Relief Food Update

As of 10 October, dispatch of sixth round relief food (targeting 3.8 million people) reached 74 per cent, with 84 per cent to areas covered by the Disaster Risk Management and Food Security Sector (DRMFSS), 63 per cent to WFP-covered areas in the Somali region, and 76 per cent to the NGO consortium Joint Emergency Operation (JEOP). For more information, contact: wfp.addisababa@wfp,org

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12-10-2012 Éclairage

Le CICR a distribué 2 000 tonnes de vivres et 250 tonnes de semences, apportant de l'espoir aux personnes affectées par le conflit et les catastrophes naturelles.

HIGHLIGHTS

• The Walia neighborhood of N’Djamena continues to be threatened by flooding.

• Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention (SMC) is recommended in zones of the Sahel with high seasonal malaria transmission rates.

• The Yaroungou and Moula refugee camps will be relocated.

• IASC mission on the Transformative Agenda visits Chad.

Rainfall Performance (7th to 14th Oct. 2012)
During the last week, moderate to heavy rains were reported in many parts of the southern parts of the country.
The lower parts of the Ethiopian highlands received significant rains which have led to a slight increase of river levels along the Juba and Shabelle rivers in Somalia, however, there is no immediate risk of flooding along the two rivers.

Rainfall Forecast (15th to 21st Oct. 2012)
The three day rainfall forecast (map 1) calls for continued rainfall activities in most parts of the country apart from the northern regions. The rainfall is expected to intensify as the week progresses as shown on the seven day rainfall forecast (map 2).

Maize is the most widely consumed cereal by the rural poor.

Sorghum is generally one of the cheapest cereals.

Teff is also very important throughout the country. The most important markets for teff are the large cities including Addis Ababa, Bahir Dar, Mekele, and Dire Dawa. Addis Abada is the capital city, and Dire Dawa, Mekele, and Jijiga are major towns in the eastern, mainly food insecure, parts of the country. Bahir Dar is a major town in a surplus producing area. Sodo is an urban center located in the Wolayita zone, and is one of the most chronically food insecure parts of the region. Karati is in the Konso special woreda, a densely populated chronically food insecure area in Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples Region. Yabelo and Guradamole are in Borena and Bale zones of southern Oromia Region respectively. These are chronically food insecure, lowland zones.

Maize and beans are the most important commodities consumed, with maize availability considered synonymous with food security.

Beans are very often consumed with maize. The Nairobi market is indicative for urban consumers. Eldoret is a producing area and located in the “grain basket zone.” Kisumu is a large market located in a deficit area with marginal agricultural productivity. Kitui is prone to droughts and is a marginal producing area. Lodwar market is located in Turkana, a highly food insecure pastoral district which is poorly integrated with other markets. Mandera is a food insecure area and cross border market with inadequate trade infrastructure. Marsabit is a conflict affected area that is highly food insecure and poorly integrated with other markets.

3191st FOREIGN AFFAIRS Council meeting

Luxembourg, 15 October 2012

The Council adopted the following conclusions:

1. "The European Union (EU) remains concerned about the serious political and security crisis affecting Mali, in particular the situation in the north of the country, marked by the emergence and consolidation of a haven for terrorists, the oppression of local populations, human rights violations, particularly against women, the destruction of cultural heritage and the development of organised crime. This situation poses an immediate threat to the Sahel region and those living there, who are already suffering from an acute food crisis, as well as to West and North Africa and to Europe.

2. The EU welcomes the adoption by the United Nations Security Council of Resolution 2071 and the increasing international attention being focused on the Sahel and Mali, as also evidenced by the high-level meeting held in the margins of the United Nations General Assembly on 26 September 2012 and the development of a UN integrated strategy for the Sahel. It also welcomes the appointment of the UN Secretary General's Special Envoy and declares its intention to work closely with Romano Prodi. The EU calls for the mechanism for coordination with Mali's key partners to be extended in order to increase the effectiveness of support for the transition process on the political, security and economic fronts. To this end, the EU welcomes and stresses the importance of the meeting of the Support and Follow-up Group on Mali scheduled to be held in Bamako on 19 October 2012, at the initiative of the African Union (AU) and in consultation with the United Nations (UN) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

3. The EU is determined to support Mali in restoring the rule of law and re-establishing a fully sovereign democratic government with authority throughout Malian territory, for the benefit of the whole population. The EU welcomes the formation by the President of the Republic of Mali of a new Government of National Unity, as well as the efforts to mobilise the international community, notably the AU and ECOWAS, made by these new authorities in their contacts with all partners, in particular the EU.

Link: Lesotho: Food Insecurity - Emergency appeal n° MDRLS003

The impact of rising and volatile food prices on children’s nutrition and food security

World's poorest children at risk from rising food prices

Millions of children in the world’s poorest countries are at risk from rising global food prices which are teetering dangerously close to their highest level in history.

Our new report, A High Price to Pay, released today on World Food Day, finds factors like climate change, population growth, and land being given over to biofuel production, are contributing to sharply rising and volatile prices.

The results are that nutritious food is being put beyond the reach of poor families and children who are already not getting enough of the right food.

Our research shows 36 countries, home to more than 90% of the world’s malnourished children, are being hit hardest by the effects of the food price rises.

Families cutting back

The poorest households can already spend up to 80% of their income on food – but as prices rise, families are being forced to cut back on items – like meat, vegetables, lentils or milk - which help children grow and thrive.

We want the Prime Minister to use Britain’s G8 presidency in 2013 to urge world leaders to act so that families in the poorest countries can afford the food their children need.

We’re calling on world leaders to urgently scale up funding for agricultural work as well as for the stockpiling of reserves of food in high risk areas.

We also want countries, particularly Russia, not to set export bans which would raise prices further.

Justin Forsyth, our chief executive, said it was essential world leaders take action: “The slow progress globally on malnutrition – still the underlying cause of a third of child deaths – could be at risk if we don’t act to help the poorest families."

We must wake up to crisis

Mr Forsyth continued: “Record food prices in 2011 put an additional 400,000 children’s lives at risk and led to food riots globally. Without the right food, children can suffer chronic malnutrition, growing up permanently physically and mentally impaired. The world must wake up to this crisis and urgently move to protect children.”

Global food prices have risen sharply recently- in July this year maize and wheat increased by 25% globally – but rises are much higher in some developing world countries.

In Malawi, maize increased by 174%, in Mozambique by 129% and by 52% in Sudan between July 2011 and July 2012.

World Marathon Challenge

To highlight the impact of food shortages on children, we're hosting the World Marathon Challenge around the globe.

20,000 children from over 40 countries globally and 500 schools will compete against each other to try and smash Patrick Makau’s world record of 2 hours, 3 minutes and 38 seconds.

Running from Kirklees to Iambus in Kenya, from Madrid to Mali the children taking part are all doing it to raise awareness of hungry children worldwide.

At the beginning of 2012, we committed ourselves to bringing nutrition to the front burner of governments in Nigeria.

And in line with the SUN initiative, it’s necessary for government to do at least three things to show commitment and political will.

The three indicators of commitment, I believe, are:

1. adequate funding
2. effective policies/initiatives
3. creation of effective institutions.

And so the announcement, during the last Nutrition Partners forum on 9 October, of the resolve of the Nigerian Minister for Agriculture is one of the most important developments this year.

The minister must be encouraged to prioritise nutrition, as he is doing at the moment. Three of the minister’s initiatives stand out and are the reasons why I’m so excited.

Creation of nutrition department

For the first time, a department will be created to coordinate nutrition in the ministry. This is a welcome development given that we’ve been advocating for nutrition-centered Agriculture policy.

This will ensure that whatever decision is expected from the Ministry of Agriculture in the coming years, nutrition will feature prominently in the plans and policies.

It’ll also ensure that the Ministry of Agriculture will be able to play its expected role in shaping the nutrition policy of Nigeria. This is indeed good news for our advocacy.

Gender mainstreaming into agriculture

Great news! For a long time, women have been involved in farming especially nutrition-related agriculture. But to a large extent, women haven’t had the type of support that will help them to be large farm owners and ward off poverty.

Empowering them will solve a lot of problems and ensure that women are able to take decisions. Aside from that, empowering women in nutrition-related agriculture will ensure that children in Nigeria will be fed nutritious food and ensure survival in a country where 53% of under-five deaths are malnutrition-related.

I understand that a laudable initiative, ‘Women in Agriculture’ is being introduced by the minister. I hope these initiatives are prominent in the budget just presented to the National Assembly by the President this week.

And the youth aren’t left out

In a country with massive youth unemployment, abundant arable land and sufficient rain, it appears as if the time for the youth to smile is near.

The policy of government on youth empowerment through agriculture, if properly implemented, will mean that the President’s reformation agenda is on course. And so the initiative, whereby youth will be trained and given starter packs to pursue their dream in agriculture, especially nutrition-related ones, is in the right direction.

All these government initiatives are laudable and will need to be supported by all well-meaning partners. Implementing them effectively will ensure that Nigeria is able to reduce its unacceptable rates of stunting and wasting and in a few years start to reverse all the other bad health indices which are nutrition-related.

Food security improving in rural areas

Key Messages

• In most of the country’s pastoral areas, food security conditions are improving due to the arrival of good Karan/Karma rains (July‐September) and due to favorable terms of trade for pastoralists. Forecasts for the rest of the season predict that the good rains will continue, which could improve food security.

• Food security conditions for urban poor households are expected to remain critical during the coming months due to ongoing increases in staple food prices, aggravated by school costs as the academic year begins. Food insecurity is currently at the Stressed level (IPC Phase 2) and is expected to remain at that level through the scenario period.

• Staple food prices are beginning to climb. There is currently a global trend, which Djibouti's staple food prices are expected to follow, towards rising costs for cereals, sugar, etc. due to the United States' drought and poor harvest forecasts in Russia. Food expenses make up the largest share of total household expenditures for poor households, and therefore rising food prices could negatively affect purchasing power.

• In Ali Sabieh (Assamo region), conditions are not improving at the same rate observed in most other rural regions. Resident populations in this region were negatively affected by the rains, and displaced persons are overwhelming local populations. This group will continue to be in Crisis (IPC Phase 3) through at least December.

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III. Flooded Host Schools

An analysis conducted through academic instructional academies at the regional (Académies d’Enseignements), and district (Centres d’Animation Pédagogique) levels in Mali’s 5 southern regions, and the district of Bamako identified 503 “host schools” having taken in internally displaced students as of August 4th, 2012.1 Of the 290 flooded affected schools identified by the Ministère de l’Education et de l’Alphabétisation (MEA), and UNICEF, 4 host schools in the district of Kayes (KAYES N’DI II, LIBERTE I, LIBERTE III, LEGAL SEGOU II), and 1 host school in the district of Mopti (SOCOURA 2°C) were found to be flood-affected or occupied. The region of Kaye was the most severely affected by the floods, containing 26% of all flooded schools

IV. Regional Analysis of Occupied Schools

Data collected by the MEA and UNICEF revealed that 78 schools were occupied due to flooding, with 64 schools being occupied by IDPs, and 14 schools in the district of Mopti having been taken over by military personnel.

The number of beneficiaries and scope of partner support continues to evolve rapidly, thus updates will be written to accurately reflect the evolving nature of on-going activities related to remedial classes

Through the support of education cluster partners, a total of 10,977 conflict-affected students have benefitted from the two rounds of remedial courses - allowing students in the southern regions of Mali and Gao to complete the 2011/12 academic school year. To date, 8,390 students have participated in the second round of remedial courses. Continued assistance by international and national partners has helped support school canteens, as well as provides learning materials and other non-food items to students participating in remedial courses.

By Guy Hubbard

OUAHIGOUYA, Burkina Faso, 15 October 2012 - In northwest Burkina Faso, deep in the Sahel belt, a small oasis is beginning to take shape.

VIDEO: UNICEF correspondent Guy Hubbard reports on a garden managed by local women that benefits a whole community in Burkina Faso.

Bordering the vast Sahara Desert, the Sahel stretches across the African continent. Eking out any kind of life here is tough, but a group of women are turning their corner of this harsh, arid region into a lush and productive garden. In a place where people survive mainly on nutritionally poor grain millet, the vegetables these women produce are changing their families’ diets – and lives.

Healthy diet

In this area, malnutrition is rampant. Burkina Faso was one of nine countries affected by recent droughts. But even in times of plenty, nutrition is a problem – not necessarily because of a lack of food, but rather because of a lack of the right kinds of food. Vitamin-rich fruit and vegetables are expensive, and mothers are often unaware of the importance of these foods to their families’ diets.

Kientego Sierotta heads a group of 54 women who are transforming the landscape. She’s a mother and works with her 8-month-old baby on her back. After an hour of digging and planting, she takes a break to feed him.

“The nutritional situation of children before the setting up of the project was severe,” she says. “The children were falling sick regularly. But, since we started to work here and the garden started producing vegetables, the children have been less sick, and we have changed our diets.”

“We couldn't afford vegetables before,” Ms. Sierotta continues. “Now we can eat them and sell the surplus, and generally the situation has improved significantly.”

Community benefits

The women receive training on farming techniques and funding towards the construction of wells. The initiative is part of a 1.7 million euro joint action between UNICEF and the European Union aimed at improving nutrition security. The four-year programme aims to reach almost one and one-half thousand villages across Burkina Faso through various projects and interventions. The programme is not an emergency response mechanism, but rather an effort to improve nutrition security across the country so that when nutrition crises do happen, families, especially children, are better able to handle the impact.

Through crop selection and rotation, the garden produces fruit and vegetables year round and is giving the women a more active role in their community. After feeding their families, they can sell the excess produce, providing income for the women.

“The benefits are huge for us and the community, in general. It allows us to feed our families better. It also allows us to be a breadwinner for the family – we can help with our children’s school fees, their health and also assist friends and family,” explains Ms. Sierotta.

Some of the excess fruit and vegetables end up at the Ouahigouya market, where, through the programme, fruit and vegetable vendors have been taught the nutritional value of their wares. The vendors also share this information with their customers.

Sawadogo Detu is one of the vendors who has been trained. Each vendor has volunteered, and each one feels it is his or her duty to help the community improve its nutritional status.

“I received training about the causes of undernutrition and how to prevent it, so, when customers come to buy from me, I explain the benefits of each item to their diet and how they should prepare them,” she says. “I volunteered because I am a mother, and I need to make sure that my family is fed properly. Now that I’m trained, I teach others, as well, so that every family is well fed.”

Immediate impact

It is early to gauge the impact such interventions will have in the long term. However, mothers involved in the programme are already reporting that their children are healthier and more energetic, that they’re doing better in school – and that they fall sick less often.

Communities are better fed, more educated and more financially secure and are looking forward to a time when they are no longer at the mercy of the Sahel.

10/16/2012 16:02 GMT

Par Dominique CHABROL

PARIS, 16 oct 2012 (AFP) - Une intervention militaire africaine pour repousser les extrémistes islamistes du nord du Mali n'est plus, selon Paris, qu'"une question de semaines", mais elle ne pourra se faire qu'avec un fort soutien des pays et moyens militaires occidentaux, estiment des spécialistes.

Après des mois de discussions, l'habillage diplomatique se met en place. Vendredi, le Conseil de sécurité de l'Onu a pressé les pays de l'ouest africain de préparer une opération pour reconquérir le nord du Mali.

Lundi, les Européens sont tombés d'accord pour planifier une mission destinée à aider l'armée malienne.

Concrètement, la force mobilisée par la Communauté économique des Etats d'Afrique de l'ouest (Cédéao) compterait environ 3.000 hommes. En face, 4.000 à 6.000 combattants islamistes, équipés de lance-missiles ou de lance-roquettes, opèrent sur un territoire plus étendu que la France.

"Si l'opération est lancée, ce sera une course contre la montre", souligne Pascal Le Pautremat, spécialiste des questions de Défense : "On a conscience que le dossier est prêt, on sait où sont les uns et les autres. Après, il faut frapper au bon endroit, au bon moment, pour neutraliser l'adversaire au plus vite".

Officiellement, la France et l'Europe soutiennent les pays africains dans la planification et la logistique. Mais "il n'y aura pas de troupes au sol", a réaffirmé mardi Jean-Yves Le Drian, le ministre français de la Défense.

Selon les spécialistes de Défense, plusieurs dizaines d'hommes du Commandement des opérations spéciales (COS), les forces spéciales françaises, sont en fait présents depuis deux ans dans la région pour suivre le sort d'otages français détenus par Al-Qaïda au Maghreb islamique.

Très bien équipés, dotés d'hélicoptères et de moyens de surveillance, ils seraient les premiers en action, pour fournir du renseignement et guider les troupes africaines sur le terrain.

Blindés au sol et frappes aériennes

Plusieurs autres pays européens devraient également fournir des moyens, en hommes et en matériels, l'intégrité du Mali étant "la sécurité de l'Europe", selon Paris qui s'est attaché à convaincre ses partenaires.

Et s'ils soutiennent pour l'instant l'action de la Cédéao, les Etats-Unis n'ont pas exclu de mener eux-mêmes une action militaire dans le nord du Mali. Ils pourraient notamment fournir des drones armés et procéder à des frappes ciblées.

Une opération militaire africaine serait essentiellement conduite par des véhicules blindés au sol, avec l'appui de forces aériennes.

"Il y aura certainement des frappes aériennes précises. Avec après, des débarquements de personnels à proximité des principales villes", souligne Pascal Le Pautremat.

En cas d'intervention, les Occidentaux devraient également assurer l'encadrement de l'état-major de la force africaine. La France, les Etats-Unis ou la Grande-Bretagne encadrent en fait les états-majors africains depuis déjà plusieurs années, dans le cadre de programmes d'aide au maintien de la paix, et Africains et Occidentaux ont l'habitude de travailler ensemble.

Loin d'une opération éclair, selon Eric Denécé, directeur du Centre français de recherche sur le renseignement (CF2R), une opération militaire africaine risque au contraire "sauf surprise, de prendre du temps", en raison notamment des dissensions au sein même des autorités politiques et militaires maliennes.

"L'armée malienne n'est pas au niveau, il y a 2.000 à 3.000 hommes sur la ligne de front, avec quelques unités d'élite", souligne-t-il. "Il va bien falloir les entraîner, les armer, les équiper, les transporter".

Si "une intervention directe" des forces occidentales au côté des Africains ne semble pas selon lui à l'ordre du jour, Eric Denécé "n'écarte pas l'engagement important de moyens clandestins au côté des Maliens".

Un peu, dit-il, "comme lors de la chute de Tripoli" en Libye en 2011, quand Français et Britanniques ont discrètement mais activement aidé les insurgés libyens à en finir avec le régime du colonel Kadhafi.

dch/mad/kat/jlb

© 1994-2012 Agence France-Presse

Mary Rono used to fit the mold of the archetypal Kenyan dairy farmer. The 56 year old retired government social worker gone dairy farmer and full time mother, living in the village of Kibomet in Kenya’s Rift Valley, would milk the family’s herd of eight cows once a day. If an informal trader happened to pass by, she might sell the milk for a mere 18 shillings (or 22 cents) per liter. This, and the sale of vegetables from her garden, generated her only cash income.

In 2004 that relationship changed and set off a sequence of events that have since transformed her profession and her life. Rono visited a dairy cooperative in Nyala town that was receiving assistance from the now completed USAID/Kenya Dairy Development Program. Rono was introduced to simple, yet affordable techniques to increase her milk yield, such as milking her cows several times a day and producing her own fodder to feed the cows instead of letting them graze.

Thrilled by the improvements, Rono set out to find a better market for her fresh milk. She continued to receive advice from the subsequent USAID Kenya Dairy Sector Competitiveness Program, and she formed a cooperative so she could bulk her milk with other farmers. She was able to purchase two more heifers. In 2009, she started a self-help group with 15 members: Today, she is the chairperson of the 365-member Koitogos Dynamic Cooperative Society.

“We are now bulking more than 1,000 liters of milk per day, and receiving double the price per liter. We have been able to do a lot with the profits we get from the dairy. We are able to contribute to the school fees of our children. We are able to pay our loans with ease,” says Rono.

In Kenya, keeping cows has always been a way of life, but not a business. Now an emerging class of entrepreneurs like Rono is transforming the status quo with USAID support, fueling the drought-prone country’s dairy sector as an engine of economic growth and food security.

Since it began in mid-2008, the dairy program – implemented with agribusiness giant Land O’Lakes – has assisted more than 319,000 smallholder milk producers, as well as hundreds of processors, retailers and exporters up and down Kenya’s dairy value chain.

The result has been startling: an average income boost of $675 per rural farming family – over $167 million overall. In a country where the average yearly income is $509, the extra cash goes far.

• La Agencia Española de Cooperación Internacional para el Desarrollo (AECID) reafirma su compromiso en la lucha contra el hambre y la desnutrición.

• Más de 40.000 personas han tenido acceso a los alimentos en Sahel y unos 100.000 niños y niñas han recibido tratamiento para la malnutrición aguda severa, gracias a la financiación de la AECID.

Con motivo de la celebración del Día Mundial de la Alimentación, la Agencia Española de Cooperación Internacional para el Desarrollo (AECID) reafirma su compromiso en la lucha contra el hambre y la desnutrición, especialmente en los países menos desarrollados y entre las comunidades más vulnerables y desfavorecidas.

La lucha contra el hambre y la pobreza caracteriza de manera especial la aportación de la Cooperación española al cumplimiento de la agenda internacional de desarrollo de los últimos años. De hecho, la seguridad alimentaria seguirá siendo uno de los sectores de mayor relevancia en sus actividades bilaterales y dentro de su importante programa de apoyo a las organizaciones regionales de integración del continente africano. De esta forma, la AECID pretende seguir contribuyendo a la consecución del Objetivo Del Milenio 1 y a la realización efectiva del Derecho Humano a la alimentación.

Además, la Cooperación española ha iniciado un proceso de reflexión orientado a multiplicar los impactos de sus intervenciones en materia de resiliencia, con el objetivo de contribuir de forma eficaz y decidida a reducir los riesgos, a fortalecer la capacidad de grupos más vulnerables y a facilitar la recuperación en caso de desastre sin comprometer las perspectivas de desarrollo a largo plazo.

Crisis alimentaria y seguridad alimentaria

El secretario general de Cooperación Internacional y Desarrollo, Gonzalo Robles, ratificó durante la Semana Ministerial de Naciones Unidas, la prioridad que mantiene España, al más alto nivel, con la seguridad alimentaria y nutricional y aprovechó para recordar, como prueba de este compromiso, la reciente firma de un acuerdo con el Programa Mundial de Alimentos (PMA) para situar una base logística en Las Palmas de Gran Canaria desde la que poder dar cobertura al Sahel Occidental.

La inseguridad alimentaria y nutricional es uno de los grandes retos a los que se enfrenta la acción humanitaria. Este año han sido numerosas las crisis alimentarias y nutricionales que han afectado al territorio subsahariano. Solo en Sahel, más de 18 millones de personas sufren inseguridad alimentaria y 1,1 millones de niños padecen malnutrición aguda severa (SAM).

La respuesta humanitaria a estas crisis va mucho más allá del reparto y entrega de alimentos o del tratamiento de la malnutrición aguda severa. Aunque hay poblaciones, familias o individuos que por su situación de vulnerabilidad han perdido toda capacidad de respuesta a la crisis y se hace necesario la distribución de alimentos o el tratamiento de la SAM. En Sahel más de 40.000 personas se han beneficiado de la entrega de alimentos y unos 100.000 niños y niñas han recibido tratamiento de SAM gracias a la financiación de la AECID.

La AECID ha financiado en el período 2008-2011 acciones en el sector del desarrollo rural y la seguridad alimentaria y nutricional en los países de África Occidental por un importe cercano a los 68 millones de euros, lo que supone aproximadamente el 20% de la ayuda distribuible sectorialmente en la región para ese periodo.

La Oficina de Acción Humanitaria

La acción humanitaria garantiza el acceso inmediato a los alimentos en cantidad y calidad apropiados para subvenir las necesidades básicas. Además, refuerza el mantenimiento de las capacidades de las poblaciones e individuos durante las crisis alimentarias y nutricionales con acciones tales como alimentación y sanidad del ganado, rehabilitación de puntos de agua, entrega de dinero para evitar la descapitalización de las familias vulnerables o formación de personal sanitario para la prevención de la malnutrición. Por ejemplo, este año se ha financiado desde la Oficina de Acción Humanitaria (OAH) y a través de UNICEF el refuerzo de las capacidades de los sistemas de salud en Mali y Chad.

Igualmente desde la OAH se trabaja también en la prevención de crisis alimentarias con acciones tales como el apoyo a planes de contingencia regionales o nacionales por medio de la creación y mantenimiento de reservas de cereales tanto a nivel estatal como local o el pre-posicionamiento de materiales de emergencia y reservas alimentarias en puntos geográficamente cercanos y con comunicaciones eficientes para responder a potenciales emergencias, punto en el que destacan las Plataformas Logísticas Humanitarios de Las Palmas y de Panamá.

Prioridad sectorial de primer orden

El III Plan Director de la Cooperación Española (2009-2012) identifica el Desarrollo Rural y la Lucha contra el Hambre como una prioridad sectorial de primer orden, cuyo objetivo general es “contribuir a hacer efectivo el derecho humano a la alimentación y mejorar las condiciones de vida y de seguridad alimentaria de la población rural y urbana”. Debido a la situación en la que se encuentra el continente africano -y África Occidental en particular- en materia de seguridad alimentaria, la AECID ha trasladado de forma especialmente relevante esta prioridad a los principales documentos estratégicos de nuestra cooperación en la región, desde el Plan África hasta las distintas comisiones mixtas y marcos de asociación bilaterales.

Además, el compromiso de la Cooperación española en la lucha contra la inseguridad alimentaria en África Occidental queda reflejado, a nivel regional, en la Declaración Conjunta España-Comunidad Económica de Estados de África Occidental (CEDEAO), firmada en Abuya en junio de 2009, en la que España se comprometió a contribuir con 240 millones de euros a la puesta en marcha de la Política Agraria Regional de la CEDEAO, incluyendo la financiación de programas prioritarios regionales y nacionales en sus 15 Estados miembros. Por ello, España ocupa actualmente una posición de liderazgo en el sector y es jefe de filas y coordinadora del resto de socios técnicos y financieros en materia de agricultura, desarrollo rural y seguridad alimentaria y nutricional.

16-10-2012 Point sur les activités N° 11/12

La situation humanitaire dans le nord du Mali continue de se détériorer. Aux conséquences du conflit armé s’ajoutent le coût élevé des denrées alimentaires et les inondations récentes qui ont détruit une partie des cultures. Le Comité international de la Croix-Rouge (CICR) poursuit ses distributions de vivres dans les principales régions touchées.

« Les denrées alimentaires de base sont devenues difficiles d'accès pour la majorité des familles des régions de Tombouctou, Kidal, Mopti et Gao en raison de leur prix élevé», explique Jean-Nicolas Marti, chef de la délégation régionale du CICR pour le Mali et le Niger. « Les récoltes auraient pu être bonnes cette année, mais la situation sécuritaire et le manque d'intrants agricoles durant la période de plantation n'ont pas permis de profiter pleinement de la saison agricole. De plus, de fortes pluies ont inondé certaines régions, renforçant la précarité des populations dont les besoins alimentaires sont accrus bien que ce soit en pleine période de récolte.»

Des vivres pour 420 000 personnes

Pour venir en aide aux populations les plus vulnérables, le CICR et la Croix-Rouge malienne ont poursuivi leur aide alimentaire dans les régions de Tombouctou, Gao, Kidal et Mopti. De nouvelles distributions de mil, riz, haricots, huile et sel de cuisine pour 420 000 personnes ont pu démarrer suite à un nouvel appel de fonds du CICR en septembre (25 millions de francs suisses, soit plus de 20 millions d'euros).

« Nous allons continuer à distribuer des vivres aux populations les plus vulnérables dont les réserves sont épuisées », précise Jean-Nicolas Marti. «Cela permettra de couvrir leurs besoins immédiats, de préserver leurs moyens d'existence et d'identifier des actions futures pour soutenir leurs mécanismes de subsistance. »

Soutien aux éleveurs

Le programme de soutien aux éleveurs, qui existait avant le conflit, a pu être poursuivi dans le nord du Mali malgré la dégradation des conditions de sécurité. De juillet à septembre 2012, plus de 160 000 animaux ont été traités contre des parasites. Le déstockage de 15 000 bovins, ovins et caprins est en cours ; à ce jour près de 6 000 animaux ont été achetés et abattus, ce qui permet de fournir de la viande à 78 000 personnes. Une nouvelle campagne de vaccination devrait commencer en novembre prochain.

Aide aux victimes des inondations

Les victimes des inondations connaissent une situation humanitaire préoccupante dans plusieurs villes et villages du Mali. En août et en septembre, des pluies diluviennes ont causé de nombreuses pertes en vies humaines et occasionné d'énormes dégâts (maisons détruites et abandonnées, animaux emportés par des courants d'eau et greniers détruits).

Le CICR et les branches locales de la Croix-Rouge malienne à Gao, Mopti et Tombouctou ont recensé près de 4 000 personnes sinistrées à qui ils ont remis des bâches, des nattes, des couvertures, des moustiquaires, du matériel de cuisine, des seaux, des kits d'hygiène, des pagnes et des vivres.

Lutte contre le paludisme

En cette saison des pluies, le nombre de cas de paludisme dans les structures de santé du nord du Mali est en forte hausse. Plus de 30% des quelque 1 500 consultations externes réalisées en septembre à l'hôpital régional de Gao concernaient des cas de paludisme.

Le CICR continue de distribuer des médicaments et du matériel médical à tous les services de l'hôpital régional de Gao. En septembre, 171 personnes y ont été hospitalisées, majoritairement en urgence. Le CICR a également recommencé à soutenir six des neuf centres de santé que le CICR compte aider, notamment par la fourniture de médicaments.

Informations complémentaires : Germain Mwehu, CICR Niamey, tél. : +227 97 45 43 82 ou +223 76996375 Jean-Yves Clemenzo, CICR Genève, tél. : +41 22 730 22 71 ou +41 79 217 32 17

Compared to this time last year, things have improved for Somalis who have directly benefited from the creation of community assets which provide a way out of the proverty trap.

SHEERBI (Puntland) -- Ahmed moves nimbly, filling a blue plastic container with water from the reservoir and then emptying it into the makeshift water trough for his camels. He has to be swift as they are sucking up the precious liquid almost as fast as he is delivering it. His three camels are what remain of a herd of 20 that he lost to drought last year. He also lost 300 goats and sheep, more than half his animals.

But compared to this time last year, things have improved. The seasonal rains have been good so far and are filling the community reservoir which gives nomads like Ahmed access to free water.

And that is key. During the dry seasons or when the rains do not come, the pastoralist community - of which the rural population makes up about two thirds - has to resort to buying water.

“We used the water trucks from Gardo, Waiyo, and Dhahar which have bore holes,” says Ahmed. “We had to pay on average of 150-200 dollars per truck. It was very expensive for me. We don’t keep savings, we sell what we have from our livestock.”

To pay for the water, Ahmed had to sell about 100 animals in order to try and keep the rest alive. Despite that, he still lost nearly all his camels and 200 sheep and goats because they became too weak. So it was a double blow that ate even further into the assets he had been able to build up. But water catchments mean that, when there are good rains, water will last longer into the dry season.

“We benefit from the water in so many ways,” says Ahmed. “We use it for drinking, cooking, washing, bathing and all the purposes water can serve.”

The reservoir is an example of the type of project in which WFP has become a lot more involved during the last year. These projects give a helping hand out of the poverty trap to people like Ahmed when things like the weather fail them. If households do not have to use their ‘savings’ during a crisis, then it will make them more resilient and take them less time to recover from setbacks.

One additional benefit is that people who work on building such community schemes are given food in exchange for labour through WFP’s Food For Assets programme. That means that these projects, agreed with and managed by the local community, can address immediate needs, as well as provide longer-term solutions.

And in Somalia, those are what are needed.

Au cours des 12 derniers mois, plus de 18 millions de personnes ont été exposées à l’insécurité alimentaire dans la région du Sahel en Afrique. La région, qui se compose du Burkina Faso, du Tchad, du Mali, de la Mauritanie, du Sénégal, du Niger et de la Gambie, a connu des précipitations erratiques, des invasions d’insectes et une hausse du prix des denrées alimentaires et du pétrole en plus d’être le théâtre de déplacements de populations liés au conflit. Des inondations ravagent actuellement certains pays de la région entraînant des problèmes supplémentaires au sein de collectivités déjà en proie à des tensions. La Croix-Rouge travaille sans relâche afin de sauver des vies et de protéger les moyens de subsistance dans cette partie du monde, en renforçant la résilience des populations et en réduisant les répercussions des prochaines sécheresses.

Même si cette crise en évolution constante ne fait pas souvent la une des journaux, la Croix-Rouge canadienne intervient activement en déployant des délégués et en finançant des opérations de sécurité alimentaire au Mali, en Mauritanie et au Sénégal.

Au Mali, la Croix-Rouge s’attaque à une des principales causes du problème de la sécuritaire alimentaire en distribuant des semences de qualité ainsi que des outils agricoles. Les programmes de la Croix-Rouge visent à offrir aux collectivités les plus vulnérables les outils dont elles ont besoin pour subvenir à leurs propres besoins alimentaires. Ainsi, les collectivités locales et les populations déplacées par l’insécurité deviendront plus fortes et plus résilientes face aux prochaines crises.

« Cette année, le Mali fait face à divers défis : une sécheresse qui a entraîné une crise alimentaire, une rébellion armée et un coup », a déclaré Stéphane Michaud, ancien gestionnaire des opérations, Crise alimentaire au Sahel auprès de la Croix-Rouge au Mali.

Le succès des programmes de la Croix-Rouge reposent toujours sur le travail de bénévoles dévoués. En effet, des milliers de bénévoles locaux des Sociétés nationales d’Afrique de l’Ouest se mobilisent pour aider leurs collectivités.

« La force de la Croix-Rouge malienne repose sur son réseau de plus de 5 000 bénévoles dévoués et chevronnés qui couvre chaque district du pays. Les bénévoles travaillent d’arrache-pied afin de cerner les besoins et les capacités dans chaque collectivité en plus d’assurer la bonne organisation des distributions, qui se déroulent souvent au rythme de la musique traditionnelle », a ajouté M. Michaud.