Snapshot 25 November–1 December 2015

• Cameroon: New data indicate that 158,316 people are internally displaced – this is 65,000 more than the previous estimate. The vast majority have been displaced by Boko Haram-related violence, with fewer than 15% displaced by flooding and other natural disasters. Movement stays within Far North region, and Logone-et-Chari hosts around 60% of all IDPs.

• South Sudan: Malaria has reached unprecedented proportions – 1.6 million cases had been reported by the end of November and there is a severe shortage of anti-malarial medication. Bentiu hospital has reported a peak of 200 cases a day, and the caseload was continuing to increase in Yida and Ajuong Thok refugees camps in mid-November.

• DRC: 180,000 people affected by floods in Tshopo since 7 November are in need of humanitarian assistance, particularly WASH. The situation could aggravate the cholera epidemic in the province. More than 17,900 houses have been destroyed, schools and markets are closed, and food prices have increased sharply.

• CAR: The number of IDPs is 18% higher than that reported before the surge in violence that began in Bangui at the end of September. Another 69,100 IDPs brings the estimated total to more than 447,500 across the country, and 58,000 in Bangui.

Updated: 01/12/2015. Next update: 08/12/2015

Global Emergency Overview Web Interface

KEY DRIVERS OF THE CRISIS

Recurring natural disasters such as droughts, floods, combined with volatility of markets, pushed many households and communities into chronic vulnerability.

Conflict in northern Nigeria and CAR continue to displace refugees to Cameroon and causes internal displacements.

Poor coverage of sanitation and access to clean water remain the main causes of malnutrition and water-borne diseases.

Le lac Tchad, dont la superficie atteignait les 25 000 km2 en 1963, couvre aujourd’hui moins de 2500km2. Pourtant, la catastrophe avait été prévue et annoncée, et une Commission du Bassin du Lac Tchad avait été créée dès 1964 par ses quatre pays limitrophes, le Cameroun, le Tchad, le Niger et le Nigeria, afin de gérer ses eaux de manière durable et coopérative. Aujourd’hui, les eaux ont reculé au point que seuls le Cameroun et le Tchad comptent encore une rive au sein de leurs frontières. Selon les prévisions climatiques de la « National Aeronautics and Space Administration » (NASA), le lac pourrait bien se tarir dans les vingt prochaines années si rien n’est fait.

Le changement climatique, facteur de tensions sociales, de conflits et de migrations

Le retrait du lac Tchad a aggravé une situation déjà périlleuse, dans une zone où l’indice de développement humain est parmi les plus faibles au monde. La combinaison du changement climatique, des pressions démographiques, de l'activité humaine, et de la mauvaise gestion des ressources hydriques restantes conduit à la catastrophe écologique.

L'impact est sévère sur la vie de millions de personnes qui dépendent du lac Tchad pour leurs moyens de subsistance, mais aussi sur la paix et la sécurité dans la région, et les jeunes sont désœuvrés face à la pauvreté et le chômage qui en résultent

L’assèchement du lac Tchad, un facteur d’aggravation de la pauvreté dans la région

Des millions de personnes ont vu leurs moyens de subsistance détruits par le rétrécissement du lac Tchad. La plupart manquent d'éducation ou de compétences pour gagner leur vie autrement qu’à travers l'agriculture, l'élevage et la pêche, activités qui ne sont aujourd’hui plus ou difficilement praticables du fait de l’assèchement du lac. Il n’y a par ailleurs pas d’industries de taille importante, ni suffisamment d’emplois rémunérés pour ceux qui ont reçu une éducation formelle. Ainsi, avec les menaces écologiques auxquelles la région est confrontée, la pauvreté ne fait qu'empirer : 5 millions de personnes ont aujourd’hui besoin d’une assistance alimentaire et plus de 200 000 enfants de moins de 5 ans souffrent de malnutrition aigüe.

La baisse des niveaux d'eau, la conséquente déforestation et la désertification ont également affecté les pâturages traditionnels de bergers et pasteurs nomades, qui ont été forcés de se déplacer vers de nouvelles zones pour faire paître leur bétail, aggravant les conflits avec les propriétaires fonciers locaux.

Au Niger, une étude récente effectuée par ACTED a montré que l’assèchement des points d’eau, la modification des couloirs de transhumance et l’insécurité, qui empêchent les troupeaux dans le nord de la région de descendre vers le Nigeria et entraînent la fuite de ceux qui se trouvaient au sud vers le nord, se traduit par une inhabituelle concentration des troupeaux dans certaines zones, en particulier autour du lac Tchad, augmentant la pression sur les points d’eau et zones de pâturage déjà insuffisants en temps normal.

Des populations déplacées par les conséquences du changement climatique

La violence continue d'alimenter les déplacements à grande échelle dans la région du lac Tchad. En raison de l’insécurité de la zone et du manque de pâturage, de nombreuses personnes ont modifié leurs déplacements depuis 2013. Depuis juillet 2015, plus de 71 000 personnes ont fui le Nigeria et le nord du Cameroun pour s’installer sur les rives du lac Tchad. Actuellement, le niveau du lac est si bas que les violences se multiplient sur ses rives, si bien que ces villages sont à leur tour en train de se vider. Début novembre, près de 900 ménages ont fui vers l’intérieur des terres au Niger. Tous ces déplacés font face à des besoins pressants en abris d'urgence, en nourriture, ainsi qu’en accès à l’eau et aux structures d’assainissement et de santé.

Au total, 2,5 millions de personnes sont aujourd’hui déplacés dans cette région du monde. Leur installation sur les rives du lac Tchad au Niger et au Tchad accentue la compétition pour les terres et les ressources naturelles entre les communautés.

Le bassin du lac Tchad fournit également une importante vague de migrants qui quittent la région vers les pays voisins ou plus loin à la recherche d’opportunités que leur région d'origine ne fournit pas ou plus.

ACTED intervient au Niger et au Tchad pour renforcer la sécurité alimentaire et soutenir les populations déplacées

Dans ce cadre, ACTED déploie divers projets dans la région en vue d’appuyer les populations déplacées. Avec l’appui du Haut-Commissariat des Nations Unies pour les réfugiés (UNHCR) et du Fonds des Nations Unies pour l’enfance (UNICEF), ACTED gère notamment les sites d’accueil des réfugiés et des déplacés au sud du Niger et renforce l’accès aux infrastructures sanitaires dans ces camps et dans les villages hôtes.

Puis, avec l’appui du Programme alimentaire mondial (PAM), ACTED organise dans la région du lac des distributions de vivres à destination des populations réfugiées ou déplacées, et de farine enrichie pour les femmes enceintes et les enfants de moins de deux ans, afin de renforcer la situation alimentaire et nutritionnelle des plus vulnérables dans ce contexte de crise, de faible disponibilité et de pression sur les ressources.

ACTED a également soutenu la mise en place des activités génératrices de revenus alternatives à la pêche, au maraîchage et au pastoralisme pour les réfugiés et déplacés.

L'histoire récente de la région fournit ainsi un instantané de la façon dont le changement climatique entraîne déjà des tensions sociales, des conflits et des migrations. Sans une action urgente et décisive, les chances d’une quelconque amélioration de l’état du lac Tchad et des conditions de vie des 30 millions de personnes qui en dépendent s’éloignent. Et sans action, les perspectives de stabilité dans la région s’assombrissent.

« Une situation alimentaire et nutritionnelle globalement satisfaisante malgré un démarrage tardif de la campagne agropastorale »

Malgré une installation tardive, la campagne agropastorale 2015-2016 a été caractérisée dans la région par une bonne répartition spatio-temporelle de la pluviométrie en fin juillet août, et septembre excepté au Tchad et au nord du Bénin, du Togo et du Ghana. Aussi, à plusieurs endroits, la saison des pluies 2015 a connu un allongement exceptionnel jusqu’en fin octobre et début novembre, notamment dans les pays du Sahel et de l’ouest de la région. Le phénomène El Nino n’a pas provoqué de sècheresse au Sahel grâce à l’influence favorable de l’océan atlantique sur le climat de la région cette année. Ainsi, les cumuls pluviométriques saisonniers sont dans la majeure partie de la région, excédentaires par rapport à la normale pluviométrique 1981-2010. La situation phytosanitaire a été globalement calme. Cependant, la présence des oiseaux granivores a été signalée par endroits dans certains pays (Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, Mauritanie et Sénégal). Concernant le criquet pèlerin, la présence d’ailés solitaires en faible effectif a été signalée dans quelques sites des zones de reproduction estivale au nord et au Centre de la Mauritanie, au Nord du Niger et au Tchad.

La situation pastorale a été préoccupante jusqu’en juillet en raison de l’installation tardive de l’hivernage en Mauritanie, au Sénégal, au nord du Burkina Faso, et par endroits à l’Est du Sahel malien, nigérien et tchadien. Par la suite, le développement des pâturages s’est nettement amélioré à la faveur de la régularité des pluies enregistrées dans l’ensemble de la région. Toutefois, quelques poches de déficit fourrager ont été identifiées dans la zone pastorale du Niger, du Mali, de la Mauritanie et du Sénégal. Les points d’eau sont bien remplis et les pâturages satisfaisants. Les troupeaux sont en bon état d’embonpoint actuellement dans la région. Les mouvements des troupeaux transhumants et nomades sont normaux avec une bonne accessibilité aux ressources fourragères et aux points d’eau, hormis dans les zones du nord Mali et du bassin du Lac Tchad à cause de l’insécurité. La situation zoo-sanitaire du cheptel est calme et sous contrôle dans l’ensemble de la région.

BALTIMORE, Dec. 1, 2015—Lutheran World Relief, an international NGO working in 35 countries to develop sustainable solutions to poverty and food insecurity, marked #GivingTuesday by releasing its 2016 Early Warning Forecast of regions it is monitoring for potential humanitarian crises over the coming year.

The regions highlighted in the report are those that LWR is actively monitoring and, in many cases, is already in-country working to help mitigate the worst effects of a potential crisis, develop disaster response plans and strengthen community resilience, especially in the most vulnerable rural areas.

LWR President & CEO Daniel V. Speckhard noted that the interconnected nature of today’s globalized world means that humanitarian crises overseas will inevitably affect people in the U.S.

“Given these linkages and the rising vulnerability of global populations to both conflict and disaster, there is a vital need for an evolution in the way the international community thinks about humanitarian response that will have a lasting impact,” he said. “We need to move beyond short-term mobilization for the latest disaster or applying the Band-Aid approach to an emergency in an isolated ‘fragile’ state.”

“Instead, we need to approach recovery and resilience with a long-term time frame in mind, as well as a more holistic understanding of the importance of sustainable development. Breaking people out of the cycle of poverty will make them more resilient in the face of future disasters,” he said.

The countries and regions on the 2016 Watch List include:

• Syria, Afghanistan, Somalia
  
• Nepal
  
• Iraq
  
• Central America and the Caribbean
  
• Sahel Region of West Africa
  
• South Sudan

In addition, there are several countries and regions where LWR sees signs of hope:

• Colombia
  
• The Philippines
  
• Coffee and Cocoa production in Haiti, East Africa, Central America and Indonesia

Among the immediate challenges facing humanitarian community that are highlighted in the 2016 Early Warning Forecast:

The continuing refugee crisis, as the unprecedented migration we’re seeing shows no sign of abating. The Syrian civil war and terrorism wrought by ISIS is not only pushing out millions of refugees, but is destabilizing Northern Iraq. Refugee resettlement, complicated by security fears expressed by some communities and political figures, will be difficult.

What some are calling a “gorilla” El Niño is causing drought conditions in some places and will bring damaging rain and flooding in others. We must be prepared for disaster response. Food crises in Central America could spur migration.

The fuel blockade in Nepal has brought the post-earthquake rebuilding to a virtual halt. As winter approaches, isolated mountain communities will be cut off from supply deliveries, possibly auguring a second national crisis.

Drought and conflict have displaced more than 3.5 million people in the Sahel region of West Africa. Instability caused by the recent coup attempt in Burkina Faso, as well as terrorism-related incidents and threats in Mali and southeastern Niger will continue to be push factors for migration and make the lives of already impoverished people even more miserable.

The 2016 Early Warning Forecast can be downloaded at programs.lwr.org/2016-Early-Warning-Forecast.

Contact:

John Rivera
Media Relations Manager
jrivera@lwr.org
410-230-2751

About Lutheran World Relief

Lutheran World Relief works to improve the lives of smallholder farmers and people experiencing poverty in Africa, Asia and Latin America, both in times of emergencies and for the long term. With the financial support of US Lutherans and other donors, LWR strengthens communities through programs in agriculture, climate, and emergency support. LWR works with partners, supporters and technical assistance providers to achieve lasting results. For more information, visit programs.lwr.org.

Introduction

If we have learned anything from living in our increasingly globalized world, it is that no community or no nation stands in isolation. For better or worse, we are all connected. This makes our existence on this planet simultaneously more creative, more dynamic, more complex and more dangerous. Inevitably, what goes on “over there” will somehow affect us “here.”

Anyone working in the humanitarian sphere has experienced this complexity first hand. It’s becoming ever more evident that linkages among global poverty, climate change, conflict and migration undermine political and economic security and trigger humanitarian emergencies that are more frequent and of a greater magnitude, and which are outstripping the ability of local and international aid agencies to respond.

Given these linkages and the rising vulnerability of global populations to both conflict and disaster, there is a vital need for an evolution in the way the international community thinks about humanitarian response and sustainable development.

We need to move beyond short-term mobilization for the latest disaster or applying the Band-Aid approach to an emergency in a seemingly isolated “fragile” state. In order to better foster global security and avoid the disaster in the first place, we need to approach recovery and resilience with a long-term time frame in mind as well as a more holistic understanding of the importance of sustainable development. Breaking people out of the cycle of poverty will make them more resilient in the face of the future disaster. It will make them less likely to flee their homelands for an uncertain future abroad. And it will strengthen their communities, ensuring they are not the next fertile ground for a terrorist movement to breed.

For the past 70 years, Lutheran World Relief has worked in some of the world’s poorest locales helping communities through some of the most complex emergencies, and our experience on the ground has given us a better idea of the complex relationships among poverty, human dignity and security. To that end, the global staff of LWR has compiled this 2016 Early Warning Forecast that includes the regions we are monitoring, the work we are doing in these areas and the steps we’d like to see the international community take to address some of these challenges.

Above all, we are calling on the international community to redouble its effort at both humanitarian response and building the resilient and inclusive development called for in the Sustainable Development Goals that were adopted in September 2015 by the United Nations. This effort should be aimed at empowering local civil society and communities in need to help them become more resilient to the new crises they will inevitably face, and to reaffirm the longterm commitment to sustainable development made by governments, businesses, as well as the faith-based and charitable community.

Ambassador Daniel Speckhard (rt.)
President and CEO

November 2015– Trends

Deteriorated situations

Bangladesh, France, Kosovo, Lebanon, Nepal, Syria, Turkey, Venezuela

Improved situations

Burkina Faso, Myanmar

December 2015– Watchlist

Conflict risk alerts

Venezuela

• Conflict resolution opportunities

Yaoundé, CAMEROON | Wednesday 12/2/2015 - 10:33 GMT

At least four people were killed in twin suicide attacks in the far north of Cameroon, an area that has been repeatedly targeted by Boko Haram jihadists from neighbouring Nigeria, security sources and state media said Wednesday.

"Two suicide bombers blew themselves up in two districts of Waza" on the Nigerian border on Tuesday night, a security source who did not wish to be named, said.

State radio confirmed the report, saying two assailants detonated explosives, "killing six people, including themselves".

The victims included civilian vigilantes who were trained by the community to guard Waza against attacks, the security source said.

The attacks are the first of their kind in Waza, a town on the edge of a national park teeming with lions, elephants and other wildlife that used to draw tourists but which has been abandoned by foreign visitors since the region, which borders Nigeria and Chad, became a target for extremist attacks.

The attacks have been blamed on Boko Haram, a radical Sunni jihadist group seeking to create a hardline Islamic state in northeast Nigeria.

Over the past year Boko Haram has stepped up cross-border attacks in Niger, Chad and Cameroon while also continuing to mount shooting and suicide assaults on markets, mosques and other mostly civilian targets within Nigeria itself.

Cameroon is part of a regional coalition helping Nigeria combat the jihadists.

rek/jpc/cb/ri

BURKINA FASO

NEW PRESIDENT ELECTED AFTER PEACEFUL POLLS Burkina Faso’s former prime minister Roch Marc Kaboré has been elected president following peaceful polls held on 29 November. The elections were the first since popular protests forced former president Blaise Compaoré to relinquish power in October 2014. The polls also ended a political transition that was marked by tensions and a short-lived coup.

CAMEROON

FIVE KILLED IN SUICIDE ATTACK

Two suicide bombers on 28 November attacked Dabanga village in northern Cameroon, killing five people. Boko Haram members, who have made numerous raids in the country’s Far North region since 2013, are suspected to be behind the attack.

CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC (CAR)

POPE URGES TOLERANCE, PEACE DURING VISIT

Pope Francis urged for tolerance and peace during a two-day visit to CAR on 29 - 30 November. In the capital Bangui, where violence flared up in September, the pontiff visited the displaced at Saint Sauveur site as well as the flashpoint PK 5 district where he met with the Muslim community.

CHAD

THREE DIE IN ARMED RAIDS

On 24 November, suspected Boko Haram members attacked Bolalé village in Baga-Sola area, killing two people. One other person was killed in a separate attack in Ngouboua locality on 20 November. Military presence has been reinforced following the state of emergency declared on 9 November and prolonged until March 2016.

MALI

PEACEKEEPERS KILLED IN ROCKET ATTACK

On 28 November, four rockets fired at MINUSMA base in Kidal killed two UN peacekeepers and a civilian. Twenty other people were injured, four of them seriously. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the Security Council condemned the attack.

NIGER

EIGHTEEN KILLED IN VILLAGE ATTACK

Eighteen people were killed on 25 November by suspected Boko Haram gunmen during an attack on Wogom village near Bosso department in Diffa regions. Several villagers fled to seek safety elsewhere, but the exact number is still unknown.

EVD REGIONAL

NO NEW CASES IN LIBERIA

Liberia reported no new cases in the week ending on 29 November. Ebola resurfaced in the country on 19 November when a 15-year-old boy was diagnosed with the virus. The teenager died four days later, the first such fatality since July. The boy’s father and brother are being treated for Ebola. Around 150 contacts are being monitored. Guinea has recorded no cases for the past month. Sierra Leone was declared Ebola-free on 7 November.

BURKINA FASO

NOUVEAU PRÉSIDENT ÉLU APRÈS DES ÉLECTIONS PACIFIQUES

Ancien premier ministre du Burkina Faso, Roch Marc Kaboré a été élu président à la suite d’élections pacifiques tenues le 29 novembre. Ce sont les premières élections depuis l’abandon forcé du pouvoir de Blaise Compaoré suite à des protestations populaires en octobre 2014. Le scrutin a parachevé une transition politique qui a été marquée par des tensions et un coup d’état de courte durée.

CAMEROUN

CINQ TUÉS DANS UNE ATTAQUE-SUICIDE

Le 28 novembre, deux kamikazes ont attaqué le village de Dabanga, dans le nord du Cameroun, tuant cinq personnes. Des membres de Boko Haram, qui ont effectué de nombreux raids dans la région de l'Extrême-nord du pays depuis 2013, sont soupçonnés d'être à l’origine de l'attaque.

RÉPUBLIQUE CENTRAFRICAINE (RCA)

LE PAPE EXHORTE À LA TOLÉRANCE ET LA PAIX LORS DE SA VISITE

Le Pape François a appelé à la tolérance et à la paix au cours d'une visite de deux jours en République centrafricaine les 29 et 30 novembre. Dans la capitale Bangui, où la violence a repris en septembre, le pontife a visité les populations déplacées du site de Saint-Sauveur ainsi que le district du PK 5 où il a rencontré la communauté musulmane.

TCHAD

TROIS TUÉS DANS DES RAIDS ARMÉS

Le 24 novembre, des membres présumés de Boko Haram ont attaqué le village de Bolalé, dans la région de Baga-Sola, tuant deux personnes. Une autre personne a été tuée dans une attaque séparée dans la localité de Ngouboua le 20 novembre. La présence militaire a été renforcée après l'état d'urgence décrété le 9 novembre et prolongé jusqu'en mars 2016.

MALI

DES CASQUES BLEUS TUÉS DANS UNE ATTAQUE À LA ROQUETTE

Le 28 novembre, quatre roquettes tirées contre la base de la MINUSMA à Kidal ont tué deux casques bleus des Nations Unies et un civil. Vingt autres personnes ont été blessées, dont quatre grièvement. Le Secrétaire général de l'ONU, Ban Ki-moon, et le Conseil de sécurité ont condamné l'attaque.

NIGER

DIX-HUIT TUÉS DANS L’ATTAQUE D’UN VILLAGE

Le 25 novembre, dix-huit personnes ont été tuées par des hommes armés soupçonnés d’appartenir à Boko Haram, au cours d'une attaque contre le village de Wogom, près du département de Bosso, dans la région de Diffa. Plusieurs villageois ont fui pour trouver refuge ailleurs, toutefois, le nombre exact est encore inconnu.

RÉGIONAL/ MALADIE À VIRUS EBOLA (MVE)

AUCUN NOUVEAU CAS AU LIBÉRIA

Le Libéria n’a rapporté aucun nouveau cas dans la semaine se terminant le 29 novembre. La maladie a refait surface dans le pays le 19 novembre quand un garçon de 15 ans a été diagnostiqué comme ayant le virus Ebola. L'adolescent est mort quatre jours plus tard, le premier décès depuis juillet. Le père et le frère du garçon sont traités pour la maladie dans un hôpital de la capitale Monrovia. Plus de 150 contacts sont surveillés. La Guinée n’a enregistré aucun cas pour le mois passé. La Sierra Leone a été déclarée exempte de transmission Ebola le 7 novembre..

One year on from the pneumococcal vaccine launch Senegal introduces the rotavirus vaccine, helping counter the deadly toll of pneumonia and diarrhoea

Dakar, 28 November 2014 - With Friday’s introduction of the rotavirus vaccine into the national immunisation programme, half-a-million children born every year in Senegal have a fighting chance of surviving past the age of five.

Rotavirus, the most common cause of severe and fatal diarrhoea, claims the lives of around 1,900 Senegalese children aged under five annually. Together with pneumococcal disease, it is the primary child killer .

CRITICAL NEED

Macky Sall, President of the Republic of Senegal, and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper oversaw the official launch at the Philippe Manguilen Senghor Health Clinic in Dakar, Senegal, which was attended by hundreds of families.

Addressing the launch ceremony, Gavi CEO Seth Berkley said: “Every day in Senegal five children under the age of five die from severe rotavirus infection. Today is therefore an important day for all Senegalese children since the introduction of the rotavirus vaccine will save hundreds of lives each year. Few things in the world have a greater impact on public health than vaccines.”

Following the official launch, the rotavirus vaccine will be administered alongside the five-in-one pentavalant vaccine, ensuring a coverage rate of over 90%, according to Laylee Moshiri, UNICEF Representative in Senegal.

PARTNERSHIP

Since 2001, Senegal has partnered with Gavi to improve child health through investments in vaccination and its health system. Thanks to increased investment from the Government in both its health system and childhood vaccinations, most children can now benefit from free vaccinations against 12 preventable diseases.

“Vaccinating our children against rotavirus and integrating these vaccines into appropriate programmes against diarrhoeal diseases will help support our efforts to reduce infant mortality,” said Prof. Awa Marie Coll-Seck, Senegalese Minister of Health and Social Action and a member of the Gavi Board.

Alongside the introduction of rotavirus vaccine, Senegal has also introduced a pilot project for the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine; HPV is responsible for around 70% of all cervical cancer cases.

By TOLU OGUNLESI

LAGOS, Nigeria — WITH the world’s attention focused on the Islamic State attacks in Paris that killed 130 people on Nov. 13, there was a flurry of debate about how much more media coverage France had received than Beirut, where, a day earlier, suicide bombers sent by the jihadist group killed 43 people. In Nigeria, we expect most terrorist attacks to go unnoticed by the world.

Read the full story

SG/SM/17383-AFR/3285

The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon:

The Secretary-General condemns the attacks on the city of Dabanga on Saturday, 28 November, and on the city of Waza, on Tuesday, 1 December, both in the far north region of Cameroon, which killed about 15 people and left many others injured. These are the latest in an appalling series of attacks by Boko Haram elements on the civilian population of the region.

The Secretary-General offers his condolences to the families and loved ones of the deceased, and wishes a speedy recovery to the injured. He calls on the international community to provide urgent support for humanitarian assistance and early recovery as a way to mitigate the impact on the affected populations.

The Secretary-General encourages the Governments affected by Boko Haram to address the root causes of the insurgency in a holistic and integrated manner. In this regard, he calls on Economic Community of Central African States and the Economic Community of West African States to hold the planned Summit of Heads of State and Government on countering the Boko Haram threat without further delay.

The Secretary-General reaffirms his solidarity with the people of Cameroon and reiterates the United Nations support for the Government of Cameroon in its fight against terrorism, conducted in full respect of international human rights, humanitarian and refugee law.

For information media. Not an official record.

SG/SM/17383-AFR/3285

La déclaration suivante a été communiquée aujourd’hui par le Porte-parole de M. Ban Ki-moon, Secrétaire général de l’ONU:

Le Secrétaire général condamne les attaques menées dans la ville de Dabanga, samedi 28 novembre, et dans celle de Waza, mardi 1er décembre, deux localités situées dans la région de l’Extrême-Nord du Cameroun, et qui ont fait environ 15 morts et de nombreux blessés. Il s’agit là des dernières en date d’une série effroyable d’attaques commises par des éléments de Boko Haram sur la population civile de la région.

Le Secrétaire général présente ses condoléances aux familles et aux proches des personnes décédées, et il souhaite un prompt rétablissement aux blessés. Il appelle la communauté internationale à fournir une aide d’urgence pour l’assistance humanitaire et le relèvement rapide afin d’atténuer l’impact de ces attaques sur les populations touchées.

Le Secrétaire général encourage les gouvernements touchés par les actes de Boko Haram à traiter les causes profondes de l’insurrection d’une manière holistique et intégrée. À cet égard, il invite la Communauté économique des États de l’Afrique centrale (CEEAC) et la Communauté économique des États de l’Afrique de l’Ouest (CEDEAO) à tenir, le plus rapidement possible, le Sommet prévu des chefs d’État et de gouvernement sur la lutte contre la menace que représente Boko Haram.

Le Secrétaire général réaffirme sa solidarité avec les populations du Cameroun et réitère le soutien des Nations Unies envers le Gouvernement du Cameroun dans sa lutte contre le terrorisme, menée dans le plein respect des droits de l’homme, du droit international humanitaire et du droit des réfugiés.

À l’intention des organes d’information • Document non officiel.

This month’s update highlights children and armed conflict concerns and provides recommendations for the protection of children in the situations of Afghanistan, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Mali. The update also reiterates key recommendations to the Security Council Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict ahead of the conclusion negotiations on Afghanistan, still pending.

Watchlist on Children and Armed Conflict is a network of local, national and international non-governmental organizations striving to end violations against children in armed conflicts and to guarantee their rights. Monthly updates are based on the experience of Watchlist and its member organizations in specific country situations and Watchlist’s expertise in over a decade of engagement with the Security Council’s children and armed conflict agenda.

Recommendations to the Security Council

Afghanistan

The Afghan National Police (ANP), including the Local Police, and three armed groups (Haqqani Network, Hezb-e-Islami and Taliban forces) are listed for recruitment and use of children. All three armed groups are also listed for killing and maiming, while the Taliban are further listed for attacks on schools and/or hospitals. On August 1, 2013, the Government of Afghanistan reconfirmed its commitment to end and prevent recruitment and use of children by endorsing a ‘Road Map Towards Compliance’ with the UN. In December, the Secretary-General (SG) is expected to report on the progress of UNAMA, as per SCR 2210 (2015). The last progress report released in September (S2015/684) documents two verified reports of recruitment of children by the Afghan security forces in a reporting period of three months. Council Members should:

• Urge the SG to continue to maintain the capacity of UNAMA’s human rights section and dedicated child protection capacity within that section, and request the SG to continue to include the matter of children and armed conflict in Afghanistan in all future reports;

• Call on the Government’s full implementation of the measures outlined in the Road Map per SCR 2120 (2013) and SCR 2145 (2014), extended through the end of 2016, with the support of the Country Task Force on Monitoring and Reporting (CTFMR);

• Urge the Government to provide unimpeded access to its military sites and other areas where children may be present to enable the CTFMR to assist in identifying, registering and discharging all children present in the ranks of ANSF, and to allow national and international child protection bodies regular access to all detention facilities at all levels, including those of the Afghan National Defense Forces;

• Urge the Government to establish child protection units throughout all ANP recruitment centers in all 34 provinces, deemed to be instrumental for preventing recruitment by the UNAMA child protection component from the four pilot provinces.

Spain is the lead country on Afghanistan. New Zealand is the Chair of the 1267 Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee and the Chair of the 1988 Afghanistan Sanctions Committee.

Central African Republic (CAR)

The ex-Séléka coalition and associated armed groups are listed for recruitment and use, killing and maiming, and sexual violence against children, in addition to attacks on schools and/or hospitals. The anti-Balaka defense militias are listed for recruitment and use, killing and maiming, and sexual violence against children. In December, the SG is expected to report on the progress of MINUSCA, pursuant to SCR 2217 (2015). A final report by the Panel of Experts to the Sanctions Committee is also due in December, as per SCR 2196. The Council Members should:

• Urge MINUSCA to fully and effectively implement its protection of civilians and child protection mandate, pursuant to SCR 2217 (2015);

• Encourage MINUSCA to complete the development of the Special Operating Procedures on child protection and ensure that they are integrated into the overall planning, preparation, and conduct of operations;

• Immediately review and approve designations for individuals, presented by the Panel of Experts, who have committed grave violations against children as per SCR 2196; and furthermore, enforce travel bans and other restrictions for those previously sanctioned through the CAR Sanctions regime without delay;

• Encourage UNICEF and its partners to continue to separate and advocate for the release of children in armed groups and facilitate their reintegration into host families, using Transit Centers as a measure of last resort;

• Ensure that financial and logistical support is provided for the establishment of the Special Criminal Court, and that its judicial framework enables the prosecution of alleged perpetrators of grave violations against children, including recruitment and use, killing and maiming, abduction, rape and other forms of sexual violence, and attacks on schools; the framework should also ensure the protection of children as victims and witnesses.

France is the lead country on CAR. Lithuania chairs the 2127 Sanctions Committee and Jordan is the Vice-Chair.

Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)

Ten parties are listed for grave violations against children in 2015, including the DRC armed forces (FARDC). The Government signed an action plan in 2012 to end and prevent recruitment and use of children and sexual violence by the FARDC. In December, the SG is expected to report on the progress of MONUSCO, as per SCR 2211 (2015). The FARDC, listed for recruitment and use and rape and other forms of sexual violence in the DRC, are still serving in CAR as part of MINUSCA after having been re-hatted and scheduled to rotate out. In November, there were three more allegations of cases of sexual abuse against girls by the FARDC. The Security Council should:

• Immediately and without delay ensure that FARDC troops are rotated out of MINUSCA and not permitted to participate in peacekeeping operations until they are delisted from the SG’s annual report on children and armed conflict;

• Maintain MONUSCO’s capacity to document and verify child rights violations in order to improve reporting and ensure the status of implementation of the Action Plan is included as part of its public reports, specifically through the work of its child protection advisors;

• Urge the Government to ensure that children encountered during military operations are treated in accordance with international human rights and humanitarian law, and transferred without delay to child protection actors; children should not be arrested, detained or interrogated on the sole basis of their alleged association with armed groups;

• Urge the Government to prioritize criminal investigations and prosecutions of individuals suspected of having committed grave violations against children, and to provide regular information on the number of disciplinary sanctions, prosecutions, and convictions for those violations.

France is the lead country on the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Jordan chairs the 1533 Sanctions Committee, and Chile and Lithuania are Vice-Chairs.

Mali

Three armed groups (Ansar Dine, MNLA, and MUJAO) are listed for recruitment and use and sexual violence against children. In December, the SG is expected to report on MINUSMA’s progress, including on the implementation of the Agreement on Peace and Reconciliation, as per SCR 2227 (2015). As of November, three boys remain in detention at the Central Prison of Bamako, alongside adults, even though separate juvenile facilities exist. The Security Council should:

• Urge the Government to have the relevant authorities immediately transfer the children to the juvenile facilities and guarantee their release, as well as implement its Protocol d’accord on the Release and Handover of children associated with armed forces or groups, signed on July 1, 2013, with the help of MINUSMA and other child protection actors; children arrested during military operations should be primarily treated as victims and held separately from adults;

• In observance of the ceasefire, strongly encourage MINUSMA to ensure implementation of the child protection provisions in the Bamako peace agreement, especially those relating to the release and reintegration of children formerly associated with armed forces or armed groups;

• Recalling paragraph 33 of SCR 2227 (2015), urge all parties to implement the Working Group conclusions on Children and Armed Conflict in Mali negotiated in July 2014.

France is the lead country on Mali.

Recommendations to the Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict

Afghanistan

On July 6, the SG’s report on children and armed conflict in Afghanistan was formally presented to the Working Group, and negotiations on the conclusion are still pending as the Working Group members continue to wait for the Chair to circulate the first draft. For detailed recommendations on Afghanistan, see Watchlist’s ‘Children and Armed Conflict Monthly Update August 2015’.

Presidency of the Security Council for December: United States

Party to the Geneva Convention IV, Optional Protocol to the CRC, and ILO Convention 182;
Not a party to the Additional Protocol I or II of the Geneva Convention, the Rome Statute of the ICC, and is the only UN member to have not ratified the CRC; Has not endorsed the Paris Principles and the Paris Commitments, and has not endorsed the Safe Schools Declaration.

Highlights

FAO’s latest forecasts for global supply and demand of cereals continue to point to a generally comfortable 2015/16 marketing season, with world inventories by the close of seasons in 2016 expected to fall only slightly below their record opening levels.

• AFRICA: Cereal production in 2015 is forecast to fall, mainly reflecting the impact of adverse weather on Southern Africa’s output and the ongoing harvest in East Africa. Harvests in West and Central Africa are forecast to remain close to the levels of 2014, while a production recovery in North Africa is anticipated to prevent a steeper regional decline. Conflicts in several countries continued to severely affect food security and the agriculture sector, while drought conditions in East Africa have severely impacted pastoralist livelihoods.

• ASIA: A record 2015 cereal crop in China boosted aggregate regional production to levels above the previous year, while a recovery in Turkey’s output also contributed. However, dry weather in some areas of the Far East lowered production in several countries, with a significant decline estimated in India. The persistent conflicts in Iraq, the Syrian Arab Republic and Yemen continued to severely impact on agricultural production and aggravate the humanitarian crisis.

• LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN: Despite improved prospects for second season crops, El Niño-associated dry weather reduced overall 2015 crop production in Central America and the Caribbean, excluding Mexico, where a bumper crop was gathered. Large 2015 maize harvests are also estimated in South America, where plantings for the 2016 crops are expected to decline, mainly reflecting ample regional supplies and lower commodity prices.

• El Niño continues to impact on global agriculture: Following El Niño-related dry weather that adversely affected 2015 crop production in parts of Asia, Central America and the Caribbean, and Oceania, developing dryness in Southern Africa has dampened early 2016 production prospects.

• FAO estimates that, globally, 33 countries, including 26 in Africa, are in need of external assistance for food.

L ’instabilité au nord-est du Nigéria a entrainé le déplacement d’environ 213 000 personnes du Nigéria vers la région de Di f fa au Niger et à l’intérieur de la dite région. La majorité des personnes déplacées ont quitté leurs localités d’origine en abandonnant leurs moyens de subsistance et se retrouvent dans une situation de vulnérabilité. La présence des personnes déplacées accentuent la vulnérabilité des communautés hôtes, elles-mêmes confrontées à des défis tels que l’insécurité alimentaire, la malnutrition et l’accès limité aux services sociaux de base.