Le secrétaire d’Etat du Département fédéral des affaires étrangères (DFAE) Yves Rossier effectue une visite de travail au Niger, du 9 au 11 décembre 2015. Au cours de ces trois jours, il doit rencontrer le président nigérien Mahamadou Issoufou, la ministre des affaires étrangères Kané Aichatou Boulama et d’autres représentants du gouvernement ainsi que de la société civile. A l’occasion de ce voyage, le secrétaire d’Etat a signé un engagement à hauteur de 38 millions de francs suisses pour la mise en œuvre de divers programmes de l’aide au développement de la Confédération.

Lors de ses entretiens avec le président nigérien Mahamadou Issoufou, le ministre d’Etat Mohamed Bazoum et la ministre des affaires étrangères Kané Aichatou Boulama, le secrétaire d’Etat du DFAE Yves Rossier a souligné le rôle clé que joue le Niger pour la sécurité de la région face au terrorisme. Le Niger, qui doit faire face aux attaques de Boko Haram dans le nord du pays, fait en effet partie de la coalition régionale contre le groupe islamiste. Le secrétaire d’Etat Yves Rossier a également insisté dans ses discussions sur l’importance des élections présidentielles de 2016 pour la stabilité du pays. La Suisse soutient financièrement le Niger en cette période préélectorale et coopère avec des organismes nigériens en faveur de la stabilité et de la consolidation de la paix, au travers de projets visant le renforcement du dialogue entre les différentes communautés.

Le secrétaire d’Etat du DFAE a informé ses interlocuteurs sur la nouvelle stratégie de coopération de la Suisse au Niger pour les années 2016 à 2019, qui a été adoptée en décembre 2015. Ainsi, la Suisse poursuivra son action dans trois domaines prioritaires : sécurité alimentaire, éducation de base et formation professionnelle, gouvernance et paix, à hauteur d’environ 23 millions de francs suisses par année.

Dans ce contexte, le secrétaire d’Etat et la ministre des affaires étrangères ont signé à Niamey un premier engagement à hauteur de 38 millions de francs – sur quatre ans – pour la mise en œuvre de divers programmes de la Direction du développement et de la coopération (DDC). Ces programmes ont pour but de soutenir les collectivités territoriales ainsi que les différents processus électoraux dans le pays. Ils visent également à renforcer le secteur de l’élevage et de la petite irrigation.

La Suisse est active depuis 1977 au Niger, où elle soutient le transfert de compétences et de ressources aux collectivités territoriales pour notamment favoriser la gouvernance locale. Les programmes de la DDC visent également à lutter contre l’insécurité alimentaire dans le pays. L’Aide humanitaire de la Confédération quant à elle s’engage principalement pour les réfugiés du Nigeria et du Mali. Durant son déplacement, Yves Rossier a visité des sites de projets soutenus par la DDC, notamment une école primaire et un centre de formation professionnelle à Kara Kara.

Informations complémentaires

Relations bilatérales Suisse et Niger
Engagement der DEZA in Niger

Contact

Information DFAE
Palais fédéral ouest
CH-3003 Berne
Tél.: +41 58 462 31 53
Fax: +41 58 464 90 47
E-Mail: info@eda.admin.ch

The state secretary of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA), Yves Rossier, is currently on a three-day official visit to Niger from 9 to 11 December 2015. He has met Mahamadou Issoufou, Niger's president, and the country's foreign minister, Kané Aichatou Boulama. Mr Rossier has also held meetings with other government representatives and members of civil society. During his visit, the state secretary signed a pledge committing CHF 38 million for the implementation of a number of Swiss development aid programmes.

During his talks with President Issoufou, Mr Boulama, and the minister of state, Mohamed Bazoum, Mr Rossier highlighted Niger's importance for regional security in the fight against terrorism. The country, which is facing attacks by Boko Haram in the north, is indeed a member of the regional coalition fighting the Islamist group. The state secretary also stressed the importance of the upcoming presidential elections in 2016 for Niger's stability. Switzerland is providing financial support to Niger in the run-up to the elections and is cooperating with national agencies to promote stability and peacebuilding via projects aimed at strengthening intercommunity dialogue.

Mr Rossier also talked about Switzerland's new 2016-19 cooperation strategy for Niger which was adopted in December 2015 and sets forth the following three priority areas: food security, basic education and vocational training, governance and peace. The new strategy provides for around CHF 23 million per year to carry out these activities.

Mr Rossier and Mr Boulama have signed an initial pledge of CHF 38 million in Niamey to be used to implement a variety of Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) projects over the course of four years. The goal of the SDC's programmes in Niger is to support the local authorities and various electoral processes in the country. They also aim to strengthen the livestock and small-scale irrigation sectors.

Switzerland has been active in Niger since 1977. It supports the transfer of skills and resources to the local authorities in order to foster good governance at the local level in particular. A further objective of the SDC's programmes is to counter food insecurity in Niger. For its part, Swiss Humanitarian Aid is mainly engaged in helping refugees from Nigeria and Mali. During his visit, Mr Rossier visited SDC-supported projects such as a primary school and vocational education and training centre in Kara Kara.

Further information:

Bilateral relations Switzerland and Niger
The SDC in Niger

Address for enquiries:

Information FDFA
Bundeshaus West
CH-3003 Bern
Tel.: +41 58 462 31 53
Fax: +41 58 464 90 47
E-Mail: info@eda.admin.ch

Overview of the crisis

Violent attacks on civilians by Boko Haram since 2009 have left widespread devastation in the north-east of Nigeria. With attacks continuing to occur on a regular basis, the crisis is directly affecting more than 14.8 million people in Adamawa, Borno, Gombe and Yobe States. More than 2.2 million people have fled their homes and 7 million people are estimated to be in need of humanitarian assistance. The security situation remains volatile and with the military and paramilitary response ongoing, millions of people remain displaced, host community resources are becoming exhausted and an estimated 3 million people living in areas that have been inaccessible for most of 2015 have unknown needs.

Protection crisis

Boko Haram-related violence and military measures and operations against them have resulted in serious protection risks and violations. Over the past year terrorist related-deaths increased by over 300 per cent to 7,512 fatalities, making Boko Haram the most deadly terrorist group in the world.1 Total deaths in Nigeria related to the ongoing armed conflict from May 2011 to Nov 2015 are 23,461 people killed.2 People trapped in conflict-affected areas fear death and abduction, and according to media reports 2,000 – 7,000 civilians are missing. Boys are forcibly recruited by Boko Haram, and thousands of women and girls are subjected to sexual abuse and exploitation, while some have been used as suicide bombers.

Boko Haram has targeted health facilities and schools, restricting access to basic services and frightening away health care workers and teachers from the areas where they are most needed. Since the conflict started, more than 1,200 schools have been destroyed or damaged, more than 600 teachers have been killed, and 72 per cent of pre-existing health centres have been damaged or destroyed in Yobe and 60 per cent in Borno.3 IDPs fleeing from Boko Haram strongholds fear the perception of being sympathetic to Boko Haram from security forces and host communities. As military presence in and around IDP sites increased during the last part of 2015, there have been a growing number of reports of IDPs, including boys and men, being detained or having their freedom of movement restricted, as well as IDP camps being targeted for attacks. In at least one instance, girls and women rescued from insurgent camps spent several months in de-radicalization centres.

Increasing vulnerabilities and lack of access to basic services

Maiduguri, the capital of Borno, has received more than 1 million IDPs, overwhelming the delivery of basic services, and with overcrowding in already-inadequate living conditions this poses massive environmental and sanitation risks.

More than 1,000 people have contracted cholera and 18 have died since 7 September 2015, in an outbreak that started in an IDP camp and spread to 10 more IDP camps and surrounding communities. Other urban centres have been inundated on a smaller scale as they also offer more security than rural areas. However, public markets have been regular targets for bombings and the access roads to several cities are extremely dangerous. Increased population density in many urban areas due to displacement has led to greater competition for access to basic services. Short term solutions, like using at least 50 schools to host IDPs in Borno, has not only housed IDPs in inadequate conditions for longer than expected, but has negatively affected the host communities by leaving children without access to learning due to the closure of all schools in the state for one year. Already-poor host communities have been sharing resources with one of the largest IDP populations in the world for more than twelve months with little support, and are now relying on negative coping mechanisms after savings and assets have been used.

The exhaustion of household and community resources has caused fatigue on the part of the host communities, and if not addressed, could create tension between displaced and host communities, which could lead to secondary displacement of IDPs.

In rural areas lack of access to agricultural land due to insecurity has negatively affected food production, contributing to the increase of people in need of food assistance to 3.9 million. In both rural and urban settings the livelihoods of millions –farmers, pastoralists, traders, shop keepers, public servants— have been disrupted, limiting their ability to support their families and increasing the prevalence of risky livelihoods such as hawking, begging, and child labour.

Challenges of return and prolonged displacement

As an estimated 260,000 IDPs begin to return to their communities in Adamawa, they are finding complete devastation of homes and infrastructure; water sources are polluted with dead human and animal bodies, and farmland and roads are still contaminated with mines and unexploded ordnance. Due to persistent fear of repeat attacks many remain displaced in the closest town. In many cases those who were receiving support from friends, host communities and NGOs during displacement lose this support once they return to their LGA of origin, as humanitarian actors struggle to follow them back to areas with ongoing security concerns. Recent displacement trends show that as the military pushes Boko Haram out, the population that had previously been trapped in that area moves out immediately to urban centres to escape the trauma and devastation in their communities, search for missing family members and seek immediate humanitarian assistance.

Regional aspect

The impact of the crisis has spread to neighbouring countries with Nigerians fleeing over the borders to seek refuge in Cameroon, Chad and Niger. At the end of 2014, Boko Haram expanded its violent operations to other countries in the Lake Chad Basin and, with the establishment of the MultiNational Joint Task Force, the armed confrontation takes on a regional dynamic likely to increase the number of people in need of immediate humanitarian assistance and protection with unpredictable patterns of population movements and humanitarian access. As the chart below illustrates, Nigeria is the epicentre of the humanitarian crisis, with more than 2.2 million IDPs. According to UNHCR, 165,000 Nigerians are still seeking refuge in neighbouring countries. Over 17,000 have returned from Cameroon, under circumstances falling short of international standards in some cases, and many of these returnees joined IDPs in formal and informal camps and centres. The crisis continues to be complex, evolving both rapidly and unpredictably. The capacity to respond to this context remains key for 2016.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Over 2,500 IDPs relocated from camps in Adamawa to camps in Borno State.

• A year of DTM data shows evolution of displacement in the north-east.

• Christmas attacks in Borno State cause fresh displacements.

• Early inroads into private sector partnerships look promising.

Over 2,500 IDPs relocated from Adamawa to Borno

Over the course of December, 2,515 internally displaced people (IDPs) moved from Fufore, Malkohi and NYSC camps in Yola, Adamawa to Hajj, Teachers' Village and Gubio camps in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State. IDPs have made the transition to another new location, and await an improvement in security conditions that will allow them to reestablish their livelihoods and rebuild their property and homes.

Committee formed to support and monitor IDP relocation in Adamawa state

According to round 7 of the IOM/NEMA Displacement Tracking Matrix, published in December, Adamawa State currently hosts more than 136,000 individuals displaced from Adamawa and Borno, and Nigerian refugees returned from Cameroon. With fresh displacements in southern Borno and northern Adamawa following the Christmas attacks, and the ongoing influx of returned refugees, IDPs continued to arrive in camps in Adamawa throughout December, even while the relocations of IDPs to Borno were happening.

During December, the Adamawa State Government and humanitarian partners formed a Return Protocol Implementing Committee in order to improve the coordination of ongoing relocations of IDPs within Adamawa State and between Adamawa and Borno States.

Chaired by the Nigerian Red Cross Society and composed of Adamawa SEMA, UN agencies and INGOs, the Return Protocol Implementing Committee monitors the movements of IDPs into and out of Adamawa State, with a focus on preserving the safety and dignity of IDPs, whether they choose to settle locally, elsewhere in the country, or seek support from SEMA to relocate to their state of origin.

IDP perspectives on relocation

With the relocation of over 2,500 IDPs, and the likelihood of more arrivals in the coming weeks, the capacity and essential services in IDP camps in Maiduguri are being stretched severely. At Hajj Camp, Gambo Muhammed, originally from Bama LGA, gave his perspective on the future:

“No-one is happy to be displaced and forced to leave all his investments, assets and people. Every day we live with the trauma of all we have lost, and our only hope is that one day we will return home to work hard at reclaiming some of what we lost.”

“I want to start my life again, so I am happy to be back in Borno,” he added.

IDPs who were originally displaced by Boko Haram into northern Cameroon before being returned by the Cameroonian authorities have travelled through as many as four centres and camps before being relocated to Maiduguri. At Teachers’ Village Camp - which currently has a population of 9,500 IDPs - 552 individuals returned from Cameroon had arrived as of 22 December, relocated via Mubi Transit Centre and Malkohi Camp in Adamawa.

Aisha Mohammed, from Bama LGA, said: “[I have] had enough of moving from one place to another and having to deal with hostile hosts.” Ms Mohammed, who took refuge in the Marwa region of Cameroon in 2014 for over a year, recalled how the spread of Boko Haram attacks to Cameroon marred the relationship that the displaced Nigerians had built with their Cameroonian hosts: “as Boko Haram attacks spread to the region, our hosts became hostile and we were all sacked from the area. We moved to Mokolo, still in Cameroon, but the soldiers said we could not stay as we had no permit.”

Shelter construction is still ongoing in Teachers' Village camp to accommodate the IDPs relocated from Adamawa in November and December. Temporary learning spaces within the camps are being used as an interim measure to provide additional capacity until construction is completed. In the meantime, IDP relocations from Adamawa continue to increase the pressure on capacity and essential services in Maiduguri camps.

Asked to describe conditions in Teachers' Village, Husseina Bala from Askira-Uba LGA said that they were “not the best, [but] we are happy things have been improving over the past few days. More shelters are being constructed by humanitarian agencies and the food is beginning to improve compared to the first few days when we had irregular food supply.”

Kabir Sanni from Gamboru-Ngala LGA agreed: “we want more shelters, clothing and food. We have seen a lot construction works being done and we hope that things will get better in coming days.”

AMOUNT: EUR 70 103 4601

1. MAJOR CHANGES SINCE PREVIOUS VERSION OF THE HIP

Sixth modification as 21 December 2015

In order to rectify a clerical mistake, this amendment aims to transfer an amount of EUR 600 000 from the Chad envelope of the CAR, Chad and Cameroon (CCC) 2015 HIP to the West Africa 2015 HIP. This amount will be allocated to a project in Niger in order to meet the needs of displaced people in the Niger Diffa region that is affected by Boko Haram attacks.
Fifth modification An amount of EUR 4,900,000, including EUR 1,900,000 made available by DFID in the framework of the ECHO-DFID partnership PHASE (Providing Humanitarian Aid for Sahel Emergencies) is added to this HIP to reinforce ECHO interventions in response to the consequences of the Boko Haram crisis in Chad and Cameroon.

In the last months, the conflict between national armed forces and Boko Haram has intensified in North-East Nigeria and its neighbouring countries around Lake Chad:
Chad, Niger and Cameroon. Entire villages have been burnt, subsistence means have been destroyed, and thousands of civilians have been killed. Continuous incursions of suspected Boko Haram members have resulted in large displacements of population, causing influxes of Nigerian refugees and internal displacements in the affected countries. The crisis has disrupted local economies and households' livelihoods, impacting negatively on the food and nutritional status of the affected populations.

The Far North region of Cameroon hosts currently 62,860 Nigerian refugees and 92,660 internally displaced persons (IDPs) fleeing Boko Haram's attacks. The Lake region of Chad hosts 52,321 IDPs displaced since July 2015 and 11,000 IDPs displaced between January and June 2015, in addition to 11,593 Chadian returnees from Nigeria arrived since January 2015 and 7,868 Nigerian refugees in the Dar-es-Salam camp, arrived since January 2015.

The volatile security situation, with continuous violence on civilian populations and threats on humanitarian workers, has been affecting the delivery of humanitarian assistance, leaving critical gaps still unaddressed. In the Lake region of Chad, access to water, sanitation and hygiene by displaced populations and host communities needs to be improved in view of a growing number of people affected and extremely limited water and sanitation facilities available in the area, exposing people to serious risks of epidemics. Additional food security and livelihood support are critically required in the Far North of Cameroon over the coming months, enabling access to food by the most affected displaced and local populations, while reinforcing their resilience. A specific attention to the protection needs of beneficiaries will need to be integrated in all interventions.

The additional funding will be partly used to extend ongoing actions and/or to support suitable action proposals already received.

MONTANT: EUR 70 703 4601

1. CHANGEMENTS DEPUIS LA VERSION PRECEDENTE DU HIP

Cinquième modification

Un montant de EUR 4 900 000, incluant EUR 1 900 000 mis à disposition par DFID dans le cadre du partenariat ECHO-DFID PHASE (Providing Humanitarian Aid for Sahel Emergencies), sera rajouté à ce HIP afin de renforcer les interventions d'ECHO en réponse aux conséquences de la crise provoquée par Boko Haram au Tchad et Cameroun.

Dans les derniers mois, le conflit entre forces armées nationales et Boko Haram s'est intensifié dans le nord-est de Nigeria et dans les pays frontaliers du Lac Tchad: le Tchad, le Niger et le Cameroun. Des villes entières ont été brulées, les moyens de subsistance ont été détruits et des millions de civils ont été tués. Des incursions répétées menées par de membres présumés de Boko Haram, ont causé d'importants mouvements de population provoquant un afflux de réfugiés nigérians et de déplacements internes dans les pays touchés. La crise a perturbé les économies locales et les moyens de subsistance de ménages avec un impact très négatif sur la situation alimentaire et nutritionnelle de populations affectées.

La région de l'Extrême nord du Cameroun accueille actuellement 62 860 réfugiés nigérians et 92 660 personnes déplacées internes (PDI) qui ont fui les attaques de Boko Haram. La région du Lac de Tchad accueille 52 321 personnes déplacées internes depuis juillet 2015 et 11 000 entre janvier et juin 2015. De plus, 11 593 rapatriés tchadiens en provenance du Nigeria sont arrivés depuis janvier 2015 et 7 868 réfugiés nigérians sont arrivés au camp de Dar-es-Salam depuis janvier 2015.

La situation sécuritaire instable, la violence continue sur les populations civiles et les menaces contre les travailleurs humanitaires ont eu des répercussions sur l'acheminement de l'aide humanitaire laissant de lacunes critiques encore non comblées. Dans la région du Lac Tchad, l'accès à l'eau, l'assainissement et l'hygiène par les populations déplacées et les communautés d'accueil doivent être améliorés en vue du nombre croissant de personnes touchées et du nombre extrêmement limité d'installations d'eau et d'assainissement dans la région, qui expose les gens à des risques graves d'épidémies. Un appui supplémentaire à la sécurité alimentaire et aux moyens de subsistance sont crucialement nécessaires dans l'Extrême-Nord du Cameroun au cours des prochains mois. Il est fondamental d'assurer l'accès à la nourriture aux populations déplacées et locales les plus touchées tout en renforçant leur résilience. Une attention spécifique aux besoins de protection des bénéficiaires devra être intégrée dans toutes les interventions.

Le financement supplémentaire sera en partie utilisé pour étendre des actions en cours et/ou pour soutenir des propositions d'action appropriée déjà reçues.

INDONESIA

Flood

http://adinet.ahacentre.org/reports/view/797
Flooding in Pandrah and Jeunib subdistrict, Bireun, Aceh Province was caused by heavy rains. At least 27 houses were submerged and about 234 has. of paddy fields were inundated.

http://adinet.ahacentre.org/reports /view/799
Flooding in West Kotawaringin, Central Kalimantan Province affected 600 families and inundated 596 houses.

http://adinet.ahacentre.org/reports/vie w/796
Torrential rains triggered floods in the District of Sijunjung, West Sumatra. A total of 271 houses were inundated and 299 families affected.

http://adinet.ahacentre.org/reports/vie w/798
Flooding affected 10 sub-districts in Kuantan Singingi, Riau Province. 4,552 houses were affected.

VIET NAM

Wind

http://adinet.ahacentre.org/reports/vie w/800
A whirlwind in Bao Lac, Cao Bang Province damaged 107 houses and 2 schools.

Fadimata Zahara Cissé, affectionately known as Azahara, has been an ICRC nurse in Gao, northern Mali, for over five years. She is a key member of the team delivering surgical care at Gao hospital.

After several years with other humanitarian organizations, 30-year-old Azahara, originally from Mali's Timbuktu region, joined the ICRC medical team at Gao hospital in 2010. In recent years, people living in this region have endured much hardship as a result of the armed conflict. And Gao hospital has often been on the front line when it comes to providing emergency care. "In 2012, there were times when we were receiving dozens and dozens of wounded patients at once, most with gunshot wounds and some whose limbs had been cut off," recalled Azahara, her face betraying no emotion. "But thanks to the technical capacity of the hospital, which was entirely renovated by the ICRC, we were able to treat even the cases that seemed hopeless," she continued, more positively.

"At times the hospital was pushed to the limit. We had to work night and day to look after patients requiring urgent care. That's what happened in May 2014 in Kidal and during the clashes between armed groups in Tabankort, Menaka and Anefis in 2015. Wounded people were pouring in from all sides, all requiring our undivided attention."

Azahara is still haunted by the memory of those who came to the hospital in 2012 having had limbs cut off by armed men, who accused them of breaking the law. "The operating theatre dealt with the most seriously injured cases, so we were on the front line, directly in contact with patients being brought in who had just had an arm or a leg cut off." But Azahara's strength of character and courage enable her to stay calm and professional in the face of adversity and a very harsh reality.

Azahara is not immune to the effects of the violence, however. She has been through some very difficult experiences, and has even feared for her life – like the day that protestors forced their way into the hospital looking for patients who supposedly belonged to the other side. "We heard shouts and screams. We were terrified for our patients and staff alike. Fortunately, the protestors changed their minds and left; we got lucky," she recalled. "The ICRC treats everyone. What matters is the seriousness of their condition, not their affiliation to one group or another. Such an approach might be difficult for others to understand, but it's what underpins our humanitarian work."

Although she has learnt to overcome some painful experiences with a great deal of courage, Azahara hasn't got over the attack of 30 March 2015, in which her colleague Hamadoun was killed. He was attacked on the road as he drove an ICRC truck. "I still get goosebumps whenever I think about it, as if it was only yesterday," she says, overcome with emotion. "I can't believe it, I still can't believe it."

Azahara's family have repeatedly asked her to stop working for the ICRC, whose work is mainly carried out in what can be dangerous conflict zones. But she won't be put off. "I'm driven on by the smiles of the many survivors of the conflict. We treat them in surgery, sometimes in a terrible state, and then we come across them a few weeks or months later, in the hospital or elsewhere, in good health and smiling," she explained. "That smile – sincere, grateful – that's what gives me the courage and strength to carry on, despite the sometimes very difficult security situation."

(New York, 11 January 2016)– United Nations humanitarian chief Stephen O’Brien has allocated US$31 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to support humanitarian partners in Nigeria and the Lake Chad Basin region, where the humanitarian situation is worsening due to violence perpetrated by Boko Haram.

An estimated 2.7 million people, of which 1.5 million are children, have been displaced in the region, making it the fastest growing displacement crisis in Africa. People affected by the ongoing crisis are in urgent need of food, drinking water, shelter, health care, protection and education. CERF funding will provide life-saving assistance to almost 1.7 million affected people in the four countries. Some $10 million will bolster relief efforts in Nigeria, while humanitarian partners in Cameroon, Chad and Niger will receive $7 million each.

“Many people have lost everything. Hundreds of thousands of women and children continue to bear the brunt of the Boko Haram violence,” said the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Stephen O’Brien. “Saving lives and protecting people in the region is at the centre of the humanitarian response.”

Women and girls kidnapped by Boko Haram have been subjected to physical and psychological abuse, forced labour, forced marriage and sexual slavery. Boys have been forcibly enrolled as combatants. Humanitarian agencies will use CERF funds to support urgently needed protection assistance including prevention of and response to sexual and gender-based violence in the four countries.

In Nigeria, CERF funding will also be critical for providing emergency shelter, health care, safe drinking water and sanitation and nutrition for affected people currently living in overcrowded camps, in the North East of the country. In Cameroon, Chad and Niger, CERF support will allow for improved access to shelters, reproductive health care, safe drinking water and sanitation in camps for displaced, host communities and schools.

The affected region also suffers from chronic food insecurity, and under-development. The funds will also be used to provide food, supplementary feeding and nutritional support to people who face severe hunger as insecurity continues to have a negative impact on livelihoods, food security, and nutrition. “Aid agencies in region have warned that living conditions for the affected people in the region are dire, giving rise to serious protection and health concerns”, Mr. O’Brien said. “The $31 million CERF allocation will provide a much-needed injection of funds for partners to provide for the most basic life sustaining needs in the Lake Chad region.”

The UN’s global humanitarian fund provides immediate funding for life-saving humanitarian action at the onset of emergencies and for neglected crises that have not attracted sufficient funding. Since its inception in 2006, 125 UN Member States and Observers, private-sector donors and regional governments have supported the Fund. To-date, CERF has allocated almost $4.2 billion in support of humanitarian operations in 94 countries and territories.

For further information, please call:
Susan Le Roux, CERF secretariat, +19173674252, Mob: + 19174997902, leroux@un.org
Amanda Pitt, OCHA Spokesperson, +1 212 963 4129 | Mob: +1 917 442 1810, pitta@un.org
OCHA press releases are available at http://ochaonline.un.org or www.reliefweb.int. or cerf.un.org

www.unocha.org

The mission of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is to mobilize and coordinate effective and principled humanitarian action in partnership with national and international actors

Highlights

• On 16 December, UNHCR in collaboration with WFP, held a consultative meeting in Nouakchott to introduce the 2016 Assistance Programme for Malian refugees in Mauritania and present the results of the recent Joint Assessment Mission conducted in Mberra camp. The meeting was the occasion for UNHCR’s Representative in Mauritania to stress the need for all national and international humanitarian actors to continue their joint efforts to strengthen people of concern’s self-reliance and work towards maintaining peaceful coexistence between the refugee and host communities.

• In December, UNHCR facilitated the safe voluntary return for about 350 Malians, some of whom have lived in Mberra camp since 2012 as well as two urban refugee families who voluntarily returned to Bangui, in the Central African Republic.

• Thanks to the kind donations of the clothing company UNIQLO and the United Arab Emirates, close to 3,000 among the most vulnerable refugees in Mberra camp, received a full set of clothes and about 5,000 received date fruits in December.

• To strengthen peaceful coexistence between refugees and their host community, UNHCR completed important life-improving initiatives in the Bassikounou region near Mberra Refugee camp, such as wells construction and rehabilitation as well as fencing of arable land.

• In order to strengthen self-reliance, UNHCR completed construction works for five community kitchens which will improve livelihood for Malian refugees in Mberra camp.

Operational Context

Violent clashes in northern Mali in early 2012 triggered important waves of displacements into Mauritania, where a refugee camp was established 50 Km from the Malian border in the Hodh el Charghi region. Following the military intervention in northern Mali in January 2013, new influxes of Malian refugees occurred, thus further stretching the limited resources available in the area.
In collaboration with the Mauritanian Government that has kept its borders open to new influxes, UN organizations and national and international NGOs, UNHCR leads the humanitarian response for 50,228 Malian refugees in Mberra camp.
In addition, the organization protects and assists 1,174 urban refugees and 502 asylum seekers, mainly from the Central African Republic, Syria, Côte d’Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Senegal.
Lately, violence in Northern Mali sparked new waves of displacements and 486 new arrivals in Mauritania have been registered in 2015, despite the signing of a peace agreement in Mali in June. Large-scale returns of refugees are therefore not yet envisaged and UNHCR and its partners are maintaining their presence in Bassikounou to sustain the humanitarian response at Mberra Camp.

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.

BAMAKO, Jan 11 (Reuters) - Delays in implementing the security measures of a Mali peace deal signed last year is making it harder for the army to counter resurgent jihadist groups, an army chief of the West African country said on Monday.

Islamist militants linked to al Qaeda who seized urban centres in Mali's desert north in 2012 were scattered by French forces a year later. But their insurgency is now intensifying and risks spilling into previously stable neighbours despite efforts by French and Malian forces to restore order.

Read the full story here.

SC/12195

7600th Meeting (PM)

Government Still Committed to Accord, despite Terror Threat, Says Foreign Minister

Delays in implementing elements of Mali’s 2015 peace agreement could unravel the hard-won confidence built between the signatories to the accord, United Nations peacekeeping chief Hervé Ladsous warned today, while briefing the Security Council on the situation in that country.

“The peace process in Mali is still fragile,” emphasized Mr. Ladsous, Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, as he briefed the 15-member body during its first formal meeting of 2016. Presenting the latest report of the Secretary-General on the activities of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA), he said the situation on the ground had evolved considerably since the Council’s last consultations on the matter in October 2015.

Efforts on the part of the Malian authorities, the signatory parties and international mediators had helped to improve the dynamics between the Government and the “Coordination” and “Platform” armed groups, he continued. In particular, the Government had released a number of persons detained as a result of the conflict, an important confidence-building measure. The Committee for Monitoring the Peace Agreement and the Technical Security Commission were functional, he added, describing MINUSMA’s efforts in providing good offices to those involved in the peace process. However, that progress had not been translated fully into full implementation of the peace agreement, which had suffered significant delays, he noted.

He went on to describe several positive developments, including the establishment of the Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission, but warned that “there is the potential to unravel the hard-won confidence built so far by the signatory parties” if delays continued. In that respect, he welcomed the upcoming meeting of the Committee for Monitoring the Peace Agreement, expected to take place in Algiers, and expressed hope that new timelines would be set to implement outstanding reforms. The first priority should be to introduce interim administrative arrangements upon which the resumption of basic services in northern Mali would hinge, he stressed. In addition, the Government must rapidly turn its attention to institutional reforms provided for in the peace agreement. Meanwhile, Parliament and the Government must continue to take the lead in advancing the implementation of such reforms in an inclusive and consultative manner.

Welcoming the Government’s announcement that the National Committee for the Coordination of the Implementation of the Peace Agreement would include representatives designated by each of the signatory parties, he called upon the various movements to designate their representatives without delay. Time was of the essence in advancing key processes including cantonment, disarmament, demobilization and reintegration, as well as security sector reform, he said. The various pillars of the peace agreement were highly interrelated, and should be implemented in a parallel and synchronized manner, he said, emphasizing that there would be no lasting peace in the north without “peace dividends” for the most vulnerable.

He went on to welcome in that regard the continued engagement of international partners who had pledged more than €3.2 billion, while noting that, although MINSUSMA had scaled up its support for communities in the north by 30 per cent, more remained to be done. Terrorist groups still threatened the peace process as they continued to attack Malian armed forces and intimidate populations. MINUSMA’s own convoys and camps were under heavy attack, and despite repeated calls, Member States were still not providing the necessary logistical support. Additionally, joint patrols and cantonments alone could not end the conflict, he said, stressing that political and institutional reforms were also urgently needed.

Following the briefing, Abdoulaye Diop, Mali’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, said the report before the Council underscored the challenges that his country faced, calling particular attention to terrorist activities that continued to threaten local communities. Reiterating, nevertheless, the Government’s commitment to progress on implementing the peace agreement, he recalled that, on 22 October 2015, the Government of Mali and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) had hosted an international conference to discuss ways to move forward with the peace and reconciliation process, and bring about economic recovery and development, including by mobilizing development aid, private investment and domestic resources.

The Government had also prioritized fighting malaria and providing primary education for all children, he said, adding that electricity had been provided to the communities of Kidal and Menaka. In the political-institutional arena, it had established a ministry focusing on decentralization and State reform. As for terrorism, he urged the international community to take the threat “very seriously”. Member States must demonstrate solidarity in order to defeat it, he said, welcoming to that end the adoption of Council resolution 2253 (2015), which expanded the Al-Qaida sanctions framework to include Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL/Da’esh). He invited Council members to conduct an in-depth study in order to ensure a successful strategy for exiting Mali.

The meeting began at 3:04 p.m. and ended at 3:50 p.m.

For information media. Not an official record.

CS/12195

7600e séance – après-midi

Face à la détermination de groupes extrémistes qui veulent faire échouer le processus de paix, il est urgent de mettre en œuvre l’Accord pour la paix et la réconciliation au Mali signé le 20 juin 2015, a affirmé devant le Conseil de sécurité, cet après-midi, le Secrétaire général adjoint aux opérations de maintien de la paix, M. Hervé Ladsous.

Lors de cet exposé, où il présentait le rapport du Secrétaire général*, M. Ladsous a estimé que la situation sur le terrain avait considérablement évolué depuis la dernière réunion du Conseil consacrée au Mali, en octobre dernier, « grâce aux efforts conjugués des autorités maliennes, des parties signataires de l’Accord, de la médiation internationale et de la Mission multidimensionnelle intégrée des Nations Unies pour la stabilisation au Mali (MINUSMA) ».

Ces efforts ont notamment permis de renforcer la dynamique de dialogue et de concertation entre le Gouvernement du Mali, la coordination des mouvements de l’Azawad et les groupes de la Plateforme, et de créer un environnement plus propice au fonctionnement effectif des mécanismes de suivi de l’Accord. Ces mécanismes, à savoir le Comité de suivi de l’Accord (CSA) et la Commission technique de sécurité, se sont d’ailleurs réunis à quatre reprises depuis cette réunion du Conseil de sécurité, a-t-il expliqué.

« Il faut cependant continuer à faire davantage », a-t-il ajouté, en insistant sur l’urgence à surmonter de concert les défis dans les domaines politique, sécuritaire et humanitaire. « Le processus de paix naissant demeure fragile et est confronté à la détermination affichée ces derniers mois par des groupes terroristes qui veulent le faire échouer », a-t-il souligné.

L’attentat terroriste perpétré contre l’hôtel Radisson Blu à Bamako, le 20 novembre 2015, qui a tué 19 civils et un soldat malien et blessé de nombreuses autres personnes, a eu lieu pendant une des réunions du Comité de suivi de l’accord (CSA), et alors même que la délégation algérienne (qui préside le CSA) y résidait, a-t-il précisé.

De même, les dirigeants du groupe Ansar Dine ont condamné à deux reprises le processus de paix et dénoncé les groupes armés signataires de l’Accord d’Alger, allant jusqu’à menacer d’intensifier les attaques contre la France et ses alliés, Gouvernement malien et MINUSMA y compris, a-t-il rappelé.

En outre, les groupes extrémistes continuent à intimider les populations, les Forces armées maliennes ou la MINUSMA non seulement au nord mais aussi dans le centre et dans le sud du Mali.

La MINUSMA a essuyé 28 attaques entre le 23 septembre et le 16 décembre 2015, période couverte par le rapport du Secrétaire général sur la situation au Mali, contre 20 lors des trois mois précédents, a-t-il expliqué. Face à cette situation, deux tiers des effectifs de la Force de la Mission sont employés à protéger ses installations et ses convois.

En outre, bien que les organes de suivi de l’Accord soient à présent opérationnels, leur mise en place ne se traduit pas encore par des progrès tangibles en vue de mettre en œuvre plusieurs mesures importantes, notamment celles en matière de politique de cantonnement des groupes de combattants et celles relatives à l’organisation de patrouilles mixtes.

« Certes, 11 sites de cantonnement ont été validés et les travaux ont déjà démarré pour deux d’entre eux mais seule une patrouille mixte a été menée le 14 novembre, et plus rien depuis », a-t-il regretté.

M. Ladsous s’est également dit préoccupé par les retards accumulés dans la mise en œuvre d’autres réformes politiques et institutionnelles, qui sous-tendent l’Accord de paix. « Ceux-ci risquent de saper la confiance entre les différents partenaires », a-t-il dit, en insistant sur la nécessité d’établir des administrations locales provisoires et de s’atteler aux réformes institutionnelles telles que la décentralisation ou la création de deux nouvelles régions de Taoudéni et Ménaka.

« L’un des enseignements de ces derniers mois est que les différents piliers de l’Accord de paix sont intimement liés les uns aux autres », a-t-il dit.

Il a ensuite rappelé que la Conférence internationale pour la relance économique et le développement du Mali, organisée à Paris le 22 octobre 2015 par l’Organisation de coopération et de développement économiques (OCDE), avait débouché sur des promesses de contribution d’environ 3,2 milliards d’euros pour la période 2015-2017.

À la suite de cet exposé, le Ministre des affaires étrangères du Mali, M. Abdoulaye Diop, a réaffirmé la détermination « ferme et totale » de son gouvernement à mettre en œuvre les dispositions de l’Accord pour la paix et la réconciliation. Il a estimé à 3,5 milliards d’euros le coût global des actions de relèvement, de réduction de la pauvreté et de développement au Mali au cours des six prochaines années.

Il a par ailleurs précisé que le Gouvernement malien et les différents partenaires techniques et financiers avaient créé un mécanisme de concertation visant à assurer une gestion optimale et transparente des ressources destinées à la mise en œuvre de l’Accord.

S’agissant de la situation sécuritaire, le Ministre s’est félicité de la cessation des hostilités et de la diffusion de messages d’apaisement et de soutien à l’Accord. À propos du processus de désarmement, démobilisation et réinsertion, il a attiré l’attention du Conseil de sécurité sur la nécessité d’accélérer la phase de cantonnement et a invité la MINUSMA à jouer pleinement son rôle et à amener les groupes armés à coopérer pour garantir la réussite de l’opération.

Il a ensuite estimé que le regain d’activités terroristes au nord du pays visait clairement à freiner la mise en œuvre de l’Accord et à créer « une psychose au sein de la communauté des hommes d’affaires et des investisseurs ».

Conscient que les opérations de maintien de la paix n’ont pas vocation à lutter contre le terrorisme, M. Diop a expliqué que les Forces maliennes ne pouvaient pas faire face, seules, à ce phénomène en raison de l’immensité du territoire malien et du « caractère asymétrique de cette guerre ».

Le Ministre a, par conséquent, invité les membres du Conseil de sécurité à envisager un renforcement de la capacité opérationnelle de la MINUSMA en vue de l’adapter au contexte sécuritaire. Il a, en outre, réitéré la volonté des chefs d’État et de gouvernement des entités régionales et sous-régionales africaines à mettre en place une force d’intervention rapide destinée à lutter contre le terrorisme.

Il a mis en garde contre le danger d’assister à un embrasement de l’ensemble de la région du fait des interactions, « voire d’une jonction », entre les groupes terroristes opérant dans le Sahel, au nord du Mali, en Libye et dans le bassin du lac Tchad.

« Nous devons prendre très au sérieux la menace terroriste dans la région du Sahel », a-t-il affirmé, en ajoutant que ce serait une grave erreur que « d’accorder un traitement sélectif dans la lutte contre le terrorisme ».

M. Diop a, dès lors, invité le Conseil à envisager des mesures plus vigoureuses contre les groupes terroristes opérant dans la zone sahélo-saharienne.

* S/2015/1030

Busani Bafana

BULAWAYO, Zimbabwe, 20 déc (IPS) - La contamination par l'aflatoxine est une menace croissante pour le commerce, la sécurité alimentaire et la santé en Afrique subsaharienne, où les petits fermiers font face au défi de la production alimentaire et maintenant le changement climatique, selon des chercheurs.

Les aflatoxines sont des poisons toxiques et cancérigènes produits par certains champignons de moisissure verte qui se produit naturellement dans le sol. Ces poisons sont devenus un contaminant grave des aliments de base en Afrique subsaharienne, dont le maïs, le manioc, le sorgho, l'igname, le riz, l'arachide et les noix de cajou.

L'Institut international d'agriculture tropicale (IITA), une organisation à but non lucratif pour l'international basée au Nigeria, a dirigé des recherches de pointe dans la réduction de la contamination par les mycotoxines en Afrique par le déploiement d'approches novatrices.

Selon les chercheurs de l'IITA, l'exposition aux mycotoxines est un obstacle important à l'amélioration de la santé et du bien-être des populations en Afrique, où des niveaux élevés de contamination par les aflatoxines ont été confirmés. Beaucoup de petits agriculteurs ne parviennent pas à éviter la contamination pendant la production et le stockage de leurs cultures parce qu'ils manquent de moyens rentables pour déterminer les poisons.

L'Afrique subsaharienne perd chaque année plus de 450 millions de dollars de recettes du commerce des principaux aliments de base, notamment le maïs, l'arachide du fait de la contamination par les aflatoxines, on,t indiqué les chercheurs à IPS. La facture pour la santé à cause du fait que les gens mangent des aliments contaminés sans le savoir se chiffre en des millions de dollars dans une région ayant des centres de santé surchargés.

L'Afrique est exposée à des toxines qui sont liées à la suppression de l'immunité, au cancer du foie chez l'Homme et au retard de croissance chez les enfants. Selon l'UNICEF, 40 pour cent des enfants en Afrique subsaharienne sont rabougris ou ont une faible taille pour leur âge qui peut être associé au développement du cerveau avec des facultés affaiblies.

Les chercheurs disent que des températures élevées et la sécheresse favorisent la croissance desd champignons, tandis que de mauvaises pratiques agricoles et l'état de l'insécurité alimentaire de nombreuses personnes en Afrique subsaharienne augmentent leur exposition à la contamination par l'aflatoxine. En plus, une forte teneur du sol en eau à la récolte attribuée aux pluies hors-saison du fait de la variabilité climatique augmente la contamination.

"Le changement climatique est en effet prévu pour avoir un impact profond sur la contamination des cultures vivrières et fourragères par l'aflatoxine", a déclaré Joao, ajoutant que, "En conséquence, il prévu que toute réduction du niveau de précipitation ou toute augmentation de la température accentuera le problème des aflatoxines".

En 2009, l'IITA, la Fondation de technologie agricole africaine (AATF), le département amériocain de l'Agriculture -le Service de recherches agricole (USDA-ARS) et d'autres partenaires ont développé une technologie de contrôle biologique indigène, baptisée AflaSafe pour atténuer la contamination par l'aflatoxine dans le maïs et l'arachide.

Aflasafe est un mélange de quatre souches non productrices d'aflatoxine du champignon de moisissure verte (Aspergilllus flavus) d'origine indigène. Le produit Aflasafe formulé est ensuite répandu dans le champ où il se déverloppe et empêche les souches produisant de toxines de coloniser, de se multiplier et de contaminer les cultures.

Une recherche ciblée du contrôle biologique de l'aflatoxine en Afrique a commencé pour la première fois au Nigeria où Aflasafe est aujourd'hui un produit commercial entièrement enregistré. Des produits spécifiques aux pays ont été développés et introduits au Kenya, au Burkina Faso, au Sénégal, en Gambie et en Zambie.

Dans tous ces six pays où les produits de contrôle biologique sont testés de 2008 à ce jour, l'IITA a dit que les agriculteurs ont toujours atteint jusqu'à 99 pour cent de réduction de la contamination par les aflatoxines en utilisant Aflasafe dans les champs de maïs et de l'arachide.

"Les avantages attribués à l'utilisation du produit de contrôle biologique Aflasafe pour atténuer la contamination par l'aflatoxine dépassent de loin son coût", a affirmé Juliette Akello, phytopathologiste et membre de l'équipe de l'IITA en Zambie dans le cadre de 'Aflatoxin Biocontrol' (Biocontrôle de l'aflatoxine). "L'exposition à l'aflatoxine par la consommation d'aliments contaminés est une combinaison de l'ignorance, de la pauvreté et de la mauvaise application des normes par les gouvernements".

Globalement, les aflatoxines constituent une menace connue qui a été réduite grâce à l'investissement dans les contrôles de la sécurité des aliments. Les petits fermiers en Afrique dépendent d'une combinaison de méthodes traditionnelles de stockage et de l'utilisation de pesticides pour éviter les charançons. Cependant, ces méthodes ne s'avèrent pas toujours efficaces contres les pestes, les amenant à perdre une grande partie de la récolte stockée au moment où ils en ont le plus besoin.

D'autres approches innovantes sont en essai en Afrique pour réduire les pertes avant et après les récoltes et éliminer la contamination par les aflatoxines au moyen de l'Aflasafe.

Au Zimbabwe, les chercheurs de l'Université du Zimbabwe et de l'ONG 'Action Contre la Faim' travaillent avec les communautés dans deux districts afin de déterminer si l'amélioration du stockage peut réduire la contamination par les aflatoxines dans le grain de maïs local. cette recherche de deux ans, soutenue par le programme 'Cultivate Africa’s Future (CultiAF)', une initiative financée par le Centre canadien de recherche sur le développement international (CRDI) et le Centre australien pour la recherche agricole internationale, évaluera également les niveaux d'exposition des femmes et des nourrissons. Le projet a introduit des silos métalliques et du plastique épais "supers sacs," permettant au maïs d'être stocké dans des conditions hermétiques.

Les agriculteurs en Afrique sub-saharienne font face au défi du manque d'équipement de séchage, la plupart producteurs de maïs et d'arachide gardant leurs cultures dans les champs pour qu'elles sèchent avant de les récolter. Parfois, ils les stockent avant qu'elles ne s'assèchent correctement, les rendant vulnérables à l'attaque des aflatoxines.

Les exportations de produits agricoles notamment les arachides en provenance d'Afrique ont diminué de près de 20 pour cent au cours des deux dernières décennies. Ces produits ont été rejetés pour n'avoir répondu aux réglementations du marché de l'Union européenne sur les niveaux d'aflatoxines dans les aliments destinés à la consommation humaine, un obstacle sérieux pour le commerce international.

Selon l'Organisation des Nations Unies pour l'alimentation et l'agriculture, seuls 15 pays africains avaient des limites réglementaires pour les aflatoxines en 2013.

En Zambie, par exemple, il a été déclaré que près de 100 pour cent des marques de beurre d'arachide échantillonnées entre 2012 et 2014 provenant des supermarchés et marchés locaux contenaient des niveaux dangereux d'aflatoxines au delà de 20ppb. Moins de 30 pour cent de farine d'arachide moulue collecté des marchés et des fermes avaient des niveaux compris dans les limites de 4 ppb fixées par l'UE comme étant des limites sûres.

Alors qu'au Kenya, considéré comme prmier point chaud d'afflatoxines en Afrique de l'est, près de 200 personnes sont mortes à cause de l'aflatoxicose aiguë après avoir mangé du maïs contaminé par les aflatoxines entre 2004 et 2006. Environ deux millions de sacs de maïs ont été déclarés impropres à la consommation humaine à cause des niveaux élevés d'aflatoxines en 2010.

Le chargé de programmes de l'IITA pour Aflasafe au Malawi, Dr Joseph Atehnkeng, a dit qu'entre 40 et 100 pour cent des produits à base d'arachide au Malawi, ont été déclarés comme contenant des niveaux de toxines dangereuses.

Les anciens grands exportateurs d'arachide: le Mozambique, le Sénégal, la Gambie, la Zambie et le Malawi, ont perdu des marchés lucratifs dans l'UE, aux Etats-Unis et en Afrique du Sud à cause des niveaux élevés d'aflatoxine dans leurs produits, souligne le scientifique et phytopathologiste de l'IITA, Dr Joao Augusto.

Le Mozambique a depuis la fin des années 70 enregistré une forte prévalence du cancer du foie dans la partie sud du pays qui a été associée à la consommation d'aliments contaminés par l'aflatoxine, en particulier les arachides.

Selon le Partenariat pour le contrôle des aflatoxines (PACA), un projet régional créé en 2009 pour réduire et finalement éradiquer les aflatoxines par des stratégies prouvées et novatrices, il faut des politiques efficaces de régulation des aflatoxines et des normes spécifiques à chaque pays.

Chercheur, Chapwa Kasoma de la Zambie, pévient que laissée non incontrôlée, la contamination par les aflatoxines pourrait retarder le développement en Afrique subsaharienne.

"Si nous voulons vaincre la pauvreté sous toutes ses formes, combatttre non seulement l'inadapatation des aliments, mais aussi maîtriser également toutes les formes de malnutrition, nous devons être préoccupés", a déclaré Chapwa à IPS, également un superviseur de terrain chez Pioneer DuPont. "Etant de puissants cancérigènes, les aflatoxines sont clairement un problème de nutrition". (FIN/2016)

(New York, 11 January 2016)– United Nations humanitarian chief Stephen O’Brien has allocated US$31 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to support humanitarian partners in Nigeria and the Lake Chad Basin region, where the humanitarian situation is worsening due to violence perpetrated by Boko Haram.

An estimated 2.7 million people, of whom 1.5 million are children, have been displaced in the region, making it the fastest growing displacement crisis in Africa. People affected by the ongoing crisis are in urgent need of food, drinking water, shelter, health care, protection and education. CERF funding will provide life-saving assistance to almost 1.7 million affected people in the four countries. Some $10 million will bolster relief efforts in Nigeria, while humanitarian partners in Cameroon, Chad and Niger will receive $7 million each.

“Many people have lost everything. Hundreds of thousands of women and children continue to bear the brunt of the Boko Haram violence,” said the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Stephen O’Brien. “Saving lives and protecting people in the region is at the centre of the humanitarian response.”

Women and girls kidnapped by Boko Haram have been subjected to physical and psychological abuse, forced labour, forced marriage and sexual slavery. Boys have been forcibly enrolled as combatants. Humanitarian agencies will use CERF funds to support urgently needed protection assistance including prevention of and response to sexual and gender-based violence in the four countries.

In Nigeria, CERF funding will also be critical for providing emergency shelter, health care, safe drinking water and sanitation and nutrition for affected people currently living in overcrowded camps, in the North East of the country. In Cameroon, Chad and Niger, CERF support will allow for improved access to shelters, reproductive health care, safe drinking water and sanitation in camps for displaced, host communities and schools.

The affected region also suffers from chronic food insecurity, and under-development. The funds will also be used to provide food, supplementary feeding and nutritional support to people who face severe hunger as insecurity continues to have a negative impact on livelihoods, food security, and nutrition. “Aid agencies in region have warned that living conditions for the affected people in the region are dire, giving rise to serious protection and health concerns”, Mr. O’Brien said. “The $31 million CERF allocation will provide a much-needed injection of funds for partners to provide for the most basic life sustaining needs in the Lake Chad region.”

The UN’s global humanitarian fund provides immediate funding for life-saving humanitarian action at the onset of emergencies and for neglected crises that have not attracted sufficient funding. Since its inception in 2006, 125 UN Member States and Observers, private-sector donors and regional governments have supported the Fund. To-date, CERF has allocated almost $4.2 billion in support of humanitarian operations in 94 countries and territories.

For further information, please call:
Susan Le Roux, CERF secretariat, +19173674252, Mob: + 19174997902, leroux@un.org
Amanda Pitt, OCHA Spokesperson, +1 212 963 4129 | Mob: +1 917 442 1810, pitta@un.org
OCHA press releases are available at http://ochaonline.un.org or www.reliefweb.int. or cerf.un.org

www.unocha.org

The mission of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is to mobilize and coordinate effective and principled humanitarian action in partnership with national and international actors