As the humanitarian crisis worsens in South Sudan, Bishop Erkolano Lodu Tombe, President of Caritas South Sudan and Bishop of Yei, has warned the country is in a state of collapse with millions of people facing mass starvation.

Bishop Tombe and senior officials from Caritas South Sudan gathered in Rome on Tuesday to discuss the operational challenges and to scale up the global Catholic aid network’s urgent response in the country where famine has been declared in the midst of civil war.

“South Sudan is collapsing and the poor and the unarmed are suffering,” said Bishop Tombe. “Without support for emergency relief it will get worse, people are dying.”

Currently 1 million people are in imminent danger of famine in South Sudan and in total 5.1 million are in urgent need of food and livelihood assistance. At least 270,000 children are suffering acute malnutrition.

“There is food scarcity and a lack of medication,” Bishop Tombe said. “We need food to save people from starvation as well as medicine and education for the few kids wherever they are so they can get to school.”

Bishop Tombe says there are now 1.8 million internally displaced persons in South Sudan and 1.5 million refugees and the United Nations estimates 5.8 million people will need humanitarian assistance to fight starvation in South Sudan in 2017 .

Caritas is calling for international action to stop the ongoing violence in the country and ensure there are stable conditions to allow critical aid to be delivered.

“Civilians are attacked wherever they are – in their homes and when they go out in search of food,” said Bishop Tombe. “When they want to go and harvest their crops they can be considered rebels or sympathisers and eliminated. Civilians are dying and people are disappearing.”

One of the worst-hit areas is the bishop’s own diocese of Yei, in the country’s south-west close to the border of Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

“The roads are all blocked so there is no way for the people to leave and no way for people to come in and rescue them,” Bishop Tombe said. “There are over 100,000 people trapped in Yei. The only way to reach them is by air and with no support they will die of hunger.”

Through its network Caritas operates across all seven dioceses in South Sudan with access to remote rural areas. Leaders of Caritas South Sudan want to raise awareness about the dire nature of the crisis and gain more international support.

“We want to make the Caritas family aware of the starvation in South Sudan and to raise the necessary funds to relieve the starving people there, otherwise people will starve,” said Bishop Tombe. “We cannot do it by ourselves.”

Bishop Tombe said: “The voice of the Holy Father is very clear: Don’t leave South Sudan alone. It is not about talking, it is about doing something, that is what Pope Francis said.”

On his visit to Rome the bishop, together with Executive Director of Caritas South Sudan, Gabriel Yai, outlined the extremely urgent situation to sister Catholic agencies involved in the direct distribution of aid in the field.

“Caritas has a good network of Church leaders, priests and community leaders to deliver food to these communities,” says Gabriel Yai. “We can do more on the ground.

“Nearly 5 million people are food insecure and the worst affected are mothers and young children as well as the elderly,” Yai said. “We want the Caritas members on the ground and those who are not based in Juba to bring our efforts together and try to rescue the hungry people in South Sudan. ”

Father John Opi Severino Oduavi from the diocese of Torit called for an end to the fighting and said a ceasefire was essential so that Caritas and church leaders could help people overcome food scarcity.

“Everybody in South Sudan is hungry,” Oduavi said. “There is no food. Markets are not accessible because roads are closed and people cannot cultivate their land because of conflict.

“Those who have cultivated their land do not harvest their food, they are chased away. Food insecurity is a problem for everyone in towns and villages. Children are malnourished, elderly people are dying as there is no food.”

Oduavi said: “We need the guns to be silent then we need to promote unity in South Sudan. The national cohesion that existed during the referendums needs to be restored first. This will take time, this is a process.

“Then we need our people who are displaced in refugee camps in the villages and in the mountains to descend and go back to their homes and begin to cultivate and build harmony. But this can only come if the guns are silent and civilians are respected.”

Ceci est un résumé des déclarations du porte-parole du HCR Babar Baloch – à qui toute citation peut être attribuée – lors de la conférence de presse du 21 mars 2017 au Palais des Nations à Genève.

Le HCR, l’Agence des Nations Unies pour les réfugiés, est préoccupé par les retours forcés de centaines de réfugiés depuis la région de l’Extrême-Nord du Cameroun vers le nord-est du Nigéria, et ce malgré la récente signature d’un accord tripartite visant notamment à assurer le caractère librement consenti des rapatriements.

Cette année, le Cameroun a déjà procédé au retour forcé vers le Nigéria de plus de 2 600 réfugiés qui avait trouvé refuge dans des villages frontaliers nigérians.

Le HCR est particulièrement préoccupé par le fait que ces retours forcés se sont poursuivis sans relâche après la signature d’un accord tripartite par les gouvernements du Nigéria et du Cameroun ainsi que le HCR à Yaoundé le 2 mars dernier, pour faciliter le retour librement consenti des réfugiés nigérians lorsque les conditions le permettent.

A l’intérieur du Nigéria, les équipes du HCR ont reçu des témoignages au sujet des troupes camerounaises ayant renvoyé des réfugiés contre leur gré – sans même leur laisser le temps de récupérer leurs biens. Dans un incident survenu le 4 mars, environ 26 hommes, ainsi que 27 femmes et enfants, ont été renvoyés depuis la ville frontalière camerounaise d’Amtide, dans le district de Kolofata, où ils avaient trouvé refuge, selon les équipes de suivi du HCR dans les régions frontalières.

Dans l’Etat nigérian de Borno, certains réfugiés ont été arrêtés lors d’une offensive militaire contre les insurgés de Boko Haram dans les montagnes de Mandara du côté camerounais de la frontière. Puis ils ont été transportés dans des camions vers un camp de déplacés à Banki. Parmi les personnes renvoyées contre leur gré se trouvaient un enfant âgé d’un an et une femme enceinte de neuf mois qui a accouché le lendemain de son arrivée à Banki.

Durant le chaos, des familles ont été séparées et certaines femmes ont été contraintes de quitter leur jeune enfant au Cameroun, y compris un enfant de moins de trois ans. Au Nigéria, les personnes de retour ont reçu de la nourriture et de l’eau de la part des organismes d’aide et elles sont désormais installées dans le camp de déplacés internes de Banki. Les employés du HCR ont également enregistré 17 personnes qui se disaient être des ressortissants camerounais, et qui ont indiqué avoir été expulsées par erreur vers Banki. Il est courant dans cette région de trouver des personnes ne disposant d’aucun document pour prouver leur nationalité.

Le HCR se félicite de la générosité du Gouvernement camerounais et des communautés locales qui accueillent plus de 85 000 réfugiés nigérians et appelle toutefois le Gouvernement camerounais à honorer ses obligations découlant des législations internationales et régionales sur la protection des réfugiés, ainsi que de la loi camerounaise.

Le retour forcé des demandeurs d’asile et des réfugiés est un refoulement et constitue une violation grave de la Convention de 1951 relative au statut des réfugiés et de la Convention de l’OUA de 1969, toutes deux ratifiées par le Cameroun.

En 2016, d’autres groupes de réfugiés nigérians avaient été expulsés vers le nord-est du Nigéria. Par exemple, le 14 juin 2016, 338 demandeurs d’asile nigérians, principalement des femmes et des enfants, avaient été renvoyés par les autorités locales camerounaises de la région de l’Extrême-Nord depuis Kolofata au Nigéria. L’incident est survenu quelques jours seulement après que le Cameroun, le Tchad, le Niger et le Nigéria aient adopté la Déclaration d’Abouja sur la protection dans la crise du bassin du lac Tchad et aient réaffirmé, entre autres, l’importance du principe de non-refoulement.

Tout en reconnaissant les préoccupations légitimes du Gouvernement camerounais en matière de sécurité nationale, le HCR rappelle aux autorités que les réfugiés avaient fui la violence et les attaques de Boko Haram et que leur accès à l’asile et à la protection doit être assuré.

Lors de récentes discussions avec le Gouvernement camerounais, le HCR a fait état de sa profonde préoccupation face aux retours forcés et a demandé au gouvernement des assurances quant à son engagement pour le respect de l’accord tripartite. Nous espérons également que les autorités camerounaises prendront les mesures nécessaires pour se conformer aux normes internationales relatives au droit d’asile et à la protection contre le refoulement.

L’insécurité persiste dans certaines régions du nord-est du Nigéria et l’accès aux services essentiels demeure limité. La plupart des réfugiés de retour se retrouvent en situation de déplacement interne car ils ne peuvent pas rejoindre leur lieu d’origine.

La crise dans le bassin du lac Tchad a déplacé plus de 2,7 millions de personnes - dont environ 200 000 réfugiés dans les pays voisins.

Le HCR appelle les pays voisins du Nigéria à maintenir leurs frontières ouvertes afin de permettre l’accès au territoire et aux procédures d’asile pour les personnes ayant fui la crise en quête de sécurité. Le HCR continue également de surveiller la situation des réfugiés et des rapatriés des deux côtés de la frontière.

Pour de plus amples informations à ce sujet, veuillez svp contacter:

A Genève, Babar Baloch, baloch@unhcr.org, +41 79 513 95 49

FOOD SECURITY SNAPSHOT

• Below average 2016 cereal harvest

• Cereal prices mostly stable, reflecting adequate supplies including from imported staple foods

• Humanitarian assistance continues to be needed, including for Malian refugees

Below average cereal harvest gathered in 2016

Harvesting of the 2016 rainfed cereal crops was completed in December, while harvesting of recession and off-season crops will be completed in April.

Above normal rainfall increased soil moisture in most regions from the beginning of the cropping season in June, although precipitation deficits were recorded in a few localized areas in Trarza, Brakna and Hodh El Charghi Assaba. However, due to a decline in irrigated cropped area and the failure of recession crops, preliminary estimates put the 2016 aggregate cereal production at some 280 000 tonnes, about 18 percent below the 2015 above-average crop and 10 percent below the average of the previous five years. A 19 percent drop in the production of rice, the largest produced cereal, drove the decline in aggregate cereal output (compared to 2015). Production of sorghum and maize declined by 15 percent and 14 percent, respectively The pastoral situation was good with adequate availability of green pastures throughout most of the agro-pastoral zone.

Food prices mostly stable reflecting adequate supplies

Mauritania’s domestic cereal production only covers one-third of the national utilization requirement in a normal year. The country is highly dependent on imports of coarse grains (millet and sorghum) from its neighbours, Senegal and Mali, as well as from wheat purchased on the international market.

Food prices have been generally stable in recent months, reflecting good supplies of imported staple foods from Mali, Senegal and Morocco and low wheat prices on the international market.

Food situation improved but continued assistance needed, especially for vulnerable people

A large segment of the Mauritanian population relies on traditional agriculture and livestock-related activities to maintain their livelihoods, and, therefore, remain in a state of chronic vulnerability due to unpredictable seasonal rains and climatic conditions. Moreover, the high import dependency rate for food, exposes the population to fluctuations of the global market. In addition, the armed conflict in Northern Mali has forced thousands of Malians to cross the border into Mauritania. According to UNHCR, as of July 2016, about 42 000 Malian refugees were still living in Mauritania, in the Mberra Camp. The results of the last “Cadre Harmonisé” analysis in the country indicate that about 119 000 people were in Phase 3: “Crisis” and above between October and December 2016.

by Joe English

South Sudan is a country in crisis – violence has displaced millions of people; a food crisis has left parts of the country in famine; and a deteriorating economy has left many families with no means to support themselves.

The worsening water crisis, fuelled, in part by the conflict and economic collapse, is just one more challenge families in Juba have to face on a daily basis.

In 2015, it was estimated that only 13 per cent of Juba residents had access to municipal water -supplied mainly through a small piped network and boreholes – but this number is likely to have dropped following the violence that hit the city in 2016. Across the country it’s estimated that over half of all water points have either been damaged or destroyed in the violence.

For those without municipal access, water is mostly provided through private sector water trucking. While the water comes straight from the river, UNICEF has been providing chlorine, which trucks must use to treat the water and reduce the spread of waterborne diseases.

Brothers Francis, 13, and Ismail, 11, work at the water pumps every morning before school. Arriving around 6am each morning the boys fill bottles with chlorine for the water-trucks. For a full day’s work they get paid 100 SSP each (around one US dollar) which helps them buy food and school supplies.

“I want to be an engineer when I grow up,” says Ismail, before throwing a bottle of chlorine on to one of the trucks. There are more than 2,000 of the water tankers in the city, but the running costs continue to increase, pushing up the price for customers.

The lack of safe water means those living in the capital are also at risk to the spread illnesses such as diarrhoea and cholera, with children especially vulnerable to waterborne diseases, and exacerbating the already precarious nutrition crisis.

A cholera outbreak, which started in Juba in July, has already killed 137 people, and infected more than 5,000.across the country Many of those affected live in poor neighbourhoods across Juba, with little access to water and sanitation facilities.

In Khor William, in the south of the city, and one of the areas worst affected by the outbreak, I spoke to Amal, 17. A private company has set up a water pump near her home, connected directly to the Nile, but while the pipe reduces the time it takes to gather water, it’s still untreated.

“I don’t have to walk to the river any more, which means I have more time to study, but the water is still dirty, and I worry about my younger siblings getting sick when they drink it,” she says.

In the Ghabat neighbourhood, Louis Modi runs a UNICEF-supported water treatment centre. Water, drawn from the river, is treated with aluminium sulphate and chlorine, and the centre pumps out more than 280,000 litres of clean water a day.

Louis explains that people come from up to 25 kilometres away to collect the water, with women and children coming to fill up the ubiquitous yellow jerry cans, often loading up full cans on wheelbarrows for the journey home.

At the water taps outside the treatment centre, I met Luke, a bicycle water vendor. While the water is free for those who can make the journey, the vendors will deliver jerry cans of clean water to communities further afield for a small delivery fee. Luke tells me that recently, the vendors have helped contribute to the cost of the purification supplies.

UNICEF is hoping to roll out further treatment centres to communities such as Khor William, providing families with access to clean, safe water and livelihood opportunities for bicycle vendors.

And yet much more needs to be done, and for thousands of people, clean, safe water is still out of their reach. It shouldn’t be this way.

For families in Juba, and across South Sudan, access to clean, safe water should be a given. They shouldn’t have to risk their children’s lives each day, just for something to drink.

The ICRC is appealing for $400m to help those most affected by the humanitarian crises in Somalia, Yemen, South Sudan and north-east Nigeria. The funds will ensure 5 million vulnerable people receive essential aid.

Speaking at a news conference in Geneva today, ICRC director of operations, Dominik Stillhart, warned a massive scaling up of aid was needed to avert a further spiralling downwards in these countries.

Earlier this month, the UN announced that more than 20 million people were facing famine in the four countries. Mr Stillhart said there was still time to avert a famine in Somalia and Yemen.

"Food, water, shelter and health care is required immediately. With our partners from the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, we are increasing our response. We are on the ground and delivering aid in all four countries. We witness the massive suffering. Millions of people are denied the very basics to survive."

The director of operations also underlined the need to directly address the root causes of the crisis.

"No amount of aid money will overcome political obstructionism and a failure to abide by the norms of warfare. Ultimately, in these countries, famine is a by-product. The root cause is the presence of long term, intractable conflict. It's the conflict that renders agricultural land unusable, that forces people to flee their homes, and that destroys hospitals and other vital services," said Mr Stillhart.

Mr Stillhart called on warring parties to make every effort to abide by the norms of warfare, and said States must better use their influence to make this happen. "Violations of the laws of war are directly leading to massive suffering so we need to address how war is waged."

In addition to the ICRC appeal, Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement partners in the 4 countries will need at least a further $100 million to fund their response to the crises.

The ICRC's Middle East director, Robert Mardini, said that with essential goods and supplies running out, there was no time to waste in Yemen: "We're doing what we can, but the needs are huge. The resilience of Yemenis is reaching a breaking point. Parties to the conflict in Yemen must act responsibly. More goods must be allowed into and across the country. Civilians and civilian infrastructure should not be targeted. Humanitarian access cannot be a bargaining chip. To prevent famine, immediate action is needed."

Africa director Patricia Danzi said of Somalia: "Decades of conflict and lack of respect for the rules of war have forced many Somalis to flee their homes time and again, and left them extremely vulnerable. The severe drought and limited access to essential services only increases the suffering. We must act now to avert further tragedy."

For further information, please contact:

Ewan Watson, ICRC Geneva, tel: +41 79 244 64 70

“People in north eastern Nigeria is battling one of the most severe humanitarian crises of today. Most of the food production has collapsed completely, and the conflict with Boko Haram makes it impossible for people to return home and pick up their lives”, says NORCAP expert, Virginia M. Moncrieff.

4.67 million people in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states are severely food insecure, and the numbers are growing rapidly. There has been no production of food for the last three years due to the ongoing conflict with Boko Haram.

Moncrieff has spent three months in Maiduguri, the capital city of Borno state, Nigeria. She is a Communications Officer, deployed to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

Rising food insecurity

NORCAP currently has five experts working in Maiduguri, in areas such as shelter, camp management, and child protection. Humanitarian needs have been growing throughout 2016 and continue to do so in 2017, as aid agencies gain access to areas previously controlled by Boko Haram. A total of 14 million people are now in need of humanitarian aid in Nigeria.

Food security is one of the priority areas in Nigeria, where the main source of livelihood is agriculture. FAO is working to get the agricultural productivity up and running again after conflict, displacement and security concerns have prevented people from producing the food they need. According to Moncrieff, the organization is working to make the country more self-sufficient when it comes to food.

"It is not about handing out meals; it is not handing out bags of rice. It is giving people the ways and means of getting back and doing what they want to do. FAO does really practical things to get people back on their farms, helping with seeds, tools, water, fertilizer, and so on", she explains.

An estimate of 400.000 people are living in 'famine-like' conditions. Farmers are unable to return to their land because of the situation with Boko Haram. In addition, they do not have the essentials to carry out their typical farming activities.

"People do not want to go home knowing that Boko Haram is there, or knowing that their fields are so dry they will starve to death", Moncrieff says.

Boko Haram still a threat

Safety is also an issue, attacks still happen, and people are afraid. Boko Haram is finding new ways of using explosive devices and causing harm. It is estimated that over 20,000 people have been killed in incidents related to Boko Haram in the last seven years.

"The situation is heartbreaking. When even mothers with small babies are recruited as suicide bombers, it is absolutely heartbreaking," says Moncrieff.

The aid agencies in the field have to take extra safety measures in order to take care of themselves.

Although humanitarian access has increased, many areas remain inaccessible. Moncrieff underlines the importance of having functional medical centers, access to education, and up and running markets.

"We need to continue giving people the help they need, so that they get back the lives they so desperately want", she says.

The Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) appeal for East Africa has raised more than £30 million in its first week, with donations continuing to pour in from the UK public.

Prolonged drought and conflict have left 16 million people across East Africa on the brink of starvation.

Mothers are going without food as they give what little they have to their children, but with 800,000 children under five years old needing lifesaving treatment for acute malnutrition there just isn't enough food to go around.

Malnourishment among pregnant and lactating women is another serious concern, with some 339,000 estimated to be acutely malnourished in South Sudan. In Somalia, 1.2 million children and pregnant and lactating mothers require supplementary feeding.

Money raised by the DEC appeal will provide millions of people in desperate need with vital food, water and medical treatment.

DEC Chief Executive Saleh Saeed said: “We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to the British public, trusts and companies for their generous support to the DEC East Africa Crisis Appeal which has now raised an incredible £30m; this will provide food, water and medical care to millions of people across East Africa.

“Our member charities are already on the ground providing life-saving aid to some of the worst affected people, but the crisis is far from over and there are so many more who need our help. Every donation makes a huge difference. We would like to ask those that haven’t had a chance to support please don’t delay, donate today.”

What your money could buy:

· £25 could provide a month’s supply of life-saving peanut paste to a malnourished child.

· £60 could provide clean drinking water for two families for a month

· £100 could provide supplies to a clinic treating severely malnourished children for a week.

-Ends-

Notes to editors:

Media enquiries please call 020 7387 0200 or 07930 999 014 (out of hours). · The DEC brings 13 leading UK aid charities together in times of crisis: ActionAid, Age International, British Red Cross, CAFOD, CARE International, Christian Aid, Concern Worldwide, Islamic Relief, Oxfam, Plan International UK, Save the Children, Tearfund and World Vision; all collectively raising money to reach those in need quickly.

· Matt Baker, Brenda Blethyn, Tamsin Greig, Bill Nighy and Eddie Redmayne have backed the DEC’s East Africa Crisis Appeal by recording calls for support from the public.

· The UK Government is matching pound for pound the first £10 million donated by the public to the DEC East Africa Crisis Appeal through its Aid Match Fund.

· Donations can be made at any high street bank and at Post Office counters. To make a postal donation make cheques payable to ‘DEC’ and mail to ‘PO Box 999, London, EC3A 3AA’.

· To donate £5 by text send the word SUPPORT to 70000. The full £5 will go to the DEC East Africa Crisis Appeal. Donors must be 16 years or over and have bill payers’ permission. Texts are free and donations will be added to the bill.

· DEC will be hosting Facebook live sessions during the week, featuring aid workers and journalists who will be discussing their experiences from recent visit to East Africa.

Nigeria’s north-eastern region, which has historically lagged behind the rest of the country in socio-economic development, is struck by a long-running conflict that has caused widespread destruction and deep human suffering. Some 14 million people are currently in need of humanitarian assistance. They include 8.5 million in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states that are the worst affected by the Boko Haram-related conflict. In 2017, humanitarian organizations plan to assist 6.9 million people in dire need of nutrition, food, shelter, health, education, protection and water and sanitation in those three states.

A projected 5.1 million people will face serious food shortages as the conflict and risk of unexploded improvised devices have hampered farming for a third year in a row, causing a major food crisis.

By UNICEF South Sudan

As starvation and food insecurity grip many parts of South Sudan, UNICEF is working with partners to provide a range of nutrition services. Hear the story of a mother and her daughter who received life-saving treatment at an outpatient centre.

Watch the video

AWEIL STATE, South Sudan, 21 March 2017 – In South Sudan, an estimated one million people are on the brink of starvation.

Iman Diing’s baby daughter Alakii is one of them.

“My child has not eaten since this morning,” said Iman as she holds her crying baby. “Now she is weak and I can feel it. I am nervous. It is better for me to be hungry than my child.”

Last month, famine was declared in parts of South Sudan. In Aweil State, children and their families are facing a hunger crisis at emergency and critical levels.

“The situation is extremely bad and if we don’t do enough to mitigate the situation, we will go to the catastrophe phase,” said Judy Juru Michael, UNICEF Nutrition Officer based in Aweil.

Today, over 270,000 children are estimated to be severely malnourished. These children are nine times more likely to die than a child who is not malnourished.

In a combined effort, UNICEF and partners are significantly scaling up the emergency response to avert a famine and save lives.

UNICEF is helping mothers and babies at the community level through a number of services, including life-saving treatment for severe malnutrition; clean water, sanitation and hygiene; malaria testing and treatment; and critical information on preventative nutritional practices including the promotion of breastfeeding.

Altogether, UNICEF aims to reach over 200,000 children who are severely malnourished.

Iman and baby Alakii are now receiving nutrition services at an outpatient treatment centre in Aweil town.

“I want to say thank you because you understand my feelings and you came to help us,” said Iman after enrolling at the clinic. “Now I am happy.”

• Cáritas Perú distribuye en las últimas semanas 89 toneladas de ayuda humanitaria a 2.000 familias afectadas a causa de «El Niño»

• Las Cáritas de Sudán del Sur, Etiopía, Somalia y Kenia afrontan la crisis de alimentos creada en el Cuerno de África por efecto de «La Niña»

Cáritas. 22 de marzo de 2017.- Hoy se conmemora en todo el mundo el Día Mundial del Agua, una jornada convocada por Naciones Unidas para llamar la atención sobre la importancia del agua como un elemento esencial del desarrollo sostenible y su impacto en la vida de miles de millones de personas, al incidir en cuestiones vitales como la seguridad alimentaria, la salud y al medio ambiente.

En esta jornada, la red mundial de Cáritas lanza una alerta humanitaria en dos zonas del planeta tan alejadas como Perú y el Cuerno de África, que se enfrentan, simultáneamente, a sendas emergencias climáticas provocadas por un régimen irregular de lluvias.

Como efectos de dos ciclos climáticos estrechamente interrelacionados, como son el fenómeno de “El Niño” en el Pacífico y el de “La Niña” en el Índico, en los últimos meses asistimos, en el hemisferio occidental, al desastre provocado en las regiones costeras del Perú por lluvias e inundaciones devastadoras y, en la otra parte del globo, a la grave crisis de alimentos provocada en Sudán del Sur, Etiopía, Somalia y Kenia por la sequía que asola toda la región del Cuerno de África.

Respondiendo a su dimensión humanitaria, la red Cáritas ha movilizado sus recursos para ofrecer apoyo humanitario a las personas más vulnerables en esas dos regiones.

RESPUESTAS DE CÁRITAS PERÚ A LAS INUNDACIONES

En las dos últimas semanas, la Cáritas Nacional del Perú ha reforzado sus dispositivos de respuesta humanitaria a los efectos de la emergencia causada por las intensas lluvias, que desde enero azotan buena parte del país y que han ocasionado riadas e inundaciones, con un saldo creciente de daños personales y materiales.

Los efectos más graves de las inundaciones, que han sido especialmente intensos en los últimos días, se han registrado en los departamentos de Lima, Ica, Arequipa, Piura, Tumbes, Chiclayo, Ancash (Chimbote) y La Libertad.

Según los últimos datos oficiales aportados por Cáritas Peruana, hasta la fecha se han registrado 75 fallecidos, 263 heridos, 20 desaparecidos y más de 700.000 damnificados y afectados. Asimismo, un total de 10.538 viviendas han quedado colapsadas, 159 puentes destruidos y 1.903 kilómetros de carreteras gravemente dañadas.

Campaña nacional de Cáritas Perú

Ante esta situación, Cáritas del Perú, además de reforzar sus equipos de respuesta a la emergencia en las zonas siniestradas, ha lanzado una campaña nacional de solidaridad bajo el lema “El Perú da la mano” para recabar el apoyo de la ciudadanía y de las entidades privadas con las necesidades más urgentes de los damnificados.

Cáritas del Perú ha desarrollado hasta el momento las siguientes acciones para apoyar a las familias damnificadas por las inundaciones:

• Cáritas Chosica: Ha atendido a 554 familias con 36 toneladas de ayuda humanitaria (alimentos, ropa, calzado, productos de higiene y material de ferretería).

• Cáritas Ica: Ha facilitado ayuda de primera necesidad a 199 familias con 13,5 toneladas de alimentos, ropa nueva, agua potable y productos de higiene, de ferretería y de menaje doméstico.

• Cáritas Piura Tumbes: Se ha atendido a 250 familias con 16.5 toneladas de ayuda humanitaria (alimentos, ropa, agua y artículos de higiene y ferretería, así como motobombas).

• Cáritas Chiclayo: Se ha apoyado a 292 familias con 11 toneladas de ayuda de primera necesidad, motobombas y purificadores de agua.

• Además, se ha efectuado el envío de ayuda humanitaria a las Cáritas de Chulucanas (3,4 toneladas), Cáritas Cañete Yauyos (6,2 toneladas), Cáritas Camaná (1,5 toneladas) y Cáritas Selva Central (1 tonelada).

En total, Cáritas Perú ha canalizado ya 89 toneladas de suministros de emergencia a las poblaciones afectadas y ha atendido a más de 2.000 familias damnificadas.

Llamamiento de los obispos peruanos

El pasado domingo 19 de marzo se celebró en todo el país, fruto de un llamamiento lanzado por los obispos de la Conferencia Episcopal Peruana (CEP), un Día de Oración y Solidaridad con todos los damnificados.

Los prelados, además de expresar su “solidaridad y cercanía con todos los hermanos y hermanas que sufren a consecuencia de estos fenómenos naturales, tanto por la muerte de algún ser querido como por la pérdida de todo lo que tenían para vivir”, alentaron a todos los peruanos a colaborar “con ayuda material que ha de ser entregada en las zonas más golpeadas de nuestra patria”.

En su mensaje, los obispos peruanos exhortaron a mantener la “fe que ilumina y fortalece, conservemos la esperanza que alimenta la solidaridad, abramos las puertas de la caridad para que el alivio de tantos necesitados sea pronto y oportuno”.

Además de activar un amplio dispositivo de respuesta a la emergencia y de recabar la solidaridad ciudadana con los damnificados, Cáritas del Perú está preparando el lanzamiento de un llamamiento de emergencia a la red internacional de Cáritas para solicitar fondos a las Cáritas donantes de todo el mundo que permitan financiar tanto las actuales operaciones de ayuda como los programas de post-emergencia.

ALERTA ALIMENTARIA EN EL CUERNO DE ÁFRICA

En la región del Cuerno de África, las condiciones climáticas adversas, sumadas a la recurrencia de las crisis económicas y los conflictos prolongados en los países de la región, mantienen unos niveles elevados de inseguridad alimentaria que provocan una situación de crisis humanitaria crónica. En los últimos meses, esta situación ha adquirido nivel de emergencia alimentaria a causa de una prolongada sequía provocada por los efectos de “La Niña”.

Más de 26 millones de afectados

La situación humanitaria, que se han ido deteriorando a lo largo de 2016, se ha agravado durante los 3 primeros meses de 2017, provocando desplazamientos de población y nuevos brotes de enfermedades.

De acuerdo con los datos oficiales disponibles, en toda la región hay 26,5 millones de personas necesitadas de asistencia humanitaria urgente. Por países, la población afectada son 7,5 millones en Sudán del Sur, 9,2 millones en Etiopía (donde la sequía se ha cobrado ya la vida de más de 100.000 personas), 2,7 millones en Kenia y otros 6,2 millones en Somalia.

Para afrontar una crisis de estas dimensiones, las Cáritas nacionales de los cuatro países afectados han puesto en marcha operaciones de ayuda humanitaria para paliar los efectos de la falta de alimentos básicos e impulsar programas de subsistencia agropecuaria de las comunidades rurales en situación más precaria.

Las Cáritas de Sudán del Sur, donde la situación es crítica, y de Etiopía han lanzado sendos llamamientos de emergencia a la red internacional de Cáritas para recabar los fondos necesarios con los que financiar los programas de distribución de ayuda humanitaria.

Sudán del Sur y Etiopía

La Cáritas Sudanesa ha solicitado 519.169 euros para sufragar la distribución de ayuda urgente a unos 10.000 beneficiarios directos y otros 52.000 beneficiarios indirectos en las diócesis de Rumbek, Yei, Malakal, Juba y Tambura-Yambio. “Ahora no es momento para que la comunidad internacional abandone Sudán del Sur. Juntos hemos de hacer todo lo posible por salvar vidas”, indica Gabriel Yai, de Caritas Sudán del Sur, el país más joven de África en el que a la hambruna se suma el flagelo de la guerra.

Tras la declaración de la hambruna en el Estado de Unidad (Sudán del Sur) por parte de la ONU, los obispos católicos del país han publicado una carta pastoral en la que condenan la guerra civil y etiquetando la hambruna como “obra del hombre”.

“Queremos que el mundo oiga la verdadera situación en la que se encuentra nuestro pueblo. Nuestro país está atrapado en una crisis humanitaria: hambre, inseguridad y dificultades económicas. Nuestra gente está luchando, simplemente, por su supervivencia”, dicen los prelados.

En Etiopía, el llamamiento a la red internacional de Cáritas ha sido de 423.459 euros, que se destinan a garantizar ayuda de emergencia a 13.000 hogares en la Diócesis de Sodo.

Somalia y Kenia

Las Cáritas de Somalia y de Kenia, por su parte, están preparando un nuevo llamamiento de emergencia, cuyo lanzamiento a toda la red Cáritas está previsto en breve.

En Somalia, la situación de emergencia alimentaria se está viendo agravada por diversos brotes de cólera. La red Cáritas en el país apoya en la región de Gedo 3 hospitales, 10 unidades de atención primaria de salud y 4 centros de salud. "Tenemos dos desafíos: cólera y hambre" señala Ali, uno de los miembros del equipo de Critas en el terreno. "Si no vienen las lluvias en abril, será una catástrofe", advierte.

La hambruna de 2011 se saldó con la muerte de un cuarto de millón de personas. Pero la sequía actual es mucho más severa y prolongada que la de 2011. La respuesta de Cáritas a la emergencia se centra en las zonas rurales del centro y sur de Somalia, y cerca de la frontera con Kenia. Las actividades incluyen la instalación de puntos de agua y reparación de pozos y sistemas de irrigación, mantenimiento del ganado, reparto de alimentos, prevención de enfermedades y promoción de higiene.

RESPUESTA DE CÁRITAS ESPAÑOLA

En Perú, Cáritas Española mantiene un contacto permanente con la Cáritas nacional para hacer seguimiento puntual de la evolución de esta emergencia y la situación de los damnificados. Se está a la espera de conocer el importe total del llamamiento de emergencia para hacer efectiva, de forma inmediata, su aportación económica inicial al mismo.

En el Cuerno de Africa, Cáritas Española cuenta con una presencia cualificada en el terreno, donde Rodrigo Sáez, cooperante en la zona, trabaja acompañando el trabajo de las Cáritas de la región desde su centro de operaciones en la capital etíope, Adiss Abeba.

Con objeto de canalizar la solidaridad de los donantes españoles hacia las necesidades de los damnificados por estas dos emergencias, Cáritas ha abierto sendas campañas bajo el nombre “**Cáritas con Perú**” [COLABORAR PERÚ] y “**Cáritas con el Cuerno de África**” [COLABORAR CUERNO ÁFRICA].

También es posible hacer donaciones a través del teléfono 900.33.99.99 y de las cuentas abiertas por las Cáritas Diocesanas.

Prensa: Angel Arriví (91.444.10.16 - 619.04.53.81) – Ana Abril (91.444.10.15 – 661.20.79.41)

Nigeria's government is worried about clandestine migration. Unlike in Europe, the issue is not people coming in, but Nigerians leaving the country. New rules are being enacted to solve the problem.

Author Jan-Philipp Scholz

On Monday, the Nigerian government presented the "Immigration Regulation 2017" in Abuja. It makes it easier for businessmen to visit the country, strengthens the defense of borders against terrorism and aims for better registration of immigrants. But both the title and the packaging hide the fact that this is far from being only about immigration. New rules for emigration are just as central to the project. To quote Nigerian Interior Minister Abdulrahman Dambazu: "It is an adjustment to the dynamics of modern-day's migration realities."

Harsh measures

Mohammed Babandede, comptroller general of the Nigerian Immigration Service, is less inclined to mince words. "Nigeria today demonstrated it is committed to the fight against the smuggling of migrants. We are aware that a lot of our citizens are dying in the desert and the sea," he said. The government believes that only harsh measures will stop the dying. Accordingly, the new regulations include severe punishment for illegal migration. The old immigration law from 1963 established only modest fines of less than one euro ($1.08). New fines for infractions can go up to 3,000 euros ($2,800). Prison sentences for serious violations of the immigration law will be much longer than in the past.

Nigeria is one of the main countries of origin of illegal migration. In the last year alone, around 30,000 undocumented Nigerians crossed the Mediterranean Sea to Europe. Hundreds die each year attempting to reach the continent. Human trafficking has tarnished Nigeria's reputation around the globe. Current estimates point to more than 10,000 Nigerian women forced to prostitute themselves in Europe. Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari believes these numbers are a blight on his country's reputation and has called for a coordinated strategy to fight smugglers and human traffickers.

The right of free movement

Babandede has promised to improve cooperation with Niger and other neighboring states which Nigerian emigrants cross on their way to Europe.

"If we have evidence that a migrant is planning to travel beyond Niger, we can stop him," Babandede said.

That is the kind of measure rejected by Enira Kdrzalic, Nigeria's chief of mission of the International Organization of Migration (IOM).

"Every single person has a right of free movement," she told DW. That applies to all the citizens of the Economic Community of West.

African States (ECOWAS), Kdrzalic added, before conceding that countries like Nigeria are under heavy pressure due to climbing numbers of undocumented migrants.

The European Union is seeking assurances from African states that they will take measures to stop mass migration. Countries willing to cooperate with Europe by joining so-called "migration partnerships" will be rewarded with substantial financial aid and investments. Those who refuse will face sanctions. The EU has put aside billions of euros to finance the partnerships in coming years. Criminals will find a way

Enira Kdrzalic from the IOM believes that the failure to stop irregular emigration in Nigeria is not due to a lack of political will. Mostly, continued violations of the rules are a result of deficits in the country's administration.

"Many agencies are operating in parallel. Much action is needed to ensure the effectiveness and coordination of their activities to avoid duplications," Kdrzalic said.

Immigration head Babandede agreed that the new rules will not be enough if the job is not done properly.

"There must be a lot of training, attitude change and punishment of officials who compromise at the borders," he said.

But Babandede also said that Europe must assume part of the responsibility. He called for the quick improvement of European laws regulating legal immigration for Nigerians.

"If you don't create the opportunity for regular migration, criminal groups will provide those opportunities," Babandede said.

REGIONAL OVERVIEW

Introduction

In 2016, the operational and security situation in the Lake Chad Basin countries remained extremely challenging for Governments, humanitarians, Nigerian refugees, IDPs and host communities in Cameroon, Chad and Niger. The region is notoriously characterised by extreme poverty, harsh climatic conditions and poor infrastructure. A great majority of the region’s inhabitants have limited access to basic services and a number of epidemic outbreaks did nothing to improve their situation throughout the year. As of 31 December 2016, the Lake Chad Basin countries were hosting 200,987 Nigerian refugees. The conflict had also internally displaced 192,912 persons in Cameroon’s Far North region, 82,260 in Chad’s Lake region and 184,230 persons in Niger’s Diffa region.

By mid-2016, the Nigerian Armed Forces, with support from the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF), had succeeded in regaining territory formerly occupied by Boko Haram insurgents in north-eastern Nigeria, freeing an estimated 800,000 people in communities formerly held controlled by the terrorist group, mainly in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states. To a limited extent they were also able to neutralize Boko Haram cells in Chad, Cameroon and Niger. However, these gains were overshadowed by increased hit and run attacks from Boko Haram insurgents, including suicide bombings, kidnappings, abductions, forced recruitment, looting and livestock theft. Boko Haram abused populations on a wide scale and committed grave human rights violations including systematic acts of sexual and gender based violence (SGBV). Due to the volatile security situation, thousands of host community members in the three countries of asylum ended up in situations of displacement themselves.

Niger’s Diffa region experienced a severe setback in May and June, after the terrorist group had attacked military personnel, killing 32 and causing the displacement of 70,000 people over the course of one week, most of whom settled spontaneously alongside the Route Nationale 1 for security reasons, but with no immediate access to food, water, sanitation or other basic services, posing new challenges to the delivery of humanitarian assistance.

Nigerian refugees in Cameroon, who had preferred to stay close to the border, decided to move towards protection services and safety, by registering in Minawao refugee camp. As a result, RRRP partners had to cope with a steadily growing population in an already congested camp. In addition, Nigerians from newly liberated areas in north-eastern Nigeria fled across the borders, to access humanitarian assistance, as conditions in Nigerian IDP camps were below minimum standards across the board.

Despite many setbacks, RRRP partners managed to meet a number of the key objectives outlined in the 2016 Nigeria RRRP.

At the political level, the most significant step was certainly the establishment of the Abuja Action Statement, a joint commitment made by the governments of Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad, and Niger, to implement the Regional Strategic Protection Framework for the Lake Chad Basin situation. The Action Statement was signed at the Regional Protection Dialogue, organized in Abuja, Nigeria from 6 to 8 June 2016 by the Government of Nigeria and facilitated by UNHCR, where high-level government representatives of Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad and Niger, donors, UN agencies, NGOs and civil society discussed key protection concerns and priorities regarding the Lake Chad Basin.

Sécurité

La situation sécuritaire dans la région de l’Extrême-Nord demeure volatile et imprévisible. Les forces de défense et de sécurité camerounaises poursuivent les opérations de bouclage dans les localités frontalières avec le Nigeria. Dans la nuit du 15 au 16 mars, la localité d’Ashigashia dans le Mayo Tsanaga a été bouclée et des centaines de personnes interpellées parmi lesquelles 330 nigérians transférés dans les locaux de la commune de Mozogo et pris en charge par le budget de la commune.

Développements majeurs

Le gouverneur de la région de l’Extrême-Nord, M. Midjiyawa Bakary, a procédé le jeudi 16 mars à la remise officielle du don spécial du chef de l’Etat aux comités de vigilance du lamidat de Zamaï et du camp des réfugiés de Minawao. Le don offert au comité de vigilance du camp (181 membres) était composé pour l'essentiel de 129 sacs de riz, 52 cartons d’Huile, 70 palettes d’eau minérale, 4 cartons de sardine, 7 sacs de sel, 3 cartons de savon, des livres scolaires, 1 palette de chocolat et de 3 cartons de sucre. Ce don constitue un geste d’encouragement pour les comités de vigilance qui appuient les forces de maintien de l’ordre dans la préservation de la paix et la sécurisation du camp.

Le Chef de la Sous délégation du HCR Maroua a tenu le mardi 14 mars dans la camp de Minawao, une session d’information et de sensibilisation à l’intention des réfugiés, acteurs humanitaires et forces de maintien de l’ordre sur le contenu de l’accord tripartite signé le 2 mars dernier entre les Gouvernements de la République du Cameroun, de la République fédérale du Nigéria et le HCR. Au cours de ces échanges, il a partagé et expliqué le contenu et les implications de l’Accord afin de permettre aux différentes parties prenantes de mieux le comprendre et de l’approprier.

Le Ministre de la Communication, porte-parole du gouvernement camerounais, a effectué le 14 mars une communication officielle au cours de laquelle il a annoncé les avancées de la lutte contre Boko Haram, dont la délocalisation par les forces armées camerounaises et nigérianes d’une base du groupe dans les hauteurs du Mont Mandara et la libération de 5 000 otages conduits vers Banki au Nigéria.

Région de l’Extrême-Nord

Statistiques

Le camp de Minawao compte un total de 62 470 individus (16 817 ménages) enregistrés au 17 Mars.

Protection

Un total de 493 habitants des villes de Goulvizini (233) et Ndiguina (260) dans le département du Logone Et Chari se sont déplacés vers Waza à la suite des incursions de Boko Haram qui y ont incendié leurs cases. Les partenaires sur place s’organisent pour leur apporter assistance.
Un total de 1 346 nigérians est arrivé dans les localités de Dabanga (700) et Waza (656) dans le Logone Et Chari en provenance des villages nigérians de l’Etat de Borno où ils fuient les affrontements entre les forces armées nigérianes et les combattants de Boko Haram. 1 305 d’entre eux (350 des villages camerounais de kangaleri, Aboudja, kossa et chakalamari et 955 de Waza et Dabanga) ont été reconduits vers Banki et Gambaru au Nigéria les 12 et 17 mars par les autorités camerounaises, malgré les efforts du HCR et les multiples échanges avec les autorités militaires et administratives à Mora et Maroua d’une part et les autorités régionales de l’Extrême-Nord d’autre part.

Education

Du matériel de classe fourni par UNICEF a été distribué aux écoles et centres ECD (Early Childhood Developement) du camp de Minawao au cours de la période sous revue. Les élèves et personnels enseignants ont ainsi bénéficié de 5 347 sacs écoliers, 150 sacs enseignants, 38 kits récréatifs, et 12 ECD kits en appui à leurs activités scolaires.

Autonomisation et Moyens de subsistance

Le partenaire Plan international a procédé, sous financement HCR, à la réhabilitation et à la rétrocession de trois moulins communautaires aux villages hôtes de Zamaï, Gawar et Gadala en présence des Autorités traditionnelles. Cette activité contribue non seulement au renforcement des relations entre les populations hôtes et les réfugiés mais aussi à l’autonomisation de communautés hôtes.

Nutrition

En vue d’améliorer la situation nutritionnelle des réfugiés dans le camp de Minawao, un total de 80 relais communautaires a été formé sur le dépistage nutritionnel exhaustif en prélude à l’évaluation rapide de la situation nutritionnelle pour le compte du premier trimestre qui se déroulera du 20 au 24 mars dans le camp.

Régions de l’Est, de l’Adamaoua et du Nord

Protection de l’enfance

Dans le but d’améliorer l’environnement de protection des enfants, ainsi que l’encadrement et le suivi des enfants par les parents, un total de 193 personnes (parents, enfants, leaders religieux, membres du comité parents) a été sensibilisé sur le site de Lolo autour du thème « la négligence observée par les parents sur leurs enfants ». Sur les sites de Mbile et Timangolo, respectivement, 76 personnes ont été sensibilisées sur «l’éducation des enfants comme un atout pour une autonomisation réussie » et 71 autres personnes autour des thèmes «l’importance de la scolarisation des enfants» et «l’hygiène et le droit à la santé des enfants». Par ailleurs, 309 adolescents (225 filles et 84 garçons) ont participé aux ateliers de renforcement des capacités en broderie, couture, tricot et pâtisserie sur les axes de Garoua Boulai et Djohong.

Accès à l’état civil

Une mission conjointe d’évaluation HCR, International Medical Corps, Ministère des Affaires Sociales et Tribunal de Première Instance de Meiganga s’est rendue les 13 et 14 mars dans les centres d’état civil de Ngam, Djohong et Ngaoui. Les principales difficultés relevées pour l’établissement des actes de naissance, en particulier pour ceux des enfants réfugiés nés sur le territoire camerounais, sont l’insuffisance des registres d’acte de naissance, des ressources humaines pour la transcription des naissances dans les registres, du matériel de travail et la contrainte de recourir aux jugements supplétifs pour plusieurs enfants déclarés hors délais. La mission a émis certaines recommandations en vue d’améliorer la situation et a remis un don en petit matériel de travail sous fonds BPRM (Bureau pour la Population, les Réfugiés et la Migration).

SGBV

En vue de prévenir les violences basées sur le sexe, un total de 982 individus (879 réfugiés et 103 camerounais) a été sensibilisé à Gado, Garoua Boulai, Borgop, Ngam et Mbaimboum sur l’importance de la responsabilisation des femmes, les conséquences de l’agression physique, l’autonomisation de la femme et les difficultés qu’elles rencontrent dans l’exercice de leur travail.

Par ailleurs, dans le cadre de la promotion des droits de la femme, 25 jeunes filles ont participé à un module de formation sur le thème « Vision, rêve et objectif » avec pour objectif de les encourager à visualiser leur avenir et à identifier les différents étapes et obstacles à l’atteinte de leurs objectifs.

Biométrie

L’opération de vérification/enrôlement des réfugiés à la biométrie dans les régions de l’Est, de l’Adamaoua et du Nord se poursuit. Un total de 2 188 individus (1 193 femmes et 995 hommes) a été enrôlé au cours de la semaine sous rubrique dans les centres de Taparé, Mandjou et Bouli à l’Est. Ceci porte à 151 248 individus (79 985 femmes et 71 263 hommes) le nombre de personnes vérifiées depuis le début de l’opération en Février 2016. L’opération se poursuivra dans les localités de Gbiti et Ndokayo toujours dans la région de l’Est.

Situation Overview

An estimated seven million people across Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states of Nigeria are in need of life-saving 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.

Highlights

• Chad’s pipeline of Ready to Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) is facing an alarming strain. The current pipeline covers up to June 2017. Chad is a landlocked country and new supplies take four months to arrive in country - unless new funds are received by end of March, the country will be facing an RUTF shortage.

• An Intercluster assessment mission visited 14 villages, of which 10 are on the islands south of Bol, where no humanitarian assistance has been provided to date. The mission estimated the affected population in visited areas at nearly 40,000 people, 30% of whom are school-aged children. As urgent humanitarian needs were identified (no access to drinking water and sanitation, malnutrition and food insecurity, lack of basic services), UNICEF is preparing a response plan to tackle them.

• In the Lake Region, 16 boreholes with hand pumps in the islands and villages in Bol and Kangalom areas were completed, providing access to drinking water for 8,500 people. A total of 158 boreholes have been dug by UNICEF in the region since the beginning of the crisis.

• $1.77 million in new emergency funding was received in February. When carry forward for 2016 projects is considered, the UNICEF HAC is 17% funded.

Situation Overview & Humanitarian Needs

Population Displacement

As of February 2017, there are 127,022 displaced persons in the Lake Region, including 106,045 registered persons (90,911 IDPs, 14,810 Chadians returnees and 324 third-country nationals), 12,759 estimated displaced persons and 8,218 Nigerian refugees1. Although displacement numbers remain globally stable, according to the CNARR2, the government body for refugees, about 500 households left the islands surrounding Bol (Kora 1, 2 and Garoua 1, 2) following the deployment of the military in January, and moved to the IDP site of Kousserie, in Bagasola. An IOM team assessed the site on 23 February and confirmed the information. In addition, according to MSF, 330 households which represent 2,300 people have arrived in Koulkimé 1, 2 and 3 from the villages of Kingirme and Dodgi south of Bol, followed by a second wave of displacements of 65 households. Ongoing military movements in the Lake region could be accompanied by an increase in security incidents or displacement. Last year, the resurgence of attacks and similar incidents in the Lake region in June-August 2016 coincided with the military operations of the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF).

By end of February, more than 1,200 men, women and children have allegedly surrendered according to authorities, including 562 children. The Bagasola site where male surrenders were under surveillance of the MNJTF was found empty due to departures of the men reportedly to their villages of origin.

A mission by UNICEF protection partners and by WFP to the villages of return of the children with their families showed that the islands were not uninhabited as initially believed. The Humanitarian Country Team had requested an intercluster assessment mission, which took place from 10 and 15 February to visit 14 out of 22 initial villages of return. The mission estimated the affected population in visited areas at nearly 40,000 people, 30% of whom are school-aged children. 10 of the villages were on islands on the lake, while 4 were on land near IDP sites. Although the protection needs of the returnees was particularly acute, the overall humanitarian needs on the islands are the same for the entire population: stressed livelihoods, lack of access to basic services like health and education, absence of safe drinking water, and need for non-food items to protect children from the elements. The very difficult physical access to remote island villages was highlighted as a major challenge to humanitarian assistance and for the presence of the government through public services.

In Southern and Eastern Chad, the situation remains stable. 67,408 Central African refugees and 68,638 Chadian returnees still live in camps, and 33,356 returnees live in host villages. In the East, 314,441 refugees live in 12 camps, 1 site and host villages.

285.0 M required for 2017

15.0 M contributions received, representing 4% of requirement

270.0 M funding gap for West Africa

• UNHCR distributes relief items to IDPs in Western Bahr el Ghazal: In Wau, UNHCR distributed non-food items (NFIs) to 4,483 most vulnerable IDPs including 1,175 at Nog-lima, 1,262 at Ngisa 2,046 at the Episcopal Church (ECS) of Sudan premises outside Wau town. NFIs included dignity kits for women of reproductive age, pieces of soap, secondhand clothes, jerry cans, and buckets. This intervention comes after the government granted access to the Baggari area, which has been inaccessible to aid agencies since 2016. Thousands of IDPs settled in Baggari County and surrounding villages as a result of the armed conflict which intensified around Wau in June 2016.
  
• UNHCR commemorates International Women’s Day across South Sudan: Across South Sudan, UNHCR and its partners in collaboration with refugees, host community and IDPs celebrated the International Women’s Day (IWD) on 8 March. The annual event was marked under the UNHCR theme: "UNHCR Supports Women’s Right to Decent Work" and the global theme: "Women in a Changing World of Work: Planet 50-50 by 2030." UNHCR and partners organized a series of events including drama, processions, songs and speeches that raised awareness on the importance of education for women and girls, ending violence against women and girls, peaceful co-existence, and gender equality.
  
• UNHCR launches Biometric Identity Management System in South Sudan: In Juba, UNHCR launched the Biometric Identity Management System (BIMS) following staff training and simulation with the support of refugees. BIMS is a multi-modular biometric system that allows the capture of 10 fingers and two iris scans, in addition to the picture, providing support to the operation in preserving and protection identities thus strengthening the provision of protection services such as assistance to refugees and other persons of concern to UNHCR. The system will be gradually rolled out across the South Sudan Operation through verification and continuous registration activities until the end of 2017.
  
• UNHCR supports refugees in the formation Saving Loans Associations in Upper Nile: In Yusuf Batil and Doro camps, UNHCR partner Relief International (RI) supported the formation of 11 Village Saving Loans Associations each comprising 20 members. The 220 Village Saving Loans Association members will undergo a 9-month training cycle on savings and loan concept as well as receive entrepreneurship training. The overall aim of establishing Village Saving Loans Associations is to ensure increased access to financial and social capital among persons of concern who participate in the association activities.
  
• UNHCR gives startup business kits to refugees in Doro camp, Upper Nile state: In Doro camp, UNHCR and partner RI issued business startup kits to 43 entrepreneurs following entrepreneurship training and business pitch competitions where viable proposals were awarded in-kind grants to establish small businesses. Small business ideas supported include Butchery and Livestock trade; Bakery; Snack and Teashop; Hairdressing and vegetable production.
  
• UNHCR conducts Protection Monitoring Mission to Riimenze: During the reporting period, UNHCR undertook a protection monitoring mission to Riimenze to assess the situation of 6,617 IDPs sheltering at the Catholic Church premises. The mission’s findings included priority needs and gaps such as lack of food, non-food items, education, and health facilities. UNHCR briefed humanitarian actors in Yambio to intervene to fill the gaps identified above. Displacement was caused by fighting between government forces and armed youth in surrounding villages since 3 January 2017 near Riimenze 30 kilometers from Yambio town.

KEY FIGURES

600 Mauritanian refugees who expressed their interest in being naturalised have their file being handled by a legal consulting company that supports the naturalization process

50 Protection incidents have been reported in north and central regions of Mali since January 2017

FUNDING

USD 40 million requested for the operation

PRIORITIES

• 7 partners targeted to receive support and capacity development for the response of humanitarian needs of IDPs
  
• 1,000 Malian refugee returnees targeted to receive production kits for agriculture/livestock/fishery activities
  
• 4,000 protection incidents planned to be reported
  
• 1,500 Mauritanian refugee children targeted to be enrolled in primary education
  
• 3,500 Mauritanian refugees targeted to receive production kits for agriculture/livestock/fishery activities
  
• 400 urban households targeted to receive cash grants

HIGHLIGHTS

A delegation of the Senior Transformative Agenda Implementation Team (STAIT) visited Mali from 13rd to 20th February with the aim of improving the efficiency of the humanitarian response in Mali. The mission focused on leadership, coordination, access and accountability to affected populations, protection, and the humanitarian-development nexus in the context of an integrated mission. UNHCR took an active part in the visit.

On 8 and 9 February was held in Bamako a national workshop on the revision of the protection cluster strategy in presence of 36 participants from national authorities, UN agencies, NGOs regional clusters and MINUSMA.

The 8th meeting of the tripartite commission UNHCR/Mali/Niger was held in Niamey on 23 and 24 February on the repatriation of Malian refugees in Niger. The 2nd meeting of the tripartite commission UNHCR/Mali/Mauritania took place in Nouakchott on 28 February. A work plan for March to May 2017 was drafted.

Project proposals for underfunded CERF funding have been submitted for the Mali situation. UNHCR submitted two projects: one to the NFI/Shelter Cluster for an amount of 300.000 USD, and one to the Protection Cluster for 300.000 USD. In total, USD 7 million have been allocated under the underfunded CERF budget for Mali this year.

More than 230 MT of Ready to Use Therapeutic Food have been recently dispatched from HRD Accra on behalf of UNICEF.

In mid-December 2016, five UNHRD’s Rapid Response Team members were deployed to Northeast Nigeria supporting WFP scaling up operations, and the efforts of several international organizations.
Two members are still supporting humanitarian operations.