In Numbers

1.83 million internally displaced people (OCHA)

1,291,294 South Sudanese refugees (UNHCR)

212,071 seeking shelter with the UN (UNMISS)

4.6 million people projected to require food assistance from January—April 2017 (WFP estimate)

Highlights

• Fighting and insecurity continue to displace thousands of South Sudanese.

• WFP and partners concluded emergency food distributions for 505,000 people in Northern Bahr el Ghazal, providing household rations and nutrition support for severely food insecure households.

Situation Update

• Ongoing fighting in the Equatorias region continues to displace families and force out-migration. Following a significant reduction in new arrivals per day in Uganda in late 2016, the number of South Sudanese seeking refuge in Uganda has again increased, averaging 1,140 per day (UNHCR, 12 Jan).

• Food and nutrition security data collection is being finalized in field locations for the Food Security and Nutrition Monitoring System (FSNMS). The FSNMS will provide a component of the data use for the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) update which will offer a holistic overview of the food security and nutrition situation in South Sudan. IPC workshops will be held at state level in the coming week, followed by a national level workshop in late January.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Fighting in Yambio has displaced over 7,000 people.

• The South Sudan Humanitarian Fund has allocated nearly $11 million to support dry season response in the Greater Equatoria region.

• Malaria topped all diseases in 2016 as the leading cause of death and morbidity.

• The 2016 cholera outbreak has spread to 10 counties, with cases confirmed in Panyijiar.

• Clashes between refugees and host community in Maban County displaced civilians and disrupted humanitarian operations

FIGURES

No. of Internally Displaced Persons - 1.85 million

No. of refugees in neighboring countries - 1.4 million

No. of people assisted in 2016 (as of 30 October) - 4.7 million

Yambio: fighting displaces thousands

Renewed fighting in areas north of Yambio town, Western Equatoria, has displaced over 7,300 people since 3 January 2017 and affected five villages: Bazumburu, Bazungua,
Bodo, Gitikiri and Rimenze.

Over 4,000 people have been forced to seek safety and humanitarian assistance in Yambio town, some of whom are staying in Nabima school compound. Another 3,000 individuals have been displaced to Rimenze Church and others to Makpandu settlement and Kasia boma. During the fighting, houses were reportedly burned, property destroyed and an unspecified number of civilians killed.

Humanitarian organizations are responding to the needs of people affected by the fighting.
High energy biscuits have been distributed for children and household items have been distributed for displaced families. A mobile health clinic has been set-up to provide emergency healthcare.

Faits saillants :

• Nouvelle épidémie de rougeole à Poli ;

• Riposte à l’épidémie de Mora en préparation;

• Poursuite de la riposte aux cas de PVS de Borno au Nigéria ;

• Les 10 Districts de santé du pays ayant enregistré les taux de décès maternels les plus élevés en 2016.

ÉPIDÉMIES ENREGISTRÉES DANS LE PAYS

EPIDEMIES DE ROUGEOLE

Deux épidémies sont en cours dans les districts de santé (DS) de Mora (Extrême Nord) et Poli (Nord).

L’épidémie la plus récente est celle de Poli. Elle a été déclarée à la 45e semaine épidémiologique (SE). Le rapport d’investigation et le plan de riposte sont encore attendus. De même, la riposte à l’épidémie de Mora est en préparation suite au retard observé dans la confirmation de l’épidémie par le niveau central et la soumission de la demande de financement. En effet, cela fait 14 SE que l’épidémie s’est déclarée. Le processus de financement de cette riposte a déjà été entamé par l’Organisation mondiale de la Santé (OMS). Ce retard accusé, qui n’est pas le premier du genre, interpelle de nouveau sur la nécessité de poursuivre le plaidoyer au niveau central pour la mise en place d’un fonds permanent de préparation et de riposte aux épidémies, car si les rapports d’investigations et les plans de riposte sont souvent disponibles quelques jours après la déclaration des épidémies, les ripostes quant à elles mettent plus de temps faute d’un mécanisme de financement préétabli.

Aussi, est-il urgent pour les responsables sanitaires de la région du Nord et du DS de Poli de trouver les stratégies de mobilisation des ressources pour organiser la vaccination et ainsi stopper son expansion.

Key messages for decision makers

• Compared to the baseline in early December 2016, the proportion of households with poor food consumption dropped from 73% to only 6% by the end of the month.

• The average reduced coping strategy index stands at 17.5, and households with poor and borderline food consumption have more frequently used these strategies than those who have acceptable food consumption.

• A total of 239 children aged 6-59 months were screened using MUAC, out of whom 7,9% were found to be malnourished.

• The Gubio market only operates for few hours in the day, and trucks are not allowed to come into town.

• The main reasons for the increase in food prices include security restrictions on movement and decrease of local food production.

• According to key informants, as long as these restrictions are in place, traders will not be able to increase food supply and prices will remain high.

Introduction

Rapid assessments are part of the Rapid Response Mechanism (RRM), a joint mission between WFP and UNICEF which is designed to assess and respond to rapidly changing needs in hard to reach areas.

The first rapid assessment mission in Gubio Local Government Area (LGA) took place from 5th to 7th December 2016. The purpose of this assessment was to establish baseline food security situation that will be monitored after food distributions.

In order to measure progress on food security and outcomes, a follow-up survey was conducted from 28th to 31st December 2016.

The December 2016 data from the Displacement Matrix (DTM) by IOM suggests a continued trend of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) returning to their LGA of origin as a result of improvement in the security situation.

In Gubio, about 28,000 persons have returned to their place of origin. Given the volatility of the situation, it is difficult to provide an accurate number of people in need of food assistance. However, there is consensus that a large-scale humanitarian assistance is needed to prevent further deterioration in the food security situation of the affected households.

South Sudan: Continued impunity following grave human rights violations in July 2016

GENEVA/JUBA (16 January 2017) – A UN report published today details the grave human rights violations and abuses – including killings and gang rapes – as well as serious violations of international humanitarian law committed in Juba during and after the fighting that occurred between 8 and 12 July 2016. Six months after the violence there remains widespread impunity, as violations continue unabated.

The report by the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) and the UN Human Rights Office found that throughout the fighting between the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army in Opposition (SPLM/A-IO), “the belligerents blatantly ignored international human rights law and humanitarian law.”

The July 2016 events in Juba demonstrated the extremely fragile political and security situation in South Sudan and the complete disregard of civilians by the SPLA and SPLM/A-IO, given the serious human rights violations and abuses that were perpetrated, including the direct targeting of civilians, along ethnic lines and the extreme violence against women and children, the report states.

“Information documented and verified by the Human Rights Division suggests that hundreds of people including civilians were killed and many more wounded during the fighting in various areas of Juba,” the report states. “Moreover, UNMISS documented 217 victims of rape, including gang-rape committed by SPLA, SPLM/A-IO and other armed groups during and after the fighting between 8 and 25 July. According to victims’ testimonies and witnesses’ accounts, most cases of sexual violence were committed by SPLA soldiers, police officers and members of the National Security Services (NSS).”

Testimony from victims interviewed by the Human Rights Division paints a horrifying picture of the violence that civilians were subjected to during the fighting. On one occasion, women and girls were ordered to cook for the soldiers at checkpoints when their friends or family members were raped. According to other testimony, Nuer men and women appeared to have been particularly targeted for attacks, including killings and arrests, during house-to-house searches, with Nuers with tribal markings on their foreheads particularly vulnerable. The whereabouts of some of those arrested remain unknown.

“The fighting that erupted in July 2016 was a serious setback for peace in South Sudan and showed just how volatile the situation in the country is, with civilians living under the risk of mass atrocities,” UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein said.

“In total, a staggering 1.38 million South Sudanese have fled to other countries and another 1.8 million are displaced in their own country. In the absence of any semblance of justice and accountability for the violations perpetrated – including possible war crimes – such unbridled outbursts of violence could quickly escalate civilians will continue to suffer immensely. Concrete steps to halt this downward spiral must be urgently taken, beginning with justice and accountability.”

The report emphasizes the need for accountability and justice for all human rights violations. It urges the Transitional Government of National Unity to take action to “break the cycle of violence and impunity” and take steps to fully support the prompt establishment and operationalization of the Hybrid Court for South Sudan by the African Union. The report also recommends that the State ensure that all victims of human rights violations and abuses, as well as violations of international humanitarian law, have access to an effective remedy, just and fair reparation, including compensation and rehabilitation.

The human rights situation remains grave in South Sudan. In Greater Equatoria, the UN Human Rights Office has received credible reports of serious human rights violations and abuses committed by SPLA and SPLM/A-IO in and around Yei, including killings, sexual violence, abductions and destruction of civilian property. As a result, thousands of civilians have fled Yei and surrounding towns. They have sought refuge in other regions and in neighboring countries. In early January 2017, fighting in and around Yambio in Western Equatoria resulted in a further displacement of at least 7,000 civilians, mostly women and children.

High Commissioner Zeid reminded the Government of its obligation to protect the rights of all South Sudanese and bring to an end the desperate suffering of the people.

For media enquiries, please contact:

In Geneva: Rupert Colville (+41 22 917 9767 / rcolville@ohchr.org) or Ravina Shamdasani (+41 22 917 9169 / rshamdasani@ohchr.org ) or Liz Throssell (+41 22 917 9466 / ethrossell@ohchr.org )

In Juba: Eugene Nindorera (Tel: +211 912 062 162 - Ext. 190-2162 / nindorera@un.org)

Niamey, le 16 janvier: Les organisations humanitaires au Niger recherchent 271 millions de dollars pour apporter une aide d’urgence à 1,5 million de personnes vulnérables dans le pays. Cet appel de fonds vise à mobiliser les financements nécessaires pour la mise en œuvre du Plan de réponse humanitaire de 2017 lancé aujourd’hui par son Excellence M. Brigi Rafini, Premier Ministre, Chef du Gouvernement en présence de M. Fodé Ndiaye, Coordonnateur Humanitaire pour le Niger, des membres du Gouvernement ainsi que des membres du corps diplomatique et de nombreux représentants des donateurs, des organisations humanitaires et des médias.

« Le Gouvernement du Niger est aujourd’hui, plus que par le passé, engagé dans la recherche de solutions aux défis humanitaires que connaît le Niger. L’assistance humanitaire que nous apportons aux populations démunies, avec l’inestimable appui des organisations humanitaires, augmente d’année en année et au même rythme que les investissements pour le renforcement des capacités de résistance des populations à risque de vulnérabilité », a déclaré son Excellence Brigi Rafini, Premier Ministre du Niger.

Le Plan de 2017 a pour objectif d’apporter une réponse aux cinq problématiques humanitaires identifiées à savoir : l’insécurité alimentaire, la malnutrition, les épidémies, les inondations saisonnières et les mouvements de populations y compris, les réfugiés, les personnes déplacées internes, les retournés et les migrants. Les conséquences de l’instabilité sécuritaire dans le bassin du lac Tchad et les déplacements forcés qu’elles engendrent sont de nature à complexifier le contexte humanitaire du pays. «Les organisations humanitaires restent résolues à mobiliser les ressources nécessaires pour apporter, de façon coordonnée, l’assistance humanitaire attendue par les populations vulnérables afin de leur permettre de subvenir à leurs besoins les plus essentiels mais également à préserver leur dignité, » a réaffirmé M. Fodé Ndiaye, Coordonnateur Humanitaire pour le Niger. « En 2016, nous avons pu assister environ 1,3 million de personnes grâce aux financements reçus des partenaires techniques et financiers. J'appelle la communauté internationale à renouveler et à amplifier cet élan de solidarité envers les personnes qui sont aujourd’hui dans le besoin au Niger.»Le Plan de réponse humanitaire de 2017 est le résultat d’un processus inclusif qui a permis de définir les grandes orientations stratégiques de l’aide ainsi que les modalités générales d’action en partant de l’analyse critique des besoins, des capacités en vue d’asseoir les bases d’une réponse holistique globale. Il s’agit d’une démarche concertée et dans le cadre bien défini d’une coordination inter-agences et intersectorielle, en appui aux programmes du Gouvernement, dont notamment le Plan de soutien et le Plan de réponse pour Diffa.

La spécificité du Plan de réponse pour 2017 réside dans le fait qu’il allie crises aiguës et crises chroniques dans une même planification stratégique. Il présente de façon distincte la réponse prévue pour couvrir les besoins humanitaires urgents causés par l’instabilité sécuritaire dans le Bassin du lac Tchad et celle aux besoins humanitaires dont les causes sont d’ordre structurel dans le reste du pays.
Cette distinction se justifie par le fait que la situation humanitaire est plus aiguë dans la région de Diffa que dans le reste du pays en raison de la sévérité des besoins des populations affectées et de leur degré de vulnérabilité. Elle permet aussi de faire appel aux acteurs de développement pour répondre aux causes structurelles des crises humanitaires chroniques.

La réponse d’urgence qu’exige la situation humanitaire à Diffa se traduit également par l’importance des fonds requis pour cette partie du pays à savoir 140 millions de dollars, soit 51 pour cent du montant global recherché pour 2017. « La crise aiguë en cours à Diffa ne devrait pas occulter la nécessité de répondre aux conséquences humanitaires des crises chroniques qui affectent les autres régions du Niger où vivent 80 pour cent des personnes ciblées par le Plan de réponse de 2017,» a plaidé M. Ndiaye.

Au total, 34 organisations humanitaires ont soumis 120 projets à travers l’appel de fonds pour 2017 dans les différents secteurs de l’assistance humanitaire, notamment la coordination, la sécurité alimentaire, la nutrition, la santé, l’eau, l’hygiène et l’assainissement, les abris et les biens non alimentaires, la protection, l’éducation, la logistique et le multi-secteur pour les réfugiés.
En rappel, les organisations humanitaires recherchaient, en 2016, à travers leur appel initial 360 millions de dollars. Cet appel était financé à 54 pour cent en décembre 2016.

Pour plus d’informations, veuillez contacter :

M. Keita Oumarou, Conseiller en Communication du Premier ministre du Niger, Keita_oumarou@yahoo.fr, Tél. (+227) 91 82 22 95

Mme Katy Thiam, Chargée de l’Information Publique et du Plaidoyer, Bureau des Nations Unies pour la Coordination des Affaires Humanitaires (OCHA) au Niger, thiamk@un.org, Tél. (+227) 99 71 71 39

HUMANITARIAN NEEDS & KEY FIGURES

Insecurity related to Boko Haram violence and military counter operations continues to affect 26 million people living in North East Nigeria. The number of people in need of humanitarian assistance is estimated to be 14 million. Borno, Adamawa and Yobe States are the most directly affected by conflict and mass forced displacement with Bauchi, Gombe and Taraba largely affected by hosting some of the displaced. In an already economically deprived region, nearly 80 per cent of 1.8 million IDPs live with host communities placing a huge strain on infrastructure and resources. As areas previously held by Boko Haram become accessible, a section of people with urgent needs are within limited reach of government and humanitarian partner assistance. However, the response is not currently able to meet all the needs, as some areas are still largely inaccessible. The dire humanitarian situation found in these areas suggests that those still unreachable are also in critical need.

Humanitarian needs

1. Basic Survival There is a growing food and nutrition crisis across areas of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa States. Since March 2016 the estimated number of people facing extreme food and nutrition deficits has doubled to 5.8 million. This is resulting in high acute malnutrition and reduced immunity to basic illnesses such as malaria. In the worst affected and least accessible areas of Borno and Yobe there are severe forms of food and nutrition insecurity. Access to water remains limited and already-weak health systems are massively disrupted.

2. Protection Protection needs in the North East of Nigeria, particularly in the recently accessible areas of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa States remain severe, especially for vulnerable groups, including women, children and older people. People face grave human rights violations and human rights abuses including death, injuries, sexual and gender -based violence, arbitrary detention, disappearances, forced displacement, attacks on civilian sites and forced recruitment.

3. Effects of multiple forced displacements There are 1.8 million people displaced internally and 187,000 Nigerians seeking refuge in neighbouring countries. An estimated 1 million people who were previously internally displaced and previously refugees have started to return towards their areas of origin. However, the towns where they are returning are destroyed with insufficient infrastructure and as a result many remain displaced in larger towns. With insecurity persisting across large areas of Borno, and a large number of the IDPs being from Borno, many communities will continue to host IDPs and many people will continue to live in displacement with a lack of livelihoods and dependant on humanitarian support.

4. Humanitarian Access Access to people in need of urgent life-saving assistance remains constrained largely by insecurity and other forms of restrictions. Those trapped by the armed conflict are prevented from accessing basic life-saving services with reports of pockets of people in some areas experiencing famine like conditions. Even in partially accessible areas in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe where Boko Haram has been pushed back, other constraints to humanitarian space are present. Although coordination with Government is improving, bureaucratic restrictions on visas and customs clearance for humanitarian personnel and supplies persist.

Sudan conveys its readiness for WHO verification for certification

11 January 2017 | Geneva

In 2016, a total of 25 human cases of dracunculiasis1 (guinea-worm disease) were reported to the World Health Organization (WHO); Mali reported zero cases for the first time.

“Mali’s success in 2016 marks an important milestone in overcoming dracunculiasis as it was the only country with local transmission of the disease in West Africa” said Dr Dieudonné Sankara, head of the WHO Dracunculiasis Eradication Team. “However, this great news is mitigated by challenges in ascertaining whether transmission has been interrupted, particularly because there are limitations to surveillance posed by insecurity and population displacement in the Kidal and Gao regions of the country as well as the detection of infections in a small number of dogs in Mali.”

Mali reported 5 human cases in 2015; the last known case was reported on 17 November 2015 in Gourma Rharous district in Timbuktu Region.

In 2016, dracunculiasis of humans and animals was reported in three other countries, namely:

• Chad: 16 human cases and 1013 infected dogs
  
• Ethiopia: 3 human cases and 14 infected dogs
  
• South Sudan: 6 human cases and zero dog infections

In 2015, only 22 human cases were reported to WHO.

On 11 January 2017, the Federal Ministry of Health of Sudan officially confirmed the country's readiness to receive members of the International Certification Team (ICT) mission to evaluate Sudan’s eligibility for certification as free of guinea-worm disease.

Challenges

Finding and containing the last remaining cases, often in settings where there are security concerns and displaced population, are the most difficult stages of the eradication process; detecting Dracunculus medinensis infection in dogs poses another challenge. WHO and its main partners – The Carter Center and the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – are working together to assist health ministries in the three remaining endemic countries to implement the recommendations of a scientific meeting on D. medinensis infection in dogs (Geneva, March 2016).

Certification

Since 1995, the International Commission for the Certification of Dracunculiasis Eradication has met 11 times and, on its recommendation, WHO has certified 198 countries, territories and areas (belonging to 186 Member States) as free of dracunculiasis transmission.

Twelve of these countries are in the African risk belt for dracunculiasis and therefore at risk of reinfection as a result of the poor water infrastructure and high population movement across the region. These countries include Burkina Faso, Benin, Cameroon, Central Africa Republic, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Mauritania, Nigeria, Niger, Togo, Uganda and Senegal. Some of them, notably Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Mauritania, Nigeria, Niger and Uganda are at very high risk because they neighbour endemic countries or host refugees from these neighbouring endemic countries.

WHO is assisting these countries to maintain surveillance of dracunculiasis through full integration with the Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (IDSR) systems. Intelligence and alerts are maintained through reviews of weekly and/or monthly IDSR reports. Any rumours reported are followed up and investigated.

In September 2016, WHO conducted evaluation missions in Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Sudan to assess their level of readiness to finalize dossiers for submission to WHO, ahead of visits by the International Certification Team. In Angola and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, WHO has supported efforts by both countries to implement their certification roadmap.

Angola and the Democratic Republic of the Congo have intensified searches for the disease; zero cases have been reported to date.

WHO is the only organization mandated to certify countries as free of transmission of the disease following the recommendations of the Commission.

12.01.2017 – Jürgen Koch, GIZ Country Director in Mali, talks about the challenges of working in the field. Many projects are being successfully implemented despite the tense security situation.

Mr Koch, what are the main challenges of working in Mali?

Mali is one of the poorest countries in the world. The sparsely populated north, in particular, has been marred by ongoing armed conflict with Islamist terrorist groups since 2012. Not much of the peace agreement signed between the government of Mali and separatist Touareg rebels in 2015 has yet been implemented. This fragile security situation has created difficult economic and social conditions. So we have to be particularly sensitive in all projects and involve the population broadly, especially in projects aimed at building peace.

What are the focal areas of your work?

We are currently implementing eight programmes on behalf of the German Federal Government. Some 30 German and international and 240 Malian staff are working in small-scale irrigated agriculture, water supply and decentralisation projects. The latter involves enabling thousands of communities to manage their own finances in order to provide people with access to schools, solid waste disposal, electricity and water supply connections. We also support the country’s stabilisation and peace process, and we advise our partners on climate change adaptation measures.

Stabilisation as a keyword: A state of emergency is currently in place in the country. How does this hamper your work?

We still work all across the country. Our security team thoroughly prepares all trips we make to the interior. Only our national experts work in the north of the country. But we are regularly in touch with our colleagues over the phone or at meetings in the capital Bamako, and this way we ensure that our project work goes ahead. Topics we discuss include specific actions such as deliveries of seeds and agricultural machinery, but also training courses for farmers.

Can the project objectives even be achieved under these circumstances?

Yes, we have achieved a lot. For example, we have supported nearly 1,300 women-managed small and medium-sized businesses in order to boost the local economy. Three quarters of these businesses increased their turnover by around 20 per cent, the 40 best performers by more than 120 per cent. We are also supporting the small-scale irrigation sector together with the Ministry of Agriculture. In one of Mali’s ‘grain baskets’, the Niger River Inner Delta, more than 90 per cent of the irrigation perimeters that have been set up are now being used by family-owned smallholdings. They have been able to increase their rice yields threefold compared with traditional growing methods. In the Bélédougou region the small farmers’ rice yields have even increased fourfold. More than 17,000 farmers have also been trained on a great variety of topics including innovative rice and vegetable growing methods and processing and marketing farm produce. The reason this is so important is that improved harvests mean higher incomes for the Malian farmers and thus help stabilise the country’s economy.

BACKGROUND

• The impacts of the ongoing insurgency attacks on both lives and properties in the North East states of Nigeria have left many in fear, displaced millions of people, while hundreds of thousands have lost their livelihoods and are facing serious starvation.

• Violence caused by the insurgency activities of Boko Haram - and counter military measures/operations have left widespread devastation to homes, livelihoods and families.

• The destruction of infrastructure and disruption of livelihoods have increased the pre-existing low levels of access to education and health services.

• Boys are being forcibly recruited by armed groups and thousands of women and girls have been subjected to sexual abuse, enslavement and some have been used as suicide bombers

• These events have led to the mass migration of people into communities in the region that have been spared – even if not completely - of the violence and crisis.

• The communities have been burdened with having to overstretch on food, water and the provision of basic services since the activities of the insurgency had destroyed their livelihood.

• Christian Aid has conducted a Rapid Needs Assessment for the affected areas across two states of Borno and Adawama.

• The respondents included community of returnees who are in serious need of urgent humanitarian relief and support for livelihoods and rehabilitation.

• The assessment report is intended to guide Christian Aid and partners in humanitarian programming and address the needs

Aid organisation CARE International today issued a new report highlighting the top ten most underreported humanitarian crises of 2016.

The report, Suffering in Silence, features food crises in Eritrea, Madagascar, North Korea and Papua New Guinea; conflicts in Burundi, Lake Chad Basin, Democratic Republic of Congo, Central African Republic, Sudan and last year’s monsoon floods in Bangladesh.

“There are many disasters around the world that rarely make it into the news,” said Philippe Guiton, CARE International’s Humanitarian and Operations Director.

“With this report CARE aims to shine the spotlight on those humanitarian crises that have been neglected or eclipsed by others grabbing the world’s attention.”

CARE International researched more than 30 natural disasters and ongoing conflicts that affected at least one million people and analysed how often they were mentioned in online news articles. More than 250,000 online news sources were monitored.

Media attention and fundraising for humanitarian causes are closely intertwined, which is often referred to as the ‘CNN effect’.

“The media has the power to set agendas, hold politicians to account and help raise crucial funds to deliver aid,” Mr Guiton said.

“At the same time, politicians must not act solely based on political interests. Politicians prefer to focus their attention on the most visible emergencies to show their constituencies they are acting. Many of the humanitarian crises in this report are not simply forgotten, they are wilfully ignored and neglected by world leaders.”

In 2017, the world faces conflicts that are raging longer and longer. Poor families have to cope with typhoons, droughts and floods that are becoming stronger and happen more frequently. The UN estimates $22.2 billion will be required to help the 92 million in urgent need of humanitarian aid in 2017.

“Most of these crises will continue to need our support beyond 2017. Every day, families across the world live in constant fear for their survival as bombs are dropping in their neighbourhood, as floods or drought destroy their fields and kill their cattle, as brutal attacks force them to leave their homes. They deserve their stories being told”, Mr Guiton said.

Donate to CARE’s Global Emergency Fund at care.org.au/emergency or call 1800 DONATE (1800 020 046)

-ENDS-

Note to editors: Using the media monitoring services of Meltwater Group, CARE analysed those natural disasters or conflicts that received the least media attention in 2016. More than 250,000 global online sources were monitored in English, French and German. To filter according to scale, we chose countries in which at least one million people are affected by natural or man-made disasters. The result is a list of over 30 crises that we analysed and ranked by the number of articles mentioning each, starting with the one that received the fewest articles.

For more information, or to arrange an interview with Stefan Knollmayer, Humanitarian & Emergency Response Manager, please contact CARE Australia Media Advisor Nerida Williams on 0412 449 691

Why gender and age matter in emergency WASH interventions

According to assessments conducted by protection actors in 2016, internally displaced women and children are disproportionately vulnerable to sexual and gender based violence (SGBV). Unaccompanied girls and adolescent boys, single heads of households, child mothers, child spouses, and those living with disability are most at risk. This reality relates to myriad of factors including separation from families, limited access to support and economic opportunities, and overcrowding in IDP settlements which offer minimal privacy and security. Most women, girls and boys formerly abducted by Boko Haram face stigma and family rejection. The lack of adequate reintegration services and worsening economic situations of most internally displaced persons expose them to vulnerable environments making them susceptible to abuse, violence and exploitation. In order to address and mitigate protection challenges faced by the women, girls, boys and men, all humanitarian actors must ensure that their services are tailored to suit the specific needs of the different groups based on age, gender and diversity perspectives.

Gender, age and diversity demographics and dynamics relative to emergency WASH programming

The ongoing crisis in North East (NE), Nigeria has resulted in profound negative impact on women, girls, men and boys. Most IDPs are experiencing a range of protection risks and challenges. Their vulnerability is multidimensional including severe damage of social fabrics and safety nets, destruction of property and infrastructure in areas of origin.

• Women and children make up 79 per cent of the IDP population in NE, Nigeria with 55 percent of the IDP population being children under 18 years (30% F and 25% M1 .)

• An estimated 25 per cent of Households (HH) have children with protection needs including unaccompanied minors and separated children and 7% per cent of the IDPs are older persons with protections needs.

• 38 per cent of the HHs in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe States are headed by females without any male adult support2 .

• Overcrowding in IDP settlements, lack of privacy in shared accommodation and limited WASH facilities place women and girls at heightened risk of SGBV and denies them of their dignity.

• Due to culture, some families practice “tenet of kulle” which prevents women from leaving their homes thus, impeding their freedom of movement including access to their access to water, sanitation and hygiene services and facilities.

• Across the four states, an average of 40 per cent of women are pregnant and/or lactating. Nationally, 7.4 per cent of women aged 15 to 49 years have acute malnutrition while in Borno and Yobe, the figure is 15 per cent and 20 per cent respectively.

• Poor water and sanitation conditions at IDP sites and in crowded host communities have a large bearing on

health as there is lack of adequate space and shelter in some IDP settlements.

• 44 per cent (i.e. 47 sites) have separated toilets for males and females and anecdotal reports suggest that the disaggregation is not always respected, leading many to continue to defecate in the open, hence increasing protection risk for women and young girls.

• 60 per cent (i.e. 64 sites) of the toilets are not fitted with locks for safety and privacy.

• 97 per cent of sites have handwashing stations but only 56 per cent have soap or water. At the majority of sites (74 per cent of sites), there was no evidence of handwashing practices.

• At 70 per cent of IDP sites, there was evidence of open field defecation.

• 61 per cent of households do not have access to improved water and 55 per cent of households do not have access to proper sanitation.

• Where latrines are available, with no lighting in the camps at night, IDPs often continue to defecate in the open at night as they feel unsafe to use the latrines in the dark.

Why gender and age matters in emergency food security interventions

According to assessments conducted by the protection actors in 2016, internally displaced women and children are disproportionately vulnerable to sexual and gender based violence (SGBV). Unaccompanied girls and adolescent boys, single heads of households, child mothers, child spouses, and those living with disability are most at risk. This reality relates to myriad of factors including separation from families, limited access to support and economic opportunities, and overcrowding in IDP settlements which offer minimal privacy and security. Most women, girls and boys formerly abducted by Boko Haram face stigma and family rejection. The lack of adequate reintegration services and worsening economic situations of most internally displaced persons expose them to vulnerable environments making them susceptible to abuse, violence and exploitation. In order to address and mitigate protection challenges faced by the women, girls, boys and men, all humanitarian actors must ensure that their services are tailored to suit the specific needs of the different groups based on age, gender and diversity perspectives.

Gender, age and diversity demographics and dynamics relative to emergency food security interventions

The ongoing crisis in North East (NE), Nigeria has resulted in profound negative impact on women, girls, men and boys. Most IDPs are experiencing a range of protection risks and challenges. Their vulnerability is multidimensional including severe damage of social fabrics and safety nets, destruction of property and infrastructure in areas of origin.

• Women and children make up 79 per cent of the IDP population in NE, Nigeria with 55 percent of the IDP population being children under 18 years (30% F and 25% M1 .)

• An estimated 25 per cent of Households (HH) have children with protection needs including unaccompanied minors and separated children2 .

• 7% per cent of the IDPs are older persons with protections needs.

• 38 per cent of the HHs in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe States are headed by females without any male adult support3 .

• 25 per cent of Households (HH) have children with protection needs including unaccompanied minors and separated children

• In Adamwa, Borno, Gombe and Yobe States, an average of one in ten households has a family member with disability (mental or physical)

• 38 per cent of the HHs in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe States are headed by females without any male adult support.

• Overcrowding in IDP settlements and lack of privacy in shared accommodation and limited WASH facilities place women and girls at heightened risk of SGBV

• Due to culture, some families practice “tenet of kulle” which prevents women from leaving their homes thus, impeding their freedom of movement including access to humanitarian assistance and livelihood opportunities.

• Food insecurity and protection risks such as limitation on movement in and out of formal settlements are mutually reinforcing factors that contribute to negative coping practices such as survival sex and early/forced marriage among others.

• There are reports of women being attacked, raped, killed and abducted while collecting firewood particularly as they travel further from settlements in search of firewood.

• The protection risks that women face are linked directly to the level of assistance they can reach on a regular basis, their prior vocational skills and capacity to carry them out.

• Although farming is the IDPs’ main occupation, however, because of the displacement, most IDPs do not have access to land for cultivation.

• The Cash Working Group developed a common definition of household that reflects the distinct demographic profile and gender dynamics of the affected population, including polygamous households.

Why gender matters in CCCM, shelter and NFI interventions

According to assessments conducted by protection actors in 2016, internally displaced women and children are disproportionately vulnerable to sexual and gender based violence (SGBV). Unaccompanied girls and adolescent boys, single heads of households, child mothers, child spouses, and those living with disability are most at risk. This reality relates to myriad of factors including separation from families, limited access to support and economic opportunities, and overcrowding in IDP settlements which offer minimal privacy and security. Most women, girls and boys formerly abducted by Boko Haram face stigma and family rejection. The lack of adequate reintegration services and worsening economic situations of most internally displaced persons expose them to vulnerable environments making them susceptible to abuse, violence and exploitation. In order to address and mitigate protection challenges faced by the women, girls, boys and men, all humanitarian actors must ensure that their services are tailored to suit the specific needs of the different groups based on age, gender and diversity perspectives.

Gender, age and diversity dynamics relative to CCCM, Shelter and NFI programming

The ongoing crisis in North East (NE), Nigeria has resulted in profound negative impact on women, girls, men and boys. Most IDPs are experiencing a range of protection risks and challenges. Their vulnerability is multidimensional including severe damage of social fabrics and safety nets, destruction of property and infrastructure in areas of origin.

• Women and children make up 79 per cent of the IDP population in NE, Nigeria with 55 percent of the IDP population being children under 18 years (30% F and 25% M1 .)

• An estimated 25 per cent of Households (HH) have children with protection needs including unaccompanied minors and separated children2 .

• 7% per cent of the IDPs are older persons with protections needs.

• 38 per cent of the HHs in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe States are headed by females without any male adult support.

• Overcrowding in IDP settlements and lack of privacy in shared accommodation and limited WASH facilities place women and girls at heightened risk of SGBV.

• Due to culture, some families practice “tenet of kulle” which prevents women from leaving their homes thus, impeding their freedom of movement including access to humanitarian assistance and livelihood opportunities.

• Food insecurity and protection risks such as limitation of movement in and out of formal settlements are mutually reinforcing factors that contribute to negative coping practices such as survival sex and early/forced marriage among others.

• Lack of adequate space and shelter in some IDP settlements has contributed to separation of families whereby men and women have been separated and accommodated in single sex communal shelters as opposed to maintaining families as a unit.

• 44 per cent of IDP settlements have separate WASH facilities including latrines for males and females. Existing anecdotal reports reveal that disaggregation of latrines and bathrooms is not always respected, hence increasing protection risk for women and young girls.

"The bomb that exploded on Monday morning, it's our brothers responsible for it," an audio recording said

BAUCHI/MAIDUGURI, Nigeria, Jan 17 (Reuters) - Islamist militant group Boko Haram has said it was behind Monday's twin suicide bombing at a university in north eastern Nigeria which killed two people.

Read more on the Thomson Reuters Foundation

Why gender matters in protection interventions

According to assessments conducted by protection actors in 2016, internally displaced women and children are disproportionately vulnerable to sexual and gender based violence (SGBV). Unaccompanied girls and adolescent boys, single heads of households, child mothers, child spouses, and women and girls living with disability are most at risk. This reality relates to myriad of factors including separation from families, limited access to support and economic opportunities, and overcrowded in IDP settlement which offer minimal privacy and security. Most girls and boys formers abducted by Boko Haram face stigma and family rejection. The lack of adequate reintegration services and worsening economic situations of most internally displaced persons, particularly women, girls and boy expose them to vulnerable environments making them susceptible to abuse, violence and exploitation. In order to address and mitigate protection challenges women, girls, boys and men, all humanitarian must ensure that their services are tailored to suit the specific needs of the different groups based on age, gender and diversity perspective.

Gender, age and diversity demographics and dynamics relative to protection programming

The ongoing crisis in North East (NE), Nigeria has resulted in profound negative impact on women, girls, men and boys. Most IDPs are experiencing a range of protection risks and challenges. Their vulnerability is multidimensional including severe damage of social fabrics and safety nets, destruction of property and infrastructure in areas of origin.

• Women and children make up 79 per cent of the IDP population in NE, Nigeria with 35 per cent of the IDP population being children under 18 years (30%F and 25%M)1

• 25 per cent of Households (HH) have children with protection needs including unaccompanied minors and separated children.

• 7 per cent of the IDPs are older persons with protections needs3 (UNHCR Vulnerability Screening Round III, 2016)

• In Adamawa, Borno, Gombe and Yobe States, an average of one in ten households has a family member with disability (mental or physical)

• 38 per cent of the HHs in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe States are headed by females without male adult support.

• Overcrowding in IDP settlements and lack of privacy in shared accommodation and limited WASH facilities place women and girls at heightened risk of SGBV.

• Due to culture, some families practice “tenet of kulle” which prevents women from leaving their homes thus, impeding their freedom of movement including access to humanitarian assistance and livelihood opportunities.

• Food insecurity and protection risks such as denial of free movement in and out of formal settlements are mutually reinforcing factors that contribute to negative coping practices such as survival sex and early/forced marriage among others.

• Lack of adequate space and shelter in some IDP settlements has contributed to separation of families whereby men and women have been separated and accommodated in single sex communal shelters as opposed to maintaining families as a unit.

Why gender and age matter in emergency health and nutrition interventions

According to assessments conducted by protection actors in 2016, internally displaced women and children are disproportionately vulnerable to sexual and gender based violence (SGBV). Unaccompanied girls and adolescent boys, single heads of households, child mothers, child spouses, and those living with disability are most at risk. This reality relates to myriad of factors including separation from families, limited access to support and economic opportunities, and overcrowding in IDP settlements which offer minimal privacy and security. Most women, girls and boys formerly abducted by Boko Haram face stigma and family rejection. The lack of adequate reintegration services and worsening economic situations of most internally displaced persons expose them to vulnerable environments making them susceptible to abuse, violence and exploitation. In order to address and mitigate protection challenges faced by the women, girls, boys and men, all humanitarian actors must ensure that their services are tailored to suit the specific needs of the different groups based on age, gender and diversity perspectives.

Gender, age and diversity demographics and dynamics relative to emergency health and nutrition programming

The ongoing crisis in North East (NE), Nigeria has resulted in profound negative impact on women, girls, men and boys. Most IDPs are experiencing a range of protection risks and challenges. Their vulnerability is multidimensional including severe damage of social fabrics and safety nets, destruction of property and infrastructure in areas of origin.

• Women and children make up 79 per cent of the IDP population in NE, Nigeria with 35 per cent of the IDP population being children under 18 years (30%F and 25%M)

• 25 per cent of Households (HH) have children with protection needs including unaccompanied minors and separated children.

• 7 per cent of the IDPs are older persons with protections needs (UNHCR Vulnerability Screening Round III, 2016)

• In Adamawa, Borno, Gombe and Yobe States, an average of one in ten households has a family member with disability (mental or physical)

• Overcrowding in IDP settlements and lack of privacy in shared accommodation and limited WASH facilities place women and girls at heightened risk of SGBV and denies them of their dignity.

• Due to culture, some families practice “tenet of kulle” which prevents women from leaving their homes thus, impeding their freedom of movement including access to humanitarian assistance and health services.

• Poor water and sanitation conditions at IDP sites and in crowded host communities have a large bearing on health. Of 106 sites assessed for the IOM DTM (30 June 2016):

• 44 per cent (i.e. 47 sites) have separated toilets for males and females and anecdotal reports suggest that the disaggregation is not always respected, leading many to continue to defecate in the open.

• 60 per cent (i.e. 64 sites) of the toilets have doors with no fitted locks.

• 97 per cent of sites have handwashing stations but only 56 per cent have soap or water. At the majority of sites there was no evidence of handwashing practices.

• At 70 per cent or 74 sites, there was evidence of open field defecation.

• 61 per cent of households do not have access to improved water and 55 per cent of households do not have access to proper sanitation.

Avant-propos

“La Résolution 46/182 des Nations Unies reste aussi pertinente et fondamentale aujourd’hui qu’en décembre 1991 et les principes d’humanité, de neutralité, indépendance et d’impartialité qu’elle contient continuent de guider une assistance humanitaire stratégique, coordonnée et efficace aux personnes qui en ont besoin”

À travers le monde, un écosystème croissant d’acteurs humanitaires allant des communautés locales aux gouvernements nationaux, des organisations internationales au secteur privé, dispense une assistance et une protection vitales aux personnes qui en ont besoin. Leur travail est plus nécessaire et plus courageux que jamais. Plus de 128,6 millions de personnes ont besoin actuellement d’une assistance humanitaire dans 33 pays. En 2017, la communauté internationale a besoin de 22,2 milliards de dollars pour répondre aux besoins des 92,8 millions de personnes les plus vulnérables. Au cours des 12 derniers mois, les acteurs humanitaires ont sauvé, protégé et soutenu plus de personnes que les années passées depuis l’avènement des Nations Unies. En 2016, les appels de fonds ont été plus importants que jamais auparavant. Mais aussi, au moment où nous parlons, plus de personnes ont des besoins humanitaires, essentiellement en raison des crises prolongées qui durent de plus en plus longtemps. Il est déplorable qu’avec l’escalade persistante des besoins humanitaires, l’écart se creuse davantage entre ce qui doit être fait pour sauver et protéger un plus grand nombre de personnes actuellement et les financements que les humanitaires reçoivent pour le faire et pouvoir y accéder.

Cet Aperçu de la situation humanitaire mondiale 2017 coïncide avec le 25ème anniversaire de la Résolution 46/182 de l’Assemblée générale qui a posé les fondements de l’écosystème humanitaire d’aujourd’hui. Ce système résulte d’une série continue de catastrophes subites, de conflits, de sécheresses et d’autres situations d’urgence illustrant la nécessité d’organisations humanitaires internationales qui répondent de manière collaborative, stratégique et efficace en faisant le meilleur usage des ressources disponibles. La Résolution 46/182 des Nations Unies reste aussi pertinente et fondamentale aujourd’hui qu’en décembre 1991 et les principes d’humanité, de neutralité, indépendance et d’impartialité qu’elle contient continuent de guider une assistance humanitaire stratégique, coordonnée et efficace aux personnes qui en ont besoin. Cette résolution a marqué une étape décisive pour les Nations Unies et leurs partenaires. Elle reste aussi pertinente et fondamentale aujourd’hui qu’en décembre 1991 et les principes d’humanité, de neutralité, indépendance et d’impartialité qu’elle contient continuent d’orienter le travail humanitaire.

Les structures, les responsabilités et les outils qu’elle a créés, comme les appels consolidés, demeurent capitaux pour notre travail. Les États membres ont fondamentalement compris qu’une coordination effective a un effet multiplicateur sur la force de l’action humanitaire. Cette année, le Sommet humanitaire mondial a témoigné de l’immense effort déployé par toutes les parties prenantes pour faire avancer cette vision en la faisant mieux répondre aux besoins humanitaires et réduire la vulnérabilité. Ce Programme d’action pour l’humanité annonce un changement, une transformation et une plus grande détermination des humanitaires à ne laisser personne de côté. Cette tâche est cruciale puisque les besoins humanitaires continuent d’augmenter et que les efforts humanitaires sont entravés par la réduction de l’accès, l’irrespect croissant des droits humains et les violations flagrantes du droit international humanitaire. Les travailleurs humanitaires sont de plus en plus exposés à un risque d’attaques ciblées. Avec le changement climatique, les catastrophes naturelles devraient devenir plus fréquentes, plus violentes et plus graves ; et les crises causées par l’homme pourraient se prolonger davantage. Il y a tout de même des changements positifs: le nombre croissant d’acteurs locaux, nationaux et internationaux, les ressources financières et concrètes plus importantes, les nouvelles technologies de communications et de cartographie et un plus grand nombre de pays ayant la volonté politique et des mécanismes en place pour se préparer à une réponse aux catastrophes. Nous devons accélérer les changements positifs pour relever les défis de 2017 et au-delà.

Le « Grand Bargain» et la «nouvelle manière de travailler» impliquant un engagement global et collectif dans la réponse aux crises sont des composantes essentielles du Programme d’action pour l’humanité. Nous mettons tout en œuvre pour l’amélioration des évaluations des besoins et de l’analyse conjointe. Nous accélérons certaines dispositions existantes pour les Plans de réponse humanitaire (HRP) pour 2017 avec, par exemple, la planification et le financement pluriannuels des crises prolongées en alignant ainsi les besoins humanitaires immédiats sur le droit de survivre et de prospérer. En août, l’Equipe humanitaire pays de la République démocratique du Congo (RDC) a conçu un plan triennal venant compléter les éléments de l’action humanitaire, du développement et du maintien de la paix. La République centrafricaine (RCA), le Cameroun, la Somalie, le Soudan et le Tchad présentent également des plans triennaux pour 2017.