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Bangladesh: Key messages from FSC partners in Bangladesh and Mali: Partnership and preparedness

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Source: World Food Programme, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Food Security Cluster
Country: Bangladesh, Mali

In 2016, the global Food Security Cluster, in collaboration with its partners 18frames, the German Federal Foreign Office and Welthungerhilfe, initiated a video project to raise awareness on coordination and partnership. We conducted interviews with national and international FSC partners in Bangladesh and Mali to better understand their views and needs towards strengthening local partnership and collaboration for improved coordination of humanitarian response. Despite the different contexts in Bangladesh and Mali, partners shared similar experience and stressed similar needs. They all agreed that local actors do better understand the needs and aspirations of the affected community.


Democratic Republic of the Congo: Afrique de l’ouest et du centre: Aperçu humanitaire régional (7 – 13 février 2017)

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Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
Country: Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gambia, Guinea, Nigeria, South Sudan

CAMEROUN

L’AIDE ALIMENTAIRE AUX RÉFUGIÉS MENACÉE PAR UN MANQUE DE FINANCEMENT

Le manque de ressources financières met en péril la capacité du PAM et des partenaires à fournir une aide alimentaire vitale aux réfugiés dans l'est du Cameroun, avec un déficit de financement de 16 millions de dollars. Une insuffisance totale de fonds est à prévoir à partir de juin, en attendant de nouveaux envois de vivres. Depuis octobre dernier, le recul du financement a déjà obligé le PAM à réduire de moitié les vivres et l'aide en espèces à environ 156 000 réfugiés de la RCA, qui vivent actuellement d'une ration alimentaire minimale.

TCHAD

L’ÉPIDÉMIE D’HÉPATITE E S’AGGRAVE

Le 9 février, Médecins sans frontières a averti que des centaines de personnes pourraient mourir dans le sud-est du Tchad alors qu'une épidémie d'hépatite E qui dure depuis plusieurs mois s’aggrave, enregistrant 70 cas et 11 décès depuis septembre. Quelque 885 personnes dans la région de Salamat ont été traitées pour des symptômes de jaunisse, ce qui peut indiquer l'hépatite E. La plupart des patients sont susceptibles de souffrir d'hépatite E, a indiqué le groupe d'aide. Selon l'Organisation mondiale de la santé, le nombre de décès pourrait être plus élevé en raison de cas qui n'ont peut-être pas été traités dans des établissements de santé.

GUINEE

93 CAS DE ROUGEOLE CONFIRMÉS

Depuis le début de l’année, 93 cas de rougeole ont été confirmés dans les districts affectés de Nzérékoré, Guékédou, Coyah, Dubréka, Fria, Kindia et quatre communes de la capitale, Conakry. Le ministère de la Santé, avec l'appui de l'UNICEF, d'ALIMA et d'autres partenaires, a immédiatement lancé des campagnes de vaccination dans les régions touchées. L'épidémie est une conséquence directe de la couverture vaccinale limitée pendant l'épidémie d'Ebola qui a sérieusement affecté le système de santé du pays en 2014-2015.

RD CONGO

AUGMENTATION PRÉVUE DES BESOINS LIÉS AUX CONFLITS

Les acteurs humanitaires estiment que les besoins vont probablement augmenter dans les prochains mois. L'année dernière, le nombre de personnes déplacées est passé de 1,6 à plus de 2,1 millions. Les organisations humanitaires réagissent déjà à des affrontements violents dans la province du Tanganyika, dans le sud-est, dans les trois provinces du Kasaï, ainsi qu'aux besoins des nouveaux réfugiés du Sud Soudan dans le nord-est du pays. La rougeole et le choléra sont devenus des problèmes de santé récurrents majeurs. Le 9 février, la communauté humanitaire et les autorités congolaises ont lancé un appel de 748 millions de dollars pour aider 6,7 millions de personnes en 2017.

GAMBIE

PRÈS DE 150 000 PERSONNES SOUFFRENT D’INSÉCURITÉ ALIMENTAIRE

Selon un rapport du PAM, plus de 148 500 personnes, 8% de la population, souffrent d'insécurité alimentaire et 0,6% d'insécurité alimentaire grave en Gambie, soit une hausse par rapport à 5,6% en 2011. La hausse des prix des denrées alimentaires et les catastrophes naturelles sont les facteurs principaux ayant eu un impact négatif sur l'accès alimentaire des ménages gambiens et les ayant mis en danger. Le 9 février, l'Union européenne a alloué 75 millions d'euros pour un soutien immédiat aux marchés et au développement socioéconomique du pays, y compris l'insécurité alimentaire, le chômage et les infrastructures.

NIGERIA

PLUS DE 10,000 DÉPLACÉS RETOURNENT A DAMASAK

Au cours des deux dernières semaines, plus de 10 000 personnes déplacées et réfugiées sont retournées dans la région du gouvernement local de Damasak, dans le nord de l‘état de Borno. La majorité d'entre elles (70%) reviennent du Niger et de communautés voisines. Au cours des dernières semaines, une centaine de familles revenaient tous les jours à Damasak.

Nigeria: Displacement Tracking Matrix | DTM | Round XIV Report - January 2017

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Source: International Organization for Migration
Country: Cameroon, Chad, Nigeria

The escalation of Boko Haram violence in 2014 resulted in mass displacement around northeastern Nigeria. To better understand the scope of displacement and assess the needs of affected populations in northeast Nigeria, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) started implementing its Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) program in September 2014 in collaboration with the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the State Emergency Management Agencies (SEMAs). IOM’s DTM is used in countries around the world to track displacement caused by natural disasters and conflict.

The main objective of the DTM in northeast Nigeria is to support the Nigerian government and humanitarian partners in establishing a comprehensive system to collect, analyze and disseminate data on internally displaced persons (IDPs) in order to provide assistance to the population affected by the insurgency. Staff from IOM, NEMA, SEMAs and the Nigerian Red Cross Society (NRCS) collect data in the field, including baseline information at Local Government Area (LGA)-level and ward-level and conduct detailed assessments in displacement sites, like camps and collective centers, and host communities. IOM’s DTM program is funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the European Commission's Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection Oce (ECHO) and the Government of Germany. NEMA also provides financial support.

Overview

The DTM assessments were conducted from December 19, 2016 to January 25, 2017, in Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Taraba, and Yobe states, covering 762 wards in 108 LGAs. In Borno, the epicentre of the conflict, the DTM has now partial access to 24 LGAs out of the 27 LGAs in the northeastern state. Two additional LGAs in Borno were assessed during this round:
Kala/Balge and Kukawa.

South Sudan: Minister Wharton emphasises need for peace in South Sudan

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Source: Department for International Development
Country: South Sudan

International Development Minister James Wharton reinforces the UK’s commitment to the people of South Sudan suffering from severe drought and conflict, and reiterates urgent need for peace.

In the first visit by a UK Minister to South Sudan this year, Minister Wharton saw the life-changing impact of UK aid in Juba and Malakal.

The Minister spent a day visiting the Protection of Civilian (PoC) site in Malakal where he met people who have been displaced from their homes. He witnessed the desperate humanitarian situation with more than 60% of the population – 7.5 million people – expected to be in need of food and facing potential famine as the worst food crisis since independence in 2011 caused by prolonged conflict and drought threatens lives and risks destabilising the region.

Minister Wharton heard about the challenging delivery conditions from aid workers, including the need for better security and improved infrastructure. This year, UK troops will deploy to support the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), providing engineering and medical support which will enable increased security at UN camps.

In Juba, Minister Wharton met with teachers and children at the Africa Inland Church Primary School (AIC) and saw how the Girls’ Education South Sudan initiative is transforming the lives of a generation of girls, supporting 1.3 million children and over 3,500 schools to ensure children get an education despite the conflict.

International Development Minister James Wharton said:

“South Sudan faces a worsening humanitarian crisis with over half the population in urgent, desperate need and ongoing violence forcing over a million people to flee their homes and seek refuge in neighbouring countries.

“I am proud of the lifesaving support that UK aid is providing for millions of the poorest people in South Sudan, including food, clean water, medicine, shelter and education to increase opportunities for the future.

“UK troops will support UNMISS by providing vital engineering and medical assistance to help improve security at UN camps and support UNMISS’s capacity to protect civilians and ensure humanitarian access, which is central to their mission.

“The international community must now step up alongside Global Britain and help encourage the longer-term stability of South Sudan and the region, which is firmly in our interests.”

During high-level meetings with government ministers and officials, the Minister emphasised that it is first and foremost the responsibility of the country’s leaders to alleviate the pressure on its people, and to work with the UN, as well as NGOs, who are delivering vital, lifesaving aid to the South Sudanese people, and ultimately create lasting peace and stability.

The UK has provided more than £500 million of support to South Sudan over the past three years. Last year, UK aid in South Sudan:

  • Fed 440,000 people
  • Provided clean water and sanitation for 490,000 people
  • Provided 660,000 people with health support, including mothers and children; and
  • Provided 130,000 people with shelter and emergency non-food items.

General media queries

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Follow the DFID Media office on Twitter - @DFID_Press

Cameroon: Cameroon Factsheet January 2017

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Source: UN High Commissioner for Refugees
Country: Cameroon, Central African Republic, Nigeria

259,145
Central African refugees registered by UNHCR in rural areas in the East, Adamaoua and North regions, of which 158,418 arrived since December 2013

84,325
Nigerian refugees in the Far North region (of which 60,895 have been registered at Minawao camp)

191,908
Internally Displaced Persons in the Far North region
(sources: DTM by IOM as of January 2017 and UNHCR protection monitoring Flash Updates)

MAJOR DEVELOPMENTS

  • The security situation in the Far North region remains unpredictable with various sporadic attacks perpetrated by Boko Haram. In January, 602 new Nigerian refugees were registered at Gourounguel transit before being transferred to Minawao camp. They come from Maiduguri, Mubi, Lagos and Abuja in Nigeria and from the localities of Zelevet, Touboro and Kousseri in the Far North region of Cameroon where they had previously found refuge, but are now fleeing insecurity, difficult living conditions and a wish to be reunited with family members in Minawao camp.

  • The restructuring of UNHCR offices in the East, Adamawa and North regions took effect as of 1 January, with the objective of being closer to beneficiaries and point of delivery and in accordance of the UNHCR refugee coordination model. UNHCR Batouri and Meiganga are now Sub-Offices, while Bertoua and Djohong became Field Offices. UNHCR held its first coordination meetings with its partners in Meiganga and Bertoua where the main guidelines for 2017 in terms of resource management, proximity to beneficiaries, self-reliance, and protection of the environment were given.

Nigeria: Nigeria: Protection Actors: Agencies with registered projects in OCHA Online Project Systems (OPS) - Completed and Ongoing Activities (Jan - Dec 2016)

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Source: UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Protection Cluster
Country: Nigeria

Nigeria: Nigeria Crisis - ETS Situation Report #3: Reporting period 6/01/17 to 12/02/17

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Source: World Food Programme, Emergency Telecommunications Cluster
Country: Nigeria

Highlights

  • Inter-agency Internet services were deployed on 12 February at the International Humanitarian Partnership (IHP) camp in Maiduguri.

  • The Emergency Telecommunications Sector (ETS) finalised the upgrading of the UN Department of Safety and Security (UNDSS) Communications Centre (COMCEN) in Maiduguri and deployed a back-up COMCEN at the IHP base camp there.

  • The ETS delivered two radio training sessions in Maiduguri on 14 and 21 January to 37 staff from nine humanitarian organisations.

  • The ETS has agreed to take over the management of the satellite phone communications for the humanitarian community in North-East Nigeria.

Situation Overview

Humanitarian needs continue to increase in North-East Nigeria as people, particularly in areas that became recently accessible, are facing a severe food and nutrition crisis.

Several assessments identified new needs after Internally Displaced People (IDPs) arrived in large numbers at camps in Monguno, Banki, Baga and Rann, all in Borno state. Tens of thousands of the displaced are in urgent need of assistance.

The establishment of a humanitarian base camp and hub project is underway and is led by the Coordination Sector. The base camp is set up in Maiduguri to provide tented accommodation for 100 aid workers. The first eight of twelve hubs will be located in Gwoza, Bama, Dikwa, Banki, Biu, Monguno, Damboa and Gambara-Ngala, sites that have become accessible in recent months. The project will allow humanitarian workers to better serve the needs of people in the most affected areas.
In line with this project, the ETS will deploy vital communications services in the identified hubs across Borno and Yobe states to support humanitarian operations.

Nigeria: Nigeria: Operation Overview - February 2017

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Source: World Food Programme, Emergency Telecommunications Cluster
Country: Nigeria

SITUATION OVERVIEW

An estimated seven million people across Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states of Nigeria are in need of lifesaving assistance as a result of years of ongoing violence in the North-East of the country.

With telecommunications infrastructure having been severely damaged by the conflict, provision and restoration of communications services are required to support the response community.

As global lead of the Emergency Telecommunications Cluster (ETC), the World Food Programme (WFP) is convening the Emergency Telecommunications Sector (ETS) in Nigeria to meet vital communications needs, responding with government, private sector and humanitarian organisations to ensure a coordinated response.

KEY DATA

NUMBER OF PLANNED SITES
8

TRAININGS CONDUCTED
- Radio user training for the humanitarian community, including drivers, security officers and radio room operators, among others.

FUNDING STATUS
- 25% of the total ETS project in North-East Nigeria has been received. The ETS is appealing for US$3.6 million to carry out its project until the end of 2017.

CHALLENGES
- Security situation remains volatile across North-East Nigeria and staff movements are restricted.

PLANNED ACTIVITIES
- Deployment of security telecommunications and connectivity services in identified common operational areas across Borno and Yobe states.


World: The Centrality of Protection in Humanitarian Action - A review of field and global clusters in 2016

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Source: Protection Cluster
Country: Iraq, Nigeria, South Sudan, Syrian Arab Republic, Ukraine, World, Yemen

OVERVIEW

Protection is now recognized as the purpose and intended outcome of humanitarian action. This was the point made in the 2013 Inter-Agency Standing Committee Statement on the centrality of protection in humanitarian action: as part of preparedness efforts, immediate and life-saving activities, and throughout the duration of a crisis and beyond, Humanitarian Coordinators, Humanitarian Country Teams and all clusters and sectors must ensure that “protection of all persons affected and at-risk informs humanitarian decision-making and response, including engagement with States and non-State parties to conflict.”

The centrality of protection means more than protection mainstreaming. It includes ensuring that leadership, coordination, and engagement in protection and all sectors is more strategic, aligned and directed toward a stronger response. While protection of the rights of people is primarily the duty of member states and, in conflict, the parties to a conflict, Humanitarian Coordinators (HCs) and Humanitarian Country Teams (HCTs) are responsible for ensuring that protection is the purpose and intended outcome of humanitarian response. This responsibility cannot be delegated solely to the Protection cluster or taken up by a single agency.

Collectively, HCs and HCTs are responsible for ensuring good programming of billions of dollars in humanitarian aid. The protection sector alone programmed $1.2bn through Humanitarian Response Plans in 2016. It is important to make sure that we are all programming effectively and towards a common goal. In general, we can see that protection is integrated well into Humanitarian Response Plans and some, like the 2016 Iraq plan, have protection as the thread binding sector objectives together. In some, however, we see the Humanitarian Needs Overview describe a protection crisis, but the Response Plan focuses on a single sector. This report looks more closely into work in several countries.

Aside from programming, HCs and HCTs have a collective responsibility in a number of areas:

Addressing protection challenges which have system-wide implications. For example, in Iraq, humanitarians have to decide how to engage in centres set up to screen civilians fleeing areas of armed conflict even though human rights violations may be occurring in these centres. In this case, humanitarians need to affirm their distinct role and the purpose of their work in order to uphold humanitarian principles and not compromise on fundamental human rights norms. In Central African Republic, humanitarians had to decide whether to support the relocation of ethnic groups being threatened with attacks or be accused of sharing in divisive politics or worst, be accused of potentially being complicit in atrocities. Again, this is an example of a case where humanitarians had to clearly articulate the urgent need of physically removing populations from harm, and advocate for a coordinated response. Both situations involve a deep understanding of the threats to and needs of people, and both require clear direction from the humanitarian leadership on what positions should be taken across the response. The position of the Humanitarian Coordinator and HCT should be informed by the analysis and expertise of the Protection Cluster, and agency Representatives in the HCT need to appreciate the potential of protection for breaking through seemingly intractable situations.

Ensuring that the most critical protection concerns are addressed in a given context. In order to address these concerns in a systematic, collective and strategic manner, the HCT needs to identify the two or three most critical threats or risks faced by the population, prioritize these, and articulate them in a short strategy and ensure that they are reflected as priorities through the work of each cluster, and taken forward in the advocacy of all HCT members. The Global Protection Cluster has issued guidance to HCTs on the development of protection strategies, based on the experience of Palestine.

South Sudan: What to prioritize when everything is a priority? Crisis-sensitive education sector planning in South Sudan

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Source: UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, UN Children's Fund
Country: South Sudan

Executive summary

As a new country, South Sudan has developed its education sector from the ground up. While meaningful progress has been made, the process has been complicated by a struggling economy, extreme poverty, lack of infrastructure, and renewed conflict. The political strife that flared up within the country in 2013, natural disasters such as seasonal flooding, outbreaks of cholera, and severe food insecurity have all hampered advances in the development of many sectors, including that of education. These realities underline the urgent need to mainstream conflict and disaster risk management into sector analysis and planning processes.

This case study outlines the process of developing an education sector analysis (ESA) and education sector plan (ESP) in risk-prone contexts, with an aim to illustrate the transformational potential of education through long-term prevention measures and preparedness planning. The UNESCO International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP) first provided South Sudan’s Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology (MoEST) with support to help rebuild its education system in 2010, culminating with technical cooperation to develop the country’s 2017–2021 ESA and ESP beginning in October 2015.

Various actors were involved in the ESA/ESP process, including the UNESCO Office in Juba, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and Protect Education in Insecurity and Conflict (PEIC).
The study examines the ESA/ESP development process used in South Sudan – offering insights into challenges and enabling factors – and concludes with a set of key lessons learned. Interviews with representatives from the MoEST, partner organizations, and donors conducted for the study found that the ESA/ESP process was seen within the country as an important way to secure funding for education, guide a common vision for education, and improve the coordination of education actors.

The ESA/ESP development process itself was seen as an opportunity to strengthen MoEST capacities in education sector analysis and planning, and so relied on a variety of capacity development modalities including technical workshops and advocacy. Participation of all education stakeholders was key, as was MoEST ownership. Representatives from all 10 states participated in the process, alongside representatives from the donor community and civil society. Finally, the availability of education data from the country’s education management information system (EMIS), as well as the availability of crisis-related data, greatly facilitated the analysis process.

The most pressing challenges encountered during the process included the relatively short timeline for carrying out the ESA and ESP, and high staff turnover within the MoEST and among humanitarian and development partners. In addition, political instability and limited prospects for lasting peace – coupled with the ongoing economic crisis and limited visibility regarding forthcoming funding for education – further complicated the process.

The following set of lessons learned emerged from the process in South Sudan:

• Government leadership and the strong participation of national authorities reinforce ownership and alignment of partners’ efforts.

• Developing capacities for crisis-sensitive education sector planning is a long process that may ultimately be undermined by the crisis itself.

• The planning process can contribute to fostering social cohesion.

• There is a need to build upon the complementarity of different organizations and ensure strong coordination, so as to effectively support ministries of education to develop plans that are crisis-sensitive.

• Bridging the humanitarian–development divide through crisis-sensitive planning requires management of different stakeholder expectations, approaches, and agendas.

• Even in crisis situations, it is feasible to develop an evidence-based and relevant ESP.

Central African Republic: UNHCR - Central African Republic Situation - 2017 Funding Update as of 14 February 2017

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Source: UN High Commissioner for Refugees
Country: Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo

209.1 M required for 2017

2.6 M contributions received, representing 1% of requirements

206.5 M funding gap for the Central African Republic Situation

All figures displayed in USD

Mali: Mali : Aperçu de l'accès humanitaire (bilan de janvier à décembre 2016)

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Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
Country: Mali

Durant l’année 2016, 68 incidents d’accès ont été enregistrés dans les régions nord du Mali. 59% des cas recueillis ont eu lieu dans la région de Gao, suivi de Tombouctou (26%) et Kidal (15%). Les attaques contre les personnels, les biens et infrastructures humanitaires représentent 88% des incidents.

Messages clés

  • Malgré les contraintes d’accès, les humanitaires continuent à porter assistance aux populations dans le besoin en adaptant leurs opérations aux contraintes observées sur le terrain.

  • Le respect des principes humanitaires, l’approche communautaire et les stratégies d’acceptation mises en œuvre par les acteurs humanitaires ont contribué au maintien de l’accès humanitaire dans certaines zones du nord du Mali en 2016.

  • Le groupe de travail ‘Accès’ mis en place en 2015 a été renforcé en 2016 par des groupes ‘Accès’ régionaux pour rehausser les capacités d’analyse, de plaidoyer et mise en oeuvre des mesures afin d’atténuer les contraintes d’accès.

  • L'accès aérien à Kidal reste un défi majeur en 2017. La piste d'atterrissage qui a été ré-ouverte en janvier 2016 a été de nouveau fermée en avril de la même année suite à sa destruction lors de la manifestation des populations locales. Seuls les hélicoptères de la mission multidimensionnelle intégrée des Nations Unies pour la stabilisation au Mali (MINUSMA) ont accès à la région. Du fait des places limitées de ses aéronefs, peu d’humanitaires ont accès à la région par ces vols.

World: Food Assistance Outlook Brief, February 2017

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Source: Famine Early Warning System Network
Country: Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Guinea, Haiti, Honduras, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Uganda, United Republic of Tanzania, World, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe

PROJECTED FOOD ASSISTANCE NEEDS FOR AUGUST 2017

This brief summarizes FEWS NET’s most forward-looking analysis of projected emergency food assistance needs in FEWS NET coverage countries. The projected size of each country’s acutely food insecure population is compared to last year and the recent five-year average. Countries where external emergency food assistance needs are anticipated are identified. Projected lean season months highlighted in red indicate either an early start or an extension to the typical lean season. Additional information is provided for countries with large food insecure populations, an expectation of high severity, or where other key issues warrant additional discussion.

Chad: Tchad : Réalisations De La Communauté Humanitaire 2016 (8 février 2017)

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Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
Country: Chad

La communauté humanitaire a apporté une assistance à 1,5 m de personnes l’assistance a été apporté dans huit secteurs. Tout cela a été réalisé alors que seulement 53% des financements ont été obtenus.

Chad: Tchad Bulletin Humanitaire N° 01 | Janvier 2017

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Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
Country: Central African Republic, Chad, Nigeria, Sudan

FAITS SAILLANTS

  • Plus d’1,5 million de personnes ont été assistées par la communauté humanitaire au Tchad en 2016.

  • Près de 600 000 personnes, étaient en situation de déplacement à l’ouest, au sud et à l’est du Tchad à la fin 2016.

  • En 2016, plus de 3,7 millions de personnes ont été touchées par l’insécurité alimentaire dont plus d’un million en insécurité alimentaire sévère.

Malgré de multiples défis, plus d’1,5 million de personnes assistées en 2016

Les défis structurels persistants entravent la réponse humanitaire

En 2016, le Tchad a fait face à trois grandes problématiques humanitaires, à savoir les mouvements de population, l’insécurité alimentaire et la malnutrition ainsi que les urgences sanitaires. Ces urgences interviennent dans un contexte déjà marqué par des défis structurels importants dont des taux de mortalité maternelle et infantile parmi les plus élevés au monde (860 décès pour 100 000 naissances), un taux d’alphabétisation de moins de 40 pour cent et un accès à l’eau potable en dessous de 70 pour cent. Les conditions d’accès difficiles dans certaines zones, dues principalement au contexte sécuritaire dans la région du Lac et à l’impraticabilité des routes en saison pluvieuse, s’ajoutent aux défis auxquels font face les acteurs humanitaires.
Sur un total de 2,3 millions de personnes dans le besoin au Tchad, 1,5 million ont été ciblées pour recevoir de l’assistance humanitaire en 2016. Il s’agit de près de 400 000 réfugiés (dont les Soudanais à l’est, les Centrafricains au sud et les Nigérians à l’ouest du pays), plus de 100 000 retournés de la République Centrafricaine et du Nigéria, plus de 105 100 déplacés internes dans la région du Lac à l’ouest et plus d’1,7 million de personnes dans les localités hôtes. Au final, avec peu de moyens, la communauté humanitaire a pu répondre aux besoins urgents d’1,5 million de personnes ciblées sur les 4,3 millions qui étaient dans le besoin. Cette assistance a été rendue possible grâce à la contribution des bailleurs de fonds et à l’engagement des acteurs. La communauté humanitaire avait, dans le Plan de réponse humanitaire de 2016, estimé à 541,3 millions de dollars américains l’enveloppe nécessaire pour assister les 1,5 million de personnes ciblées ayant le plus besoin de l’aide humanitaire. Cependant, seulement 288 des 541,3 millions de dollars ont été reçus, soit 53 pour cent. Toutefois, l’on note une légère augmentation des financements sur les trois dernières années, passant de 39 pour cent en 2014 à 53 pour cent en 2016. Les défis continuent de s’accroître au fil des années en même temps que les moyens requis pour apporter l’aide humanitaire à ceux qui en ont le plus besoin. En dépit de l’insuffisance des ressources, la communauté humanitaire a apporté une réponse en sécurité alimentaire, santé, protection, eau, hygiène et assainissement, éducation, articles ménagers et abris d’urgence et logistique.


South Sudan: South Sudan: Humanitarian Dashboard (December 2016)

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Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
Country: Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Sudan, Uganda

SITUATION OVERVIEW

By the end of December 2016, more than 3.2 million people had been forced out of their homes, including more than 1.85 million internally displaced and 1.4 million seeking refuge in countries neighbouring South Sudan.

During the month, displacement was reported in Central Equatoria, Western Equatoria, Western Bahr el Ghazal, Upper Nile and Unity. In Central Equatoria, new arrivals, mainly from Yei and Morobo, brought the number of displaced people in Kajo-Keji to more than 30,000. The refugee outflow from the Equatorias continued, with more than 60,000 refugees arriving in Uganda during December. In Upper Nile, fighting in Maban caused the temporary displacement of over 8,000 in the host community and about 10,000 refugees from Doro camp. Separately, several thousands people departed Malakal Protection of Civilians (PoC) site, primarily for family reunification. At the same time, armed clashes in and around Nasir displaced thousand of civilians. Displacement was also reported in Unity following fighting in Koch, Gandor, Padeah and Dablual, resulting an increase in new arrivals at the Bentiu PoC site. New cholera cases were confirmed in Panyijiar County, bringing the total number of counties affected by the outbreak country-wide in 2016 to 10.

The number of humanitarian access incidents reported in December (77) dropped compared to November (100), but remained above the average number of monthly incidents (75.6) reported in 2016. About 61 per cent of the reported incidents involved violence against humanitarian personnel or assets, while 27 per cent involved interference in implementation, the highest percentage in the year.

As of 31 December, US$1.1 billion was received for the 2016 Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP), representing 86 per cent of the appeal. By the end of new year, the humanitarian partners reached 5.1 million people the number targeted in 2016.

South Sudan: UNICEF South Sudan Humanitarian Situation Report #103, 1 - 15 February 2017

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Source: UN Children's Fund
Country: South Sudan, Sudan

Highlights

• Intense fighting along the west bank of the Nile in Upper Nile has been persistent through the first two weeks of February, resulting in the displacement of the entire population of Wau Shilluk, some 30,000 people. Currently, 16,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) are in Renk, en route to crossing the border into Sudan.

• As South Sudan approaches peak lean season, a record five million people are expected to be food insecure. The country is deemed at risk of famine, and increased humanitarian access is essential in order to save lives. The regional drought in the Horn of Africa is contributing to a particularly harsh dry season, further exacerbating the situation.

• UNICEF continues to scale up cholera prevention and response services following a resurgence of cholera. Active transmission is now ongoing in six counties of Unity, Lakes, Jonglei and Central Equatoria states.

Situation Overview & Humanitarian Needs

Fighting between Government and opposition forces continues in areas along the west bank of the Nile in Upper Nile, notably around Malakal and Wau Shilluk. The heavy clashes have caused the entire population of Wau Shilluk, an estimated 30,000 people, to be displaced towards Fashoda. An estimated 16,000 people are currently located in Renk, and are expected to move towards the border and cross into Sudan. The ongoing insecurity is restricting the ability of humanitarian actors to access most parts of the state.

Meanwhile, violence and looting continues to spread across Greater Equatoria, with approximately 52,000 people having fled to neighbouring Uganda in January alone. Tens of thousands of displaced persons are also seeking shelter in the towns, with many more hiding in bushes and swamps in remote areas. The displaced population is predominantly from areas in and around Yei, Morobo, Lainya and Kajo-Keji. The Special Adviser of the Secretary-General on the Prevention of Genocide, Adama Dieng, has expressed particular concern regarding the situation in Kajo-Keji; a significant part of the population has fled the area following attacks on civilians, looting and burning of villages. Access to the town and the surrounding area has been blocked.

South Sudan is facing the worst food insecurity levels seen since 2010. Food availability is being affected by cereal production deficits, extreme inflation (900%), insecurity, economic crisis and largescale population displacement, as well as by poor regional food supplies. The country is now approaching peak lean season, when a record over five million people are expected to be food insecure. Of greatest concern are the states of Northern Bahr el Ghazal and Unity, as well as areas of Jonglei, Eastern Equatoria and Central Equatoria. A report from the Famine Early Warning Systems Network released on 25 January gives a very bleak outlook for South Sudan in 2017, with some areas at risk of reaching levels of food insecurity associated with famine. In order to save lives it is essential that humanitarian access to key affected areas is improved.

As a result of seasonal dry weather, low water tables have heightened competing demands for water among humans and animals, and the scarce water sources available are being over-used. In Eastern Equatoria the regional drought is causing additional strain, with low food and water availability causing population displacements. While populations would traditionally move towards northern Kenya and Ethiopia, access to these routes are currently limited due to insecurity along the Ethiopian border and drought affecting the Turkana area of Kenya. With limited options for accessing water and food, populations are now under severe strain. The most significantly affected county is Kapoeta, where at least two adults, both women, were reported to have died from hunger as they were travelling towards Kenya in search of food. The dry season in South Sudan typically lasts from November until March, though may extend as far as until May. A prolonged dry season will have devastating consequences on the already limited water and food security in the country, and will likely result in drought conditions in several states. Extremely dry weather and drought is likely to result in increased inter-communal conflict as populations migrate in search water. This is aniticipated to be a particular issue in Jonglei state, which is home to a significan cattle-keeping community. Disputes traditionally arise as a result of competition for water and pasture for livestock.

Since the beginning of 2017 there has been a resurgence in the number of cholera cases reported.
Active transmission is currently ongoing in five counties; Rubkona (Unity), Mayendit (Unity), Awerial (Lakes), Bor (Jonglei) and Juba (Central Equatoria). Cumulatively, as at 10 February 2017, 4,935 cholera cases including 97 deaths (CFR 1.97%) have been reported in South Sudan since 18 June 2016. The current outbreak has lasted nearly eight months, compared to four months for the 2015 outbreak and seven months for the 2014 outbreak. Nonetheless, the case fatality for the 2016/2017 outbreak is lower than in 2014 and 2015, indicating that cholera awareness and response activities have been successful.

South Sudan: UNHCR South Sudan Factsheet - January 2017

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Source: UN High Commissioner for Refugees
Country: Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Sudan

Highlights

  • 386 Enrolled for nutritional rehabilitation in January 2017

  • 9,543 Refugees and IDPs received non -food items assistance from UNHCR across South Sudan in January 2017.

  • 7,642 Refugees relocated from Yida to Pamir camp as of 31 January 2017

  • 1,857 Fuel Efficient Stoves (FES) distributed to refugees in January 2017.

World: Help for people in need: Germany doubled its humanitarian engagement in Africa in 2016

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Source: Government of Germany
Country: Germany, Nigeria, World

Never before have so many people had to flee their homes as in 2016: more than 65 million refugees and internally displaced persons around the world fled from crises, violence and natural disasters. Africa is a particular focus of Germany’s humanitarian assistance, alongside the huge humanitarian crisis in Syria and its neighbouring countries.

In large parts of Africa, people are fighting for their day-to-day survival. The situation in many crisis regions on the continent has worsened: existing conflicts are escalating, new ones are flaring up, and there are continuing climate-related natural disasters. The countries of sub‑Saharan Africa are currently sheltering the largest number of refugees and internally displaced persons in the world. At the same time, the aid programmes for the crisis regions in Africa coordinated by the United Nations are underfunded.

The number of crisis regions in Africa is increasing

There was an unexpectedly high increase in the duration and scope of humanitarian crises in 2016, particularly in the case of the complex crises in Libya, the Horn of Africa (especially Somalia and Ethiopia), Sudan and South Sudan, the Central African Republic, the DR Congo, Burundi, Mali, Niger and the Lake Chad Basin. Several of these conflicts are impacting on neighbouring countries.

The greatest areas of need are food supplies, health and nutrition, improved water supplies, sanitation and hygiene, and the provision of shelters. These are therefore the focal points of the Federal Foreign Office’s humanitarian assistance.

How Germany provides humanitarian assistance in Africa

Humanitarian assistance helps people affected by conflicts and disasters in Africa to secure their survival and build up a livelihood near their original homes. With these goals in mind, the Federal Foreign Office dovetails its humanitarian assistance with stabilisation and conflict prevention measures, so as to offer the people possibilities for development in the medium term.

In recent years the Federal Foreign Office has greatly increased its funding for humanitarian assistance, also stepping up its financial support for Africa. In 2016 alone, it more than doubled its aid measures compared with the previous year, providing some 270 million euros for aid projects in Africa. The Federal Foreign Office provided a total of over 1.3 billion euros to respond to humanitarian crises around the world in 2016.

The Federal Foreign Office works closely together on humanitarian projects with partners from UN organisations (e.g. World Food Programme, UNHCR), the Red Cross and Red Crescent movement and many non-governmental organisations.

Humanitarian protection is a priority particularly in areas affected by armed conflict. It is also important to provide the suffering population with food and other goods, and to ensure the provision of drinking water. Other urgent priorities include the provision of medical care and the treatment of acute cases of malnutrition. Projects to help refugees or internally displaced persons usually also include elements for the host communities, in a bid to foster peaceful coexistence despite the scarcity of resources.

Urging further engagement

The Federal Foreign Office will continue its humanitarian engagement in Africa’s crisis regions this year in order to make it possible for people to survive in dignity and safety. As co-host of the Humanitarian Conference on Nigeria and the Lake Chad Region being held in Oslo on 24 February 2017, Germany will continue to urge others to provide political and financial support for humanitarian assistance in the crisis region.

Nigeria: Famine threat looms as children starve in Boko Haram-hit northeast Nigeria

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Source: Thomson Reuters Foundation
Country: Nigeria

90,000 of severely malnourished children in northeast Nigeria could starve to death this year - or almost 250 a day

By Kieran Guilbert

MAIDUGURI, Nigeria, Feb 16 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Slumped in his mother's lap in a health clinic in northeast Nigeria, three-year-old Hassan was too drained to cry or protest as the nurse wrapped a tape measure tightly around his arm.

After weeks of fever, vomiting and diarrhoea - telltale signs of malnutrition - his gaunt face and glazed eyes were listless despite his mother's efforts to coax him into eating from a packet of nutritious peanut-based paste.

"I'm scared we'll end up coming back ... there is no food to eat here," said Hassan's mother, Kolo Adam, who fled with her six children to Maiduguri's Bakassi camp for the displaced when Boko Haram militants attacked her village last year.

Some 450,000 children in three states that have been hardest hit by the Islamist group - Adamawa, Borno and Yobe - are expected to suffer from life-threatening malnutrition in 2017, according to the U.N. children's agency UNICEF.

At least 90,000 of these severely malnourished children could starve to death this year - an average of almost 250 a day - if they do not receive treatment urgently, UNICEF said.

But aid workers fear the situation could be far worse with many areas cut off from help due to the threat of Boko Haram and aid hit by a lack of funding.

A military drive against the jihadist group, which has waged a seven-year campaign to create an Islamic state in the northeast, has opened up remote parts of the region in recent months, revealing tens of thousands on the brink of starvation.

With farms empty or destroyed, trade and livelihoods ruined and the economy battered, food production and households' purchasing power are plummeting.

"The extent of hunger and malnutrition in Borno state last year - and currently in the newly accessible areas - is at a level you rarely see anywhere," said Arjan de Wagt, nutrition chief for UNICEF Nigeria. "People don't realise how bad it is."

BREAKING THE CYCLE

While the government and aid agencies attempt to assess the scale of hunger and malnutrition in the region, health and relief workers in Borno are striving to provide food and treatment to millions of people affected by the conflict.

But the challenges they face are enormous.

In a health centre in Maiduguri, nurses chide the visiting mothers for feeding their children with dirty bottles, not breastfeeding properly, and failing to ensure they regularly eat the provided therapeutic food (RUTF) to stave off malnutrition.

"Some mothers are sharing the RUTF or selling it in order to feed their whole families," said Abdulrazak Ibrahim, a doctor with Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), explaining how the RUTF must be eaten over six to eight weeks to treat malnutrition.

Many parents do not recognise the signs of malnutrition.

"The problem is that while a child may have stretched skin, patchy hair and sunken eyes, the parents see their swollen belly and think they are doing well," said Anna, a nurse at Bakassi.

"Some mothers bring children in thinking they have malaria, while in fact they are on the brink of dying from malnutrition."

Just over a third of the 400,000 severely malnourished children in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states received treatment last year, according to data from the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

But ensuring that children who have been treated for malnutrition remain healthy is a constant struggle.

"We need to break the cycle of malnutrition," said Amina Atta, a nutrition officer at UNICEF. "But as the situation is so overwhelming right now, we are focusing on curative measures, rather than preventive ones, in order to stop children dying."

"BEYOND COMPREHENSION"

The number of people in northeast Nigeria without enough to eat is set to soar to 11 million this year - from 8.1 million - and more than 120,000 could suffer famine-like conditions, the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said this month.

Coordinating aid has been a test for Nigeria, which is dealing with its first recession in 25 years as oil prices fall.

The government is investigating allegations of food aid being stolen and sold by state officials in Borno, and has said that aid agencies are exaggerating hunger levels to get more funding from international donors.

Yet the U.N.'s $484 million 2016 appeal for Nigeria has been just over half funded, and aid groups say the lack of cash means they are struggling to help people even in secure areas.

"The challenge is that there are areas in Borno ... that are still inaccessible, and we have no idea of the food security situation (there)," Ertharin Cousin, head of the U.N. World Food Programme (WFP), told Reuters last month.

Several aid workers recalled visiting newly accessible areas studded with the graves of people who had died of hunger and seeing others eating goat skin in an effort to survive.

"It is beyond my comprehension," said Iris Bollemeijer, a nutrition advisor at the International Medical Corps.

As the humanitarian emergency deepens, it is not only food which is in short supply - but hope.

At Bakassi camp, nurses could not hide their despair when Biba Gana arrived with her two-year-old granddaughter, Alima, who was suffering from malnutrition for a second time.

"We're doing the best we can," said nurse Anna, trying to soothe the crying baby. "But it's so hard when we know that so many of these children will return here before too long."

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