KHARTOUM – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) today began to move food assistance to reach famine-hit and food-insecure people in South Sudan by using a newly opened humanitarian corridor announced by the Government of Sudan this week.

The new route enables WFP to transport food assistance overland from El Obeid in central Sudan to Bentiu of Unity State in South Sudan.

Today, the first convoy of 27 trucks carrying an initial 1,200 metric tons of sorghum started moving at 15:00 hours from El Obeid in central Sudan towards Bentiu in South Sudan. The convoys will take 5 days (best-case scenario) to complete the 500km journey. In the next few weeks, WFP plans to deliver 11,000 metric tons of sorghum—including 1,000 metric tons donated by the Government of Sudan—in seven convoys of 30 to 40 trucks. This is enough food to feed 300,000 people for three months.

“WFP would like to thank the Government of Sudan for acting decisively by opening this new corridor,” said WFP Sudan Representative and Country Director Matthew Hollingworth. “This new route will allow WFP to regularly reach famine-affected people in South Sudan with food assistance and help to avert the consequences of starvation.”

With pockets of famine declared earlier this year in parts of southern Unity State, and many other areas of the country on the brink of famine, this new access will allow WFP to reach families in South Sudan who are suffering from hunger.

Following the eruption of violence in South Sudan in December 2013, WFP has been moving food assistance through a corridor linking White Nile State in Sudan with Upper Nile State in South Sudan. To date, thanks to an agreement first signed between Sudan and South Sudan in July 2014, WFP has moved over 57,420 metric tons of assorted commodities through this corridor into South Sudan.

WFP Sudan is also providing food assistance to South Sudanese refugees who now reside in Sudan after fleeing violence and food insecurity in their own country. Currently WFP is assisting over 250,000 South Sudanese refugees across Sudan, mainly in White Nile State.

Throughout 2017, WFP plans to assist more than four million vulnerable people in Sudan, including internally displaced people, refugees, people affected by climate change, and host communities. WFP provides such support through a range of activities, including emergency food assistance, cash-based transfers (or vouchers), nutritional support, and resilience-building activities to help communities become increasingly independent.

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WFP is the world's largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide, delivering food assistance in emergencies and working with communities to improve nutrition and build resilience. Each year, WFP assists some 80 million people in around 80 countries.

Follow us on Twitter @wfp_media @wfp_mena

For more information please contact (email address: firstname.lastname@wfp.org):
John Nelson, WFP/Khartoum, Tel. +249 183248001 (ext. 2107), Mobile: +249 912167197
Abdulaziz Abdulmomin, WFP/Khartoum, Tel. +249 183248001 (ext. 2123), Mob. +249 912167055

• 92.9 M required for 2017

• 10.0 M contributions received, representing 11% of requirements

• 82.9 M funding gap for the Mali Situation

All figures are displayed in USD

KEY MESSAGES

• In West Africa, regional staple food production during the 2016/17 marketing year was well above average. International rice and wheat imports continue to support regional market supplies. Current market anomalies remain largely concentrated in the eastern marketing basin, including but not limited to: conflict-related market disruptions in the Lake Chad basin, localized above-average grain deficits in Niger, the impacts of the continued depreciation of the Naira, and the closure of the Libya-Chad border, which has limited imports of processed and manufactured goods (Page 3).

• In East Africa, prices remain well above-average in South Sudan, Somalia, and Yemen. Somalia is facing well below average domestic production. Markets remain severely disrupted by insecurity in Yemen and South Sudan. Import capacity in Yemen is uncertain, and food availability may be constrained in the coming months. Staple food prices followed seasonal trends in Tanzania, Sudan, and Ethiopia, while increasing atypically in Uganda and Kenya (Page 4).

• In Southern Africa, regional maize availability improved in February, as the 2016/17 production season continued. Production prospects for the current season are good. This follows a year of very poor maize production, resulting in very large regional deficits. Maize imports by South Africa and Zimbabwe from well-supplied international grain markets have offset over half of the regional deficit. Maize prices are now below their respective 2016 levels, but remain above average region-wide. Prices continued to increase in February in flood-affected areas of southern Mozambique (Page 5).

• In Central America, maize and bean availability increased following the recent Postrera harvest and the start of the Apante harvest. Maize and bean prices were atypically stable or increasing across the region, with varied trends compared to average levels. In Haiti, markets are still recovering from the impact of Hurricane Matthew. Local maize and bean prices remain above average levels in the major southwestern markets of Les Cayes and Jeremie (Page 6). Imported commodity prices remain stable.

• In Central Asia, average regional harvests and above-average stocks sustained adequate supplies. Prices were below 2016 levels in Kazakhstan, above-average in Tajikistan, and near average in Afghanistan and Pakistan (Page 7).

• International staple food markets remain well supplied. Rice, wheat, and soybean prices increased, while maize prices varied in February (Figure 2). Crude oil prices increased slightly, but remain well below average (Page 2).

FEATURE

Iraq

AFFECTED AREAS Mosul

CAUSE OF DISPLACEMENT Conflict

FIGURES About 172,000 new displacements between 19 February and 23 March

CONTEXT

About 172,000 people fled western neighbourhoods of Mosul for camps and emergency sites between 19 February and 23 March as military operations to retake the western part of Mosul from ISIL moved into more heavily populated areas of the old city. This brings to almost 274,000 the total number of people displaced from eastern and western Mosul as of 23 March. More than 350,000 people were displaced between 17 October and 23 March, of whom 76,000 returned home to eastern Mosul and surrounding areas.

Displaced people report fear of being caught in the crossfire during the journey to safety.

Across Iraq, returnees and people who remain in their homes face severe shortages of necessities, life-threatening risks from explosive hazards and restrictions to freedom of movement (OCHA, 23 March 2017).

The European Union, FAO and WFP have joined forces with FEWS NET, UNICEF and regional organisations like CILSS, IGAD and SICA to coordinate needs assessment to increase the impact of humanitarian and resilience responses through the preparation of the “Global Report on Food Crises”. This Global Report aims to enhance coordination and decision making through a neutral analysis that informs programming and implementation. The key objective and strength of the report is to establish a consultative and consensus-based process to compile food insecurity analyses from around the world into a global public product. The report compares and clarifies results of food security analyses conducted by various partners and across geographical areas to provide a clear picture of acute food insecurity situation.

The report provides food security population estimates for countries selected on the basis of the degree of risk of facing acute food crises in 2016 and beyond. In addition, a detailed food security analysis is presented for those countries and/or population groups facing high severity and magnitude of acute food insecurity based on IPC/CH classification.

Le monde doit aujourd’hui répondre à un appel à la mobilisation sans précédent face à la situation de quatre pays menacés par la famine, et à la demande croissante d’aide humanitaire et de résilience. Dans ce contexte, il est de la plus haute importance d’informer la communauté de la sécurité alimentaire à l’échelle mondiale et nationale, quant au risque de crises alimentaires et à la sévérité de ces crises. Les parties prenantes ont largement investi dans l’analyse de la sécurité alimentaire et les systèmes d’alerte précoce afin de mieux prévenir et répondre aux crises alimentaires.

Bien que des progrès considérables aient été accomplis au fil du temps en matière de méthodes et de technologies utilisées pour améliorer la qualité et l’opportunité des évaluations de la sécurité alimentaire et des systèmes de suivi, une vision globale et commune des crises alimentaires à l’échelle mondiale fait encore défaut.

En 2016, le Sommet mondial sur l'action humanitaire a amorcé une révision majeure de la façon dont le financement de la réponse humanitaire est accordé dans les contextes de crise et a souligné la nécessité de consentir des investissements à plus long terme en faveur du développement.

Conformément aux principaux engagements des Objectifs de Développement Durable (ODD) et aux recommandations du rapport « Une seule humanité: des responsabilités partagées », l’Union européenne, la FAO et le PAM et se sont mobilisés pour coordonner l’évaluation des besoins à travers la préparation du «Rapport mondial sur les crises alimentaires» pour renforcer l'impact des interventions humanitaires et de résilience .

Le Rapport mondial vise à renforcer la coordination et la prise de décision sur la base d’une analyse neutre qui informe la planification et la mise en œuvre des programmes. Le principal objectif et la force de ce rapport sont la mise en place d’un processus consultatif et consensuel permettant de compiler les analyses sur la sécurité alimentaire dans le monde entier et d’en faire un produit public global.
Le rapport compare et explicite les résultats des analyses sur la sécurité alimentaire menées par différents partenaires et dans différentes zones géographiques afin de dresser un bilan précis de la situation humanitaire mondiale en matière d’insécurité alimentaire aiguë.

Le Rapport mondial sur les crises alimentaires 2017 couvre la période allant de janvier à décembre 2016 et fournit de nombreuses analyses sur la sécurité alimentaire et la nutrition concernant des pays qui présentent une vulnérabilité chronique aux crises alimentaires et où de larges pans de la population vivent en insécurité alimentaire aiguë.

Les principales sources d’information sont le Cadre intégré de classification de la sécurité alimentaire (IPC) et le Cadre harmonisé (CH), là où ces systèmes sont mis en place. D’autres sources d’information sont les produits du Centre commun de recherche (CCR) de l’UE, du Cluster Sécurité Alimentaire, de la Communauté de Développement d’Afrique Australe (SADC), de la FAO, du FEWS NET, du PAM et de l’UNICEF.

Ce rapport contient également des estimations démographiques de la sécurité alimentaire de pays sélectionnés en fonction des crises alimentaires aiguës auxquels ils ont été confrontés en 2016 et au-delà. En outre, une analyse détaillée de la sécurité alimentaire est présentée dans le cas des pays ou groupes de population faisant face à une insécurité alimentaire aiguë à forte sévérité ou magnitude et sélectionnés en fonction de leur classification IPC/ CH.

New global report on food crises offers benchmark for action needed to avoid disasters

BRUSSELS - Despite international efforts to address food insecurity, around 108 million people in the world were severely food insecure in 2016, a dramatic increase compared with 80 million in 2015, according to a new global report on food crises released in Brussels today.

The report, whose compilation required integrating several measurement methodologies, represents a new and politically innovative collaboration between the European Union and USAID/FEWSNET, regional food security institutions together with UN agencies including the Food and Agriculture Organization, the World Food Programme and Unicef.

The dramatic increase reflects the trouble people have in producing and accessing food due to conflict, record-high food prices in local markets in affected countries and extreme weather conditions such drought and erratic rainfall caused by El Niño.

Civil conflict is the driving factor in nine of the 10 worst humanitarian crises, underscoring the strong linkage between peace and food security, says the Global Report on Food Crises 2017 report.

By joining forces to deliver neutral analytical insights drawn from multiple institutions, the report – to be issued annually - enables better-informed planning decisions to respond to food crises in a more timely, global and coordinated way.

"This report highlights the critical need for prompt and targeted action to effectively respond to the food crises and to address their root causes. The EU has taken leadership in this response. In 2016, we allocated €550 million already, followed by another €165 million that we have just mobilized to assist the people affected by famine and drought in the Horn of Africa," said Neven Mimica, Commissioner for International Cooperation and Development.

"The report is the outcome of a joint effort and a concrete follow-up to the commitments the EU made at the World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul, which identified the urgent need for transparent, independent but consensus-based analysis of crises. I hope this document will be a strong tool for the whole international community to improve the coordination of our responses to crises," added Christos Stylianides, Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management.

Most critical situations are worsening

This year, the demand for humanitarian and resilience building assistance will further escalate as four countries are at risk of famine: South Sudan, Somalia, Yemen and northeast Nigeria. Other countries that require massive levels of assistance because of widespread food insecurity are Iraq, Syria (including refugees in neighbouring countries) Malawi and |Zimbabwe. In the absence of immediate and substantive action not only to save people’s lives, but also to pull them back from the brink of famine, the food security situation in these countries will continue to worsen in coming months, according to the new report.

“The cost in human and resource terms only increases if we let situations deteriorate,” said FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva. “We can prevent people dying from famine but if we do not scale up our efforts to save, protect and invest in rural livelihoods, tens of millions will remain severely food insecure.”

“The numbers tell a deeply worrying story with more than 100 million people severely food-insecure, a level of suffering which is driven by conflict and climate change. Hunger exacerbates crisis, creating ever greater instability and insecurity. What is a food security challenge today becomes tomorrow’s security challenge,” said Ertharin Cousin, Executive Director of the World Food Programme. “It is a race against time – the world must act now to save the lives and livelihoods of the millions at the brink of starvation.”

The 108 million people reported to be facing severe food insecurity in 2016 represent those suffering from higher-than-usual acute malnutrition and a broad lack of minimally adequate food even with external assistance. This includes households that can cope with their minimum food needs only by depleting seeds, livestock and agricultural assets needed to produce food in the future. Without robust and sustained action, people struggling with severe food insecurity risk slipping into an even worse situation and eventual starvation.

Read the new report:

Global Report on Food Crises 2017

Related links:

FAO: Global Information and Early Warning System

WFP: Vulnerability Analysis and Mapping

Integrated Food Security Phase Classification

Food Security Information Network

Partners:

European Commission International Cooperation and Development

USAID/FEWSNET

Permanent Interstate Committee for Drought Control in the Sahel (CILSS)

Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD)

Central American Integration System (SICA)

Food and Agriculture Organization

World Food Programme

UNICEF

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WFP is the world's largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide, delivering food assistance in emergencies and working with communities to improve nutrition and build resilience. Each year, WFP assists some 80 million people in around 80 countries.

Follow us on Twitter @wfp_media

For more information please contact (email address: firstname.lastname@wfp.org): Jane Howard, WFP/Rome, Tel. +39 06 65132321, Mob. +39 346 7600521
Gregory Barrow, WFP/London, Tel. +44 20 72409001, Mob. +44 7968 008474
Bettina Luescher, WFP/Geneva, Tel. +41 22 917 8564, Mob. + 41-79-842-8057
Steve Taravella, WFP/Washington DC, Tel. +1 202 653 1149, Mob. +1 202 770 5993
Gerald Bourke, WFP/New York, Tel. +1-646-5566909, Mob. +1-646 525 9982

Following famine being declared in several areas in South Sudan earlier this month, Guernsey is to send £46,000 in emergency relief to the struggling country through HART.

With ongoing civil war, widespread conflict, massive inflation, and drought, millions are at risk of starvation and 100,000 South Sudanese are already experiencing famine conditions. Now, more than ever, funds are needed to counter the worst effects of this horrible situation.

Last week it was announced that the Overseas Aid & Development Commission, the body that distributes money provided by the States of Guernsey to charities undertaking development and humanitarian work in the world’s least developed countries, will be donating over £46,000 to buy flour, beans, salt and cooking oil for those effected by the current situation in Wau, Western Bahr-el-Ghazal, South Sudan.

The Humanitarian Aid Relief Trust will be distributing this aid through its local partners, providing each household, of around eight people, with a 25kg bag of flour and beans, a five litre can of cooking oil and a bag of salt.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank the Overseas Aid & Development Commission and the people of Guernsey for your help. These funds will make a huge difference, and assist in saving countless lives. Thank you.

• A cause de l’insécurité dans les localités des régions de Tahoua et de Tillabery frontalières du Mali et du Burkina Faso, les autorités nigériennes ont déclaré l’état d’urgence dans deux départements1 de la région de Tahoua et dans cinq départements2 de la région de Tillabéry le 3 mars, pour une période initiale de 15 jours. Cette mesure a été reconduite pour une durée de trois mois. Selon les informations non exhaustives recueillies sur le terrain, 24 attaques visant principalement les positions militaires ont été enregistrées depuis février 2016.

• Les mesures sécuritaires accompagnant l’état d’urgence incluent la fermeture de trois marchés hebdomadaires3 dans la région de Tahoua et l’interdiction de circulation de véhicules et de motos. A Tillabéry, l’interdiction de la circulation des motos est permanente tandis qu’à Tahoua elle est en vigueur de 20 heures à 6 heures 30. Ces mesures prévoient, entre autres, la possibilité de réquisition, le renforcement des contrôles et patrouilles, des perquisitions et des fouilles sur les populations.
  Elles s’appliquent aussi dans les camps de réfugiés.

• En janvier 2017, le Niger, le Mali et le Burkina Faso ont décidé de créer une force militaire tripartite pour le contrôle de leur frontière commune.

• Plus de 846 000 personnes4 vivent dans les départements où l’état d’urgence est appliqué. Par ailleurs, plus de 56 000 réfugiés5 maliens sont accueillis dans les deux régions. Au début de cette année, les acteurs humanitaires estimaient à près de 88 0006 le nombre de personnes ayant besoin d’assistance humanitaire dans ces départements.

• En raison de l’insécurité, dans la région de Tahoua, les autorités avec l’appui de l’UNHCR, ont relocalisé 1 378 réfugiés maliens de la zone d’accueil des réfugiés de Tazalite vers Intikane du 21 au 31 janvier 2017.

• Au total, neuf cases de santé dans le district sanitaire de Banibangou sont fermées à cause de l’insécurité.
  Les deux dernières cases de santé fermées (Adabdab et Foné Ganda) l’ont été après l’attaque armée du 18 mars durant laquelle des médicaments ont été volés et des menaces proférées à l’endroit des agents de santé.

• Le 24 mars, les organisations humanitaires ont effectué des missions rapides dans les départements de Ouallam et de Banibangou, afin d’évaluer la situation humanitaire dans les zones touchées par l’état d’urgence. Les participants à ces missions ont noté la volonté des populations de ne pas se déplacer vers d’autres localités et ont relevé des besoins dans les secteurs de l’éducation, de la santé, de l’accès à l’eau, l’hygiène et l’assainissement, de la nutrition, de la sécurité alimentaire et de la protection. Des évaluations plus approfondies dans ces différents secteurs sont recommandées, afin de déterminer l’ampleur des besoins humanitaires actuels et les risques d’aggravation. De plus, un système de suivi de l’évolution du contexte est mis en place par OCHA et les ONG présentes dans les deux régions.

ABYEI OVERVIEW AND DISPLACEMENT DYNAMICS

The Abyei Administrative Area (AAA) is a territory of 10,546 km2 bordering Sudan and South Sudan and disputed by the two countries. While the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement mandated a referendum to determine Abyei’s permanent status, the vote has yet to be held due to disputes over who qualities to vote and composition of the Abyei Referendum Commission.

The AAA is divided by two dominant culturally distinct groups: the agro-pastoralist Dinka-Ngok and the pastoral Misseriya. Conflict dynamics between the two groups are complex, with a number of different contributors or drivers. This includes drivers embedded in livelihood patterns that require migrations through Dinka-Ngok territory by the Misseriya.

Those tensions have been exacerbated by national politics that have made Abyei a contested area following the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement in 2005 that would eventually lead to South Sudan’s independence from Sudan in 2011. The relationship between the communities has been subsumed by the struggle between the countries to the north and south. The Dinka-Ngok have strong cultural and political ties to the Government of South Sudan while the Misseriya have supported the interests of the Government of Sudan. Competition over Abyei between the two capitals (Juba and Khartoum) is linked to maintaining loyalties of their respective communities and the impact that these communities have on national politics. Serious fighting in 2007 to 2008 in the area led to the displacement of up to 25,000 people from the central part of Abyei including Abyei town to areas south of river Kiir in Agok and surrounding villages.

In 2011 when Sudanese military and Khartoum-supported militia groups moved into the Abyei area, approximately 110,0003 Dinka-Ngok were displaced and residences and critical public infrastructure destroyed/looted mainly in areas north of the river. Most were displaced into the southern parts of Abyei including Agok and Abathok. Households were also displaced to neighboring states in South Sudan including Warrap, Northern Bahr Ghazal, Unity, Western Bahr Ghazal, Lakes and Central Equatoria States. Some of the IDPs have not yet returned to Abyei due to fears of renewed violence. Mutual mistrust between the two communities continued to be a source of intermittent conict, including the murder of a senior Dinka-Ngok leader in 2013.

Since the displacement of 2011 and particularly following the withdrawal of the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) from the Abyei Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) Box in May 2012, a number of the displaced households started returning to Abyei PCA Box. Initially most (approximately 37,000 persons) returned to areas around Agok – a village South of River Kiir/ Bahr Al Arab along the border between Abyei and Warrap State. As of late 2016, approximately 15,000 individuals are estimated to have returned to their areas of origin in the following villages: Noong, Dungop, Leu, Marial Achak, Tajalei, Rumameer, Mijak, Mading and Miyodol and the surrounding villages north of River Kiir/Bahr Al Arab.

After the emergence of civil conflict in South Sudan in December 2013, approximately 6,000 IDPs from neighboring Unity and Warrap states in South Sudan fled to Abyei. The IDPs from Unity temporarily settled in Rumameer payam in Mading Deng Kaya (MDK), Magar, Rumameer and Awal. Most of those who moved during 2015 to 2016 travelled onwards to Sudan, a smaller number returned to Unity or integrated with communities in Abyei and in the Greater Bahr el Ghazal region. Most of the IDPs from Warrap have returned, moved to other locations within South Sudan or travelled northwards to Sudan.

In 2016, there were multiple inter-communal security incidents between the communities and the Abyei population in need continued to move to Sudan due to economic hardships. Push factors included the closure of blanket food distribution for the Abyei community and IDPs in 2016, lack of adequate services including health and education and the impact of the July 2016 insurgency in Juba which exacerbated already dire living conditions. In the month of January 2017, cross-border movement trend tracking conducted by IOM indicated approximately 2,000 individuals or 1,200 households moving to Sudan to seek better health and education services whereas approximately 90 individuals were recorded entering into Abyei during the same period . These figures indicate an overall outward trend of movements from Abyei to Sudan.

Juba, 30 March 2017 - The World Health Organization (WHO) continues to scale up its response to reduce preventable deaths and diseases, and provide health services in famine-affected areas of South Sudan. In February 2017, famine was declared in the former Unity State, where 100 000 people face starvation and another 1 million are on the brink of famine.

The total number of food insecure people is expected to rise to 5.5 million at the height of the lean season in July if nothing is done to curb the severity and spread of the food crisis. Children are particularly vulnerable to malnourishment in times of famine. In Unity State, an estimated 270 000 children and 350 000 women are affected by severe acute malnutrition.

“A malnourished child is a sick child, and if you only give them food, they will die as they need both food and care,” said Dr Abdulmumini Usman, the WHO Representative to South Sudan. “Sadly, by the time a famine is declared, it is too late for thousands of people.”

Health is an essential part of the famine response.. Those who are malnourished are also more likely to get sick and are more likely to be affected during disease outbreaks; and when they get sick they are more likely to die.

Acute malnutrition weakens the immune system, which makes affected children, lactating/pregnant mothers and people with underlying medical conditions more susceptible to killer diseases such as measles, malaria, pneumonia and deterioration in the existing underlying medical conditions. Globally, undernutrition is an underlying factor in more than half of child deaths from pneumonia and malaria, and more than 40% of measles deaths.

WHO has a team of more than 350 people based in South Sudan who have worked closely with the Ministry of Health for many years. The team in South Sudan has been responding to this crisis for months. However, South Sudan is a country dealing with multiple crises and challenges, including conflict and weak health infrastructure, which make it a particularly challenging place to operate and obtain results.

WHO has worked closely with Health Cluster partners in famine-affected areas in former Unity State, especially in Leer, Koch and Mayendit Counties, to deliver much needed health assistance, especially during the recent cholera outbreak that continues. In 2017, WHO supported a cholera vaccination campaign, including in famine-affected areas, and provided 69 000 doses of oral cholera vaccine to Unity State. Later this year, WHO will support a nationwide measles campaign, including famine-affected areas.

Surge support to fortify WHO’s famine response

To help respond effectively to the emergency, WHO is in the midst of deploying additional personnel with specific emergency response experiences, such as on coordination, disease surveillance and information management, and additional resources, such as medicines and kits to help treat medical complications of severe acute malnutrition.

“We want to focus our efforts on increasing access to essential health and nutritional services, plus strengthening disease surveillance and data collection,” said Dr Solomon Woldetsadik, WHO Incident Manager for the famine response. “If you can’t see where the outbreaks are happening, you can’t effectively target your response and treat the people.”

WHO's immediate priorities will be to prevent and control disease outbreaks, such as cholera, measles, malaria and polio, improve emergency health services delivery, strengthening coordination between the Government and partners at local, state and national levels, utilizing data and information to provide a more targeted response, and looking at ways to ensure resilience for service delivery in the future.

WHO requires additional funding, and currently expects the response in South Sudan to cost US$ 20.1 million, but has only received US$ 2.1 million so far. South Sudan’s Health Cluster, including WHO, is seeking US$ 145 million for 2017. Funding needs may rise as the crisis evolves.

Highlights

• In Diffa region, the security situation remained volatile in January and February 2017, due to the continuous attacks of Boko Haram. Humanitarian needs continue to raise in all sectors. At the end of February, according to official figures, Diffa hosted 242,541 IDPs, refugees and returning Nigeriens.

• 151 people, including 25 boys and 3 girls, 12 women and 26 children dependents, allegedly surrendered to Diffa regional authorities as of end of February. On February 15th the UN Resident Coordinator signed an agreement with the Government of Niger for the systematic release of children allegedly associated with Boko Haram. Children will be systematically handed over to the child protection services, under the technical and financial support of UNICEF.

• The security situation in Western Niger continued to worsen. Multiple attacks on Nigerien Defense and Security Forces (FDS) occurred in the last quarter of 2016 and in early 2017, causing several casualties. In January 2017 the refugee camp of Tazalite had to be relocated to Intikane following the attack of October 2016 to the FDS securing the camp. UNICEF is preparing a contingency plan

• 35,101 children under 5 years suffering from severe acute malnutrition (SAM) have been admitted in health facilities for therapeutic care across the country (14.2% of the expected 2017 caseload), including 4,217 cases with medical complications for care in-patient facilities (IPF) in 44 hospitals (week 8).

• 301 cases of measles reported in Niger, with 6 cases in Maine Soroa in the Diffa region and 153 cases (51%) in Tahoua, which is then in epidemic. A response campaign is currently ongoing. 600,000 doses of vaccines that UNICEF had provided in 2016 as part of the contingency stock of the Directorate for Surveillance and Response to Epidemics, have been used together with those provided by MSF for the current response.

• A polio vaccination campaign (polio monovalent type 2) was organized from 28th to 31st January. 266,685 children were reached out of a target of 255,866, a performance of 104%. A total of 39,622 children were vaccinated amongst the displaced population, which represents 15% of all the children vaccinated.

Situation Overview & Humanitarian Needs

Simultaneous humanitarian crises continue to have a major impact on children and families in Niger in 2017, according to the Humanitarian Needs Overview1 analysis. Five major crises are expected to affect 1,9 million people in Niger, including malnutrition crisis (247,500 children affected by SAM nationwide), population movements (302,000 people in displacement in Diffa and 200,000 migrants in transit), epidemics (766,000 people expected to be affected), floods (106,000 people) and food security (1,3 million).

UNICEF continues to provide assistance to affected population, in partnership with government and NGOs, through multisector and coordinated efforts, with an emergency approach for the assistance to the most vulnerable populations immediately after a shock, as well as longer terms interventions to guarantee durable solutions.

212 cases of meningitis were reported in Niger, with 17 deaths (fatality rate 8%) at the end of week 8, but with none of the health district having reached the alert threshold. In preparation of the epidemic season, UNICEF had provided 36,450 vials of Ceftriaxone 1g to the Ministry of Health. Niger is also facing a serious fodder deficit which, according to the Ministry of Education, is estimated to affect over 33,000 students, particularly in Tahoua, Zinder and Maradi regions. UNICEF received a CERF Under-Funded allocation for education, to respond to this crisis as well as to strengthen the response in Diffa. Additional CERF Under-Funded allocation have been granted to UNICEF for Child Protection and WASH activities including in schools in Diffa, and WASH activities in regions affected by the nutritional crisis.

The European Union believes that good training for the country’s security forces is necessary for lasting peace and stability in Mali. Germany has been participating in EUTM Mali (EU Training Mission in Mali) for four years now. Foreign Minister Gabriel today told the German Bundestag why the mission is particularly important for Germany.

Five years ago, Islamist militias brought brutal violence and destruction to Mali. The extremists’ advance on the capital, Bamako, was stopped only through resolute action by France. The Malian Government had requested such support. Terrorism and the smouldering conflict between various ethnic groups had long robbed the state of control of large swathes of the country.

Helping people help themselves

Since then, the help given by the international community has brought many improvements: the Government and separatist rebel groups signed a peace agreement in June 2015. The gradual improvement in the security and humanitarian situation is due in part to the EU Mission in which Germany is participating: EUTM Mali is intended to enable the Malian armed forces to ensure their country’s security again themselves in future. A total of 140 Bundeswehr soldiers are currently working in Mali. “Our engagement in Mali shows that, wherever Europe is willing to enter into a shared commitment, we achieve something worthwhile,” Foreign Minister Gabriel said in the Bundestag, where the motion to extend the mandate for Bundeswehr participation today had its first reading. The application was passed to the lead Committee on Foreign Affairs for consultation.

Human rights on the curriculum

Since 2013, EUTM Mali has trained more than 9000 Malian soldiers. The curriculum includes not only classical military training, but also international humanitarian law (the law of armed conflict) and human rights. So that the training has a long‑term impact, the Mission is increasingly concentrating on “training the trainers.”

Stabilisation and prevention: major interests in the Sahel region

“Mali’s stabilisation is crucial for security and development in the entire region,” Gabriel said. Stability in Mali and the Sahel region is a major interest for Germany and Europe. Mali is a transit country for many refugees. Terrorism and violent conflicts are destroying people’s prospects and leading to economic misery, so that, for many, migration to Europe seems to be the only way out. Development, stability and security, by contrast, give the population a brighter outlook if they stay.

That is why Germany, as well as supporting EUTM Mali and the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA), is also engaged at various levels to ensure stability and prevent the outbreak of new crises in the country. In this context, the Federal Foreign Office consults with and assists the Malian Ministry of Reconciliation, among others, and supports projects which improve the population’s living conditions.

BACKGROUND

Major displacement crisis: The agreement acknowledges that the terrorist group boko haram since 2011, has lead to the flight of thousands of Nigerian refugees into Cameroon.

Improved stability: The Nigerian government at the local and federal levels with the support of the multinational joint task force (MNJFT) has made efforts to reestablish peace and tranquility in affected states in the north-east of Nigeria, the area of origin of the majority of refuges.

Rights of refugees: The right of all citizens to leave and to return to their own country is a fundamental right enshrined in article 13(2) of the 1948 universal declaration of human rights and in article 12 of the 1996 international convention on civil and political rights.

Principled engagement: The preamble thereby recognizes that VOLUNTARY repatriation, local integration and resettlement are the traditional durable solutions for refugees, and that in many situations a combination of these solutions within the framework of a comprehensive approach will be necessary to achieve the lasting resolution of a refugee situation.

In partnership with NIS, NEMA, and SEMA

OVERVIEW

UNHCR in collaboration with the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), NEMA, SEMA, Nigerian Red Cross and the Ministry of Reconstruction, Rehabilitation and Resettlement have conducted registration of Nigerian returnees in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe state. Registration in Adamawa state commenced in August 2015, in Borno state from May 2016 and in Yobe from June 2016. The registration aims to:

• Register Nigerian Returnees according to acceptable standards;
  
• Obtain a demographic breakdown of the population;
  
• Assist relocation from Adamawa to Borno state including proper and organized manifest;
  
• Identify specific needs and most vulnerable individuals;
  
• Provide humanitarian assistance and better protection intervention.

EU Humanitarian Aid Operations and Action against Hunger have joined forces to launch a campaign to raise awareness of the ‘hunger season’ in the Sahel.

The campaign, called ‘The Sound of Hunger’, comes as the Sahel approaches this year’s hunger season which occurs between June and September. During this period, over 50 million people are expected to experience food insecurity; of this number, 9.3 million people will require emergency food assistance to make it through the season.

The campaign will explain this humanitarian situation whereby the lives of millions of children in the Sahel are at risk of disease, malnutrition and possibly death. ‘The Sound of Hunger’ will also provide examples of how European Humanitarian Aid and Action against Hunger have jointly been responding to this emergency, with food assistance, nutrition care, access to safe water and other interventions.

Food insecurity is a chronic issue in the Sahel region, the band below the Sahara desert stretching across Africa, but every year the hunger season makes it worse, hitting the most vulnerable populations. From Mauritania to Mali, from Niger to Chad, this is the time of the year when the poorest families have consumed their food reserves while the new harvest is yet to materialise. During this precarious season, food is scarce while prices go up, and the risk of hunger and under-nutrition is higher.

The campaign’s main tool, an emotional video spot, is designed to be massively shared by viewers and direct them to an informative website where they can learn more, participate and help silence ‘The Sound of Hunger.’

Background

The European Union is one of the largest contributors of humanitarian aid to the Sahel. European Humanitarian assistance to this region reached over €299 million in 2016 in support of 1.9 million Sahelian people affected by severe food and nutrition insecurity.

This contribution has helped to meet a quarter of all emergency food assistance required as well as to life-saving treatment to 618 000 children affected by Severe Acute Malnutrition.

Emergency needs in the Sahel will persist unless the root causes of food insecurity and under-nutrition are properly addressed and the resilience of the poorest people is strengthened. In 2012, the European Commission championed the creation of AGIR, the Global Alliance for Resilience Initiative, which aims to strengthen resilience in West Africa/the Sahel and has set itself a 'Zero Hunger' goal by 2032.

KEY FIGURES

1,899,830 IDPs* in Nigeria
1.84 million displaced by the insurgency
NEMA/IOM DTM Report,Round XIV, January 2017

200,346
Total number of Nigerian refugees in neighboring countries as of 31 March (or latest figures available)

FUNDING

USD 169.9 million
UNHCR requirements for the Nigeria situation in 2017

OPERATIONAL CONTEXT

• In Nigeria, Boko Haram (BH) elements are reported to have regrouped after having been forced from their stronghold in the Sambisa forest. As such, a greater number of synchronized attacks (mostly improvised explosive devices) targeting the military, roadsides and small villages were reported in March and more are expected in the weeks to come. In Cameroon, there were fewer security incidents than in the first two months of the year, with incursions reported predominantly in the Mayo-Sava department near the town of Kolofata, which borders Borno State in Nigeria, near the Sambisa forest. In Niger, military clearance operations in northern Borno caused BH elements to disperse and a number of incursions into Niger were reported.
  

These operations are also ongoing in the border area between Cameroon and Nigeria and the Lake Chad islands. In Chad’s Lake area, minor security incidents resulting from of inter-communal tensions were reported.

• In Yaoundé, on 2 March, the Governments of the Republic of Cameroon and the Federal Republic of Nigeria together with UNHCR, signed the Tripartite Agreement for the Voluntary Repatriation of Nigerian refugees living in Cameroon. Despite this agreement, UNHCR remains concerned by continuing forced returns of refugees from Cameroon’s far north region to north-eastern Nigeria. So far this year, Cameroon has forcefully returned over 2,600 refugees back to Nigerian border villages against their will. In recent talks with the Cameroonian government, UNHCR has expressed the deep concern of the Organization over the forced returns and sought reassurances from the Government about its commitment to the tripartite agreement. The Government of Cameroon has denied any wrong doing.

• In Adamawa and Borno States, government authorities have put IDP camp closures on hold, with the Borno State Governor advocating for voluntary returns when and where conditions allow. Stemming from the fact that conditions are not conducive to return, the humanitarian community’s stance against precipitated closure was reinforced with the completion of a return intention survey (RIS), carried out by UNHCR from 8-11 March in Adamawa.

In close collaboration with the State and National Emergency Management Agencies (N/S-EMA), UNHCR conducted the RIS in the three camps that were to be closed.

• In coordination with key agencies and civil society organizations working on protection at national and regional levels, UNHCR finalized the Regional Protection Strategic Framework. The document provides a framework on key protection issues relating to persons of concern in the Lake Chad Basin Situation, including refugees, IDPs and other affected persons. It provides a comprehensive overview of key protection concerns and risks, with a focus on cross-border and common protection issues, and elaborates main objectives, priorities and the response strategy for each. The Framework should be read in conjunction with the 2017 Nigeria Regional Refugee Response Plan (RRRP) and the 2017 Lake Chad Basin Humanitarian Needs and Requirements Overview (HNRO) and the relevant country humanitarian response plans for 2017. The document has been finalized and will be circulated in early April.

Since 2013, Boko Haram militants have escalated attacks in northeastern Nigeria’s Adamawa, Borno, and Yobe states, generating significant population displacement and humanitarian needs. Conflict-related violence has contributed to acute food insecurity, the unavailability of health care and other basic services, and widespread malnutrition in Boko Haram- affected areas. The UN estimates that 8.5 million people across the country’s three northeastern states require humanitarian assistance due to the ongoing violence.

Amid this humanitarian crisis, persistent insecurity has disrupted overland transportation routes and hindered efforts by relief agencies to reach populations caught in the conflict. Access constraints are particularly severe in Borno, where approximately 4.4 million people are in need of assistance. The UN Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS), through $4 million in USAID support, commenced operations in mid-2015 to mitigate road access challenges and facilitate the expansion of emergency response activities in the northeast. Since then, UNHAS aircraft have regularly transported humanitarian personnel and cargo—including urgently needed food, medicine, and shelter supplies—to hard-to- reach areas of Adamawa, Borno, and Yobe.

USAID funding has also enabled UNHAS to contract rotary wing aircraft, further expanding the reach of relief agencies to otherwise inaccessible outlying and remote areas of the states. Between August 2015 and January 2017, UNHAS transported nearly 170,000 pounds of humanitarian assistance and 18,800 response personnel.

Although the Nigerian military has expelled Boko Haram from many areas of the northeast, conflict-related insecurity and related humanitarian access challenges are unlikely to abate in the near future. USAID’s support for UNHAS operations is vital to humanitarian response efforts in Nigeria, allowing relief workers to provide life-saving aid to populations in hard-to- reach locations. As the Nigerian military regains more territory from Boko Haram, UNHAS flights will continue enabling humanitarian organizations to quickly and safely assist those most in need.

USAID Success Story I Follow USAID/OFDA on Twitter: @theOFDA
For more success stories visit: www.usaid.gov/what-we-do/working-crises-and-conflict/responding- times-crisis/why-it-matters

HIGHLIGHTS

• Cadre Harmonisé estimates 5.2 million people in northeastern Nigeria will face acute food insecurity by mid-2017

• Confrontations between armed groups and security forces prompt the relocation of 8,500 people in Nigeria’s Borno State

• USG partners deliver life-saving assistance across the Lake Chad Basin Region

KEY DEVELOPMENTS

• In mid-March, the Cadre Harmonisé—a food security analysis tool unique to West Africa—found that the prolonged humanitarian crisis in northeastern Nigeria continues to severely affect food security and nutrition conditions, with some populations at risk of experiencing Famine—IPC 5—levels of acute food insecurity through at least mid-2017.4 Between June and August, an estimated 5.2 million people could experience Crisis—IPC 3—or higher levels of acute food insecurity in Adamawa, Borno, and Yobe states.  Clashes between Boko Haram militants and regional security forces, including the Nigerian military, continue to generate population displacement and hinder emergency response efforts in the Lake Chad Basin Region, comprising areas of Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria. From March 15–27, counterinsurgency operations prompted the relocation of 8,500 people in Borno State, Nigeria, according to USAID/OFDA partner the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

• On March 21, the USAID Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) in Nigeria convened USAID/OFDA and USAID/FFP partners to discuss critical issues related to the emergency response in northeastern Nigeria. During the meeting, USAID partners noted that the upcoming lean season will likely generate additional food, health, nutrition, and water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) needs among displaced and vulnerable populations in the region.

• The U.S. Government (USG) continues to support relief agencies to deliver emergency food and nutrition assistance to conflict-affected populations in Nigeria and other areas of the Lake Chad Basin. USG partners are distributing life-saving food aid; treating acutely malnourished populations; providing health care services and logistics assistance; and supporting emergency protection and WASH interventions.