KEY MESSAGES

• Emergency (IPC Phase 4) acute food insecurity is widespread in parts of Greater Upper Nile (GUN) and Greater Bahr el Ghazal as households face significant food consumption gaps, high levels of malnutrition, and elevated risk of mortality. In Northern Bahr el Ghazal, some households are experiencing extreme lack of food and are in Catastrophe (IPC Phase 5). While August green harvests are slightly improving food security in these areas, high market prices and depreciating local currency continue to restrict food access.

• In July, staple food prices were at record high levels in Juba, Wau, and Aweil, reaching nearly ten times the five-year average. Price spikes are largely attributed to renewed conflict in and around Juba that disrupted trade, reducing supplies on most markets. Prices decreased slightly in August, but still remain significantly above the five-year average.

• The reemergence of conflict in July has displaced many households in Greater Equatoria, disrupting the first season harvest and second season cultivation. An increasing number of households are now facing Crisis (IPC Phase 3). Of high concern is Lainya county where a large proportion of the population has been displaced and lack access to own production and typical livelihood activities. With minimal access to food, many are likely in Emergency (IPC Phase 4)

Violence in the Central African Republic (CAR) has greatly affected the lives of hundreds of thousands of people from the land-locked country at the heart of the continent. These people are now refugees and depend on humanitarian aid. After finding refuge in eastern Cameroon, they are supported by several EU-funded organisations to better cope in their situation. Despite their challenging environment, many are making a huge effort to engage in productive activities and turn around this difficult time in their lives. Information and communication assistant for West and Central Africa Aminata Barre spoke to five refugees.

Hadjara Magadji is 40 years old. Before seeking safety at the Borgop refugee camp, she was living in Niem, CAR. “_One day, anti-balakas entered the city and started shooting at us. Before being transported by UNHCR agents to the camp, I first had to walk through the bush. Later I was able to catch a ride on a motorcycle. Once in the camp, we were registered and then they provided us with a shelter.”_

Hadjara is the mother of a six year old boy and lives with her husband. According to her, the thought of returning to CAR is unsettling. Like the vast majority of CAR refugees in eastern Cameroon, she is from the Fufulbe ethnic group and is illiterate. Conflict in CAR has undermined her life, but despite this she has adapted to her new living conditions. “_Behind my shelter, I’m producing several varieties of vegetables to take better care of my child. Conducting activities is difficult but my husband is experienced._”

Living outside their country of origin, refugees are escaping persecution on grounds of race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership to a particular social group. They are unable to access the rights of protection that many elsewhere in the world take for granted. Refugees are living in circumstances that detract from their dignity and enjoyment of life.

Refugees are defined and protected in international law, and must not be expelled or returned to situations where their lives and freedom are at risk. 

CAR refugees enjoy the same protection in Cameroon through activities carried out by several EU humanitarian partners. This is the case for Minta Mahamadou in Mbile refugee camp. She left CAR three years ago. “_I lived in Bialy, a village near Bangui. I had several cows, chickens and goats,”_she tells us_. _One day, violence in the area separated her family._ “My children were not in the house, they are transhumant cattle herders and were away with the livestock when violence came to our village. We had to flee without them. They spent three months walking and with the support of organisations on the ground, we finally found each other again,” she recalls_. “_In this camp, we have received food, mats, blankets, buckets and soap.”_

Minta is a Sango native speaker (Sango is one of the most common languages in CAR). She is reorganising her life, caring for her aged husband. “_Before the conflict, I was self-sufficient. Now I depend on external assistance, but I can’t imagine returning to CAR. I thank all those who support us._”

For the EU, refugees are a top priority. In 2015, a total amount of €54.9 million was released by the EU to strengthen protection in several West and Central African countries.

In eastern Cameroon, the humanitarian response is focused on assisting refugees from CAR and host communities to meet their needs in terms of food, health and nutrition, access to water and sanitation, protection, shelter. Humanitarian assistance also provides non-food items, both within and outside refugee sites.

Hamadou Dabo, 38 years old, reflected on the dramatic twist his life has taken, “_I was a million miles away from imagining that I would one day live in a refugee camp. I had a secure life in CAR, but one day, we were round up and expelled by the Seleka community. Without support from the government and UNHCR at the border with Cameroon, we would have undoubtedly been killed.”_

Hamadou is from the Fufulbe ethnic group and spent some time studying in CAR, during his childhood. In the camp, he has received food assistance from the World Food Programme (WFP). “_I’m trying to find a large plot of land to cultivate. I used to do this in CAR. I also know how to breed animals and to do business,_” he says. 

Like Hamadou, Moussa Kari has benefited from a shelter provided by Premiére Urgence International (PUI). He used to be a great animal breeder and argues: “_I had more than seventy cows in CAR, I reached this camp with 10 of them. Some died along the way, some were stolen and others escaped. I lost eleven members of my family in the conflict. I’m currently preparing mixtures of seeds provided by humanitarian donors to conduct agricultural activities.”_

In addition to water, sanitation and hygiene activities, Solidarités International (SI) is also promoting food and vegetable production within and outside refugee camps. For the benefit of thousands of refugees in the same situation as Moussa, gardens are established beside shelters and water-points. Refugees receive coaching on the preparation of plants, transplanting crops and handling pesticides from SI community agents. 

Fadimatou Oumarou came to Borgop refugee camp with her grandmother. We find her at one of the water points. “_Water is crucial; we commemorated Global Handwashing Day in the camp a few weeks ago. I now have the automatic reflex to wash my hands before and after meals,_” she says as she draws water from the well.

Fadimatou, who is attending a school established in the camp, says: “_My father died and my mother remarried. I have to find ways for my well-being and harmonious growth within my community.”_

Commission européenne - Fiche d'information

Bruxelles, le 29 septembre 2016

Le Commissaire européen à la coopération et au développement, Neven Mimica, effectue une visite d’un jour au Mali. A cette occasion, il signera le lancement de plusieurs projets de coopération et s’entretiendra avec les plus hautes autorités maliennes.

Cette visite s’inscrit dans le cadre du suivi de la mise en œuvre de la coopération entre le Mali et l’Union européenne. La visite du Commissaire Mimica doit permettre de confirmer l’appui de l’Union européenne à la mise en œuvre de l’Accord de paix inter-malien et de discuter de la question de la migration irrégulière avec les autorités maliennes, afin de trouver des solutions communes à la tragédie que vivent des milliers de personnes. Le Gouvernement pourra informer le Commissaire de l'état d'avancement du processus de paix.

Le 15 mai 2013, l’Union européenne (Commission européenne et Etats Membres) avait annoncé la mobilisation de 1,350 milliards d'euros pour soutenir le renouveau du Mali, dont 523,9 millions d'euros étaient apportés par la Commission européenne. Un engagement renouvelé à Paris, le 22 octobre 2015, où la communauté internationale et notamment l’UE s’engageaient de nouveau à hauteur de 3.3 milliards d’euros en faveur de la reconstruction du nord du pays.

Où en sommes-nous aujourd'hui?

La Commission européenne a tenu ses promesses. Sur les 523,9 millions d'euros annoncés à Bruxelles en 2013, l’ensemble a été engagé et payé, notamment via un appui direct au budget de l'Etat malien, à la réforme de l'Etat de droit et l'appui à la délivrance des services sociaux de base à la population.

L'appui de l'UE au Mali se poursuit sur la période 2014-2020 grâce à la mobilisation d'une enveloppe de 615 millions d'euros dans le cadre du Fonds européen de développement en faveur de:

(i) la réforme de l'Etat (280 millions d'euros)
(ii) la sécurité alimentaire et le développement rural (100 millions d'euros)
(iii) l'éducation (100 millions d'euros)
(iv) la construction de la route reliant Bourem à Kidal (110 millions d'euros)

De plus, 10 millions sont prévus pour l'appui à la société civile et 15 millions pour le renforcement des capacités de l'administration nationale.

La Commission européenne veille à ce que les dons alloués au Gouvernement malien soient utilisés pour le bénéfice direct des populations et suit de près les mesures correctives annoncées par le Gouvernement en matière de gestion des finances publiques.

En complément, l’Union européenne a mobilisé en faveur du Mali le Fonds fiduciaire d'urgence pour l’Afrique, destiné à lutter contre les causes profondes de la migration irrégulière, et sur base duquel déjà 91.5 millions d'euros projets ont été approuvés en faveur du Mali. Ces projets contribueront à améliorer la résilience des populations les plus vulnérables, à renforcer le développement local, l’accès aux services sociaux de base, la gouvernance et la sécurité. Ils complètent encore l’assistance humanitaire, d’environ 40 milions d'euros par an, et l’aide fournie par des missions d’appui dans les domaines de la défense et de la sécurité.

Contexte

L'aide européenne au Mali se situe dans un contexte de pays fragile. La crise politique et sécuritaire au Mali a été notamment marquée par un coup d'Etat en mars 2012, l'occupation des régions du nord du pays par des groupes terroristes puis la libération de ces territoires, et une transition politique en vue du plein retour à l'ordre constitutionnel. A la suite de ces évolutions, les interventions de l'UE au Mali ont été révisées et réorientées afin d'adapter la coopération au contexte et aux nouveaux besoins, notamment:

• la promotion de l'Etat de droit et l'organisation d'un processus électoral conforme aux standards internationaux;

• le renforcement de l'autorité et de la présence de l'Etat sur l'ensemble du territoire afin d'appuyer le redéploiement des services sociaux de base;

• le soutien aux efforts des autorités maliennes civiles pour rétablir l'ordre public et assurer la protection des civils;

• l'aide humanitaire au profit notamment des populations déplacées et des populations des régions affectées par la crise alimentaire;

• la poursuite des efforts de développement des autorités à moyen et long terme.

MEMO/16/3211

Polio this week as of 27 September 2016

• Nigeria has been reclassified as a country affected by endemic transmission of wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1). Nigeria had been removed from the list of endemic countries in September 2015, following a year of no reported/detected WPV1 cases in the country. However, the recent cases of WPV1 detected from Borno are closely linked to cases from Borno in 2011, indicating this strain has been circulating undetected since that time. This indicates that Nigeria has always been affected by endemic circulation of WPV1 and, hence, it is added again to the list of endemic countries, alongside Pakistan and Afghanistan. Operationally, neither the removal from the list nor its re-addition has an impact, as the country has always striven to improve operations (both surveillance and immunizations), particularly in hard-to-reach and security-compromised areas. It is, in part, as a result of these efforts that cases and viruses are now being detected.

• The nominations for the next WHO Director-General have been announced. Six candidates have been proposed by Member States. The Director-General will be elected during next year’s World Health Assembly in May. More.

Total affected population: 14.8 million
Total affected children (under 18): 7.3 million
Total people to be reached in 2016: 4.5 million
Total children to be reached in 2016: 2.1 million

2016 programme targets

Nutrition 398,188 children aged 6 to 59 months admitted for SAM treatment Health
 4,267,534 conflict-affected people reached with emergency primary health care services  5,731,507 children vaccinated against measles.
 160,000 conflict-affected families reached with long-lasting insecticide-treated nets (LLITNs)

WASH
 1,220,995 conflict-affected provided with access to safe water per agreed standards
 1,003,547 conflict-affected people benefitted from improved sanitation
 1,100,000 conflict-affected benefitted from hygiene promotion messages & WASH Kits

Child protection
 436,201 conflict-affected children reached with psychosocial support
 8,355 Unaccompanied and separated children supported (case managed, including those supported in alternative care arrangements)

Education
 586,400 conflict-affected children accessed education in protective and safe learning environments

Nigeria

Greater access in the North East of Nigeria has revealed an acute humanitarian situation with food insecurity affecting more than 4.4 million people. The epicentre of this crisis is located in Borno State, where over 1.4 million people have been displaced as a result of Boko Haram violence, and approximately 750,000 people have recently been brought within reach in “newly accessible areas”. Populations in these areas are in dire need of food, health, water and sanitation, education and protection. In addition, an estimated 2.2 million people currently remain inaccessible to humanitarian actors in Borno State. The government declared a nutrition emergency for Borno State in June 2016. A few weeks later, the identification of two polio cases placed Nigeria back on the list of polio-endemic countries. The estimated caseload of children under-5 suffering from Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) is over 398,000 in Borno, Adamaoua, and Yobe States. Children are exposed to the worst forms of violence and exploitation including killing, maiming, abductions, forced recruitment into armed groups and sexual violence. Significant security and access challenges hamper the delivery of life-saving services.

Humanitarian strategy

UNICEF has significantly scaled up its field presence and response to provide a multi-sector response to over 2 million affected people in the newly accessible areas, Maiduguri Municiple Centre (MMC), Jere LGA, Southern Borno, as well as Gujaba and Gulani LGAs of Yobe. In order to meet the expanding needs of displaced and host populations, UNICEF is providing funding, supplies and technical support to the key strategies of: Strengthening the outreach delivery of Primary Health Care (PHC) with an integrated package of Health, Nutrition and WASH services ; Promoting Community Management of Acute Malnutrition (CMAM) and combining it with vaccination campaigns; Partnering with communities in hard to reach areas and working with 2,200 Volunteer Community Mobilizers (VCMs) in the IDP camps and host communities; Partnering with NGOs to accelerate and scale up service delivery into all newly accessible areas. Safe learning spaces are being established to provide children with access to basic education, while support to the re-establishment of the education system is underway. Psychosocial support is provided to children in IDP sites and host communities through recreational activities in safe spaces. Separated and unaccompanied children receive individual care and assistance, and children formerly associated with Boko Haram are provided with reintegration assistance. UNICEF supports humanitarian coordination in the areas of Nutrition, WASH, Education and Child Protection and is expanding its field presence to strengthen advocacy, monitoring and technical supervision. UNICEF is implementing this scale-up plan in close coordination with other UN agencies and partners.

UNICEF Results

As of 15 September 2016, over 2.6 million people have been reached with primary health care (PHC) services (of which over 540,000 were reached in the newly accessible areas), and close to 75,000 children under-5 have been admitted for therapeutic treatment of SAM. Access to water has been provided to 448,000 people while more than 622,000 people benefitted from improved sanitation. Over 887,000 children have been vaccinated against polio. Over 72,000 conflict-affected children have been able to access education in a protective and safe learning environment; and 133,100 children received psychosocial support through a network of 943 trained community volunteers in 195 Child-Friendly Spaces (CFSs) in 27 IDP camps and 209 communities. Over 4,100 unaccompanied and separated children have received individual protection assistance.

ABUJA/DAKAR/NEW YORK, 29 September 2016 – UNICEF has revised its humanitarian appeal for Nigeria from US$55 million to US$115 million to assist an additional 750,000 people who can now be reached across conflict-affected areas in the northeast of the country.

As new areas open up to humanitarian assistance, the true scale of the Boko Haram related crisis and its impact on children is being revealed.

An estimated 400,000 children under five will suffer from severe acute malnutrition in three states across the northeast this year. More than 4 million people are facing severe food shortages and 65,000 people are living in famine-like conditions, mostly in Borno, the worst affected state.

“Children’s lives are literally hanging by a thread,” said Afshan Khan, UNICEF’s Director of Emergency Programmes. “We are reaching new areas to provide critical humanitarian assistance but we need greater international support to further scale up and reach all children in dire need,” she added.

The destruction of whole towns and villages further complicates the response. Sixty percent of health clinics have been partially or completely destroyed and 75 percent of water and sanitation facilities require rehabilitation in Borno state.

Nearly one million children are now displaced across the northeast, a million are out of school and hundreds of thousands psychologically affected from the horrors they have lived through.

The conflict-related lack of access to children has also lead to an outbreak of polio in Borno state, where three cases of wild polio virus were confirmed in August and September. UNICEF’s funding appeal comes as a series of massive coordinated emergency polio immunisation and nutrition campaigns in northeast Nigeria and neighbouring countries is underway, targeting 1.8 million children in Borno state alone. The immunisation campaign is also identifying and treating children with severe malnutrition.

UNICEF has increased its response in the areas worst-affected by the Boko Haram conflict since April, supporting basic health care and nutrition for children and mothers, and helping provide safe water and sanitation, child protection services and learning opportunities.

Since the beginning of 2016, 2.6 million conflicted-affected people have been given access to UNICEF-supported preventative healthcare services and nearly 75,000 children have been treated for severe acute malnutrition in northeast Nigeria. The construction and rehabilitation of boreholes has provided nearly half a million people with improved access to safe water. Safe learning spaces, teacher training and educational supplies have helped over 72,000 children to restart their education and some 133,000 children have been provided with psychosocial support.

To date, just US$ 28 million of the US$ 115 million appeal has been received and this presents a serious obstacle to UNICEF’s scale up plan.

About UNICEF

UNICEF promotes the rights and wellbeing of every child, in everything we do. Together with our partners, we work in 190 countries and territories to translate that commitment into practical action, focusing special effort on reaching the most vulnerable and excluded children, to the benefit of all children, everywhere.

For more information about UNICEF and its work for children visit www.unicef.org.

Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

For more information, please contact:
Doune Porter, UNICEF Abuja, Tel: +234 803 525 0273, dporter@unicef.org
Patrick Rose, UNICEF Dakar, Tel: +221 786 380 250, prose@unicef.org
Najwa Mekki, UNICEF New York, Tel: +1-212-326-7448, Mobile: +1 917 209 1804 nmekki@unicef.org

Faits saillants :

• Mise en œuvre de riposte à l’épidémie de Rougeole dans le district de santé (DS) de Kolofata ;

• Premier tour de la riposte à l’épidémie de Polio au Nigéria avec des implications pour le Cameroun;

• Epidémiologie de la rougeole de 2008 à 2016 : 40 épidémies en moyenne par an depuis 2008 ;

• Nouveau foyer de grippe aviaire au Cameroun dans la ville de Bafoussam

ÉPIDÉMIES ENREGISTRÉES DANS LE PAYS

EPIDEMIES DE ROUGEOLE

La réception des kits fournis par l’OMS le 24 août 2016 au Laboratoire du Centre Pasteur du Cameroun (CPC) a permis d’analyser les 329 échantillons de cas suspects de rougeole qui étaient en attente. Les résultats obtenus n’ont pas laissé apparaitre de nouvelles épidémies bien que certains cas se sont avérés positifs. La situation demeure donc la même qu’au terme du mois d’août 2016 à savoir :

La dernière épidémie de Rougeole déclarée en 2016 est celle du district de Kolofata dans la région de l’Extrême Nord. Elle a été déclarée à la 12e semaine épidémiologique (SE), portant ainsi à 05, le nombre total de districts de santé (Lagdo, Ngaoundéré rural, Tignère, Mbonge et Kolofata) qui ont enregistré une épidémie de rougeole. Après le report de la riposte suite à l’organisation des JLV contre la poliomyélite pour les cas de PVS découverts dans l’Etat de Borno au Nigéria, le district de santé (DS) a finalement pu organiser sa campagne du 07 au 11 Septembre 2016 avec les appuis technique et financier de l’OMS et la fourniture en vaccin par l’Unicef.

Toutes les sept aires de DS de Kolofata étaient concernées par la campagne. Les résultats de la riposte montrent que 56 204 personnes âgées de 09 mois à 14 ans ont été vaccinées pour une cible initiale estimée à 56 647 personnes. Seules les aires de santé d’Amchide et Kerawa n’ont pas atteint la couverture minimale de 95%. Elles sont particulièrement insécurisées à cause des attentats et des incursions de Boko Haram. De même, le nombre d’enfants entre 9 – 11 mois issu du microplan élaboré il y deux mois a été largement dépassé dans toutes les aires de santé du fait des déplacements continus des populations fuyant les exactions de la secte Boko Haram.

Carolyn Perrin, MCC Senior Program Officer in the Monitoring and Evaluation Division

MCC’s investment in school infrastructure in Niger helped improve academic outcomes, especially among girls, according to a new impact evaluation by Mathematica Policy Research.

Mathematica found that MCC’s IMAGINE (IMprove the educAtion of Girls in NigEr) project in Niger raised primary school enrollment and attendance for children ages 6 to 14. Children living in villages with IMAGINE schools were 8.3 percentage points more likely to report having enrolled in school during the prior school year (2012–2013) and 7.9 percentage points less likely to report being absent more than two consecutive weeks than those living in comparison villages. Seventy-two percent of girls were enrolled in primary school in villages with IMAGINE schools, which is 11.8 percentage points higher than in comparison villages. The evaluation also revealed that IMAGINE schools had more classrooms, more finished classrooms and higher quality classrooms than schools in comparison villages.

Worldwide, there are 62 million girls who are not in school — half of whom are adolescents. Through its ongoing education work in partner countries like Niger, Georgia and Morocco, MCC supports the goals of the U.S. Government’s Let Girls Learn initiative to help adolescent girls complete their education. Historically in Niger, as in other parts of the world, boys have a much higher rate of school enrollment than girls, possibly due to cultural factors and the often significant role girls play in carrying out household chores. IMAGINE’s impacts on school enrollment, absenteeism and test scores were larger for girls. Impacts on math and French test scores for girls, for example, were consistently large and statistically significant.

The IMAGINE project was part of MCC’s $16.9 million Niger Threshold Program, and the investments covered by the evaluation were completed prior to December 2009. As part of the IMAGINE project, MCC invested in school construction using finished materials such as concrete, on-site housing for female teachers, and separate bathrooms for girls and boys. The project also included complementary activities like the provision of textbooks. The MCC-funded program was supervised by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and implemented by child rights organization Plan International in collaboration with Volontaires pour l’Integration Educative and Aide et Action. Data collection was conducted approximately three years after school construction was completed.

Mathematica’s evaluation of the IMAGINE project has several implications for interventions aimed to advance girls’ education. First, it suggests that appropriately targeted infrastructure improvements and complimentary investments can make schools more “girl-friendly,” resulting in improved educational outcomes for girls. Second, higher quality school infrastructure may be an important factor in parents’ decision to enroll their children in school as well as in encouraging more consistent attendance. And third, multi-year evaluations of education projects like this one are critical, as academic improvements may not be fully evident until years after school construction or other project-related activities are completed. In this case, the evaluation completed just one year after school construction found a small positive impact on enrollment, but no effect on attendance or test scores. Yet after three years, enrollment, attendance and test scores all showed positive change.

The U.S. Government, recognizing the importance of supporting girls’ education in Niger, continued its engagement through the Niger Education and Community Strengthening (NECS) project, implemented by USAID. The NECS project continued and complemented investments begun under the IMAGINE project and is the subject of a separate impact evaluation, with the final evaluation report expected in 2017.

Building upon the strong partnership developed under the threshold program, MCC has signed a $437 million compact with Niger designed to strengthen the country’s agricultural sector by improving water availability, infrastructure and market access.

On September 22, in honor of the 71st session of the United Nations General Assembly, MCC joined with partners to co-host an event in New York City to celebrate the recently signed Niger Compact and discuss the importance of food security and the continued need for inclusive growth. The celebration included a conversation between Nigerien President Mahamadou Issoufou and MCC CEO Dana J. Hyde.

Highlights

• Families returning to newly accessible areas face immense humanitarian challenges including food shortages, X malnutrition, lack of livelihoods, and limited access to water, sanitation and health services.

• To improve coordination for effective delivery of humanitarian response the President of Nigeria has appointed an inter-ministerial task force led by State Minister of Budget and National planning.

• Nearly 2.7 million affected population have access to UNICEF supported primary healthcare services and 89,178 severe acute malnourished children have been admitted into therapeutic feeding programmes with a cure rate is above 87 per cent.

• With UNICEF support, 479,533 affected people have access to safe water. Psychosocial support has reached 134,743 children and 83,970 children are benefitting from education services through protective and safe learning environment.

• The HAC funding requirements have been revised upwards to US$115 million. UNICEF’s scale up plan remains critically underfunded, which is a major constraint in scaling up with an integrated response in most affected areas of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa.

Situation Overview & Humanitarian Needs

Critical levels of malnutrition and food insecurity continue in Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa States in North East Nigeria. The Famine Early Warning Systems (FEWS) Network for Nigeria, reports1 from their recent field visits that the food security situation across the three northeast states of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe remains critical.

In northeast Nigeria, over 14.8 million people are affected by Boko Haram related violence. Nearly 1.9 million people have been displaced with over 1.4 million IDPs in Borno state alone. Children constitute 54 per cent of the displaced population, half of them are under five years of age. Nearly 81.3 per cent of IDPs are residing in host communities and the remaining are in IDP camps. In total there are 115 camp sites in Borno (86), Adamawa (24) and Yobe (5).2 Ninety-two per cent of the IDPs are hosted by low - income host communities, bringing already - stretched services and resources under increased pressure.

According to IOM’s August 2016 DTM, nearly 910,000 displaced individuals have returned to their areas of origin in in 19 LGAs in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states.3 The Government facilitated voluntary return of displaced populations is gaining momentum with thousands of people returning to their homes in the newly liberated areas. However, the scale of damage in returning areas is immense and new humanitarian challenges are emerging. UNHCR reports that returning families face a precarious security situation, food shortages, economic disruption, and limited access to food, water and sanitation, shelter and health services. There are also reports of land mines and improvised explosive devices in the areas of return.

UNICEF Chief of Field Office and WASH Specialist from Maiduguri participated in an interagency UN mission to Dikwa and Mafa. There are spontaneous returnees to both locations from Maiduguri. The actual number of returnees to these locations is not yet available, IOM is starting the registration process through the DTM exercise. In both locations, the most pressing concerns are food, the prevalence of malnutrition and critical shortage of WASH services. Most of the schools in both locations are occupied by IDPs while some IDPs are scattered within the host community. In Dikwa, IDPs are staying in four schools due to flooding in some IDP camps. Only one school is open for children of all levels/ages. Currently UNICEF is the only agency on the ground providing critical life-saving nutrition, health, WASH, education and child protection services.

UNICEF health staff participated in the joint UN assessment mission to Gujba LGA in Yobe state. The team visited two wards, Buni Yadi and Gujba, to assess the health services available for the returnees/IDPs. In these two wards, all the health facilities have been destroyed or vandalized, the only health services available, using temporary structures, is the outreach team being supported by UNICEF in the two wards.

Abuja (ICRC) – Nearly 80 doctors, nurses and other health care workers from across Nigeria have attended a three-day surgical seminar aimed at improving the skills needed to respond to traumatic injuries. The seminar was sponsored by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and Nigeria's Ministry of Health.

"It is quite obvious that one of the most basic needs in the North East right now, is access to adequate medical care, apart from food and shelter." said Karl Anton Mattli, Head of Delegation in Nigeria for the ICRC.

Since its inception in 2012, nearly 400 Nigerian medical practitioners have attended the surgical seminar – now in its seventh year -- which gives doctors and nurses additional skills to treat patients wounded by weapons and those in need of an amputation.

"Two ICRC surgical teams work out of the State Specialist Hospital in Maiduguri as a way to further support Nigerian patients and medical personnel," said Padshah Hashemi, the ICRC's health coordinator in Nigeria. "Our surgical teams have operated on close to 1,500 weapon-wounded patients in Maiduguri this year. "

The ICRC also supports 16 state primary health care centres and eight mobile clinics which provide primary health care services to internally displaced persons (IDPs), returnees and residents in North East Nigeria. Between January and end of August this year, almost 309,000 patients attended these clinics, which saw the delivery of almost 10,500 children in the same period. Close to 8,650 children under age 5 suffering from severe acute malnutrition received treatment in South Borno state.

For further information, please contact:

Aleksandra Matijevic Mosimann, ICRC Abuja, tel: +234 706 418 90 02 or +234 703 595 41 68

Sécurité

La situation sécuritaire demeure incertaine et volatile dans la région de l’Extrême-Nord. La semaine sous rubrique a été marquée par trois incidents, dont une attaque kamikaze perpétrée par les combattants de Boko Haram le 21 septembre dans la localité de Djakana dans le département du Mayo Sava. Le bilan de cette attaque fait état de quatre civils tués et deux blessés, des vivres et du bétail emportés. La région connait également des incidents liés aux inondations du fait des pluies torrentielles.

Développements majeurs

En marge de la 71ème Assemblée Générale des Nations Unies tenu à New York, le Chef de l’Etat S.E. Paul Biya a activement pris part au sommet mondial des dirigeants sur les réfugiés et les migrants, compte tenu du nombre important de réfugiés que le Cameroun accueille sur son sol. L’un des temps forts de ce sommet a été la remarquable intervention du Chef de l’Etat camerounais qui, tout en réitérant l’engagement de son pays à poursuivre sa politique d’hospitalité et de solidarité légendaire envers les réfugiés, a lancé un appel à la communauté internationale pour un soutien plus accru aux efforts des pays qui accueillent les réfugiés et notamment le Cameroun.

Le Gouvernement a procédé, le 21 septembre, à la remise d’un don de 108 tonnes de denrées alimentaires (riz, haricot, huile végétale, sucre, sel etc.) et de produits non alimentaires (eau de javel, papier hygiénique et savon) dans la région de l’Est en faveur des réfugiés et des populations hôtes; ceci, en vue de renforcer les efforts constants consentis par les partenaires humanitaires. Les réfugiés des sites de Lolo, Kette, Timangolo, Gado et les villages de Tongo-Gadiwa, Guiwa-Nyangamo, Mandjou, ont reçu ce don.

L’atelier de planification des besoins humanitaires (HNO) et de préparation du plan de réponse humanitaire (HRP) 2017 en faveur des réfugiés centrafricains s’est tenu les 19 et 20 septembre à Bertoua en présence des différents partenaires humanitaires intervenant dans la zone. Il avait pour but d’identifier et de prioriser les besoins selon les différents secteurs, de déterminer les objectifs stratégiques pour la réponse en 2017 et d’estimer les chiffres des personnes ciblées par la réponse. Ce processus sera finalisé d’ici à la mi-Novembre.

Une plateforme regroupant le collectif des réfugiés, les leaders communautaires, les formations sanitaires partenaires et Plan International s’est tenue à Douala en vue d’évaluer les activités menées dans la région du Littoral par le partenaire au cours du dernier trimestre. A l’issue de cette concertation, 37 participants dont 27 réfugiés, recommandent d’une part au HCR et Plan International de redoubler d’efforts dans la prise en charge sanitaire des réfugiés malades chroniques et des personnes du troisième âge, et aux parents d’être plus responsables dans le suivi scolaire de leurs enfants, d’autre part.

Région de l’Extrême-Nord

Statistiques

Au 16 Septembre, le camp de Minawao compte un total de 58 239 individus (15 612 ménages) enregistrés. Les femmes représentent 53% et les hommes 47%.

Protection

Un total de 51 individus (30 ménages) est arrivé spontanément au centre de transit de Gourounguel en provenance des villages nigérians voisins où ils fuient les exactions de Boko Haram. Par ailleurs, 100 individus (29 ménages) ont été transférés du centre de transit au camp de Minawao.
Deux ateliers de formation sur la protection internationale se sont tenus respectivement le 21 septembre à Maroua et les 22 et 23 septembre à Mokolo. Le premier, à l’intention des acteurs humanitaires, a édifié 30 participants sur l’historique, la nature juridique et la présentation des Principes Directeurs de protection des PDIs, et sur la Convention de Kampala relative à la protection et l’assistance des PDIs. Le second quant à lui, adressé aux chefs traditionnels de l’Arrondissement de Mokolo, a outillé 60 participants au mandat du HCR, aux droits et devoirs du refugié, à la protection de l’enfant et à la violence basée sur le genre. Les participants à cet atelier ont mis sur pied un réseau de protection dans l’Arrondissement de Mokolo.

Education

Les inscriptions des enfants se poursuivent dans les établissements scolaires. A ce jour, un total de 1291 enfants âgés de 3 à 5 ans (692 filles et 599 garçons) sont inscrits au niveau préscolaire; 9309 enfants (4241 filles et 5068 garçons) sont inscrits au niveau primaire pour un taux de fréquentation de 78 %; 1359 élèves (680 filles et 679 garçons) sont inscrits au niveau secondaire pour un taux de fréquentation est de 52%.

Eau et assainissement

L’approvisionnement en eau dans le camp de Minawao reste préoccupant. Ainsi, la production d’eau moyenne par jour est de 583 m3 (51% des forages, 42% de l’adduction et 7% de water trucking) soit un ratio de 10 litres par personne et par jour. Il faut 580 m3 additionnels pour atteindre le standard requis de 20 litres par personne et par jour.

Région de l’Est, Adamaoua et Nord

Protection

En vue d’assurer une meilleure protection des réfugiés, le HCR a organisé un atelier de renforcement des capacités, les 20 et 21 septembre à Timangolo à Lolo, en direction des partenaires et leaders communautaires réfugiés en matière de protection internationale et de gestion des risques de sécurité dans les sites de réfugiés. Cet atelier se tiendra également sur d’autres sites. Dans le but d’améliorer l’environnement de protection de l’enfance, un atelier sur « la prévention des violences basées sur le genre et les standards minimum pour la protection des enfants » s’est tenu les 19 et 20 septembre à Mbaimboum. 48 leaders communautaires (13 femmes et 35 hommes) y ont pris part.

Biométrie

L’exercice de vérification/enrôlement biométrique se poursuit. Au 24 septembre, un total de 81 992 individus (42 846 femmes et 39 146 hommes) a été enrôlé.

Cash Based Transfer (CBT)

L’opération CBT en faveur des réfugiés centrafricains a commencé le 15 septembre sur le site de Gado avec 21 837 individus bénéficiaires (6857 ménages). Un total de 21 801 individus (6835 ménages) a pu à ce jour s’approvisionner en vivres dans les différents points de vente agréés via ce procédé.

Tropical cyclone Matthew expected to impact Hispaniola

Africa Weather Hazards

1. Prolonged heavy rainfall during the season throughout the Niger River basin has triggered flooding and inundation along the Niger River in Mali, Niger, and Nigeria. Seasonal Inundation is also expected to be greater than it has been for many years across the inner Niger delta in Mali.

2. Low and poorly distributed seasonal rainfall across parts of central Senegal and The Gambia have led to strengthening moisture deficits.

3. Below-average seasonal rainfall and persistent moisture deficits in the region have negatively impacted developing crops across parts of the eastern Oromia and SNNP provinces of Ethiopia. Similar conditions have also negatively impacted ground conditions in many parts of Uganda, South Sudan, and eastern DRC.

4. There is a potential for increased number of locusts migrating from the Arabian Peninsula which may negatively impact cropping activities.

Executive Summary

The second phase of the multisector assessment took place in three locations in Ikwoto County from 1st – 4th September 2016 and revealed needs among both displaced and host communities, all of which derive from the compound pressures of conflict on existing food insecurity.

The current caseload provided by the RRC indicates that over 1,000 homes across the two payams assessed in Ikwotos county were looted and some 237 burnt during the July insecurity, leaving huge needs in terms of shelter, NFIs, seeds and livestock. There is a great number of IDPs in rural villages but their number is unknown.

UNHCR reports that around 175,7781 people have crossed into Uganda, mainly from Central and Eastern Equatoria, since July 2016 and although exact figures of those coming from Ikwoto County remain unclear, discussions with communities found many families had crossed nearby border points.

Scope and methodology

Data collection was predominantly qualitative, undertaken using a combination of Focus Group Discussions (FGDs), Key Informant Interviews and Household Interviews and direct observations across three villages encompassing urban and rural communities respectively within Ikwoto county (Ifune, Lotuhoyah and Momoria). The assessment focused on looted and burnt villages and was conducted over four days by teams from CARE South Sudan, AVSI and Caritas Switzerland covering Food Security and Livelihoods, NFIs, Protection, Education, Gender Based Violence (GBV), Health, Nutrition and WASH. The team was accompanied by the Ikwoto County Relief and Rehabilitation Commission (RRC) County coordinator, and the County Deputy Executive Director. The assessment team members were the first humanitarian actors to assess these locations since the July crisis.

1. Executive Summary

South Sudan suffers from decades of conflict and neglect. Despite a 2015 peace agreement, the current conflict has expanded across the country in recent months, culminating in an outbreak of hostilities in the capital Juba on 8 July 2016. Renewed fighting coupled with an economic crisis and immense protection needs are deepening the humanitarian crisis and causing it to manifest in areas that have previously enjoyed relative stability. The escalation of tensions in Central and Eastern Equatoria States through July continues to drive large scale population movement and economic inflation that impinge on the capacity of families and communities to access sufficient food and shelter. Early estimates suggested that between 40,000 and 70,000 people had been displaced by initial waves of violence in Eastern Equatoria State. Nonetheless, humanitarian agencies have been without verified information on the specific factors of concern to communities and the extent of the impact of the conflict on their protection, food security, health, nutrition, education, and access to shelter and materials. Following their rapid assessment of four counties in Eastern Equatoria, CARE International identified gaps that necessitated further assessment, which corresponded with Save the Children’s (SCI) interest in undertaking an assessment of child protection and nutrition needs in and around key urban centres experiencing population movement in the state. With a view to consolidating resources and generating a comprehensive understanding of humanitarian needs, partners with an operational presence or interest in Eastern Equatoria came together to plan a multi-sector, multi-location assessment to inform an overarching response strategy.

The first phase of the multi-sector assessment took place in several locations in Torit County from 17-23 August and revealed far-reaching needs among both displaced and host communities, all of which derive from the compound pressures of conflict on existing food insecurity. Access to food represented a primary concern for people across urban, peri-urban and rural locations, as well as a driver of increased population movement to rural areas (where small-scale agriculture is still able to be undertaken), and movement across South Sudan’s borders into neighbouring countries. Peri-urban and urban populations have been significantly affected by recent violence, which has manifested in direct violations including sexual violence, harassment, use of community facilities by armed elements, and looting, and indirectly in death during flight, family separation, restricted movement and widespread psychosocial stress. Consequently, previously well-functioning services have had a constrained capacity to deliver key services, including health, nutrition, WASH and education, all of which have been most inhibited by insecurity preventing movement and blocking the transportation of supplies. Most displaced people (IDPs) within Torit are reportedly being hosted by relatives, the household size for whom has often doubled. IDPs fled with little or no assets and have extremely limited livelihood opportunities available to them, placing additional pressure on their hosts, particularly in terms of food and shelter/Non-Food Items (NFIs).

While surveyed communities in Torit demonstrated high levels of resilience and practical coping mechanisms, the scale of humanitarian need in the area is assessed as high, relating predominantly to an urgent need for food assistance, distribution of quick-yield agricultural inputs, protection monitoring and support systems, and safe humanitarian access to enable delivery of medical and nutrition supplies. While government agencies and non-government organisations (NGOs) show strong capacity in Torit, all are constrained by resource limitations. This assessment indicates that a small number of (predominantly) cost-efficient, community-based interventions delivered by partners with an existing operational presence would serve to alleviate suffering, build resilience and respond to urgent needs for both displaced and host communities in Torit.

1. Executive Summary

The reported displacement of tens of thousands of people in South Sudan’s Greater Equatoria region reflects notable deterioration in security throughout July and August 2016. More than two and a half years since the beginning of the current conflict in South Sudan, 2.6 million people remain displaced, including 1.6 million internally displaced people, and 1 million that have crossed into neighboring countries, more than 200,000 of these since July 2016. Children are estimated to represent more than 60% of South Sudanese refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) within the region . Within South Sudan, more than 231,000 children under 5 will be severely undernourished in the course of 2016 among a population of 4.8 million facing food insecurity. More than 16,000 children have been recruited to armed forces and groups during the course of the conflict, and more than 13,000 reported as separated from their parents or usual caregivers , exacerbating the vulnerability of huge numbers of children to abuse, neglect, violence and exploitation.

While humanitarian agencies are without access to accurate casualty figures, it is reasonable to estimate the civilian death toll from recent fighting in the Equatorias to have reached several hundred. Protection in and around Juba remains compromised as civil conflict and crime exacerbate food insecurity and serve to prevent safe movement of people and commodities. Human rights monitors cite an increasing incidence of sexual violence, beatings, and lootings.

Mass population displacement in this region follows a recent Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) update assessing seven of Eastern Equatoria’s eight counties to be at the crisis level of food insecurity, and projecting a move into the ‘alert’ phase in the coming quarter. As of 20 September, a total of 2,143 cholera cases had been reported, including 31 deaths, with the outbreak now spreading to the Nimule area of Imatong State; compounding the risks to and needs of 4.4 million people estimated to be in need of medical assistance in South Sudan.

South Sudan’s Greater Equatoria region continues to experience insecurity which is affecting the access of civilian populations to food, education, medical care and protection services. The insecurity represents a shift for the region, which has benefited from relative stability in recent years, and serves as the food bowl for much of the country. As such the region was not included in the 2016 Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) and fails to generate attention to the extent of the more directly conflict-affected states, necessitating ongoing monitoring to ensure vulnerable and displaced populations are not isolated from protective and lifesaving services.

Highlights

• Funding gaps are currently jeopardizing the implementation of all activities.

• Projects have been revised and aligned with the level of funding in both Protracted Relief and Recovery Operation (PRRO) and Country Programme (CP). Three regions out of seven will be prioritized for PRRO and two provinces out of four will be targeted for CP.

Operational Updates

• The 2016 Standardized Monitoring and Assessment of Relief and Transitions Measuring Mortality,
  Nutritional Status, and Food Security in Crisis Situations (SMART) will be carried out in September. WFP will bring financial and technical support.

• School feeding programme is suspended from end of June to end of September due to annual school holidays.

• The action plan for supporting small-scale agricultural assets and building resilience through food assistance for asset creation in the East and the Sahel regions is completed, and partnerships are being formed with NGOs and public technical services. Activities will start at the end of the rainy season, in October 2016.

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 at 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 has 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 in 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.

Overview of Red Cross Red Crescent Movement in country

With support from the British Red Cross, 25 volunteers benefited from NDRT training on food security, livelihoods, nutrition and cash transfer programming organized in Nouakchott in June-July 2015.
French Red Cross (FRC) also supported training in livelihoods and cash transfer programing in September, 2015. The FRC supported training targeted 20 volunteers from local committees that had not participated in the NDRT training.

Additionally, together with the French Red Cross, the National Society started implementing a prevention and response plan for the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in Mauritania for a period of 6 months. This response plan against EVD aims at contributing to the reduction of morbidity and mortality related to EVD targeting 23 villages in Trarza, Brakna, Gorgol, Assaba, Guidimaka, HodhCharghi, and Hodh Gharbiand in Nouakchott regions.

It is worth mentioning that Mauritanian Red Crescent was technically supported by the IFRC Regional office in Dakar that first deployed an RDRT followed by an operation manager. In terms of Resource mobilisation, a regular communication with donors was held in order to raise more resources for the appeal.

In collaboration with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and within the framework of its annual partnership action plan with Mauritanian Red Crescent a capacity building program, training staff and volunteers on first aid, communication, and economic security (ECOSEC) was conducted.

Overview of non-RCRC actors in country

The Mauritanian Government has been leading the coordination of responses by national agencies such as the Food Security Commissioner (CSA), the Agriculture Department as well as humanitarian actors including WFP, FAO, UNICEF, OCHA, ACF, Oxfam and Save the Children. It is worth mentioning that these latter supported the affected people through the distribution of either food items or cash. The National Society regularly participated in the coordination meeting held at national and regional levels.

SITUATION OVERVIEW

The scope and scale of the humanitarian crisis in Nigeria's north-east continues to unfold as humanitarian actors struggle to keep up with growing needs for aid and services across all program sectors in an expanding field of operation. The latest Cadre Harmonise Analysis shows an increasing number of people in need of food assistance with over 4.4 million in food security phases 3 to 5. While some sectors continue to make progress in meeting assistance targets, others face constraints in human, financial and operational capacity. A revision of humanitarian projects to incorporate operations in newly accessible areas brings the total humanitarian funding need for 2016 to US$ 484 million of which only 25 per cent is funded. The much-needed increase in funding has failed to keep pace with these additional requirements however, resulting in severe funding shortfalls for many humanitarian partners.