The activities proposed hereafter are still subject to the adoption of the financing decision ECHO/WWD/ BUD/2016/91000

AMOUNT: EUR 13 935 000

The present Humanitarian Implementation Plan (HIP) was prepared on the basis of financing decision ECHO/WWD/BUD/2016/91000 (Worldwide Decision) and the related General Guidelines for Operational Priorities on Humanitarian Aid (Operational Priorities). The purpose of the HIP and its annex is to serve as a communication tool for ECHO's partners and to assist in the preparation of their proposals. The provisions of the Worldwide Decision and the General Conditions of the Agreement with the European Commission shall take precedence over the provisions in this document.

0. MAJOR CHANGES SINCE PREVIOUS VERSION OF THE HIP

First modification as of 21/04/2016

The signature of the Mali Peace Agreement by the remaining parties on 20 June 2015 has been an important step forward in the process of rebuilding mutual trust and confidence in Mali. Regrettably the implementation of the Accord has been overall very slow. Despite the agreement, the situation on the ground remains fragile.

The number of security incidents in the country is strongly increasing, with more and more humanitarian actors being targeted. This is a strong reminder of the complexity and unpredictability of the security environment. Access to populations in need is becoming more and more challenging. In the North, Kidal airport is reopened for ECHO Flight after more than one year of closure. Kidal is a very remote destination and to deliver assistance in the Kidal region is crucial for the success of the Peace Agreement. To this end, ECHO Flight is a key logistic means and a lot of additional flying hours will be needed.

Moreover, ECHO is funding a rapid response mechanism including food, health and nutrition components that will be carried out by Norwegian Refugee Council in the northern Mali. The service of ECHO Flight will be again crucial for the implementation of this important project that will require number of ad hoc flights.
All these additional flying hours were not foreseen in the initial budget and will be covered by this specific 500 000 EUR additional amount dedicated to Mali operation.

The crisis in the Lake Chad basin is heavily affecting populations in Nigeria, Niger, Chad and Cameroon. In total, due to Boko Haram violence over 2.5 million people have been displaced within their country or had to flee to a neighbouring country. The number of people forcibly displaced and in need of assistance is increasing by the month.

Internally displaced, refugees and host families are affected by the crisis. Their situation is likely to be further aggravated by the lean season that is about to start. Humanitarian actors have scaled up their presence in the field since the beginning of 2016 to deliver emergency humanitarian assistance owing to slight improvements in the security situation.

In Nigeria, a recent WFP needs assessment highlights that 800 000 people are in need of emergency food assistance in the North-Eastern States of Borno and Yobe alone. Without humanitarian support in 2016, an estimated 67 000 children aged 6-59 months with Severe Acute Malnutrition are likely to die in Borno and Yobe only, i.e. 184 children every day.

In Niger, the recent escalation of violence from Boko Haram against civilians and military targets in the area of Bosso (Diffa region) has led to the additional displacement of 75 000 people. This new massive displacement is further aggravating the humanitarian situation in the region, which already hosts over 250 000 conflict-affected people. There are significant unmet humanitarian needs in terms of food assistance, shelter, protection, water and sanitation but access is still difficult.

In Chad, the total number of displaced people affected by Boko Haram violence in the Lake region of Chad is estimated at 131 000. Gradually opening access in the Northern region of Lake Chad has revealed that urgent needs remain to be addressed in all sectors, especially regarding food assistance and protection.

Boko Haram violence continues to cause displacement in the Far North of Cameroon. According to the latest figures, there are 56 838 registered refugees from Nigeria in the Minawao refugee camp and 8 250 additional non-registered refugees off-site. In addition, recurrent attacks have led to the internal displacement of a total of 158 000 people. Displacement has also negatively impacted food and nutrition security, with 249 000 people requiring emergency food assistance in the country.

Bamako, Mali | AFP | jeudi 16/06/2016 - 10:08 GMT

Deux civils ont été tués lors d'une attaque jihadiste présumée dans la région de Tombouctou, dans le nord-ouest du Mali, dans la nuit de mercredi à jeudi, a-t-on appris de sources locales.

"Des +terroristes+ ont attaqué dans la nuit de mercredi à jeudi le hameau de Mankéna, situé à 13 km de la localité de Léré, tuant deux civils", a déclaré à l'AFP un élu de la région sous le couvert de l'anonymat.

Selon la même source, les assaillants, "très armés", sont arrivés à pied dans le petit village vers 22H00 (locales et GMT).

"Ils ont ouvert le feu sur les populations, cassé les deux bras d'un habitant, avant de repartir", a ajouté l'élu, citant selon lui "un témoin direct" de la scène.

Selon un habitant de la localité de Léré contacté par l'AFP, citant le témoignage d'un blessé, un notable du hameau figurerait parmi les civils tués et les assaillants ont affirmé qu'ils reviendraient "pour finir le travail".

"Nous avons peur. Il faut que l'Etat malien assure notre sécurité. Nous sommes abandonnés", a lancé cette même source.

Le nord du Mali était tombé en mars-avril 2012 sous la coupe de groupes jihadistes liés à Al-Qaïda après la déroute de l'armée face à la rébellion à dominante touareg, d'abord alliée à ces groupes qui l'ont ensuite évincée.

Ces groupes jihadistes ont été dispersés et en grande partie chassés du Nord à la suite du lancement en janvier 2013, à l'initiative de la France, d'une intervention militaire internationale, qui se poursuit.

Mais des zones entières échappent encore au contrôle des forces maliennes et étrangères, malgré la signature en mai-juin 2015 d'un accord de paix entre le camp gouvernemental et l'ex-rébellion, censé isoler définitivement les jihadistes.

sd/sst/lp

© 1994-2016 Agence France-Presse

Highlights

• Sudan hosts the largest number of South Sudanese refugees who have sought refuge in neighbouring countries since December 2013.

• The number of IDPs from Jebel Marra in North Darfur State has reduced from about 60,000 to 54,000 people over the past week.

• An estimated 2,380 people were displaced to Damazine locality from Kurmuk, Blue Nile during April, according to HAC.

• More than 4.2 million children aged between six months and 15 years old have been vaccinated against measles in six states in May.

FIGURES 2015 HRP

Displaced people in Sudan (as of Dec 2014) - 3.1 million

Displaced people in Darfur (as of Dec 2014) - 2.5 million

GAM burden - 2 million

South Sudanese refugee arrivals in Sudan - since 15 Dec 2013 (UNHCR) - as of 31 March 2016 231,938

Refugees of other nationalities (UNHCR) -130,000

FUNDING 152.8 million* US$ received in 2016

Sudan hosts the largest number of South Sudanese refugees

As of the beginning of June 2016, Sudan hosts the largest number of refugees who have fled South Sudan and sought refuge in neighbouring countries after conflict erupted in the country in December 2013. According to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) data portal on the South Sudan crisis, there are about 232,000 South Sudanese refugees in Sudan, 230,000 in Ethiopia, 202,000 in Uganda, and 57,000 in Kenya.

Since the beginning of 2016, 71,000 South Sudanese have arrived in Sudan, driven by both conflict and related food insecurity in parts of South Sudan. This is equivalent to about 30 per cent of the overall South Sudanese refugee caseload in Sudan and has led to an increase in needs, particularly in areas where arrivals where unanticipated, namely East Darfur, South Darfur and El Meriam, West Kordofan. The Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) is in the process of releasing funds available from its Rapid Response window to address these new humanitarian needs. The overall donor response to date has been low. Inter-agency requirements for the South Sudanese situation response in Sudan amount to US$141.2 million, of which only 13 per cent had been received by 26 May.

Influx into East Darfur

The majority of the new arrivals from South Sudan in 2016 are in East Darfur, which currently hosts 66 per cent of the total arrivals this year. Most of the arrivals in East Darfur are in Khor Omer camp near Ed Daein, capital of East Darfur. As of 12 June, there are 29,713 South Sudanese in the camp, according to the Sudanese Red Crescent Society (SRCS) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

Response for the South Sudanese in Khor Omer continues. The provision of food and non-food essential supplies assistance has covered 98 and 85 per cent of the needs respectively. However, other parts of the humanitarian response that depend on the availability of space are severely constrained. The construction of emergency shelters, installation of water points, latrines and the provision of education and other services has been pending the relocation to a new site that was identified last month. However, the landowners said last week that they require the land for agricultural activities and an alternative plot of land suggested for relocation has been deemed unsuitable. Authorities, including the Humanitarian Aid Commission (HAC), are now trying to reach an agreement with the owners of the initially identified land plot.

The World Food Programme’s (WFP) planned dispatch of food assistance for about 6,900 South Sudanese in Abu Jabra, Abu Matarig and El Ferdos has been cleared by the authorities and will be delivered and distributed on 16 June. For more information on the response in East Darfur, please see the most recent issue of the South Sudanese influx into East Darfur Fact Sheet.

United Nations, United States | AFP | Thursday 6/16/2016 - 16:46 GMT | 469 words

Mali's prime minister urged the UN Security Council on Thursday to impose sanctions against anyone blocking a year-old peace deal and to strengthen the peacekeeping mission after a spate of attacks.

Prime Minister Modibo Keita warned of deteriorating security on the ground after 28 peacekeepers were killed in attacks this year in Mali, making it the deadliest UN mission in the world.

"The deterioration of the situation is without a doubt a threat to all of our states" in the region, Keita told the council.

The prime minister recalled that the council had adopted a resolution that provides for sanctions against those who oppose the peace deal signed in June 2015.

"It is timely and urgent for this provision to be implemented," he said.

French Ambassador Francois Delattre said it was time to speed up implementation of the peace deal aimed at ending years of fighting in northern Mali and turn the page on the Islamist takeover of 2012.

"We have seen too many delays on too many fronts," said Delattre, who holds this month's presidency of the council.

France is drafting a resolution to deploy some 2,500 extra peacekeepers to the mission, known as MINUSMA, which currently has about 12,000 police and soldiers.

Delattre said the measure, expected to be adopted by the council on June 29, will strengthen MINUSMA's capacity and "enhance the security of peacekeepers."

• APCs, copters, drones -
  The UN envoy for Mali and MINUSMA chief Mahamat Saleh Annadif described the situation in Mali as "worrisome" and said delays in moving ahead with the peace deal were "undermining the entire process."

Annadif said "losses could have been avoided" if the contingents were better-trained and better-equipped, in particular with armored personnel carriers that can withstand attacks from explosive devices planted on roads.

MINUSMA is asking the United Nations to provide surveillance drones and five more helicopters to accompany convoys on the dangerous explosives-laden routes.

A German contingent of 650 troops that will deploy in Mali in the coming months will bring aerial drones and transport planes to bolster MINUSMA.

Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), which is not a signatory to the peace deal, has claimed responsibility for two recent attacks on peacekeepers in the northern city of Gao.

Annadif warned that the threat from jihadist groups was shifting further south in Mali and that this should not be "trivialized."

AQIM and one of its affiliates has also claimed responsibility for violence in Bamako: the March 2015 attack on a bar that left five dead and the November assault on the Radisson Blu hotel that killed 20 people.

Under MINUSMA's new robust posture, the deployment would be expanded to cover more territory to the center and south of Mali, Annadif told reporters on Wednesday.

"We need more forces to cover the territory," he said.

cml/sst

© 1994-2016 Agence France-Presse

Diffa, Niger | AFP | jeudi 16/06/2016 - 20:33 GMT

Le camp de Nguagam qui accueille des réfugiés et des déplacés internes fuyant le groupe jihadiste nigérian Boko Haram dans le sud-est du Niger a été attaqué jeudi peu après le passage d'une importante délégation ministérielle, a affirmé à l'AFP le ministre nigérien de l'Intérieur.

"Le camp (situé à une quarantaine de km au nord de Diffa, ndlr) a été attaqué. Je n'ai pas de bilan pour l'instant", a affirmé Mohamed Bazoum, qui conduisait la délégation venue visiter les camps après l'attaque de Boko Haram le 3 juin dans la ville de Bosso qui a poussé plus de 50.000 personnes à fuir ce secteur.

L'attaque s'est produite en début de soirée. Des témoins sur place joints par un collaborateur de l'AFP, ont entendu "de nombreux coups de feu".

Sous haute surveillance militaire, le convoi d'une trentaine de véhicules de la délégation comprenant quatre ministres, le coordinateur humanitaire des Nations Unies, des représentants des agences onusiennes et des ONG, avait procédé à une distribution de vivres dans la matinée et était repassé par Nguagam en fin de journée.

Situé à quelques kilomètres de la frontière nigériane, le camp qui accueillait des réfugiés et des déplacés internes a considérablement grossi ces dernier jours avec l'afflux de nouveaux déplacés. La mission visait à se rendre compte de la situation après l'attaque du 3 juin et montrer "l'appui du gouvernement aux populations", selon M. Bazoum.

De sources humanitaires et sécuritaires, de nombreux éléments de Boko Haram sont infiltrés dans les camps et surveillent ce qui s'y passe.

Selon une source locale, "Boko Haram voulait probablement montrer aux autorités qu'il était encore présent malgré le déploiement de forces dans la région".

Le 3 juin, Boko Haram a lancé une offensive massive sur la ville de Bosso qu'elle a déjà attaquée à plusieurs reprises. Cette attaque du 3 juin est une des plus meurtrières menées par Boko Haram au Niger depuis que ce pays est officiellement entré en guerre contre ces insurgés en février 2015.

Selon les autorités nigériennes, le bilan de l'attaque est de 26 morts "côté ami" (24 soldats nigériens et deux militaires nigérians) et de 55 morts du côté de Boko Haram.

Trois mille soldats de l'armée tchadienne, la plus aguerrie de la sous-région, doivent lancer de façon imminente une contre-offensive contre Boko Haram dans la région, en coordination avec le Nigeria, le Niger et le Cameroun.

Deux chasseurs tchadiens ont été positionnés sur l’aéroport de Diffa, a constaté l'AFP sur place.

pgf/cr

16 juin 2016 – Lors d'une réunion du Conseil de sécurité consacrée à la situation au Mali, le Représentant spécial du Secrétaire général pour ce pays, Mahamat Saleh Annadif, a dénoncé mercredi la lenteur de la mise en œuvre de l'accord de paix, un an après sa signature.

« Depuis votre visite de mars dernier au Mali, l'évolution de la situation demeure malheureusement toujours préoccupante », a-t-il dit à l'adresse des membres du Conseil lors de cette réunion à laquelle participait une délégation du Mali, conduite par le Premier ministre Modibo Keita.

« Un an après la signature de l'accord de paix, force est de constater que ni les signataires, moins encore la médiation internationale, ne sont satisfaits du rythme d'exécution de sa mise en œuvre. Cette lenteur qui est difficilement compréhensible est en train de compromettre tout le processus, notamment la mise en place des patrouilles mixtes », a-t-il ajouté. « Alors que l'accord est un tout, depuis un certain temps, le débat semble le réduire à la mise en place des Administrations intérimaires qui malheureusement tardent à s'opérationnaliser ».

M. Annadif, qui a pris ses fonctions en janvier 2016, a souligné que la Mission des Nations Unies au Mali (MINUSMA) restait pleinement engagée dans ce dossier et qu'elle faisait constamment usage de ses bons offices et autres leviers en sa possession.

« Toutefois, il est évidement clair que c'est aux parties qu'incombe le devoir d'honorer leurs engagements. C'est à elles de faire de l'accord de paix et de réconciliation une réalité », a-t-il dit.

Le Représentant spécial a noté que la situation sécuritaire s'était notablement dégradée ces dernières semaines. Depuis son déploiement en 2013, la MINUSMA détient le palmarès de la Mission la plus meurtrière des missions des Nations Unies actuellement déployées. De février à mai 2016, 19 Casques bleus ont été tués suite à des actions terroristes dont 12 pour le seul mois de mai.

« Depuis les récentes attaques, la MINUSMA a pris un certain nombre de mesures pour être plus proactive et afin de gagner en efficacité et en réactivité », a souligné M. Annadif.

Malgré ce contexte, le Représentant spécial a relevé des signes d'espoir au regard de la situation de 2012. Il a ainsi noté le respect du cessez-le-feu par toutes les parties maliennes signataires de l'accord de paix, la poursuite des efforts consentis par le gouvernement malien dans la mise en place d'un cadre juridique et institutionnel solide, et enfin le fait qu'en matière de cantonnement, près de huit sites sont presque achevés.

Selon M. Annadif, il est absolument crucial de renforcer la confiance mutuelle entre les parties signataires. « Plus on accumule du retard dans la mise en œuvre de l'accord et la prise en charge réelle de ces défis, plus l'on risque de voir le processus de paix se fragiliser davantage », a-t-il dit.

Aussi, il a estimé qu'une posture renforcée de la MINUSMA s'imposait. Selon lui, il est nécessaire d'accroître les capacités à la fois de la force et de la police en termes de personnel, d'équipements et de couverture aérienne. « Il faudrait, par ailleurs, davantage expliciter que le mandat de la Mission l'autorise à mener des opérations proactives et préventives pour s'acquitter de ses responsabilités en termes de protection des civils et de son personnel », a-t-il ajouté.

Diffa, Niger | AFP | Thursday 6/16/2016 - 19:51 GMT

Tens of thousands of Nigeriens who fled a deadly Boko Haram attack are in "great distress", with many lacking food and healthcare, Niger's interior minister said during a visit to the displaced Thursday.

Boko Haram attacked a military post in Bosso in Niger's Diffa region on June 3, killing 26 soldiers including two from neighbouring Nigeria, in one of the jihadist group's deadliest attacks in the country.

The UN refugee agency said some 50,000 people have fled since the attack in Bosso, a town in Niger near the border with Nigeria and Chad.

"The people are living in a state of great distress," said Mohamed Bazoum, who led a delegation of several ministers, representatives of UN agencies and NGOs.

But "the situation has improved significantly since one week ago when we reached the peak of the crisis", he told AFP.

The area already hosted tens of thousands of refugees fleeing Boko Haram.

In Diffa, a sea of tents and make-shift shelters housing mostly women, children and old people that are buffeted by winds and sand storms is spread out over a stretch of desert beside a main road.

Alongside the road, rows of cans to collect water are placed every five or six kilometres. Water trucks race back and forth to try and supply the refugees.

"The problem that has been best dealt with is that of water," said the minister.

But he said the health situation is "deplorable", and while food supplies have been consistent the influx of refugees "has not stopped".

"While the people who arrived a few days ago have been fed, those who are arriving now have still not been (fed) and will not be in the coming days," said Mohamed.

• 'We ran, ran, ran' - Some of the refugees complained to AFP that they had gone without food, sometimes for more than four days.

Arima Mena Bouka waited under the blazing sun in front of a Doctors Without Borders (MSF) tent where she hoped to take her 15-month-old daughter. She has four other children.

"I feel weak. It's the hunger, the thirst, the fatigue," she said, her daughter showing signs of malnutrition.

"You only have to look at me, we are suffering."

"(On June 3) we heard shots, and we fled without taking anything. We ran, ran, ran... We encountered heat and exhaustion. We walked for three days, sleeping outdoors under trees of near houses."

The area already hosted tens of thousands of refugees fleeing Boko Haram before the latest attack.

The interior minister said that while "the worst is behind... the security problem remains to be solved to ensure that the these people (can) return."

Niger's authorities have said 55 insurgents were also killed and many injured in clashes with troops following the June 3 attack.

Some 2,000 Chadian soldiers are set to launch a counter-offensive against the group in the region, in coordination with Nigeria, Niger and Cameroon.

Military powerhouse Chad is a leading member of a multi-national force fighting the Nigeria-based Boko Haram fighters who have extended their attacks to neighbouring countries from their base in northern Nigeria.

The seven-year insurgency has left at least 20,000 people dead in Nigeria and made more than 2.6 million homeless.

pff/wdb/gw

SC/12406
7719th Meeting (AM)
Security Council
Meetings Coverage

Prime Minister Urges More ‘Robust and Active’ Posture by Peacekeeping Mission, Support for Regional Counter-terrorism Efforts

Despite some progress, key challenges to implementing Mali’s peace and reconciliation agreement remained, one year after the Government and armed groups signed the accord, the senior United Nations official in the West African country told the Security Council today.

“Quite clearly neither the signatories nor the national mediation team are satisfied with the slow pace of implementation,” said Mahamat Saleh Annadif, Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA).  “This slow pace is difficult to understand and it is undermining the whole process, particularly the setting up of joint patrols.”

Presenting the Secretary-General’s report on major developments in Mali since the end of March (document S/2016/498), he said that although the peace agreement was a package, for some time now, the process had been reduced to discussions about the establishment of an interim administration, which had been slow to occur.  He added, however, that he was pleased with the compromise reached earlier this week, on the side lines of the ninth session of the Agreement Monitoring Committee.  MINUSMA remained fully engaged and was ready to use its good offices to help establish the interim authority.

He said that since the 15-member Council’s visit to Mali in early March, the situation on the ground was worrisome, with security having deteriorated in the past weeks.  Since its deployment in 2013, MINUSMA had faced the deadliest threats of any United Nations mission ever deployed, he said, recalling that 19 peacekeepers had died following terrorist attacks between February and May 2016, 12 of them in May.  The Mission had lost a total of 26, plus a United Nations contractor, when counting deaths due to accidents and disease.  The numbers were even more distressing when one added losses resulting from the Barkhane operation and those among Mali’s security, defence and civil forces.  “Enough is enough,” he emphasized.  “We cannot continue to accept the unacceptable.”  Most of the deaths could have been avoided if the peacekeeping contingents involved had been better equipped, particularly with armoured vehicles.  The 29 May attack on a MINUSMA convoy illustrated the terrorist threat in central and southern Mali, he said, warning that the trend could spread and should not be forgotten.

Despite scepticism, however, there were signs of hope that the situation had improved since 2012, he said.  Since the signing of the peace accord, all signatories to the ceasefire had demonstrated unwavering compliance and made dialogue a priority.  Efforts were under way to establish a sound juridical and institutional framework, he said, describing the 18 May draft agreement to create a council on security-sector reform, under the Prime Minister’s office, and the adoption of a decree establishing a disarmament, demobilization and reintegration commission as significant steps forward.  Eight cantonment sites had been set up to allow the disarmament process to begin, he said, noting that the integration of former combatants and the management of violent extremism were also positive steps.  He stressed the importance of reinforcing trust and confidence among the signatory parties, pointing out that the lack of effective control on the ground by other parties in the north had led to a spike in terrorism, organized crime, banditry and intercommunal tensions.  The slower the peace accord’s implementation, the more likely the peace process would capsize, he said, underlining that MINUSMA’s future mandate should take those challenges into account.

In light of the deadly attacks, the recommendations of the strategic review called for strengthening MINUSMA’s personnel and air capacity in order to save lives, he said, adding that authorizing proactive operations would ensure that the Mission could fulfil its responsibilities and protect its staff.  It could not do so alone, however.  Only a surge on the part of Mali’s defence forces could tackle such challenges.  That must be part of a regional strategy in which various actors, such as the Group of 5 for the Sahel (G5 Sahel), the Nouakchott process, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and others would play a leading role.  The situation in Mali impacted the whole of West Africa, he said, adding that recent attacks in Côte d’Ivoire and Burkina Faso demonstrated the fluidity of terrorist groups and the interdependence of States in the struggle against terrorism.  “I remain an optimist, a moderate one though,” he said, while emphasizing that the status quo played into the hands of the enemies of peace.  “The worst is behind us, but we must not forget that time is against us.”  Calling on all Malians to increasingly take ownership of the peace agreement, he noted that people who had protested the accord in Kidal a year ago were today celebrating in Kidal, Gao and Tombouctou, and calling for its implementation.

Addressing the Council after that briefing, Prime Minister Modibo Keita of Mali expressed regret that so many victims — civilian and military, Malian and foreign — had fallen in his country, noting that the month of May had been particularly lethal for MINUSMA.

A year after the signing of the peace agreement, the Government had demonstrated its firm will to honour all its commitments, he said.  Regarding political and institutional reforms, Mali’s delegation had informed the Council that the National Assembly had adopted a law on the code for territorial districts, thereby paving the way for the establishment of interim local authorities.  The constitutional review process was under way and a commission had been established to consider the provisions of the peace agreement, he said, adding that the Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission was also in place and operational.

Emphasizing the need to move forward on disarmament, demobilization and reintegration, he said the Government was also engaged in development activities, including in the north, a region for which a specific strategy had been launched.  The arrival of a definitive peace in Mali required efforts from all parties, including signatories to the peace accord, as well as the international community.  The Government, for its part, had fulfilled all its obligations and its goodwill had never fallen short.  He stressed the need for the other parties to demonstrate greater effort and commitment in that regard, saying:  “We are at a turning point and our population has suffered enough.”  Each day that implementation of the peace agreement was delayed was another day won by the enemies of peace, he warned, calling upon the Agreement Monitoring Committee to ensure that the parties fulfilled their commitments.  Recalling that the Council had considered imposing sanctions on all actors threatening the peace process, he expressed hope that the participation of all parties would preclude the need for such extreme measures.

He noted that terrorist attacks had intensified and become more complex, and that MINUSMA had become a major target, welcoming in that regard, the Secretary-General’s recommendations to strengthen the Mission so it could carry out its stabilization mandate.  He advocated for a more “robust and active” posture on MINUSMA’s part, and underscored the need to support regional counter-terrorism efforts, especially those of the G5 Sahel, ECOWAS and the African Union.  Given the persistence of the terrorist threat, ECOWAS Heads of State and Government, meeting recently in Dakar, had reiterated their commitment to the sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of Mali, he recalled.  They had also expressed their concern about the resurgence of terrorist attacks in Mali, and had encouraged the Council to bolster MINSUMA’s mandate in that regard.

Recalling that the Secretary-General had on several occasions underlined the need to respect human rights in Mali, he announced that the Minister for Justice and Human Rights had set up a mechanism for monthly dialogue with MINUSMA to address such matters.  Mali also called for the deployment of the International Commission of Inquiry, which it had been requesting since July 2014.  In conclusion, he announced that, as of yesterday, the Government and the signatories had agreed on a protocol of understanding that would make it possible to install interim authorities in the country.

The meeting began at 10 a.m. and ended at 10:50 a.m.

For information media. Not an official record.

June 17, 2016 IASC Early Warning, Early Action and Readiness Report for the period June to November 2016. The Report is biannual, with a 6 month horizon. It is the product of a group of Agency analysts. In most cases these individuals work for their respective Emergency Directors. Analysis of preparedness status is provided by OCHA. The Report complements more frequent interaction between RC/HC and the ERC as the IASC system officials accountable for ensuring interagency early action and readiness. This should take place using the IASC Emergency Response Preparedness approach. The Report has been shared with relevant RC/HC.

In some cases, risks extend beyond the country level and involve multiple States, indeed multiple regions. In the current Report, El Niño-La Niña and Yellow Fever are examples. There are also cases where coordination using IASC mechanisms and those used by UNHCR for refugee situations would warrant focused attention. The situation in and around Burundi is an example.

The report is also used by the IASC Emergency Directors Group (EDG) as part of its processes as well as by others, including resourcing partners such as the CERF Secretariat (copied in this email). As a result of EDG consideration, a small number of potential situations were removed from the final version of the Report because their public release might do more harm than good. We will communicate separately on these situations.

While the report has and will continue to be produced from a humanitarian perspective, to move forward on the call of the Secretary-General for more comprehensive analysis and, ideally, wider preventive and other early action, the Chair of the UNDG, as well as Analysis and Planning Team in the Political, Peacekeeping, Humanitarian and Human Rights Unit of the EOSG, are copied.

Niger - IOM notes the shocking discovery this week of the remains of 34 migrants near the Algeria-Niger border which brings to 471 the number of deaths and disappearances recorded on the African continent this year by IOM’s Missing Migrants Project.

“At least 250 migrants have died in Libya and Sudan alone, many due to exposure, starvation or dehydration in the Sahara Desert,” explained Julia Black, a researcher with IOM’s Global Migration Data Analysis Centre (GMDAC) in Berlin. She added: “There is also an alarming trend of violent deaths for migrants in North Africa, with dozens of cases of physical and sexual abuse of migrants directly leading to their death. It is likely that many more cases go unrecorded.”

The 34 victims this week were reported to have died in Niger, after being abandoned by their smuggler. These are the only deaths recorded by IOM in Niger, where IOM's Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) operations estimate the passage this year of at least 120,000 migrants since January. Temperatures along migration routes through the Sahara frequently reach well above 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit), and this most recent incident indicates that smuggling practices can be extremely deadly for migrants. The dangers of the heavily used route through the Sahara indicate that these deaths may be only a fraction of the true number of migrant fatalities across North Africa.

In addition to this week’s tragedy, the Missing Migrants Project estimates 85 of the 342 deaths in North Africa this year were of migrants headed to Spain’s Canarias archipelago off the coast of Morocco. It is likely that many go missing and are unreported on this oversea route, as well, “as it is a very long distance to travel to a very small group of islands,” Black explained.

Missing Migrants Project also has recorded 80 deaths in the Horn of Africa this year; 60 of those were drownings in the Straits of Yemen, a sea route many Somalis, Eritreans, and Ethiopians travel to reach the Arabian Peninsula. The remaining 21 deaths were recorded on land, as migrants travelled towards Sudan. Almost half of these were violent deaths, many at the hands of migrant smugglers. The mixed nature of flows through this region means that the precise numbers of migrant deaths are, again, underreported. Indeed, security officials in Djibouti – which hosts the principal land route connecting Ethiopia to the Straits of Yemen – told an IOM delegation earlier this year that sea deaths may account for around 25 percent of migrant fatalities in their country, with the vast majority occurring either from dehydration or vehicular accidents long before many migrants reach the coast.

In Sub-Saharan Africa (i.e., Western, Central, Eastern and Southern Africa excluding the Horn), Missing Migrants Project data is very sparse. Nonetheless, IOM has recorded 49 deaths in this region so far during 2016 – an average of more than two per week. Of these, 20 were Somali migrants who were discovered Wednesday after suffocating in the cargo bay of a truck in Zambia.

In nearly 18 months since the start of 2015, IOM’s Missing Migrants Project has recorded 678 deaths of migrants across the African continent – Horn of Africa: 176; North Africa: 407; Western, Central and Southern Africa: 95, with 70 of those deaths occurring just in the past two weeks.

“These tragedies are in addition to the thousands of Africans who have died after successfully arriving at one of the many coastal launching zones, yet who fail to reach their destinations,” Black said.

Giuseppe Loprete, Chief of Mission for IOM Niger, this week said the deaths reported were of the 34 migrants found near the city of Arlit, a desert crossroads near Niger’s border with Algeria. He noted the discovery that most of the 34 victims were women or children which indicates that these are migrants from villages in southern Niger. “Women and children among the migrant group almost always mean migrants bound for Algeria,” Loprete explained.

A total of 20 were children under the age of 18, as well as nine adult females and five adult males, the IOM Niger chief added.

He said the cost of travel on this route – about USD 300-500 per person – runs about half the cost migrants currently are being charged to reach Libya from Niger. The Algeria route attracts poorer migrants, Loprete explained, migrants who may be exploited and forced into the sex trade and begging (especially minors) once they reach their destination. He added this route also may be even more dangerous than the path to Libya.

“Many more die that are not even reported,” Loprete said.

Learn more about Missing Migrants Project at: http://missingmigrants.iom.int

For further information, please contact Julia Black, Global Migration Data Analysis Centre (GMDAC), Tel: + +49 30 278 778 27, Email: jblack@iom.int.

Or Giuseppe Loprete, IOM Niger, Tel: +227.980 543 31, Email gloprete@iom.int or Linda Cottone, Tel: +227 89 31 16 45, Email: rcottone@iom.int.

Or Pascal Reyntjens, IOM Algeria, Tel: ++213 (0) 559 570 592 (Algeria mobile) or +33 498889220 (Belgian mobile), Email: preyntjens@iom.int.

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