir au moins 10% de leurs budgets nationaux à l’agriculture. Enfin à ces cadres et engagements globaux, il faut ajouter les initiatives de nombreux acteurs bilatéraux et multilatéraux sur l’agriculture, la sécurité alimentaire et la nutrition, chacune mettant en avant le leadership des pays ou institutions régionales et l’alignement et la coordination des interventions des partenaires au développement sur les cadres et politiques existants. Le plus récent exemple des engagements pris par les pays donateurs sur la scène internationale dans ce sens est le « Cadre d’action pour la sécurité alimentaire et la nutrition lors des crises prolongées » adopté en octobre 2015 par le Comité de la sécurité alimentaire mondiale (CSA). Son principe 7 intitulé « Renforcer l'adhésion des pays, la participation, la coordination et la collaboration des parties prenantes, ainsi que la responsabilité de rendre compte » détaille ainsi en huit points les mesures nécessaires pour renforcer les politiques nationales et les plateformes multipartites gérées par les pays afin de coordonner et d’harmoniser le soutien apporté par les partenaires au développement.
En Afrique de l’Ouest, la crise alimentaire de 2008/09 et les sommets internationaux consacrés à la relance de l’agriculture et la lutte contre la faim (Sommet mondial de l’alimentation, G8 de l’Aquila) ont été des déclencheurs permettant à la Communauté des États d’Afrique de l’Ouest (la CEDEAO) de donner un nouvel élan à la politique agricole régionale qui avait été lancée en 2005, l’ECOWAP. L’enjeu était de taille puisqu’il consistait à traduire les orientations politiques définies par l’ECOWAP en plans d’action suffisamment fédérateurs pour emmener derrière elle les pays membres, les autres institutions régionales et les partenaires au développement prêts théoriquement à s’aligner sur des cadres d’intervention définis par les autorités nationales et régionales.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Nigerian military frees more than 400 Boko Haram captives in October and November

• Food insecurity persists in Boko Haram-affected areas in northeastern Nigeria

• Cameroon grants UNHAS permission to operate humanitarian flights in the north of the country

• Chad extends its declared state of emergency until March 2016

KEY DEVELOPMENTS

• While the USAID-funded Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET) expects improved food security in most of Nigeria between October 2015 and March 2016, the ongoing conflict in the northeast will likely result in continuing food insecurity until March 2016 for populations in Adamawa, Borno, and Yobe states, as well as in internally displaced person (IDP) sites and informal settlements in Maiduguri city, Borno.

• Nigerian military and troops from the Multi-National Joint Task Force (MNJTF)— comprised of Benin, Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria—freed more than 400 Boko Haram captives in Borno in October and November.

• The International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) reports significant concern regarding an epidemic of measles in the conflict-affected areas of Cameroon, where insecurity is impeding health activities.

• The UN reports that ongoing insecurity has caused many IDPs in Chad to experience multiple displacements in recent months, exacerbating the challenges of providing humanitarian assistance to transitory IDPs.

• Niger experienced increased attacks by Boko Haram in September and October, which is driving new displacement, particularly in the area surrounding the town of Bosso, Diffa region, according to the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection (ECHO)

Lake Chad Basin - Complex Emergency Fact Sheet #3, Fiscal Year (FY) 2016