Niger - Through its Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM), IOM has recorded a total of 60,970 migrants passing through the transit towns of Arlit and Séguédine in the Agadez region of Niger between February and April 2016. Of this total, 44,890 were recorded leaving Niger, while 16,080 were migrants entering the country. Niger is a transit country for West African migrants travelling to and from Algeria and Libya.

The results of the flow monitoring during this period shows that minors represent 2.9 percent of the flow through Séguédine, which is an increase in the number of reported unaccompanied and accompanied minors heading towards Libya. The proportion of minors through Arlit is 9.4 percent, which includes those coming from and going to Algeria.

The main nationalities of those surveyed heading towards Libya were Nigerians (32 percent), Nigeriens (21 percent), Senegalese (16 percent), Gambians (11 percent) and Ivorians (7 percent). The flow of migrants returning from Libya through Niger, consisted mainly of Nigerians (85 percent), Nigeriens (6 percent), Malians (4 percent) and Burkinabes (2 percent).

The DTM results also showed that flows to and from Libya have increased, with 8 percent of migrants transiting from Algeria through Arlit identifying Libya as their final destination. All migrants returning from Libya cited war and insecurity as their reasons for leaving, while those on their way to Libya and Algeria said that they were migrating for economic reasons.

The main nationalities of those travelling towards Algeria were Nigeriens (37 percent), Malians (13 percent), Cameroonians (10 percent), Burkinabes (10 percent) and Guinea Bissauans (6 percent). Of those coming into Niger from Algeria, the main nationalities were Nigerien (40 percent), Malian (11 percent), Cameroonian (8 percent), Burkinabes (7 percent) and Gambians (6 percent.)

For both transit points, the majority of migrants were men (Séguédine 91.3 percent and Arlit 87.1 percent.) In terms of the age distribution, the majority were between the ages of 18 and 59. Some vulnerable people were also identified, including children, female headed households and elderly people.

Over 70 percent of those surveyed paid more than USD 345 for their migration journey to the transit point in Séguédine and in Arlit. The average cost of migration was anywhere between USD 85 and USD 345.

The statistical information on migrant movements was collected on a daily basis, including a monthly deployment of survey teams to gather qualitative information directly from migrants.

The flow monitoring points in Arlit and Séguédine are part of IOM’s Displacement Tracking Matrix, which is a suite of tools and methodologies designed to track and analyse movement of migrants. Through this IOM is able to provide accurate and timely overview of migrant flows, routes, migrants’ profiles, drivers of migrant and migratory trends.

IOM Chief of Mission in Niger Giuseppe Loprete said: “Collecting data in these areas remains a challenge, but for the first time we now have reliable information and estimations on the migratory flows. The analysis of these trends is key to address the drivers of the migration through West Africa to North Africa and Europe and we will continue to reinforce our activities, especially in the most remote areas of Niger.”

For further information please contact Marie Karleskind at IOM Niger at Tel: +227.89311643, Email: mkarleskind@iom.int

Nigeria - The French Embassy in Nigeria and IOM Nigeria have signed an agreement for a nine-month project aimed at providing psychosocial support to conflict-affected people in the North East of the country. The project will target the two states most affected by displacement – Adamawa and Borno.

The project is designed to strengthen existing IOM psychosocial response and assistance to people affected by the humanitarian crisis that has developed in Nigeria due to the Boko Haram insurgency, especially the North East.

It also is aimed at preventing sexual and gender-based violence through the development of practices that promote gender equality, respect and tolerance of gender diversity in displacement camps and host communities.

IOM Nigeria Chief of Mission Enira Krdzalic thanked France for its contribution, but highlighted the huge humanitarian challenge in the North East. Appealing for more resources, she noted that in addition to psychosocial assistance, IOM also needs to provide shelter and non-food relief items.

The psychosocial support project will target at least 25 State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) / National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) camp managers, and 10,200 internally displaced persons (IDPs) living in camps and host communities (6,000 women, 3,000 children, 1,000 men).

It will build on earlier 2015 psychosocial projects funded by OFDA, France, Germany and UN CERF.

Earlier this week at World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul, the Lake Chad region was described by the UN Humanitarian Coordinator Stephen O’Brien as “The most underreported, most underfunded and least addressed of the big crises we face.” ICRC Director General Yves Daccord noted that “The gap between the humanitarian response and what (it) should be in the region– is possibly the biggest gap we have right now.”

IOM has nine offices and sub-offices in the region: Nigeria (Abuja, Maiduguri, Yola and Bauchi), Niger (Diffa and Zinder), Cameroon (Maroua), and Chad (Ndjamena, and Baga Sola), with a total of 295 staff.

It is co-lead of the Emergency Shelter, Non Food Item and Camp Coordination Camp Management Cluster/Working Groups in Nigeria, Niger, and Chad, and, in close coordination with national governments, tracks displacement through its Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) in Nigeria, Cameroon and Chad.

Funding from USAID/OFDA/PRM, ECHO, UN CERF, the European Union, Italy, France and Japan has helped IOM to assist over 460,000 people in the region since the beginning of the crisis in 2014. But IOM’s 2016 humanitarian programmes in the Lake Chad region now face a USD 25 million funding gap.

For further information, please contact IOM Abuja. Ikechukwu Hillarion Attah, Tel:+234 (0) 8140671127 (Office); +234 (0) 8036452973 Mobile. Email: iattah@iom.int or Enira Krdzalic, Tel: + 0093794100526, Email: ekrdzalic@iom.int

At a meeting today in the United Nations Security Council on the situation in the Sahel region of sub-Saharan Africa, senior UN officials stressed that climate change plays a direct role in the region's security, development and stability by increasing drought and fuelling conflict.

Speaking via videoconference from Niger, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for West Africa and Head of the UN Office for West Africa (UNOWA), Mohamed Ibn Chambas, said that he had just met President Mahamadou Issoufou of Niger as part of a tour of Sahelian countries on the frontline of humanity's struggle against climate change.

The envoy also noted that Boko Haram had galvanized attention to the effects of climate change. Another regional example of the effects of climate change included the situation of the Niger River, some sections of which had already begun to dry up, he said.

In addition to climate change, the special representative cited the renewed insurgency in the Niger delta, terrorist activities in northern Mali, deadly conflicts over resources, as well as organized crime, trafficking and violent extremism as threats affecting the region.

Mr. Chambas emphasized that while the fight against terrorism in the region was beginning to yield tangible results, more efforts were needed to support the military campaign against Boko Haram in the Lake Chad Basin area.

Noting that the Lake Chad Basin region was home to up to 50 million people - a population expected to double by 2030 - Mr. Chambas also said the region directly provided livelihoods to about 2 million people and supplied nearly 13 million with food.

For its, part, the UN was committed, within the parameters of its mandate, to help the region address its challenges, the special representative stressed, highlighting that cooperation was needed in that regard. Although tackling climate change and insecurity was the primary responsibility of the region's Governments, their budgets were already stretched, he said.

In addition, he noted that humanitarian needs continued to grow in the Sahel, with some 9.2 million people needing assistance. Only a small percentage of the $535 million requested for humanitarian assistance had been met, the special representative said.

Also speaking at today's meeting was Jean-Paul Laborde, Executive Director of the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED), who emphasized that climate change was an "aggravator" of conflict and violent extremism in the region, in addition to poor governance, economic instability and unemployment.

Mr. Laborde also noted that few organized crime cases had been prosecuted in the region, stressing that although criminal groups and terrorists might have different objectives, they shared common ground in their recruitment techniques and other activities. In addition, he noted that porous borders and corruption also worked alongside climate change to exacerbate the region's challenges.

He also said that while concerted action by the region's countries had weakened Boko Haram, it continued to affect the civilian population. Terrorism was also a complex and constantly evolving threat in the region, he stressed, noting that the UN must ensure that perpetrators of terrorism were punished.

For her part, Monique Barbut, Executive Secretary of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) said the opportunity for coherent action in the Sahel "appears to be closing quickly," as immense challenges press in and the population grows at annual rates of up to four per cent. For the bulk of the population there, "life is already tough and will get tougher," creating a breeding ground for disillusionment, crime, radicalization and conflict.

With up to 80 per cent of the region's people eking out a living from the land, climate change and the accompanying land degradation would further destabilize the situation, she said, warning that tensions over land and water shortages could spiral out of control, as they had done in Darfur.

She recalled her visits last April, with Thomas Friedman of the New York Times, to two towns in northern Niger that used to be tourist hubs and trading centres but which are now major transit points for migrants and where people smuggling has become the only viable economic activity. With desperation increasing, it was estimated that close to 60 million people could migrate to North Africa and Europe by 2035, due to the desertification of sub-Saharan Africa, she said.

She went on to say that interventions to improve the situation in rural areas of the Sahel should prioritize employment and income-generating opportunities, adding that they should also include clearly-defined land- and water-use and access rules as well as equitable land tenure systems. Calling for rapidly accelerated investment in land rehabilitation and sustainable land management, she said that a land-based approach would build resilience of rural communities to climate change, enhance food and water security and help stabilize much of the region.

"We are not claiming it is a silver bullet, but it would definitely be cheaper and more effective than investing in walls, wars and relief," said Ms. Barbut.

The day's final briefer, Hindou Omuarou Ibrahim, Coordinator of the Association for Indigenous Women and Peoples of Chad, said climate change and desertification have become part of the daily lives of the Sahel's peoples and are a major cause of instability and insecurity. She said many species of animals and plants have disappeared since she her childhood. Competition over resources was leading to "the survival of for the fittest," she stressed.

IEDA Relief - Rapport Mission Terrain

La crise au Nord du Mali a accentué les difficultés d’approvisionnement des populations en eau potable ; le dispositif existant qui était déjà insuffisant s’est davantage dégradé à cause du défaut d’entretien/réhabilitation. En fin 2015, l’on estimait le taux d’accès à l’eau à 23% dans la région de Kidal et à 57% le nombre de points d’eau existant non fonctionnels1.

Pour comprendre la problématique de la situation en eau dans la région et envisager une stratégie d’intervention dans les régions de Kidal et Gao, IEDA Relief a réalisé une évaluation sur terrain.

Le présent rapport rassemble les principaux constats et des études faites dans le milieu et sur les infrastructures d’approvisionnement en eau potable dans la région de Kidal (cercles de Kidal, Tessalit, Tin-Essako et Abeibara) et les recommandations.

L’objectif global de cette évaluation est de procéder à une mise à jour des indicateurs clé de la sécurité alimentaire afin d’appréhender la situation courante de la sécurité alimentaire et nutritionnelle des ménages, de même que son évolution au cours des 6 prochains mois. Par ailleurs, les informations à produire constitueront des données actualisées de qualité qui seront utilisés lors du prochain atelier du Cadre Harmonisé. En outre, ils contribueront à une meilleure élaboration ou redéfinition du ciblage ainsi que des projets/programmes d’assistance (alimentaire ou non alimentaire) au Mali, à court et moyen terme. Ce qui constituera un outil clé pour le plaidoyer à la fois pour le Gouvernement, le PAM et les différents partenaires (autres agences du système des Nations Unies, ONGs, etc.).

Bamako, Mali | AFP | vendredi 27/05/2016 - 23:33 GMT

La famille d'un civil malien décédé après son arrestation par la force de l'ONU à la suite d'une attaque jihadiste qui a coûté la vie à six militaires tchadiens a attribué sa mort à des violences en détention, l'ONU promettant vendredi "toute la lumière" sur cette affaire.

Les Casques bleus tchadiens étaient tombés le 18 mai dans une embuscade dans le nord-est du pays qui avait fait cinq morts, un sixième, blessé, étant ensuite décédé le 24 mai, selon un dernier bilan de la Mission de l'ONU au Mali (Minusma).

Trois suspects avaient été arrêtés, dont l'un est décédé le 19 mai "dans les heures ayant suivi" et les deux autres ont été relâchés, a indiqué la Minusma le 21 mai, annonçant l'ouverture d'une enquête interne.

La victime était un berger touareg âgé, nommé Almostapha Ag Intisniyiken, arrêté avec son fils et un autre parent, a appris l'AFP auprès de sa famille.

"Nous soupçonnons une mort provoquée. Si on n'avait pas arrêté avec violence mon père, il ne serait pas mort", a déclaré ce fils, Ousmane Ag Almoustapha, joint par téléphone, et dont les propos en tamasheq (langue touareg) ont été traduits à l'AFP par un de ses proches.

"Nous étions derrière notre troupeau quand les Tchadiens ont tiré des coups de feu. Les animaux se sont sauvés et ils nous ont arrêtés tous les trois", a-t-il témoigné.

"Ils ont commencé par nous frapper avec la crosse de leurs fusils pour nous faire avouer que nous étions impliqués dans l'attaque. Nous avons dit que non, mais que nous avions vu trois gens armés à moto qui venaient du lieu de l'attentat", a poursuivi Ousmane Ag Almoustapha.

"Ensuite ils nous ont séparés de mon père. C'est après que j'ai appris qu'il était mort", a-t-il ajouté.

Un autre membre de la famille du défunt qui a rencontré les deux jeunes libérés a évoqué sous le couvert de l'anonymat une "mort sûrement provoquée par une arme".

"Pour nous, ce n'est pas une mort naturelle", a dit ce parent. "Je remercie la Minusma d'avoir dit qu'on allait connaître la vérité", a-t-il ajouté.

Interrogée sur ces accusations de la famille, la porte-parole en chef de la Minusma, Radhia Achouri, a rappelé l'ouverture immédiate d'une enquête et dit ne "pas préjuger des résultats de ces investigations".

"La Minusma partagera avec transparence les conclusions pertinentes des investigations internes et si erreur/faute il y a, les responsabilités seront assumées", a-t-elle assuré dans un courriel à l'AFP.

L'enquête "est toujours en cours mais nous veillons à ce qu'elle soit conclue le plus tôt possible", a-t-elle indiqué.

Elle a pour but "de faire toute la lumière sur les circonstances de cette attaque" qui a fait six morts parmi les Casques bleus, y compris l'arrestation des trois suspects et le décès de l’un d'entre eux, a précisé Mme Achouri.

Bamako, Mali | AFP | Saturday 5/28/2016 - 03:06 GMT

The family of a Malian civilian who died after being arrested by peacekeepers following a deadly jihadist attack claimed his death was due to abuse in custody as the UN Friday promised to "shed light" on the incident.

Five Chadian peacekeepers were killed in the ambush in northeast Mali on May 18 and a sixth died of his wounds on May 24, according to the latest toll from the UN mission in Mali (MINUSMA).

Three suspects were arrested, one of whom "died on May 19 in the hours following his apprehension" while the other two were released, MINUSMA said last week as it announced the launch of an internal inquiry.

The victim was an elderly Tuareg shepherd named Almoustapha Ag Intisniyiken, who was detained with his son and another relative, his family told AFP.

"If they had not arrested my father with violence, he would not have died," his son Ousmane Ag Almoustapha told AFP by telephone, speaking in the Tuareg language which one of his relatives then translated.

"We were behind our flock when the Chadians fired shots. The animals scattered and ran and they arrested the three of us," he said.

"They started hitting us with the butts of their guns to make us confess that we were involved in the attack. We said weren't, but that we saw three gunmen on motorcycles coming from the site of the attack," he said.

"Then they separated us from my father. It was afterwards I learned he had died," he added.

- Internal investigation -

Another member of the dead shepherd's family, speaking on condition of anonymity, said "for us, it was not a natural death".

"I'm grateful that MINUSMA have said we are going to learn the truth," he added.

Questioned about the family's accusations, MINUSMA spokeswoman Radhia Achouri said there was an inquiry was underway and she "did not want to prejudge the outcome of these investigations".

"MINUSMA will share the relevant findings of the internal investigations with transparency and if there is an error/misconduct, they will assume responsibility," Achouri said in an email to AFP.

The investigation "is ongoing but we are ensuring it will be concluded as soon as possible", she said.

Its goal is "to shed light on the circumstances of the attack" including the arrest of the three suspects and the death of one of them, she said.

Islamist group Ansar Dine has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Ansar Dine was one of several Islamist factions that conquered vast swathes of the Mali's north in 2012 before being repulsed by French troops.

A landmark peace agreement was reached last year between the Mali government and the rebels, but jihadist violence remains a threat and the government has been unable to maintain security with domestic forces alone.

Five Malian soldiers were killed and four others wounded Friday in northern Mali when their vehicles were blown up by an improvised explosive device, the army said.

The Mali mission is the most dangerous active deployment for UN peacekeepers and has been hit by sharp internal tensions since its launch in July 2013.

sd-sst/mtp/as

© 1994-2016 Agence France-Presse

Increased sorghum prices in the Goundam Lakes District limits food access for poor households

Key Messages

• Food access is limited for poor households in the Goundam area due to a 25% increase in sorghum prices compared to an average year. The intensification of atypical coping mechanisms including labor, loans, and purchasing less expensive food leaves the population in Stressed (IPC Phase 2) levels of food insecurity.
• The majority of households can access food due to sufficient market cereal stocks, favorable livestock/ cereal terms of trade for pastoralists, and low prices for staple foods which are 5 to 15 percent below average. Consequently, most households in the country are at Minimal (IPC Phase 1) levels of food insecurity.
• Pastoral conditions are average across the country with some exceptions in the North, allowing for a generally normal pastoral lean season. However, there is a decline in pastoral income compared to an average year for poor households in Gourma which limits their market access. The atypical use of loans, the reduction in non-food expenditures, and the substitution of less expensive foods in that region all indicate a Stressed (IPC Phase 2) level of food insecurity through at least September.
• The agricultural season began with the start of the rains across Southern agriculture zones, offering income opportunities and improved food access for poor households in the region. The forecasts for average rainfall (ECMWF, NOAA, IRI) as well as plans for government support allows for an average to above average outlook for the 2016 harvest.

Below average cereal prices means normal market access for poor households across the country

Key Messages

• The average progression of off season rice harvests continues in the Senegal River Valley allowing for improved income opportunities and food access for poor households engaged in agriculture labor. Expected harvests in June and July will improve rice availability and play a role in mitigating price increases for this period.
• The agricultural lean season is underway across the country with the presence of migratory herds in their normal zones, concentrated in the groundnut production areas in the South. The average to above average availability of forage allows for average production and revenue for pastoral households to maintain market access. The expected start of the rains at the end of May will mark the return of herds to their normal winter pastures.
• The supply of cereals remains sufficient on all of the major markets despite the usual seasonal decline of stocks related to the gradual depletion of peasant stocks. Cereal prices remain more than 10 percent below average for millet and similarly reduced for rice thanks to good 2015/16 harvests allowing for average market access for the majority of households. Consequently, Minimal (IPC Phase 1) food insecurity remains throughout the country.
• Poor households in certain places in the Matam, Kanel, Raneyrou, Linguere, and Louga regions are experiencing an early depletion of their food stocks due to poor 2015/16 harvests. Poor households are resorting to atypical coping strategies including labor and loans to meet their food needs. These households will experience Stress (IPC Phase 2) levels of food insecurity until the new harvests arrive in October.

Household food security remains normal

Key Messages

• Poor households continue to live in Minimal (IPC Phase 1) levels of food insecurity, thanks to stable food prices as compared to the five year average as well as good food stocks on the markets. Income generated through both agriculture and non-agricultural labor, including gold mining is at average levels, while the terms of trade livestock/cereals are favorable for food purchasing.
• Early rains have been recorded in places around the country, easing the difficulties with watering animals who have reached the end of the normal pastoral lean season. The presence of household forage stocks and the availability of cash crop harvest residue on the markets at average price levels compared to the last five years allows for the mitigation of effects of the lean season.
• In anticipation of a normal agricultural season, the government has set a cereal production goal of 4,700,000 tons. This estimation, which is realistic, but slightly higher than the five year average. To support this production the government plans to provide average levels of input assistance to farmers including 16,000 tons of fertilizers, 4,000 tons of improved seeds, and farm equipment.

Acute malnutrition has reportedly caused the death of a number of children and elderly people from Blue Nile, in a refugee camp in South Sudan during the past week. UNHCR has relocated the first Sudanese refugees from Yida camp.

Other children are suffering from the shortage of food and nutritients, a camp coordinator in Yusuf Batil told Radio Dabanga.

“There is a severe shortage of food and medicines in the camp. Hopefully humanitarian organisations will speed up the delivery of aid and medicines,” the coordinator said.

Approximately 40,000 refugees, mainly from Bau in Blue Nile, have taken shelter in Yusuf Batil, which is 51 kilometres away from the border with Sudan.

Medair, an international NGO of humanitarian aid active in the camp, denied in a statement to Radio Dabanga that is has received reports about child mortality caused by malnutrition.

“We have not had any children die in our health facilities or from within our malnutrition programmes in recent weeks,” the organisation replied. Medair's nutrition programme in Yusuf Batil has 461 children under five years enrolled and conducts other programmes to prevent acute malnutrition among children.

Transportation

The rainy season is causing trouble, however, for organisations that transport food and relief items to the refugee camps along the border with Sudan.

There is a shortage of transporation means in Yida camp in Unity state, according to a camp coordinator. The United Nations' refugee agency (UNHCR) in South Sudan has embarked on relocating the first Sudanese refugees from Yida to the camps Ajuong Thok and Pamir (in Upper Nile state).

Nur Saleh, a coordinator in Yida, told Radio Dabanga that they held a meeting with the UN director in the country on Wednesday. He promised to provide the basic needs of education and health services in the camps where the refugees, mainly from the Nuba Mountains, are being relocated to.

Refugees in Yida, amounting to about 70,000 people, have refused to leave over security concerns in the two new camps. But UNHCR and the South Sudanese government have said that Yida has never been officially recognised as refugee camp and continues to scale-down aid services, to eventually shut down the camp.

In Numbers

2.2 million people displaced

2.5 million people food insecure in north-east Nigeria.

4 countries affected

USD 74 million urgently required to meet the most immediate needs in the four countries over the next six months through August.

Highlights

• Insecurity in the area continues amid Boko Haram attacks leading to further displacements of populations both in Nigeria and into the neighboring countries.

• In April, WFP started an immediate response to provide supplementary feeding to young children at risk in North East Nigeria.

• Conclusions of the joint assessment carried out in April by the Government of Nigeria and the UN revealed that the situation of food insecurity will further deteriorate with the beginning of the lean season.

Suite à l’attaque complexe qui a ciblé ses casques bleus le 18 mai au nord d'Aguelhok, dans la région de Kidal, la MINUSMA a immédiatement constitué une équipe d’enquête interne pour faire toute la lumière sur les circonstances de cette attaque, y compris celles relatives à l’arrestation des trois suspects et du décès de l’un d’entre eux qui a perdu la vie le 19 mai dans les heures ayant suivi son appréhension.

Cette enquête interne se poursuit.

En attendant et pour des considérations procédurales, les deux individus seront remis en liberté et seront reconduits à leur localité par la MINUSMA dès que possible.

Le corps de la personne décédée a été transféré à Gao le 19 mai. Suite à des consultations avec la Ministre de la justice, la dépouille mortelle sera remise dans les plus brefs délais aux autorités judiciaires locales de Gao pour toutes suites procédurales requises.

29 May 2016 – Five United Nations peacekeepers were killed in an ambush in central Mali earlier today, with another 'blue helmet' seriously injured, according to preliminary information reported by the country's UN mission, which deplored the “heinous act of terrorism” as all the more shocking because it occurred on the day set aside for the global community to honour UN peacekeepers.

According to a press statement from the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA), the ambush occurred at about 11:00 a.m. near the town of Sevaré. According to preliminary information, five peacekeepers were killed. Another was seriously injured and has been evacuated. 

The Mission expressed its condolences to the families of victims, as well as to the Government and people of Mali, and wished a speedy recovery to the injured peacekeeper.

"I condemn in the strongest terms this despicable crime in addition to other terrorist acts that targeted our peacekeepers, which constitute crimes against humanity under international law," said Mahamat Saleh Annadif, the Special Representative of the UN Secretary General and head of MINUSMA.

"This heinous act of terrorism is even more shocking [as] it was perpetrated there during International Day of Peacekeepers," underscored, Mr. Annadif, referring to the annual 29 May commemoration, declared by the UN General Assembly in 2003, paying tribute to the professionalism, dedication and courage of all the men and women serving in UN peacekeeping operations, and honour the memory of those who have lost their lives in the cause of peace.

Mr. Annadif urged that every effort be made to identify those responsible for these heinous crimes against friendly forces of Mali and the Malian Armed Forces, five of whom were also killed on Friday, 27 May.

Finally, he stressed that the MINUSMA is more committed than ever to pursue its mission in support of Mali and its people.

• Niger comes third in the countries aided by Rohama Qatar delegation

• Nasser Al Megheiseb: What distinguishes Rohama initiative is that it focuses on the developmental aspect of the regions it aids.

Supported by QC, the delegation of Rohama initiative finished its exploratory trip to Niger so as to check upon the Nigerians and to aid 400 families that suffer from poverty. The delegation provided the villages and orphanages with some food supplies and basic needs.

The delegation included Nasser Al Megheiseb, Initiative Director, Rashid Al Kuwairi, Kaltham Al Ka'bi, Abdullah Albu'ineen, Mohammed Shaheen, Anas Sameer, Ubada Youssef, Nour Al Abed, Sara Al Khal, and Faisal Al Heithami.

This third visit took place after a survey conducted by the team to review the deteriorating conditions of Niger, the lack of water, food, clothes, transportation, and the damage that happened to the houses, schools and hospitals.

The delegation visited 3 villages in Niger: Bankario, Quringhal and Burkodari. They distributed food baskets sufficient for around 400 families for a month. The baskets composed of 50 kg of rice, 100 kg of fats, 5 liters of oil, 5 kg of sugar and 3 kg of milk at a cost of 447 QR per basket. The team also worked on organizing competitions and entertaining programs. They also made some playgrounds for the children and their parents.

Exploratory Visits

During its visit to the greatest educational center for orphans in Niger, the team said that Al Deyaa Educational Center needed greater support so to enable it to educate its students. The place and its conditions were examined; then, the team proposed an entertaining program and competitions to alleviate the sufferings of the orphans and employees.

The delegation paid a visit to some income-generating projects which had been implemented by QC. The purpose of such projects was to enable the families to become financially independent. Some of these projects were for the people with special needs; they would learn a certain profession then work on small projects related to it. Such projects included a workshop for making wires; the person with special needs trains at a workshop who have similar conditions but depend on themselves for meeting their needs.

Rohama Qatar

Ms. Kaltham Al Ka'bi, Rohama Initiative Member, said, "This initiative believes that the youth have a different perspective regarding fighting ignorance and poverty in needy communities. These young people aid through implementing effective relief and developmental projects". Ms. Kaltham explained how the work on such projects consists of three stages. The first stag is about exploring the country where there is a high rate of poverty, but before that the supplies are prepared for distribution. The supplies include food, basic items and money to cover the relief side of the project. The developmental aspect comes after the end of the visit. The team would survey the country, its conditions and how applicable the projects could be there. In addition, it helps in the identification of which projects are needed most, hospitals, wells or school. This is the third stage the team works on to decide the kinds of developmental projects the region needs.

Al Ka'bi added, "What distinguishes Rohama projects is that they help the beneficiaries become financially independent through implementing suitable projects for the people such as mills, farms and shops".

It is worth mentioning that the first developmental project implemented by Rohama Initiative was in Djibouti. The project was to establish a village called 'Doha Al Kheir' whose implementation cost 4,000,000 QR. It serves around 1,000 people. Its implementation is about to be entirely done. Of course, this village came after an exploratory trip the team made to Djibouti and after the survey they conducted to review the conditions and needs of the areas there. Later on, the team promoted this project and made fund raisings to pay for the work progress. Rohama team also visited Bangladesh and achieved the relief goal by meeting the needs of the people there.

29 mai 2016 – L'ONU a condamné dimanche une attaque meurtrière survenue dans la matinée dans le centre du Mali, au cours de laquelle cinq Casques bleus de la Mission multidimensionnelle intégrée des Nations Unies pour la stabilisation dans le pays (MINUSMA) ont trouvé la mort et un sixième a été grièvement blessé.

Selon un communiqué de presse publié par la Mission de l'ONU, vers 11h00, un convoi de la Force de la MINUSMA a été pris en embuscade dans la région de Mopti, à 30 kilomètres à l'ouest de Sevaré, sur l'axe Tenenkou-Sevaré. D'après les informations préliminaires dont disposait la MINUSMA, cinq Casques bleus du contingent togolais de la Mission auraient été tués et un autre grièvement blessé.

Dans une déclaration publiée par son porte-parole, le Secrétaire général de l'ONU, Ban Ki-moon, a condamné avec la plus grande fermeté cette attaque meurtrière et présenté ses sincères condoléances aux familles des Casques bleus « morts pour la cause de la paix ainsi qu'au Gouvernement et au peuple du Togo ».

M. Ban a exigé que « tout soit mis en œuvre pour que les auteurs de ce crime odieux » soient rapidement interpellés et traduits en justice.

Il a observé « avec tristesse » que cette nouvelle attaque contre la MINUSMA intervient le jour de la commémoration de la Journée internationale des Casques bleus, « à l'heure où l'on honore les hommes et les femmes qui servent avec honneur, dévouement et courage sous la bannière des Nations Unies ».

Le Secrétaire général a rappelé que les attaques contre des soldats de la paix des Nations Unies peuvent constituer un crime de guerre au regard du droit international.

Le chef de l'ONU a réitéré la détermination des Nations Unies à soutenir la stabilisation du Mali et la mise en œuvre de l'accord de paix. Il a exprimé son plein soutien aux autorités maliennes dans leurs efforts pour lutter contre les groupes extrémistes.

De son côté, le Conseil de sécurité de l'Organisation a également réagi à cette attaque en appelant le gouvernement du Mali à mener rapidement une enquête.

Les membres du Conseil ont réaffirmé que le terrorisme sous toutes ses formes et manifestations constitue l'une des menaces les plus graves pour la paix et la sécurité internationales. Le Conseil a souligné la nécessité de traduire les auteurs, organisateurs, bailleurs de fonds et commanditaires de ces actes en justice. Ils ont souligné que les responsables de ces meurtres devraient être tenus responsables et ont exhorté tous les États, conformément à leurs obligations en vertu du droit international et des résolutions pertinentes du Conseil de sécurité, à coopérer activement avec toutes les autorités compétentes à cet égard.

Les membres du Conseil de sécurité ont réitéré que tous les actes de terrorisme sont criminels et injustifiables par nature, quelle que soit leur motivation. Ils ont réaffirmé la nécessité pour tous les États de combattre par tous les moyens les menaces à la paix causées par des actes terroristes, conformément à la Charte des Nations Unies, au droit international des droits de l'homme, au droit international des réfugiés et au droit international humanitaire.

Les membres du Conseil de sécurité ont exprimé leur préoccupation au sujet de la situation sécuritaire au Mali. Ils ont noté que la mise en œuvre intégrale de l'Accord pour la paix et la réconciliation au Mali et l'intensification des efforts visant à surmonter les menaces peuvent contribuer à améliorer la situation sécuritaire du pays.

Le Conseil a en outre réaffirmé son plein appui à la MINUSMA et aux forces françaises qui la soutiennent. Il a également réitéré son ferme appui au Représentant spécial du Secrétaire général pour le Mali, Mahamat Saleh Annadif.

De son côté, la MINUSMA a présenté ses condoléances aux familles des victimes, ainsi qu'à leur gouvernement et à leur peuple, et a souhaité un prompt rétablissement au soldat de la paix blessé.

« Je condamne avec la plus grande vigueur ce crime abjecte qui s'ajoute aux autres actes terroristes qui ont ciblé nos soldats de la paix et qui constituent des crimes contre l'humanité au regard du droit international », a déclaré le M. Mahamat Saleh Annadif.

« Cet acte odieux de terrorisme est d'autant plus révoltant qu'il a été perpétré durant là journée internationale des Casques Bleus », a souligné le Représentant spécial, appelant à déployer tous les efforts possibles pour identifier les responsables de ces crimes.

Il a souligné que la MINUSMA est « plus engagée que jamais » à poursuive sa mission d'appui au Mali et à son peuple.

KEY FIGURES

2,155,618 IDPs* in Nigeria *1.8 million displaced by the insurgency (NEMA/IOM DTM Report, Round IX, April 2016)

210,591 Total number of Nigerian refugees in neighboring countries as of 30 April

FUNDING

USD 93.5 million UNHCR requirements for the Nigeria situation Gap 82% Funded 18%

PRIORITIES

Nigeria Work with stakeholders to scale up presence in the north-east in light of increasing returns from Cameroon

Niger Register all new arrivals in Kabelawa and Sayam Forage Camps

Cameroon Conduct a return intentions survey in Minawao Camp

Chad Biometrically register spontaneous arrivals, new-born children, and absentees from the last exercise in December 2015, in Dar Es Salam Camp

HIGHLIGHTS

• A Regional Protection Dialogue, which will take place on 6-10 June 2016 in Abuja, will bring together officials from the four Lake Chad Basin countries to discuss critical protection issues, including durable solutions.

• In Cameroon, UNHCR conducted a return intention survey in Minawao Camp. Preliminary results indicate that refugees are willing to return contingent upon conditions of safety being met across the board.

• In Niger, UNHCR increased its shelter response for displaced persons living outside the camps and registration efforts for new IDP and refugee arrivals in Kabelawa and Sayam Forage camps. The security situation deteriorated, following the trend observed since mid-March. A number of attacks were reported, which brings the risk of a weakened local economy and increases the risk of food insecurity.

A total of 2,734,474 people of concern as of 30 April

HIGHLIGHTS

• UNHCR assessed the needs of newly displaced populations following the recent violence in Koui and Bocaranga, in the northwest of the Central African Republic, forcing more than 14,000 people to flee their homes;

• In Chad, UNHCR and WFP conducted a joint assessment mission to evaluate food and nutrition security conditions of CAR refugees in camps;

• In Cameroon, UNHCR’s return intention survey shows that 73 per cent of refugees do not intend to return to CAR under current conditions;

• In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the biometric registration continues with more than 18,800 refugees enrolled in UNHCR’s new Biometric Identity Management System;

• In the Republic of the Congo, the water and sanitation response is being strengthen amidst challenges regarding water availability.

Operational Context

• In the Central African Republic (CAR), following clashes between armed groups, new displacements of population have been reported since mid-April in the Sub-Prefectures of Koui and Bocaranga (Ouham Pendé Prefecture). According to local authorities, more than 14,000 displaced people have fled to Koui, Bocaranga, Bouar and also to Cameroon (about 800 asylum seekers according to local authorities). In Koui, the verification and registration of internally displaced people (IDPs) is underway. In Bouar, IDPs are hosted within families and already receiving humanitarian assistance. Provisional assessments reported the death of dozens of civilians in the localities of Bouzou and Dock, where clashes started, as well as over a hundred of burned houses. In addition, on April 26, a violent storm hit the city of Koui causing damage and destruction to almost 100 houses, some of them hosting IDP families. This episode of violent clashes between rival armed groups – including attacks against civilians – is a reminder that the security situation remains fragile and unpredictable (see map) despite improvement in security conditions observed in some areas. Repeated security incidents, some involving (directly or indirectly) humanitarian workers, might have an impact on access in certain areas.

• On 26 April, the United Nations Security Council extended the mandate of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in CAR (MINUSCA) until 31 July, 2016, stating that the situation in the country constitutes a threat to international peace and security. The Council also requested that the Secretary-General conduct a strategic review of MINUSCA to ensure proper configuration and adaptation of its future mandate to a post-transition stabilization environment. Furthermore, France announced that the Sangaris military operation, ongoing since December 2013, would close down by the end of 2016 and that its mandate would be taken over by the European military training mission as part of a decision approved by the European Council on 19 April.

• Since the end of the month, the new government of President Touadera has been initiating consultations with a view to help restore stability by disarming, demobilising and reintegrating thousands of members of armed groups who fought in the more than two year-long sectarian war. While some sections of the ex-Seleka movement have denounced the new Government, other rebel factions have been regrouping in parts of the country (Bria, Paoua, Kaga Bandoro, Bambari) for peace talks.

• In countries of asylum, the security situation along the Cameroon-CAR border strip remains of concern due to the presence of criminal groups; north of the Adamaoua region and the eastern part of the northern regions are also areas on high security watch. In Chad, Presidential elections were held on 10 April. The situation in the country remained relatively stable during the electoral campaign, the vote and at the time of the release of the preliminary results confirming the current President in his position, although the opposition denounced several irregularities throughout the country and reported limited instances of electoral violence. In the Republic of the Congo, following the President’s confirmation as elected candidate by the Constitutional Court on 4 April, heavy fighting erupted in southern Brazzaville districts between ruling party members and the opposition. The army was deployed and thousands of residents fled their homes. Despite heavy security arrangements throughout the country, UNHCR activities were not disrupted. In addition, the start of the rainy season has created some access difficulties in the area of Bétou – where 60 per cent of CAR refugees are hosted – challenging the delivery of humanitarian supplies.