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Mali: Humanitarian Action for Children 2016 - Mali

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Source: UN Children's Fund
Country: Mali

Total affected population: 2.5 million
Total affected children (under 18): 1,425,000
Total people to be reached in 2016: 1 million
Total children to be reached in 2016: 570,000

2016 programme targets

Nutrition

  • 135,000 children under 5 years with SAM newly admitted for treatment.

Health

  • 111,975 children under 5 years in the north vaccinated against polio and measles

  • At least 16,000 children aged 3 to 59 months received four rounds of seasonal malaria chemoprophylaxis in Diré

  • 9,960 children under 5 years accessed health care treatment in Kidal Region

WASH

  • 200,000 affected people in the north provided with access to safe water

  • 18,000 caregivers of acutely malnourished children in targeted areas taught good hygiene practices and provided with water treatment and hygiene kits

  • 60 health/nutrition centres equipped with appropriate WASH facilities (latrines, hand-washing stations and water supply)

Child protection

  • 180,000 people made aware of mine risks and unexploded ordnance

  • 23,000 conflict-affected children accessed referral services and reintegration opportunities

  • 4,000 survivors of gender-based violence received appropriate care and support Education

  • 150,000 crisis-affected children aged 6 to 15 years5 accessed quality formal and non-formal education

Mali

In June 2015, nearly three years after conflict erupted in northern Mali, the Government and armed groups signed a peace accord. The Malian population is yet to reap the dividends of this accord, however, and the rehabilitation of basic social services in the insecure north has yet to materialize. Some 61,920 internally displaced persons (IDPs) remain inside Mali and another 139,0004 Malian refugees are in neighbouring countries. Humanitarian actors continue to play a critical role in supporting life-saving interventions, including by re-establishing basic social services and reinforcing social cohesion through peacebuilding at the community level. The slow-onset food and nutrition crisis remains a major concern, with approximately 180,000 children (aged 6 to 59 months) expected to suffer from severe acute malnutrition (SAM) in 2016. Capacity building of communities to respond to and reinforce their resilience against crises, including natural hazards and conflict, remains a priority.

Humanitarian strategy

UNICEF will continue to work with partners, including national counterparts, to respond to humanitarian needs and facilitate access to quality basic social services for crisis-affected populations in the north and other vulnerable groups. In the area of water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), UNICEF will focus on the rehabilitation of infrastructure to ensure access to safe water for 200,000 people. In education, 150,000 children in 66 crisis- affected communities will be targeted for improved access to quality learning. In the area of child protection, UNICEF will support interventions for survivors of gender-based violence and reinforce the Monitoring and Reporting Mechanism. In terms of nutrition, UNICEF will continue to support the expansion of SAM treatment, implement integrated health, education and WASH interventions, and reinforce the coordination capacities of national counterparts. In health, integrated vaccination campaigns will be supported in the three northern regions (Gao, Kidal and Timbuktu) and health facilities will receive essential drugs and medical equipment to support health care for children under 5 years and pregnant women. Where necessary, UNICEF will also support mobile teams in nomadic areas to reach affected populations. UNICEF will continue to support disaster preparedness for flooding and epidemic outbreaks. Ebola prevention and preparedness will also continue, including through strengthening the capacity of health facilities and staff, scaling up hygiene promotion and conducting social mobilization activities.

Results from 2015

As of 31 October 2015, UNICEF had received 15 per cent (US$5.5 million) of the US$37.5 million 2015 appeal, in addition to US$8 million carried forward from 2014. The UNICEF response continued to focus on building national and local capacities to restore basic social services in conflict- affected areas in the north, supporting humanitarian coordination among partners, scaling up the nutrition response, and supporting the Ebola crisis response. Nearly 81,363 children residing in conflict-affected regions of Gao, Timbuktu, Mopti, Segou and Kidal have benefitted from access to formal and non-formal educational programming, including peacebuilding activities. UNICEF provided psychosocial support to 1,325 children and adolescents, and more than 379,000 persons were reached with mine risk education. Some 122,100 individuals gained access to safe water and 74 health and nutrition centres were equipped with appropriate WASH facilities. In collaboration with partners from non-governmental organizations, UNICEF supported routine immunization and treatment of children under 5 years against malaria, pneumonia and diarrhoea in areas of the north, and provided 21 health facilities with emergency heath kits, including medicines and equipment. UNICEF continued to ensure quality information and data collection through its support to the National Nutrition survey with SMART methods and ensured timely supply of ready-to-use therapeutic food and drugs to treat 127,104 children affected by SAM in 1,307 community health centres.


Burkina Faso: Humanitarian Action for Children 2016 - Sahel (Burkina Faso, the Gambia, Mauritania, Senegal)

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Source: UN Children's Fund
Country: Burkina Faso, Gambia, Mauritania, Senegal

Total affected population: 4,829,000
Total affected children (under 18): 1.14 million
Total people to be reached in 2016: 1,266,300
Total children to be reached in 2016: 248,575

2016 programme targets

Burkina Faso

  • 152,127 children under 5 years with SAM admitted into therapeutic feeding programmes
  • 120,000 people, including 50,000 children, accessed safe drinking water, sanitation and hygiene
  • 11,000 emergency-affected children accessed quality formal and non-formal education
  • 21,000 children provided with safe access to community spaces for socialization, play and learning

The Gambia

  • 6,251 children under 5 years with SAM admitted into therapeutic feeding programmes
  • 78,000 people accessed safe drinking water, sanitation and hygiene
  • 3,500 emergency-affected children accessed quality formal and non-formal education
  • 62,500 children under 5 years immunized against measles

Mauritania

  • 21,376 children under 5 years with SAM admitted into therapeutic feeding programmes
  • 16,450 mother/caregiver-child pairs received WASH kits as per WASH-in-nutrition interventions
  • 13,300 emergency-affected children accessed quality formal and non-formal education
  • 18,15 children accessed care services, including psychosocial support

Senegal

  • 68,821 children under 5 years with SAM admitted into therapeutic feeding programmes
  • 70,000 people accessed safe drinking water, sanitation and hygiene

Sahel

The Sahel sub-region is characterized by cyclical drought conditions, chronic food insecurity and alarming levels of malnutrition. Existing vulnerabilities, such as poverty and lack of access to basic social services, persist and are exacerbated during additional shocks, including floods, epidemic outbreaks, conflict and displacement. Socioeconomic factors, such as rising food prices, also deepen vulnerability. In 2016, an estimated 23.5 million people will be affected by food insecurity in the sub-region, and more than 5.8 million children will suffer from acute malnutrition (moderate and severe).7 The protracted humanitarian situation in the Sahel means that families are facing the daily erosion of coping capacities and resorting to negative strategies, such as taking on too much debt, eating seed stocks and removing children from school. In turn, these strategies leave families even less able to cope with the next shock and more likely to continue to need humanitarian assistance in the future. Building the capacity of households across the Sahel to deal with and recover from shocks is a central element of the humanitarian strategy.8 The UNICEF humanitarian strategy and the 2015 results for Burkina Faso, the Gambia, Mauritania and Senegal are presented below, with separate appeals available for the complex situations in Cameroon, Chad, Mali, the Niger and Nigeria.

Humanitarian strategy

In line with the 2014–2016 Sahel Strategic Response Plan (which brings together humanitarian and resilience interventions), the UNICEF humanitarian strategy aims to reinforce emergency preparedness and response, including by supporting national and local authorities and civil society to better respond to slow onset or sudden disasters and thereby prevent and/or mitigate their impact. UNICEF will scale up ongoing integrated management of acute malnutrition, focusing on life-saving treatment of severe acute malnutrition (SAM), as well as the prevention of malnutrition through infant and young child feeding and the promotion of essential family practices. Working with partners, UNICEF will improve access to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) for crisis- affected populations. As part of epidemic preparedness and response, UNICEF will support immunization campaigns targeting children to help mitigate or cope with ensuing epidemics, including through the integrated management of childhood illnesses. Access to education will be improved and protective environments will be supported for crisis-affected children by reinforcing systems and community-based interventions to provide care and support. UNICEF will support social protection mechanisms to reinforce the resilience of families and communities affected by crises, including refugees (for example in the Gambia).

Results from 2015

As of 31 October 2015, UNICEF had received 23 per cent (US$14.2 million) of its total 2015 humanitarian funding requirements for Burkina Faso, the Gambia, Mauritania and Senegal, in addition to US$10.7 million carried forward from 2014. In Burkina Faso, the Gambia, Mauritania and Senegal, 114,000 children were admitted for SAM treatment through the support of UNICEF and partners, including governments and non-governmental organizations. This represents a portion of the more than 1 million children reached across nine countries in the Sahel as of the end November 2015.6 In the area of child protection, UNICEF provided nearly 8,800 children with access to safe spaces for play, psychosocial support and learning. Although UNICEF was unable to meet its child protection target in Burkina Faso due to funding shortfalls, the targets were exceeded in Mauritania due to enhanced resource mobilization. In Burkina Faso, more than 6.2 million children received micronutrient supplements and in Senegal, over 1.8 million children received vitamin A supplementation with UNICEF support. In Burkina Faso, the Gambia, Mauritania and Senegal, some 276,000 crisis-affected people gained access to safe water and more than 18,000 children gained access to education. Although WASH and education targets were not met in Burkina Faso, the Gambia, Mauritania and Senegal due to limited funding, UNICEF remains committed to reinforcing fundraising and partnerships to support education interventions.

Niger: Humanitarian Action for Children 2016 - Niger

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

Total affected population: 2 million
Total affected children (under 18): 1.1 million
Total people to be reached in 2016: 1 million
Total children to be reached in 2016: 800,000

2016 programme targets

Nutrition

  • 400,794 children under 5 years suffering from SAM admitted into therapeutic feeding programmes

  • 183,615 children aged 6 to 59 months in Diffa Region received vitamin A supplementation every semester Health

  • 100,000 children aged 9 months to 14 years vaccinated against measles in Diffa Region

  • 110,000 children (malaria) and women (antenatal) with access to life-saving interventions through fixed and mobile strategies

WASH

  • 562,900 people in humanitarian situations accessed drinking water and appropriate sanitation facilities and practicing appropriate hygiene behaviours

Child protection

  • 40,000 children affected by conflict benefitted from access to child-friendly spaces for socialization, play and learning, and protected from violence, abuse and exploitation Education

  • 20,000 school-aged girls and boys (aged 7 to 14 years) accessed formal and non-formal education in Diffa Region

HIV and AIDS

  • 94 pregnant women who test positive for HIV provided with antiretroviral medications for prevention of mother-to- child transmission of HIV in Diffa Region

Niger

The Niger is facing a multifaceted humanitarian crisis caused by food insecurity, malnutrition, population movements, epidemics and natural disasters. The needs have been particularly acute in Diffa Region, where 213,000 people2 from Nigeria and the Niger remain displaced after fleeing the insecurity created by Boko Haram. Some 54,000 Malian3 refugees are still living in the Niger, which is increasing the strain on already weak and insufficient basic services in host communities. Security restrictions, coupled with a bad harvest, have impacted economic activities and weakened displaced and local communities even further. Frequent population movements and limited access due to insecurity are undermining accurate profiling and tracking, as well as the delivery of assistance. Recurrent epidemic outbreaks, such as measles and meningitis, are of serious humanitarian concern. Cholera also remains a major threat, particularly for Diffa and Tillabéry regions. Food insecurity and malnutrition are significant challenges in the current humanitarian context. It is estimated that in 2016, 2 million people4 will need food assistance and 400,794 children will suffer from severe acute malnutrition (SAM).

Humanitarian strategy

UNICEF and partners will continue to support humanitarian response in the Niger and provide multi-sectoral assistance to 1 million vulnerable people. UNICEF will assist 400,794 children affected by SAM and 403,000 refugees, returnees and people from host communities expected to be affected by the Nigeria crisis, including 221,000 children. Access to safe drinking water and sanitation facilities will be provided for 562,900 people. In addition to the identification, registration and provision of care for unaccompanied and separated children, child-friendly spaces will be set up for 40,000 children affected by the conflict in Diffa Region. UNICEF will also support the Ministry of Education to ensure access to formal and non-formal learning opportunities for 20,000 girls and boys and will strengthen synergies through joint education and child protection interventions to address the needs of conflict-affected children in Diffa Region. UNICEF will work with the Ministry of Health to respond to epidemic outbreaks nationwide, while maintaining a focus on Diffa Region for the provision of life-saving interventions through community-based outreach to 110,000 children. UNICEF will scale up its monitoring capacity, particularly in Diffa Region, through a newly established zonal office. The office in Diffa will increase its support to local counterparts to facilitate humanitarian coordination in the areas of nutrition, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), education and child protection, which UNICEF leads at the national level.

Results from 2015

As of 31 October 2015, UNICEF had received 26 per cent (US$10.6 million) of the US$40.5 million 2015 appeal, in addition to US$3.3 million carried forward from 2014. Despite low funding, UNICEF used other resources, including in-kind contributions, rolled-over 2014 supply funds and regular resources to ensure a continued supply of ready-to-use therapeutic food and maintain the life-saving national SAM treatment programme, reaching over 302,000 children (82 per cent of target). More than 13,000 households with malnourished children received WASH assistance and nearly 15,000 children benefitted from psychosocial support. UNICEF and partners provided 34,000 children affected by the Nigeria and Mali crises with access to child-friendly spaces, and more than 10,000 children benefited from access to education services. UNICEF played a major role in supporting the Ministry of Health to respond to epidemics through the provision of 462,000 doses of meningitis vaccines for children and measles immunization for 652,093 children. In Diffa Region, UNICEF and partners were not able to meet the targets for access to water, sanitation and education due to a lack of resources and operational partners. Nonetheless, these interventions remain priorities for humanitarian response in 2016 and UNICEF will continue its efforts to mobilize resources and partners.

Nigeria: Humanitarian Action for Children 2016 - Nigeria

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Source: UN Children's Fund
Country: Nigeria

Total affected population: 14.8 million
Total affected children (under 18): 7.3 million
Total people to be reached in 2016: 3.8 million
Total children to be reached in 2016: 1.9 million

2016 programme targets

Nutrition

  • 83,079 children aged 6 to 59 months admitted for SAM treatment

  • 97,777 children under 5 years provided with micronutrient supplementation

Health

  • 3,827,595 conflict-affected people reached with emergency primary health care services

WASH

  • 861,950 conflict-affected people provided with access to safe water per agreed standards

  • 516,217 conflict-affected people benefitted from improved sanitation

  • 1,406,663 conflict-affected people benefitted from hygiene promotion messages

Child protection

  • 105,000 conflict-affected children reached with psychosocial support

  • 5,000 unaccompanied and separated

  • children identified and supported

Education

  • 120,000 conflict-affected children accessed education in protective and safe learning environments

  • 120,000 conflict-affected school-aged children reached with pedagogic materials

Social protection

  • 102,000 children under 5 years reached through a cash grant given to their parents

Nigeria

Since 2014, the escalation of the Boko Haram insurgency has led to an increase in the number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the north-east to almost 2 million across 10 states, with 95 per cent of the displaced located in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states. Approximately 92 per cent of the internally displaced persons identified are being accommodated in host communities and the remaining 8 per cent are living in camps. Children account for 57 per cent of the internally displaced population, with 28 per cent under the age of 5. In Adamawa, 320,365 internally displaced persons have returned to their areas of origin. Preliminary findings of the 2015 Standardized Monitoring and Assessment of Relief and Transitions (SMART) nutrition survey indicate that in the north- east, the prevalence rates of global and severe acute malnutrition (SAM) are reaching critical thresholds at 9.5 and 2.6 per cent, respectively. Although 45 per cent of the population has access to protected water sources in Adamawa State, in Borno and Yobe, 37 per cent of the population is accessing unprotected water sources. In Borno, Adamawa and Yobe, reports indicate that health facilities have been destroyed, damaged and looted. An assessment in Adamawa indicated that 59 per cent of 27 assessed health facilities were damaged and 37 per cent were non-functional. The destruction of 1,200 schools has denied 319,000 learners in the north-east access to safe learning spaces.

Humanitarian strategy

In 2016, in cooperation with the Government of Nigeria, UNICEF will respond to the humanitarian needs of some 3.8 million conflict-affected people in the three north-eastern states (Borno, Yobe and Adamawa). UNICEF is the sector co-lead for the water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), nutrition and education sectors and the child protection sub-sector, and will continue to strengthen coordination. UNICEF will also prioritize scaling-up assistance coverage to reach conflict-affected populations outside of camps. Emergency integrated primary health care services will be provided through dedicated outreach teams, including in hard-to-reach communities. In WASH, UNICEF will prioritize water supply interventions, as well as sanitation and hygiene. In education, conflict-affected children will receive access to education and pedagogic materials, as well as psychosocial support services. In child protection, vulnerable children (for example, unaccompanied and separated children and children associated with armed forces and groups) will be supported with specialized services, and violations of children’s rights will continue to be monitored through the Monitoring and Reporting Mechanism. In nutrition,7 UNICEF will continue to support SAM treatment in the north-east and expand micronutrient supplementation and the promotion of appropriate feeding practices.

Results from 2015

As of 31 October 2015, UNICEF had received 56 per cent (US$14.7 million) of the US$26.51 million 2015 appeal, in addition to US$3.28 million carried forward from 2014. Despite the increasingly challenging operating environment, UNICEF and partners were able to reach children and families in need both in IDP camps and in communities. The Back-to- School campaign carried out in two of the three states facilitated the enrolment of more than 170,000 children, meeting the target. As of 30 September 2015, 68.4 per cent of the severely malnourished children targeted had been admitted for treatment, on track to meet the annual target. The health response exceeded targets due to increased coverage in host communities outside of camps. Due to late funding, a mass distribution of 300,000 long-lasting insecticidal nets is planned for December. Funding was only received mid- year for child protection interventions for unaccompanied and separated children, constraining the number of children who could be reached with specialized services. Due to funding and capacity constraints, referrals could not always be made. The target for sanitation is unlikely to be met, in part due to limited funding for WASH, but also due to the need for more robust designs that account for the soil type, which will require additional construction time and funds.

World: Humanitarian Action for Children 2016 - West and Central Africa

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Source: UN Children's Fund
Country: Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gambia, Guinea, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, World

Regional Office 2016 Requirements: US$20,026,000

Children and women in West and Central Africa remain vulnerable to multiple threats, including insecurity, conflict, drought, flooding and epidemics. In the Central African Republic and the Lake Chad basin, widespread violence and armed conflict characterized by grave human rights violations have led to mass displacement both internally and across borders. Insecurity prevails in northern Mali, especially in Kidal, Gao and Timbuktu. In addition to the influx of Burundian refugees, the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo is facing resurgent armed groups that continue to commit grave human rights violations, which may result in increased humanitarian assistance needs. In the Sahel countries, children under 5 years continue to suffer from crisis levels of acute malnutrition, respiratory infection and other childhood illnesses. Outbreaks of cholera continue to affect the Mano River, Lake Chad, Congo River and Niger River basins. Although the risk of Ebola is much reduced, getting to and staying at zero cases will be difficult. Continued response, prevention and preparedness efforts are needed in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. Flooding is a recurring risk throughout the region and may be exacerbated by the El Niño weather phenomenon. Elections planned for 2016 in the region may create further civil unrest.

Regional humanitarian strategy

The West and Central Africa Regional Office (WCARO) will continue to provide coordination and support to country offices for emergency preparedness and response. Cross-border coordination and response is especially needed for children affected by conflict, separated from their families and/or recruited by armed groups. Integrated approaches to the nutrition crisis require reinforcement through the incorporation of treatment and prevention of severe acute malnutrition (SAM) into a package of interventions for health, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), education, promotion of essential family practices and psychosocial support. WCARO will continue to support country offices to respond to cholera, meningitis, measles, Ebola and other epidemics. Regional rapid response mechanisms to support country office humanitarian response include mapping and rapid assessment, surge staff deployments and regional supply hubs that pre-position supplies, enabling timely and cost-effective response. The Regional Office will also support country offices on humanitarian performance monitoring, information management and knowledge sharing across sectors and emergency response evaluations. Building resilience with risk analysis and mitigation plans for protracted humanitarian crisis remains a priority.

Ebola: UNICEF will work with governments and communities to support the Ebola response and achieve and sustain a ‘resilient zero’ Ebola cases. Focus will be on on maintaining surveillance, rapid response capacity and support for Ebola survivors. Priority areas include working with communities, raising alerts on potential Ebola cases, tracing missing contacts and enabling safe and dignified burials. Campaigns will maintain vigilance and awareness by supporting community leaders and traditional healers. UNICEF will maintain its rapid response capacity to ensure qualified teams can be deployed immediately in the case of a new Ebola event. In coordination with governments, partners and communities, rapid response teams will conduct active surveillance, social mobilization and early isolation and will provide basic services, including child protection, psychosocial support and WASH. With more than 23,300 children having lost one or both parents or primary caregivers, UNICEF will continue to support efforts to find family members willing to care for children in need. Families will be supported with cash and care packages. UNICEF will also continue to monitor adherence to safety protocols in schools and provide schools with hygiene kits and infection prevention supplies. Infection prevention and control through the provision of hygiene kits, clean water and sanitation to communities and health centres will remain central to the response. UNICEF will support Ebola survivors with specific medical and basic needs and psychosocial support and address stigma and discrimination against survivors.

Results in 2015

As of 31 October 2015, UNICEF had received 56 per cent (US$27.8 million1) of the US$50 million appeal, in addition to US$9.9 million carried forward from 2014. In 2015, WCARO reinforced regional rapid response mechanisms designed to support country offices to launch emergency preparedness and response and supported coordination, WASH, nutrition, health, child protection, education and Communication for Development for the Ebola response, Boko Haram-affected countries, and the crisis in the Central African Republic. Regional supply hubs continued to play an important role in the provision of support to emergency responses. The Regional Office also facilitated information management, data collection and evidence generation, as well as humanitarian results reporting across all programme sectors. In the area of child protection, WCARO provided technical support to countries2 affected by conflict/displacement, nutrition crises and Ebola.3 Cross-border coordination was reinforced to promote a harmonized approach to programme interventions, including for separated and unaccompanied children, conflict-affected children and children affected by Ebola. For nutrition, more than US$18 million was mobilized for ready-to-use therapeutic food and essential nutrition and health supplies in nine Sahel countries. Support was also provided for the Central African Republic and the Ebola response. In the area of WASH, WCARO supported cholera prevention and response and provided training to country offices and partners for WASH in emergencies and WASH in nutrition. The Regional Office also provided technical guidance and support for radio education programming in Ebola-affected countries, training on disaster risk reduction and peacebuilding in education and psychosocial support in schools in various countries across West and Central Africa.

Ebola results for 2015:

As of 31 October 2015, UNICEF had received nearly US$420.2 million out of the US$507,439,889 appeal for Ebola in West and Central Africa.4 More than 8,000 metric tons of supplies were delivered in the largest single supply operation in UNICEF’s history, to date. A total of 64 community care centres (CCCs) were established in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. UNICEF and partners reached more than 3.6 million households with interpersonal communication and skills training on Ebola prevention across the three affected countries. Daily Ebola prevention and awareness messages were broadcast in local languages on 142 radio stations. Some 3.2 million households in Ebola-affected areas received WASH kits from UNICEF. Water and sanitation services, as well as waste management, were provided in 133 Ebola treatment centres and CCCs. Nearly 1,600 health centres were provided with hand-washing stations and WASH support. More than 9,000 Ebola patients received nutrition support and over 2,700 infants (aged 0 to 6 months) who could not be breastfed received ready-to-use infant formula. More than 12,000 community health workers in 2,188 health centres received training on Ebola prevention and case management and related supplies. Nearly 12,900 children who lost one or both parents or their primary caregiver received a minimum package of support and more than 191,200 children received psychosocial support. UNICEF equipped 15,000 schools with a minimum hygiene package, which includes infrared thermometers, soap and hand-washing stations; 36,400 teachers were trained on Ebola prevention; and more than 1.9 million children benefitted from learning kits. While schools were closed, UNICEF supported distance learning programmes through community radio that reached an estimated 1 million children. Even after schools reopened, distance learning programmes remained an important tool for boosting educational standards and reaching out-of-school children. More than 2.1 million children were vaccinated against measles. Over 37,100 children suffering from SAM were admitted for treatment. UNICEF also worked to maintain HIV and AIDS services during the Ebola epidemic, providing 1,807 exposed newborns and 5,639 HIV-positive pregnant or breastfeeding women with antiretroviral therapy to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV. UNICEF supported Ebola preparedness and prevention activities in 18 countries in West and Central Africa, including Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Chad, the Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, the Gambia, Ghana, Guinea Bissau, Mali, Mauritania, the Niger, Nigeria, Senegal and Togo. Working closely with traditional healers, religious leaders, teachers and health workers, UNICEF country offices scaled up social mobilization activities to raise Ebola awareness. Public awareness campaigns took place in markets, border posts and bus terminals. Mass communication activities through radios and television segments were carried out and communication materials (flyers and banners) were widely distributed. UNICEF was active in providing training to health workers and distributing protective equipment to health centres to improve infection prevention and control measures.

Funding requirements

For 2016, UNICEF is requesting US$20,026,000 to address humanitarian crises throughout West and Central Africa through technical support and coordination. This will enable WCARO to continue to respond to the ongoing Ebola response, with the aim of reaching and maintaining zero cases in affected countries, as well as to the Sahel nutrition crisis and the conflicts in the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mali and Boko Haram-affected areas. WCARO gratefully acknowledges donors’ support in 2015 and welcomes their continued commitment to meeting the humanitarian needs of women and children across the region. In addition, regional funding may be used to respond to situations elsewhere in the region that are not included in a separate chapter of Humanitarian Action for Children 2016 and may not benefit from inter-agency flash appeals to respond to small- or medium-size emergencies.

Nigeria: Investing in Dignity in Northern Nigeria: Ya Fati's Story

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Source: Action Contre la Faim, Action Against Hunger
Country: Nigeria

Ya Fati Goni used to live in the community of Bulturum in the state of Yobe in northeastern Nigeria with her husband and five children. Her life was not easy, but at the age of 52, she was no stranger to scarcity. She and her husband managed to earn enough to support their most basic survival needs.

But in December of 2015, Ya Fati’s village was attacked. Her home was burned to the ground, along with most of her village. She had to abandon everything she owned and run for her life, seeking refuge in Damaturu town. Ya Fati and her family were lucky enough to be taken in by a relative, but, she says, “There were no jobs to earn income. We were dependent on the food in my relative’s home. I worried a lot for how long this could happen.”

Ya Fati is not alone. In a part of the country already struggling with extreme poverty, a violent insurgency led by the group Boko Haram has displaced over 1.5 million people in northern Nigeria and triggered a severe humanitarian crisis. An estimated 92 percent of displaced people have been taken in and assisted by “host communities[1].”

Neighbors offer lifelines to families uprooted by conflict

People’s willingness to offer shelter to total strangers—whom they consider “brothers and sisters”—and to share their limited supplies of food and water has been more than just a customary gesture of kindness. For thousands of displaced families in dangerous freefall, the generosity of host communities has been a critical safety net. But with such a massive influx of displaced people seeking refuge from the violence, the resources of host communities have been stretched beyond the breaking point, driving both the displaced and their hosts into deeper crisis.

In 2015, Action Against Hunger launched an emergency program to meet critical food and survival needs of communities affected by conflict in Yobe State, where the crisis is particularly severe. Our program, made possible by the United States Agency for International Development, benefits overburdened host households, as well as particularly vulnerable displaced people, such as mothers with young children.

There is food available in the local markets in Yobe, but displaced people—and the local families hosting them—don’t have the money to meet their needs. Instead of conducting large-scale distributions of food rations, which may have damaged the livelihoods of local vendors, we decided to provide at-risk households with recurrent monthly cash and food vouchers.

The value of choice

Beneficiaries receive “smart cards” to which funds are allocated monthly. The smart cards operate much like a debit card, with each beneficiary being given a unique ID number. Vendors are issued smart phones that act as devices for scanning and entering a PIN number. Receipts are printed and vendors are regularly reimbursed by Action Against Hunger. Each targeted household gets an allocation of roughly $50 USD per month, which covers about 75 percent of their monthly food needs. They can choose between shopping for food items with specific vendors—or collecting cash from money agents to pay for other critical expenses such as shelter, clean water, or health care.

Evidence suggests that the program not only helps the most vulnerable meet their food and survival needs, but also has a positive impact on local businesses and the local economy.

Being able to make decisions about their needs restores a sense of dignity to families who have lost everything. Having cash to buy food at the market has helped Ya Fati regain a sense of self reliance. “I can now feed my family,” she says. In fact, Ya Fati has even been able to save a little money from her monthly cash allocation, which she invested in two sheep, a source of future earnings: “I will try to also fatten my sheep so that I can earn my own money.”

Action Against Hunger is currently meeting the urgent needs of 21,000 people affected by conflict in Northern Nigeria through its emergency cash and food voucher program.

This blog post is made possible by the generous support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The contents are the responsibility of Action Against Hunger and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.

[1] IOM _Displacement Tracking Matrix _Round IV June 2015

Mauritania: Mauritania Situation Report #34, January 2016

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Source: World Food Programme
Country: Mali, Mauritania

Highlights

  • On 16 December, WFP in collaboration with UNHCR held a consultation meeting to present the strategy of intervention for the assistance to Malian refugees in Mberra camp.
  • In December, WFP completed the school meals distributions reaching more than 89,000 beneficiaries countrywide.
  • The Regional Emergency operation in Assistance to Malian refugees ended as of end of December. As of 1 January 2016 the needs of Malian refugees are now accommodated as part of protracted relief and recovery operation.
  • The Special Operation on the Provision of Humanitarian Air Services in Mauritania has been extended until December 2016.

Situation Update

As per the Humanitarian Strategic Response plan for Mauritania, in 2016 humanitarian intend to intervene to respond to the most urgent needs of nearly 380,000 people affected by food insecurity, 137,445 children under five and 62,939 pregnant and nursing women suffering or highly at risk from malnutrition; and, 50,000 Malian refugees are in need of assistance.

Nigeria: 13 dead in triple suicide attacks in Nigeria's Chibok town

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Source: Agence France-Presse
Country: Nigeria

Kano, Nigeria | AFP | Wednesday 1/27/2016 - 16:41 GMT

by Aminu ABUBAKAR

At least 13 people were killed on Wednesday when three suicide bombers blew themselves up in the northeast Nigerian town of Chibok, where Boko Haram kidnapped more than 200 schoolgirls. 

The blasts happened at about midday (1100 GMT) as the remote town in Borno state was packed with traders from surrounding villages for the weekly market, Chibok elder Ayuba Chibok told AFP.

"Ten died on the spot and another one died on the way to hospital," said health worker Dazzban Buba, who volunteered to treat the injured at hospital. 

"A woman and a child died as they were being admitted (to hospital), so now the death toll stands at 13. Thirty others were injured, 21 critically."

The blasts bore the hallmarks of Boko Haram, which has repeatedly hit "soft" civilian targets such as markets, mosques and bus stations as well as military and civilian vigilante checkpoints.

Chibok came to prominence in April 2014 when Islamist fighters stormed a boarding school and kidnapped 276 girls, causing global outrage.

Fifty-seven girls managed to escape in the immediate aftermath but 219 are still being held and have not been seen since they appeared in a Boko Haram video in May that year.

Chibok was briefly overrun by the Islamic State group-allied rebels in November 2014 but recaptured by the military after several days.

Ayuba Chibok and Buba both said Wednesday's blasts were suicide attacks and had prompted terrified residents to lock themselves inside their homes or flee in fear of repeat attacks.

Buba said the first explosion, at a checkpoint where people coming into the town were being searched, was thought to have been carried out by a young boy.

But identifying the attacker's age was difficult, as only his legs were recovered.

The second, at the market, and a third nearby were carried out by women, he added.

Lull in attacks

Buba said he rushed to help his brother who was injured in the first blast in the Bamzir Road area of the town.

The second blast happened shortly afterwards, fitting a pattern of Boko Haram suicide attacks with multiple bombers setting off their devices almost simultaneously.

But Buba said it was still unclear whether the third bomber deliberately detonated her explosives or whether the device was triggered when troops opened fire as he fled.

The 30 injured were mostly suffering from burns and fractures, and that nine had been discharged, he added.

President Muhammadu Buhari, in Kenya on a three-day state visit, made no direct mention of the Chibok attack at a memorial service to commemorate Kenyan soldiers killed by Shebab militants.

But he told the congregation: "Terrorists should not have a place in our communities, villages, towns, cities and countries. 

"We must all rise against the culture of intolerance, hatred and extremist ideologies, which drive terrorism." 

Recent weeks have seen a lull in Boko Haram attacks, with only three recorded in Nigeria this month but those that have occurred underline the difficulty in protecting hard-to-reach rural areas.

The insurgents raided a village in Yobe state on Sunday, killing one man, while on January 11, another raid in the Adamawa state town of Madagali left seven dead.

Seven people were killed in a raid and suicide bomb attack in Izgeki village on January 5. Gunmen also looted food and burnt a large part of Nchiha village near Chibok earlier the same day.

On December 6, there was a similar attack in Takulashi village, also near Chibok, which again saw fighters raid food and steal more than 200 cattle.

Buhari on December 24 declared the rebels were "technically" defeated but at least 66 people were then killed in raids and suicide bombings in the days following.

According to an AFP tally, more than 1,650 people have been killed since Buhari came to power in May last year, vowing to crush the insurgency, which has left at least 17,000 dead since 2009.

On Monday, 32 people were killed when at least three suicide bombers blew themselves up at a market in Bodo village in northern Cameroon.

abu-phz/ach 

© 1994-2016 Agence France-Presse


Mali: La Suisse octroie plus de 6 milliards de FCFA au développement économique local

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Source: Government of Switzerland
Country: Mali, Switzerland

La Suisse et le Mali viennent de signer deux accords de financement en vue de soutenir le développement économique local, la production agricole et la sécurité alimentaire au Nord et au Sud du Mali.

Le Ministre des Affaires Etrangères, de la Coopération Internationale et de l’Intégration Africaine et la Directrice Résidente du Bureau de la Coopération suisse au Mali ont signé, le vendredi 22 janvier 2016, deux accords de financement d’un montant de FCFA 6, 8 milliards (env. CHF 11.5 millions). Ces accords marquent le démarrage des programmes : Soutien aux Economies Locales du Delta intérieur du Niger (PSEL-DELTA) et celui du développement économique local et de sécurité alimentaire (PDSU) dans la région de Sikasso (cercle de Koutiala).

Par le biais du programme « Soutien aux Economies Locales du Delta intérieur du Niger », la Suisse soutiendra les collectivités dans la réalisation d’ouvrages agricoles, d’unités de transformation et d’infrastructures d’accès (pistes, digues, routes etc.). C’est ainsi que les collectivités des zones de Youwarou, Tenenkou, Mopti et Niafunké travailleront à l’amélioration des revenus des producteurs et à la sécurité alimentaire. En effet, la crise politico-sécuritaire du pays a affaibli la résilience des communautés de ces zones fortement touchées par le conflit et l’insécurité. Les collectivités aborderont, en outre, les questions liées à la gestion pacifique des ressources naturelles et au renforcement des mécanismes de gestion des conflits communautaires.

A Koutiala, la Suisse poursuivra son appui existant au regroupement de 37 collectivités territoriales appelé « Miniankala Kafo ». Malgré les progrès relevés depuis une dizaine d’années – augmentation des revenus des producteurs, réalisation d’infrastructures hydroagricoles, de pistes rurales, amélioration de la gouvernance – Koutiala peine à tirer profit de son potentiel agropastoral. En effet, la région manque de ressources financières pour valoriser davantage ses superficies cultivables aménagées ainsi que l’accès aux marchés. En soutenant l’inter collectivité, la Suisse entend contribuer davantage à redynamiser l’économie locale et offrir aux habitants de la zone une augmentation des revenus et un cadre de vie meilleur.

Pour d’amples informations, consultez :

L’article dans le quotidien Essor en date du 25.01.2015

L’article dans le quotidien Indépendant en date du 25.01.2015

L’extrait de la cérémonie de signature des accords de financement – Extrait du Journal de 20H00 sur l’ORTM (22.01.2015).l

L’article sur le programme PSEL – DELTA dans l’Essor du 22.01.2015

Mauritania: Mauritania: Food Insecurity- Emergency appeal operations 6 months update (MDRMR007)

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Source: International Federation of Red Cross And Red Crescent Societies
Country: Mauritania

A. Situation analysis

Description of the disaster

This Food Security crisis is a regional crisis affecting the Sahel area. According to the last Harmonized Framework in March 2015, the food insecure population within Mauritania was estimated to be 723,000 people in IPC Phase 2 (Stressed) and an additional 260.000 people in IPC Phase 3 (Crisis). The number of households in IPC Phase 2 have risen sharply over the last months. This reflects a gradual deterioration of the situation particularly for the rain-fed farming areas that face a second year of bad crop harvest. The projected situation for June-August 2015 estimated that the number of people affected would increase to 851,000 people under Stressed (Phase 2), 443,000 people in Crisis (Phase 3) and 21,000 people in emergency (Phase 4) on the IPC scale. The food insecurity situation affected the provinces of Hodh Elchargui (19.5% of the total population), Assaba (16.3%), Brakna (14.9%), Gorgol (14.6%), Hodh Elgharbi (14%) and Guidimakha (13.9%).

According to the Harmonized Framework, (March 2015) the Global Acute Malnutrition (GAM) prevalence is 6.2%. This is supported by the various nutritional surveys carried out at the post-harvest period, which ranged from 5.6 to 8.5% nationally. No region of the country exceeds the 10% threshold, but the regions of Hodh El Charqui (9.6%), Guidimakha (9.4%), Brakna (8.8%) and Gorgol (7.7%) are the most affected. It is this context that the International Federation supported the Mauritanian Red Crescent to respond and provide relief to the most affected people.

Summary of current response

Overview of Host National Society

To ensure the relief activities were implemented in an effective and efficient manner, the Mauritanian Red Crescent (MRC) invested in trainings. The trainings included two nutrition training sessions targeting 30 volunteers from the two intervention areas. The training enhanced the volunteers knowledge of malnutrition, screening techniques, referral of severe malnutrition cases to health facilities, recording, water, hygiene and sanitation, awareness techniques for behavioural change.

The training was followed by nutrition screening campaigns simultaneously conducted in Magtaa Lahjar and Tintane.

The campaigns enabled the identification and registration of 2,000 beneficiaries (i.e. children from 6 to 23 months old, pregnant and lactating women). 1,933 beneficiaries out of the targeted 2,000 beneficiaries benefited from the distribution of enriched food. The screening activities were complemented by awareness campaigns to promote good nutrition practices and behavioural change. A total of 1,400 households (8,400 people) were reached by the promotion of good hygienic practices.

Mali: As security improves in Timbuktu, refugee family returns

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Source: UN High Commissioner for Refugees
Country: Mali

TIMBUKTU, Mali, Jan 27 (UNHCR) – Through the long years he was exiled by war, the thing Jafar missed most about his home in this fabled desert city was the ritual of sitting chatting with friends sipping glasses of sweet green tea as the day finally cooled.

For four years since conflict engulfed the desert north of Mali, he moved between temporary refuges and camps in neighbouring Burkina Faso, never feeling settled. Now, with the fighting over, he is finally home again in Timbuktu catching up with friends in the late afternoon sunlight.

Famed as a hub for trade and scholarship in the 1400s and 1500s, Timbuktu lies on the edge of the Sahara Desert northeast of Mali's capital Bamako. It was overrun by militants in 2012, who razed landmark buildings dating back to its Golden Age and drove thousands of residents into exile both within Mali and abroad.

"When I left Mali, it was chaos," said Jafar, 24, who is of Tuareg origin. "When I returned, I found a city that had resumed its economic activities. National and international security forces are present, as well as humanitarian ones. I found my neighbours, everything was fine with them. Our family has started to come back … from Burkina Faso."

Jafar is one of roughly 41,000 Malian refugees who have returned home as a fragile peace agreement signed in mid-2015 has taken hold. Many, however, find their homes ruined, their belongings looted, and their jobs gone. In some places, it is hard to find clean water and enough food. Prices of basic goods have skyrocketed.

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, runs community reintegration projects that focus on education, health care, hygiene and water. Populations that remained are supported, as are the returning refugees.

During November and December 2015, 4,307 individuals received one-off cash payments of US$110 per adult and US$50 per child, as part of a financial assistance programme for people coming home. More than 800 repatriated refugees have been verified by UNHCR between August 2015 and January 2016.

Jafar was one of them, but nonetheless said it was a tough decision to leave the safety of the refugee camp where he and his family were living in Burkina Faso, and return to uncertainty.

"When I left the camp for Mali, I was anxious," Jafar said. "Not just because I was travelling an unknown route, but also because I did not want to leave a part of my life and close friends behind. We were very close and living together was good. But we wanted to return to Mali more than anything else."

While he was a refugee in Burkina Faso's Mentao refugee camp, Jafar had met and married his wife, Zeinabou, and together the couple had a baby daughter, Fadimata, who is now 18 months. After five years on the move, and with a young family to look after, the feeling of security now means everything to Jafar.

"It was a lack of safety that forced us to leave Mali," he said. "It is safety that we searched for in Burkina Faso. We found it in the refugee camps. And it is because I knew that Timbuktu had again become safer that I decided to return there with my family."

His main worry is the lack of employment. He desperately needs to support his family, to pay rent, school fees, and for his wife's nursing studies. Before he fled, he was studying and paying his way with contracts as a driver for aid agencies and private clients. Now, he says, "any work will do."

"With my high school education and the experience I acquired at the camp, I plan to do humanitarian work," he said. "But I no longer have any specific contacts in Timbuktu, so it will be difficult to find a job if I do not have a diploma that reflects my skill level. In the meantime, I need to cover our expenses."

These are the difficulties that are keeping many of the 140,000 Malians who are still refugees in neighbouring Niger, Mauritania and Burkina Faso, and the 62,000 who are displaced inside their own country, from going home.

The security situation in northern Mali also remains volatile. The 2012 conflict officially ended with peace agreements in June 2015, but attacks by criminals and militants, as well as human rights violations, persist. Access to some areas where people want to return to remains difficult for aid agencies.

Some refugees may be returning, but other people still feel sufficiently threatened in Mali that they continue to leave. More than 4,300 fled to Niger between July and the end of December 2015, and between January and November another 2,300 Malians arrived in Burkina Faso.

"The security situation is still volatile. Nonetheless, we observe since 2013 that Malians who had found refuge in the sub-region continue to spontaneously return to their areas of origin," said Nsona Vela do Nascimento, senior repatriation officer in the UNHCR office in Bamako.

Vela do Nascimento stressed that UNHCR continues to provide protection and assistance to Malians whether in exile or upon their return, and worked with partners "to ensure smooth reintegration of returnees either through targeted assistance to the most vulnerable ones, or through community projects that support social cohesion in those areas."

For now, Jafar is positive about the future, and encourages other Malians to return to help reconstruct what was destroyed. "We are starting to rebuild our lives little by little," he said.

By Isabelle Michal in Mali and Paul Absalon in Burkina Faso

Central African Republic: West and Central Africa: Weekly Regional Humanitarian Snapshot (19 - 25 January 2016)

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

CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC
HALF THE POPULATION FACES HUNGER

Nearly 2.5 million people, or half the entire population, are facing hunger - a twofold increase in one year, WFP announced on 20 January. One in six people is grappling with severe or extreme food insecurity, while more than one in three people are moderately food insecure. Families have adopted coping mechanisms such as selling their belongings or pulling t heir children out of school.

CHAD
MORE IDPs REPORTED

Thousands of internally displaced persons (IDPs) have been identified following an inter-cluster mission in Liwa and Daboua localities of Lac region where insecurity had so far hampered access. The exact figures are currently being verified. The IDPs, spread out in 22 sites, are faced with harsh living conditions and deprivation as they are unable to farm, fish or raise livestock.

CAMEROON
SUICIDE ATTACK CLAIMS 32 LIVES

Four suicide bombers on 25 January struck Bodo village in the Far North region, killing 32 people and injuring 66 others. The attack, in which the assailants hit a busy market and the town’s main entrances, was one of the worst in recent months. No one claimed responsibility, but Boko Haram gunmen who have carried out multiple attacks in the region before are suspected to be behind the assault. Separately, on 25 January, humanitarian partners launched the 2016 Humanitarian Response Plan, requesting for US$282 million to assist 1.1 million people affected by conflict and other crises.

NIGERIA
REPORTED LASSA FEVER DEATHS REACH 82

As of 23 January, 82 people were reported to have died of Lassa fever. Of the total, 34 have already been confirmed to be due to the viral haemorrhagic fever, according to Nigeria’s Centre for Disease Control. The disease, which first broke out in November, has spread to 10 states. Lassa fever is endemic in Nigeria and causes outbreaks almost every year in different parts of the country, but more in some states than others particularly during the dry season.

EBOLA VIRUS DISEASE
SIERRA LEONE REPORTS SECOND EBOLA CASE

Health authorities in Sierra Leone on 20 January confirmed a new case of Ebola, the second death after another patient died of the illness on 12 January. As of 21 January, 121 contacts had been identified, including 47 considered to be high risk. Investigations into the origin of the infection in the index case are ongoing. Following the flare up, IOM and its partners in Guinea have reactivated border health screening and reinforced surveillance in Forécariah prefecture which is close to the border with Sierra Leone.

Central African Republic: Afrique de l’ouest et du centre: Aperçu humanitaire hebdomadaire (19 - 25 janvier 2016)

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

REPUBLIQUE CENTRAFRICAINE
LA MOITIE DE LA POPULATION SOUFFRE DE LA FAIM

Près de 2,5 millions de personnes, soit la moitié de la population, souffrent de la faim, soit deux fois plus qu’il y a un an, a annoncé le PAM le 20 janvier. Une personne sur six est aux prises avec une insécurité alimentaire sévère ou extrême, tandis que plus d'une personne sur trois est en insécurité alimentaire modérée. Contraintes d’avoir recours à des stratégies d’adaptation, les familles ont vendu leurs bien ou retiré leurs enfants de l'école.

TCHAD HAUSSE DU NOMBRE DE PERSONNES DEPLACEES SIGNALEES

Des milliers de personnes déplacées internes (PDI) ont été identifiées suite à une mission inter-cluster dans les localités de Liwa et de Daboua dans la région de Lac où l'insécurité avait jusqu'ici entravé l'accès. Les chiffres exacts sont actuellement en cours de vérification. Les personnes déplacées, réparties dans 22 sites, sont confrontées à la privation et des conditions de vie difficiles car ils ne sont pas en mesure de cultiver leurs terres, pêcher ou élever du bétail.

CAMEROUN 32 MORTS DANS UNE ATTAQUE-SUICIDE

Quatre kamikazes ont frappé le 25 janvier le village de Bodo dans la région de l'Extrême Nord, tuant 32 personnes et en blessant 66 autres. L'attaque, dans laquelle les assaillants ont frappé un marché très fréquenté et les entrées principales de la ville, a été l'une des plus meurtrière de ces derniers mois. Celle-ci n’a pas été revendiquée, mais des hommes armés de Boko Haram qui ont effectué plusieurs attaques dans la région récemment sont soupçonnés d'être à l’origine de l'assaut. Séparément, le 25 janvier, les partenaires humanitaires ont lancé le Plan de réponse humanitaire 2016, demandant 282 millions de dollars US pour venir en aide à 1,1 millions de personnes touchées par les conflits et autres crises.

NIGERIA 82 MORTS SIGNALEES LIEES A LA FIEVRE DE LASSA

En date du 23 janvier, 82 personnes seraient mortes des suites de la fièvre de Lassa. 34 de ces décès ont déjà été attribués à la fièvre hémorragique virale, selon le Centre nigérian pour la lutte contre les maladies. La maladie, qui a éclaté en novembre, s’est étendue à 10 états. La fièvre de Lassa est endémique au Nigeria et provoque des éruptions presque chaque année dans différentes parties du pays, mais plus dans certains états que d'autres en particulier pendant la saison sèche.

MALADIE A VIRUS EBOLA 2EME CAS D’EBOLA SIGNALE EN SIERRA LEONE

Les autorités sanitaires de la Sierra Leone ont confirmé un nouveau cas d’Ebola le 20 janvier, le second décès après un premier décès des suites du virus le 12 janvier dernier. En date du 21 janvier, 121 contacts avaient été identifiés, y compris 47 considérés comme à haut risque. L'enquête sur l'origine de l'infection se poursuit. Suite à ces nouveaux cas, l'OIM et ses partenaires en Guinée ont réactivé le dépistage de santé aux frontières et renforcé la surveillance dans la préfecture de Forécariah, qui se trouve à proximité de la frontière avec la Sierra Leone.

Nigeria: Lake Chad Basin Emergency: Humanitarian Needs and Response Overview 2016 (January 2016)

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

AN OVERLOOKED CRISIS IN A NEGLECTED REGION

Over the past year, Boko Haram has intensified attacks which have spread from north-east Nigeria to Cameroon, Chad and Niger, affecting some 20 million people. Suicide bombings and raids targeting civilians in villages and in cities around the Lake Chad basin have caused widespread trauma, prevented people from accessing essential services and destroyed infrastructure. Across the region, over 2.8 million people are displaced; most of whom are sheltered by communities that count among the world’s most vulnerable. The combined effect of growing insecurity, fast population growth and severe vulnerability resulting from a changing climate, environmental degradation, poverty and under-investment in social services is translating into record numbers of people in need of emergency relief. As of January 2016, an estimated 9.2 million people – almost one in every two – need urgent help. UN agencies and NGOs aim to reach 5.2 million with assistance across four countries.

Fast growing displacement crisis
Boko Haram violence has uprooted more than 2.8 million people from their homes across four countries, of whom 2.2 million are internally displaced in Nigeria alone. Half of those displaced are children. Many families have been displaced several times while others have sought refuge in neighbouring countries. Up to 90 per cent of the displaced have found refuge with host communities, placing a heavy strain on their resources and weakening their ability to withstand shocks. Both the displaced and host communities are in need of emergency relief and protection.

Widespread violence against civilians
Violence by Boko Haram and military operations against the group have caused serious protection risks and violations. Women and girls kidnapped by Boko Haram have been subjected to physical and psychological abuse, forced marriage, sexual slavery or forced labour. Boys have been forcibly enrolled as combatants and young girls used as suicide bombers. Boko Haram has targeted health facilities and schools, forcing health care workers and teachers to flee from where they are most needed. The increasing number of attacks and arrival of displaced children have placed an additional burden on already weak health and education systems. Safe spaces for women and children, access to essential services and psychological support must be central to the humanitarian response.

Deepening food and nutrition crisis
Insecurity, displacement, disrupted agricultural activities and cross-border trade continue to undermine communities’ livelihoods and have resulted in a sharp rise in food insecurity. Some 4.4 million people facing severe food insecurity urgently need support in the region, 90 per cent of them in north-east Nigeria. In Borno State in particular, some 50,000 people are critically food insecure and have now reached Phase 5, the highest level of food insecurity under the Cadre Harmonisé classification. In the Far North region of Cameroon, the number of people in need of immediate food assistance has quadrupled since June 2015. Similarly, in the Mamdi department of Chad, the number of people facing severe food insecurity has risen tenfold in one year. Severe acute malnutrition rates for children under five have surpassed the emergency threshold in Borno and Yobe states in Nigeria, and in Cameroon, Chad and Niger. Throughout the region, an estimated 223,000 severely acutely malnourished children could die if not urgently assisted.

Responding to urgent needs and advocate sustainable solutions
While the humanitarian strategy focuses on addressing immediate, life-saving needs of the population, humanitarian actors will call for concerted engagement of political, development and security actors to help stabilize the region and create conditions for people to survive and prosper.

Senegal: Terres dessalées au Sénégal pour l’autosuffisance alimentaire : la mer en ligne de mire

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Source: African Development Bank
Country: Senegal

Projet d’appui à la petite irrigation locale (PAPIL)

La région de Fatick, 613 000 âmes, est située à 155 km de Dakar, la capitale sénégalaise. Belle illustration du combat que mène l’homme contre la nature, les aléas climatiques et environnementaux, le Sénégal a fait le pari – avec la Banque africaine de développement, qui soutient le Projet d’appui à la petite irrigation locale (PAPIL) – de regagner contre la mer des hectares de terres salées, afin de leur rendre leur vocation agricole. Un juste retour des choses, car il fut un temps où l’arachide, culture phare du pays, y était la principale ressource agricole. Mais, les marais salants avaient fini de prendre le dessus au plan économique, avec l’exploitation et la commercialisation du sel. L’envahissement des terres par le sel était entamé.

Au Sénégal, de nombreuses vallées situées sur la côte se trouvent aujourd’hui infestées par l’avancée saline résultant de la baisse des précipitations. On estime à 800 000 ha environ la superficie totale des terres affectées par le sel au Sénégal, dont une fraction importante dans la région de Fatick. Le phénomène récurrent est l’envahissement des côtes basses par la mer lors de fortes marées. La salinisation qui en découle induit, à son tour, une toxicité qui menace les végétaux. Au final, elle conduit à la stérilisation progressive d’importantes superficies de terres. Dans la région, au niveau des îles du Saloum et dans les zones d’estuaire, on assiste également à une dégradation de la mangrove, qui entraîne une érosion des côtes et fragilise les écosystèmes.

Vers l’intérieur des terres, la baisse de la pluviométrie et ses corolaires ont dégradé le couvert végétal et aggravé l’aridification des terres de bas-fonds et vallées, qui constituaient anciennement des sites privilégiés de production agricole.

Mises en place de variétés agricoles plus adaptées

Cette situation oblige les agriculteurs à développer des techniques de rétention de l’eau de ruissellement et à faire appel à des variétés plus adaptées. Pour les accompagner dans leur combat, l’Etat sénégalais, aidé de ses partenaires, a mis en place le Projet d’appui à la petite irrigation locale (PAPIL) à l’orée des années 2000. Objectif : réduire la pauvreté et renforcer la sécurité alimentaire, grâce à la promotion des infrastructures de maîtrise de l’eau et des mesures d’adaptation aux changements climatiques.

C’est en octobre 2003 que la BAD a approuvé le financement de ce projet, qui se déploie sur quatre régions : Fatick, Kédougou (Est), Kolda (Sud) et Tambacounda (Est).

La BAD a d’abord accordé un premier financement, sous la forme d’un prêt du FAD, de 22,2 millions de dollars EU, qui a pris fin en décembre 2011 ; puis elle a octroyé un nouveau prêt, d’un montant de 13 millions de dollars EU, clôturé en décembre 2013. Depuis 2011, la Banque islamique de développement (BID) participe aussi au financement du projet, par un prêt de 14,47 millions de dollars EU.

Un impact sur les populations… et leurs revenus

Les impacts et effets d’appréciation globale du projet par les populations sont en maints endroits perceptibles et relatés de façon spontanée et unanime : sécurité alimentaire améliorée, activités économiques diversifiées, revenus en hausse, région désenclavée, protection et régénération de l’écosystème, dynamique communautaire renforcée, etc.

Les acteurs concernés apprécient tout particulièrement la pertinence et l’originalité de la démarche, avec l’approche participative et la synergie mises en œuvre au niveau régional, outre l’effet catalytique des aménagements sur la production agricole et la mobilité. Avec ces nouveaux aménagements, de réelles perspectives de développement s’offrent en de multiples endroits.

Emergence de pôles de développement autour des sites aménagés

L’expérience du PAPIL a démontré que les sites nouvellement aménagés grâce à la mobilisation de l’eau constituent rapidement de véritables pôles de développement, à partir desquels naissent de multiples activités initiées par les populations locales : riziculture, maraîchage, pêche, élevage, apiculture, etc.

La régénération du milieu naturel (récupération des terres salées, rehaussement des nappes phréatiques, reverdissement naturel des abords, réapparition de l’avifaune, développement des écosystèmes, etc.) qu’induit la rétention d’eau douce et grâce à une approche intégrée à l’échelle des différentes vallées, constitue aussi un intérêt tout spécifique au niveau environnemental.

En fin de projet, le PAPIL aura permis, au total, de construire 58 ouvrages anti-sel, de récupérer 6 983 ha de terres salées et de préserver 11 500 ha de la langue salée, dixit le ministre sénégalais de l’Agriculture, Abdoulaye Baldé, qui répondait à l’Assemblée nationale à la question d’un parlementaire sur la salinisation des terres cultivables.

Les 223 infrastructures socioéconomiques de base réalisées se composent de cases de santé, de salles de classe, d’infrastructures hydrauliques, d’équipements de récolte et de post-récolte et de magasins de stockage. En matière de renforcement de capacités, 11 000 agriculteurs ont été formés.

La mise en œuvre du PAPIL a entraîné l’émergence de pôles de développement autour des sites aménagés, donnant naissance à de nouvelles activités économiques. Elle s’est également accompagnée d’une gestion durable et concertée des ressources naturelles et de l’espace agro-sylvo-pastoral, tenant compte aussi des effets du changement climatique.

La mise en œuvre des activités du Fonds de développement local créé dans le cadre du projet a lui aussi contribué à satisfaire les besoins essentiels des populations en matière d’accès aux services sociaux de base et d’allègement des tâches souvent dévolues aux femmes.

La petite irrigation, réponse adaptée contre la pauvreté

A la lumière des résultats probants du PAPIL, le développement de la petite irrigation à l’échelon local apparaît une réponse adaptée pour lutter contre la pauvreté. La réflexion stratégique, initiée en matière de valorisation des eaux de ruissellement et s’inspirant de l’expérience du PAPIL, devrait déboucher, à terme, sur l’élaboration d’un programme national couvrant l’ensemble des régions du pays.

Le PAPIL gagne d’autres batailles dans l’extrême sud-est du Sénégal

Située à l’extrême sud-est du Sénégal, la région de Kédougou s’étend sur 16 896 km² où vivent quelque 152 134 habitants (chiffre de 2013). La structure démographique révèle une prédominance d’hommes (53 %, contre 47 % de femmes). Comme dans le reste du pays, la population est jeune : les moins de 20 ans représentent, en effet, plus de 50 % de la population. Sur le plan ethnique, les groupes les plus représentés sont les Peulhs et les Mandingues (Malinkés et Diakhankés). On y relève aussi la présence d’ethnies dites minoritaires, formées, pour l’essentiel, de Bassaris, Bédicks et de Coniaguis.

Cette population est pour moitié concentrée dans le département de Kédougou, soit sur une superficie de l’ordre de 36 % de la région, qui compte trois départements. Suivent, en termes de densité de population, les départements de Saraya (36 % de la population totale de Kédougou sur 52 % de sa superficie) et Salémata (14 % sur de 12 % de la superficie de la région).

Un secteur agricole au fort potentiel

Le secteur agricole, si important pour la sécurité alimentaire et l’identité de la région, est au cœur de l’économie régionale. En effet, avec ses ressources hydro-agricoles importantes, Kédougou demeure une région à vocation agricole. Elle jouit d’une pluviométrie abondante, avec une moyenne annuelle de 1 200 mm, et d’un réseau hydrographique dense constitué de deux cours d’eau permanents (la Gambie et la Falémé) et de centaines de rivières et mares. Il y a des terres fertiles, abondantes et faiblement exploitées.

L’agriculture occupe 69 % des ménages, selon le recensement de 2013. On y cultive du maïs, du riz, du sorgho, du fonio, de l’arachide et du coton. On a constaté une augmentation de la production céréalière en 2013, 2014 et 2015, passée de 14 962 à 27 801 tonnes, grâce à l’intervention de programmes et projets agricoles notamment. Le maïs demeure la principale culture, représentant avec 68 % de la production céréalière (18 810 tonnes récoltées en 2012-2013).

Grâce au PAPIL, les emblavures rizicoles, qui sont passées de 300 ha en 2010 à 1 600 ha en 2014 puis à 1 850 ha en 2015, ont produit 900 tonnes en 2010, et 5 100 tonnes en 2014. 6 500 tonnes de riz paddy ont également été récoltés en 2015, dont l’on estime la valeur commerciale à 950 millions de francs CFA au moins.

À cette production rizicole fort appréciée par les acteurs de la région (producteurs, autorités et partenaires), s’ajoute une production maraîchère non des moindres. La production par spéculation varie de 742 kg pour la tomate à 6 535 kg pour l’oignon. Itato, site pilote du projet au bord du fleuve Gambie, est celui qui a enregistré la plus importante production maraîchère commercialisée : 21 688 kg en 2013-2014 sur une superficie exploitée de 3 ha. La valeur commerciale de cette production varie de 408 100 francs CFA pour la tomate à 6,426 millions de francs CFA pour le chou et jusque 3,606 millions de francs CFA pour l’aubergine. Au total, les recettes maraîchères ont atteint 21 187 950 francs CFA en 2013-2014.

Cette importante production rizicole et maraîchère aux performances appréciées des producteurs, a été facilitée par des réalisations qui concourent à améliorer la sécurité alimentaire des populations bénéficiaires, leurs revenus et la circulation des biens et des services, à alléger les travaux domestiques des femmes et à mieux mobiliser l’eau à des fins agropastorales. Parmi ces réalisations, 471 ha ont été aménagés, dont 440 ha de bas-fonds rizicoles et 30 ha de périmètres maraîchers, 21 unités de matériel agricole ont vu le jour (tracteurs, batteuses, décortiqueuses, moulins à céréales, ainsi que 9 ouvrages de retenues d’eau. Grâce à quoi : un peu plus de 1 million m3 d’eau a été mobilisé pour des activités agricoles de contre-saison ;

  • 1 800 ha de parcelles de riz pluvial ont été valorisés sur un potentiel de bas-fonds d’au moins 5 000 ha ;

  • 4 grandes zones de cultures rizicoles sont devenues accessibles, avec un potentiel d’environ 4 000 ha ;

  • 4 bassins rizicoles et 10 villages de 4 communes ont été désenclavés ;

Les femmes des 11 villages ciblés (chaque village comptant, en moyenne, 500 femmes) ont vu leur charge de travaux domestiques allégée.

Lansana Diaby, Afia Pont Kédougou

« Aujourd’hui, tout ce que j’ai pu acquérir comme richesse, c’est grâce au PAPIL avec la riziculture. Et de tous les projets sur lesquels j’ai eu à travailler (environ 7 projets depuis le début des années 2000), le PAPIL se classe premier, du fait de sa démarche, de son approche et de son accompagnement fécond ».

Samoura Kénioto agriculteur à Kédougou

« Cette année (2015), je n’ai jamais récolté autant de riz sur une superficie de 0,25 ha ; c’est grâce au PAPIL avec son appui pour les intrants et le matériel agricole mis à la disposition des groupements. Tenez, pour 0,25 ha récolté et battu, je suis à 32 sacs de 50 kg, soit 1500 kg de riz paddy. C’est du jamais vu pour moi et l’assurance d’une bonne sécurité alimentaire.»

Ousmane Diallo, agriculteur, Kafory

« Nous n’avons pas les mots pour remercier le PAPIL, ce projet qui a sauvé des vies humaines qui avaient perdu espoir et qui, à un moment donné, se considéraient comme marginalisés parce qu’on mangeait peu et mal. En plus, nous éprouvions des difficultés à nous déplacer et à écouler des produits issus de la récolte au niveau des bas-fonds. Mais aujourd’hui, avec les pistes de désenclavement réalisées par le PAPIL, les ouvrages de rétention d’eau dans les vallées, sans compter les formations reçues et aussi l’appui en intrants et en équipements agricoles, nous sommes émerveillés. L’accès aux services de santé, à l’éducation pour nos enfants, aux informations de manière générale nous est permis et cela nous rend heureux. En tout cas, nous affirmons que si ce projet venait à disparaître, cela risquerait de nous plonger dans le découragement et de freiner brusquement l’élan qu’il a donné dans la région de Kédougou. Cet élan qui continue à attirer plus de femmes et de jeunes pour combattre la faim, l’ignorance et la pauvreté. ».


Contact

Xavier Boulenger, Chief Irrigation Engineer


Mali: Une famille réfugiée rentre à Tombouctou au Mali, suite à l'amélioration de la sécurité

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Source: UN High Commissioner for Refugees
Country: Mali

TOMBOUCTOU, Mali, 27 janvier (HCR)– Pendant ses longues années d'exil après avoir fui la guerre, ce qui a manqué le plus à Jafar, c'était de ne pas pouvoir discuter avec ses amis de Tombouctou, cette ville légendaire du désert, en sirotant des verres de thé vert sucré à la tombée du jour.

Pendant quatre ans, depuis l'éruption du conflit ayant déchiré le nord désertique du Mali, Jafar a été déplacé plusieurs fois soit dans des lieux de refuges soit dans des camps au Burkina Faso, le pays voisin, sans jamais s'y sentir vraiment intégré. Maintenant que les combats ont cessé, il est rentré à Tombouctou et rattrape le temps perdu avec ses amis à la fin de l'après-midi.

Tombouctou était connu aux 15e et 16e siècles comme une plaque tournante pour le commerce et l'érudition. La ville est située en périphérie du désert du Sahara au nord-est de Bamako, la capitale du Mali. Elle a été envahie par des militants en 2012, qui ont rasé des bâtiments historiques datant de son âge d'or et qui ont poussé des milliers d'habitants à l'exil à l'étranger ou au déplacement interne au Mali.

« Quand j'ai quitté le Mali, c'était le chaos », a déclaré Jafar, 24 ans, qui est d'origine touareg. « Quand je suis rentré, j'ai trouvé une ville qui avait repris ses activités économiques. Les forces nationales et internationales de sécurité sont présentes, ainsi que des employés humanitaires. J'ai retrouvé mes voisins, tout va bien pour eux. Notre famille a commencé à revenir ... depuis le Burkina Faso ».

Jafar fait partie d'environ 41 000 réfugiés maliens qui sont rentrés chez eux depuis la mise en œuvre du fragile accord de paix signé à la mi-2015. Beaucoup ont cependant retrouvé leurs maisons détruites, leurs biens pillés et ils sont sans emploi. Il est parfois difficile de trouver de l'eau potable et suffisamment de vivres. Les prix des produits de première nécessité ont grimpé en flèche.

Le HCR, l'agence des Nations Unies pour les réfugiés, gère des projets de réinsertion communautaire qui mettent l'accent sur l'éducation, les soins de santé, l'hygiène et l'eau potable. Les populations qui sont restées sont prises en charge, tout comme les réfugiés rapatriés.

En novembre et décembre 2015, 4307 personnes ont reçu des allocations ponctuelles en espèces d'un montant de 110 dollars US par adulte et de 50 dollars US par enfant, dans le cadre d'un programme d'aide financière pour les personnes rapatriées. Plus de 800 réfugiés rapatriés ont bénéficié d'un suivi assuré par le HCR entre août 2015 et janvier 2016.

Jafar était l'un d'entre eux. Il a néanmoins déclaré que la décision avait été difficile avant de quitter la sécurité du camp de réfugiés où lui et sa famille vivaient au Burkina Faso, pour revenir vers l'incertitude.

« Quand j'ai quitté le camp pour le Mali, j'étais inquiet », a déclaré Jafar. « Non seulement parce que je voyageais vers l'inconnu, mais aussi car je ne voulais pas laisser derrière moi une partie de ma vie et mes amis proches. Nous étions très proches et c'était bien de vivre tous ensemble. Mais le plus important pour nous, c'était de rentrer au Mali ».

Quand il était réfugié au camp de Mentao au Burkina Faso, Jafar y a rencontré et épousé sa femme, Zeinabou, et, ensemble, le couple a eu une petite fille, Fadimata, âgée maintenant de 18 mois. Après cinq ans de déplacements successifs et une jeune famille à gérer, le sentiment de sécurité est désormais la priorité pour Jafar.

« Le manque de sécurité nous avait obligés à quitter le Mali », a-t-il expliqué. « Nous sommes venus au Burkina Faso en quête de sécurité. Nous l'avons trouvée dans les camps de réfugiés. Quand j'ai su que Tombouctou était redevenue sûre, j'ai pris la décision d'y retourner avec ma famille ».

Son principal souci est la pénurie dans le secteur de l'emploi. Il a désespérément besoin de travailler afin de subvenir aux besoins de sa famille, payer le loyer, les frais de scolarité, et les études de soins infirmiers pour sa femme. Avant de fuir, il étudiait et il subvenait à ses propres besoins grâce à des contrats en tant que pilote pour les agences humanitaires et des clients privés. Maintenant, dit-il, « j'accepte toutes les propositions d'emploi. »

«Avec mon diplôme d'études secondaires et l'expérience que j'aie acquise au camp, je prévois de travailler dans le secteur de l'aide humanitaire », a-t-il affirmé. « Mais je n'ai plus aucun contact spécifique à Tombouctou? Alors il me sera difficile de trouver un emploi si je ne possède aucun diplôme qui reflète mon niveau de compétences. En attendant, je dois couvrir nos dépenses ».

Ce sont les difficultés empêchant le retour chez eux pour la plupart des 140 000 Maliens qui sont encore réfugiés au Niger, en Mauritanie et au Burkina Faso, voisin et de 62 000 autres qui sont déplacés internes au Mali.

La situation sécuritaire au nord du Mali demeure instable. Le conflit de 2012 a officiellement pris fin après les accords de paix signés en juin 2015, mais des attaques ainsi que des violations des droits humains persistent. Elles sont commises par des criminels et des militants. L'accès à certaines zones où les déracinés veulent rentrer demeure difficile pour les organisations d'aide humanitaire.

Certains réfugiés sont rentrés, mais d'autres civils se sentent encore menacés au Mali qu'ils continuent de quitter. Plus de 4300 personnes ont fui vers le Niger entre juillet et fin décembre 2015. Par ailleurs, entre janvier et novembre, quelque 2300 Maliens ont rejoint le Burkina Faso.

« La situation sécuritaire demeure instable. Néanmoins, nous observons depuis 2013 que des Maliens qui avaient trouvé refuge dans la région continuent de revenir spontanément vers leurs régions d'origine », a déclaré Nsona Vela do Nascimento, fonctionnaire du HCR à Bamako, en charge du rapatriement.

Nsona Vela do Nascimento a souligné que le HCR continue de fournir protection et assistance aux Maliens que ce soit dans le pays d'exil ou à leur retour. Le HCR travaille avec des partenaires « pour assurer la réintégration des rapatriés en douceur via une aide ciblée aux plus vulnérables ou des projets communautaires mettant l'accent sur la cohésion sociale dans ces régions ».

Pour le moment, Jafar est positif sur son avenir et il encourage d'autres Maliens à rentrer pour aider à reconstruire ce qui a été détruit. « Nous commençons peu à peu à reconstruire nos vies », a-t-il déclaré.

Par Isabelle Michal au Mali et Paul Absalon au Burkina Faso

Mali: Les chefs de quartier de la commune urbaine de Gao scellent un partenariat avec la MINUSMA

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

La Coordination civilo-militaire (CIMIC) de la MINUSMA à Gao a organisé une session d’explication de sa mission auprès de Chefs de quartier de la Commune urbaine de Gao vendredi dernier. Conduite par le colonel Justin Tchemi, la rencontre s’est tenue à la résidence du chef de quartier Sosso-Koira.

« Nous venons de rencontrer tous les chefs de quartier de la commune urbaine de Gao dans le but de leur donner un bref historique de nos différentes activités. En outre, nous leur avons expliqué notre mission, nos activités, ainsi que nos domaines d’intervention, parce qu’ils représentent la population. C’est uniquement dans un seul but : asseoir une base de paix, une base de confiance entre la population et la Mission » a dit le Capitaine Aichatou Ousmane Issaka de la CIMIC.

Cette réunion était donc l'occasion de sensibiliser les représentants du peuple à l'importance de cette collaboration. « C’est un sentiment de plaisir. Nous sommes très contents d’avoir rencontré les représentants de CIMIC de la MINUSMA et de savoir ce qu’ils sont en train de faire dans notre région. Ce que nous souhaitons est d’avoir une relation étroite pour que nous puissions les informer, de manière objective, des problèmes que connaissent la population » a déclaré M. Djibrilla Moussa, chef de quartier Farandjireye.

La Commune urbaine de GAO est peuplée de plus de 70 000 habitants, répartis dans 9 quartiers. Du point de vue administratif, la commune urbaine de Gao dépend du cercle et de la région du même nom, qui est la septième région administrative du Mali. La lisière du fleuve constitue le site naturel de Gao. Cité historique, les sites originels se trouvaient à l’ouest de l’actuel site, à quelques encablures dans l’île de Gounzireye et au niveau du village de Koima. Située sur la rive gauche du Niger, à 1200 km de Bamako, la Commune de Gao est limitée au Nord par la Commune de Sonni Ali Ber, à l’Est par les Communes de Tilemsi et de N’Chawadji, à l’Ouest et, au Sud par la Commune de Gounzoureye.

La cellule CIMIC de la MINUSMA sert d’interface entre la Force onusienne, la population locale, et les agences du système des Nations unies. Au-delà de son rôle dans l’amélioration de la sécurité des populations locales, elle intervient dans un cadre de complémentarité dans les domaines socioéconomique, de développement et dans des activités de cohésion sociale. Dans la région de Gao, CIMIC a déjà entrepris plusieurs actions en faveur des populations. Il s’agit notamment de consultations médicales au bénéfice de plus de 6000 personnes, la réhabilitation d’écoles, la construction de fontaines d’eau et d’installation des points d’ablution au niveau de la mosquée des Askia, la distribution de kits scolaires, l’organisation des activités sportives, entre autres.

A l’issue de cette rencontre, « les Chefs de quartier étaient, à l’unanimité, d’accord pour la création d’un cadre de concertation qui va ensemble nous permettre d’échanger sur les questions brûlantes de l’heure pour qu’ensemble nous puissions aboutir à un seul objectif : une paix durable au Mali. Le cadre de concertation ainsi créée, nous nous retrouverons chaque mois » a souligné le Capitaine Aichatou O. Issaka.

Mali: Justice transitionnelle à Tombouctou : MINUSMA soutient les associations de victimes

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

Le Bureau des droits de l’Homme de Tombouctou a conjointement organisé avec le Réseau Régional des Associations des Victimes des Évènements du Nord, un atelier sur les mécanismes de la justice transitionnelle du 20 au 21 janvier dernier. Cet atelier a essentiellement porté sur le rôle des associations des victimes et la prise en charge des violences basées sur le genre.

Les participants, membres des associations de victimes des cercles de Gourma-Rharous, Niafounké, Goundam, Dire et Tombouctou ont pris part à cette rencontre qui s’est tenue à l’Institut de Hautes Etudes et Recherches Islamiques Ahmed Baba de Tombouctou. « La justice transitionnelle est un processus qui vous implique, et vous devez vous y impliquer pour contribuer à la réconciliation nationale et la reconstruction d’une paix durable dans notre pays » a déclaré en ouverture le représentant du Maire de Tombouctou.

La justice transitionnelle désigne un ensemble de mécanismes judiciaires et non judiciaires, mis en œuvre par une société pour tenter de faire face à des exactions massives commises dans le passé, en vue d’établir les responsabilités, de rendre la justice et de permettre la réconciliation. Son principe est de promouvoir la justice, la réparation des victimes et la commémoration des violations passées. Elle est basée sur quatre piliers à savoir : les poursuites pénales, la recherche de la vérité, les réparations et les réformes institutionnelles.

Durant ces deux journées d’échanges, les riches débats ont porté sur la protection des victimes et des témoins, ainsi que les difficultés d’accès à la justice pour les victimes. Il a également été constaté la non représentation des associations des victimes dans la Commission Vérité, Justice et Réconciliation (CVJR) ainsi que le manque de consultations des victimes dans la prise des décisions lors du processus de réconciliation mené à Alger.

Le Coordinateur du Réseau Régional des Associations de Victimes, M. Abdoulaye Touré, a expliqué qu’« après les graves violations des droits humains commises au Mali et la mise en place de la CVJR, cette initiative va permettre aux associations des victimes de se saisir de leurs responsabilités et de leur engagement pour que le processus de paix soit une réussite ».

Le Réseau Régional des Associations de Victimes des Evènements du Nord est une association de la société civile, née de la crise malienne de 2012.

Depuis lors, des violations des droits de l’Homme, les plus graves, ont été commises sur les populations dans la région de Tombouctou, notamment les femmes et les enfants. Les victimes se sont constituées, de façon spontanée en association et en réseau pour une synergie d’action commune. La convention de mise en place de ce réseau a été signée par le gouverneur à Tombouctou, le 10 décembre 2014, date symbolique de la Journée Internationale de la Déclaration des droits de l’Homme.

A l’issue de l’atelier, les participants ont émis des recommandations parmi lesquelles la représentation des associations de victimes dans la CVJR, le renforcement des capacités du réseau régional des victimes, un meilleur accès des justiciables à la justice, de même qu’une plus grande célérité dans le traitement des dossiers, particulièrement ceux en rapport avec les violences sexuelles liées aux conflits, ainsi que la réintégration et la réinsertion socio-économique des victimes.

World: Oportunidades de paz y escenarios de riesgo para 2016

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Source: School for a Culture of Peace
Country: Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cyprus, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mali, Myanmar, Philippines, South Sudan, Thailand, Turkey, Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of), World, Yemen

Escenarios de riesgo y oportunidades de paz para 2016.

Josep Maria Royo, Investigador de la Escola de Cultura de Pau, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Blog Paz en Construcción El País.

Según un informe de la Escola de Cultura de Pau, de cara a 2016 existen algunos escenarios de riesgo y diversas oportunidades de paz que pueden posibilitar, a corto o medio de plazo, la construcción de la paz o bien conllevar un incremento de la violencia y la inestabilidad, por lo que es imprescindible aumentar el acompañamiento para consolidar los procesos de paz en unos casos, o por otra parte, aumentar la presión en otros para que la situación de inestabilidad actual no se deteriore aún más si cabe.

Oportunidades de paz

Chipre. El reinicio las negociaciones de paz en 2015 y la confluencia de factores vinculados al proceso –compromiso del liderazgo local; acompañamiento internacional; movilización pro-diálogo de actores no gubernamentales de ambas comunidades de la isla; y resultados tangibles, incluyendo medidas de confianza de peso; entre otros– supone una ventana de oportunidad histórica para la consecución de un acuerdo definitivo, a pesar de los obstáculos coyunturales y de fondo.

Burkina Faso. El país ha puesto fin a la fase de transición abierta tras la caída del régimen de Blaise Compaoré mediante la celebración de las elecciones presidenciales y parlamentarias que habían sido pospuestas tras el fracasado golpe de Estado de septiembre de 2015. Los comicios han devuelto al pueblo burkinés el control de las instituciones políticas tras 18 meses de Gobierno interino, representando para la sociedad burkinesa el comienzo de un nuevo periodo democrático.

Myanmar. Los resultados de las elecciones generales, que han otorgado una abrumadora mayoría al partido opositor NLD de Aung San Suu Kyi y que conducirán a la formación de un nuevo Gobierno sin tutela militar, unidos a la firma de un acuerdo de alto el fuego con ocho organizaciones insurgentes, permiten augurar avances en el camino hacia la democracia y la paz en el país durante 2016.

Tailandia. Durante el 2015 se reanudaron las conversaciones exploratorias entre la junta militar y Mara Patani, una organización que agrupa a los principales grupos armados que operan en el sur del país. La unificación de las demandas por parte del movimiento insurgente y el reconocimiento por parte del Estado de que hace falta el diálogo para resolver el conflicto armado suponen dos condiciones necesarias para la creación de confianza entre las partes.

Procesos de paz. Investigaciones recientes demuestran que los procesos de paz inclusivos desde una perspectiva de género y con la sociedad civil son más sostenibles y tienen más posibilidades de resultar en la firma de acuerdos de paz que aquellos que no lo son. Además, la presencia de mujeres podría contribuir también a la redacción de acuerdos en los que se integren cuestiones de igualdad.

Escenarios de riesgo

Burundi. En los últimos años se ha producido un deterioro significativo de la gobernabilidad en el país. El creciente autoritarismo y la controvertida candidatura del presidente Pierre Nkurunziza junto al clima de violencia política y las violaciones de los derechos humanos son diferentes elementos que revelan la gravedad de la situación y que han situado al país en los últimos meses al borde del conflicto armado.

Malí. En junio del 2015 se logró un acuerdo de paz entre el Gobierno y los movimientos rebeldes árabe-tuareg que operan en la región septentrional, después de tres años y medio de conflicto armado. Sin embargo, la exclusión de los movimientos yihadistas de las negociaciones y la ineficacia de las medidas de securitización para contener su presencia, representan serios obstáculos para lograr el fin de la violencia, pudiendo incluso poner en riesgo la implementación de los acuerdos de paz.

República Democrática del Congo. La proximidad del nuevo ciclo electoral está derivando en una escalada de la violencia política y de la inestabilidad general como consecuencia de los intentos del presidente Kabila para posponer las elecciones presidenciales y así prolongar su mandato, a lo que se unen los fracasos de la operación militar contra las FDLR y de amnistía y retorno del grupo armado M23, que podrían suponer la reactivación del conflicto.

Sudán del Sur. Tras la firma de la paz después de 20 meses de cruenta guerra civil, la falta de apropiación del acuerdo por parte de las partes enfrentadas, las decisiones unilaterales del Gobierno en materias que deberían ser competencias del nuevo Gobierno de Transición aun por crear, las violaciones reiteradas al alto el fuego, así como el surgimiento de nuevos actores armados, están poniendo en serio riesgo las perspectivas de paz en el país.

Venezuela. El contundente triunfo en las elecciones parlamentarias de la oposición ha abierto en el país un nuevo escenario político marcado por la polarización de fuerzas entre el poder Ejecutivo y el Legislativo. Esta nueva situación política, que tras 15 años modifica sustancialmente el poder del chavismo, puede favorecer nuevas tensiones y disputas entre el Gobierno y las fuerzas opositoras que podrían convulsionar aun más la política nacional, ampliar la fragmentación social y propiciar brotes de violencia.

Afganistán. El proceso de negociación entre los talibán y el Gobierno afgano ha sufrido un parón por la crisis interna del movimiento talibán. La división en torno al liderazgo perjudica el futuro de las negociaciones. La apuesta de Ashraf Ghani por dialogar a pesar del aumento de la violencia y de tender la mano a Pakistán, que sigue dando santuario a la cúpula talibán, debilita aún más al ya frágil Gobierno afgano. Asimismo, aunque Pakistán debe formar parte del acuerdo, su deseo de controlar el proceso está enfrentando más a las partes.

Filipinas. Las dificultades y retrasos por parte del Congreso para aprobar la Bangsamoro Basic Law, una suerte de estatuto de autonomía que regula la nueva entidad autónoma de Bangsamoro y concreta los contenidos del histórico acuerdo de paz que firmaron el Gobierno y el MILF en 2014, han provocado una parálisis en el proceso de paz y hacen temer por una fractura interna del MILF y una reanudación de la violencia en Mindanao.

Turquía. El conflicto entre Turquía y el PKK se deterioró gravemente en 2015 de la mano de factores como la urbanización de la guerra, la “sirianización” de la cuestión kurda de Turquía y la irrupción de ISIS en suelo turco, el deterioro del clima social, la regresión democrática y los interrogantes sobre opciones sostenibles de diálogo. Estas dinámicas podrían agravarse en 2016 si no se ponen en marcha urgentemente medidas de confianza y de desescalada de la violencia.

Yemen.La violencia en el país escaló significativamente a partir de marzo de 2015, cuando una coalición internacional liderada por Arabia Saudita decidió intervenir para frenar el avance de las milicias al-houthistas, que a principios de año habían forzado la caída del gobierno. De cara a 2016, la situación amenaza con agravarse dada la creciente complejidad del conflicto armado, el severo impacto de la violencia en la población civil y los obstáculos para una salida política al conflicto.

Amenaza yihadista. ISIS se ha consolidado como un nuevo modelo para el yihadismo internacional y competidor de al-Qaeda, demostrando una mayor capacidad para actuar con una proyección global. Múltiples factores pueden favorecer un aumento de la violencia yihadista en el futuro, entre ellos una intensificación en la pugna entre ISIS y al-Qaeda, una mayor incidencia de acciones armadas de milicianos retornados o “lobos solitarios” y los posibles efectos adversos de la respuesta internacional a ISIS.

Senegal: GIEWS Country Brief: Senegal 25-January-2016

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Source: Food and Agriculture Organization
Country: Senegal

FOOD SECURITY SNAPSHOT

  • Favorable rains and Government support contributed to improved 2015 harvest

  • An improved food security situation anticipated in marketing year 2015/2016 (November/October)

Above-average cereal production gathered in 2015

Harvesting of maize and millet, the major grains produced in the country, was completed in November 2015, while the rice harvest was completed in January 2016. Favourable weather conditions and enhanced Government support to the agricultural sector have contributed to a significant increase in cereal production this season.

Preliminary estimates put the 2015 aggregate cereal production at about 2.27 million tonnes, 82 percent above the previous year’s output and 65 percent above-average. Production of millet, the most important staple crop, increased by 83 percent, while production of groundnuts, the main cash crop for farmers, increased by 68 percent compared to the 2014 output. The good precipitation levels also improved pastures conditions throughout the country.

A reduced crop was gathered in 2014 due to irregular rains throughout the cropping season. The aggregate 2014 cereal production was estimated at about 1.2 million tonnes, similar to the previous year’s harvest, but a 9 percent drop relative to the five-year average.
Moreover, the erratic rains caused the depletion of grazing resources and lowered water points’ level in the major pastoral areas of the country.

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