Lesotho:
The United Nations and its humanitarian partners launched a Flash Appeal on 28 September in response to the dire food security situation in Lesotho. The appeal seeks $38.46 million to address the needs of the most vulnerable people affected.

Swaziland:
Swaziland experienced heavy rains and cold weather in September which damaged many homes and affected an estimated 652 people . Around 1,000 head of cattle also died due to hypothermia. While these figures may appear low, limited response capacity in Swaziland means that even small scale disasters can have significant consequences.

Link: Humanitarian Bulletin Southern Africa, Issue 05 - September 2012

Maize, sorghum, rice, and cowpea are the most important staple foods for Somalis. Maize and sorghum are the preferred staple in agriculture areas, while rice is more popular in pastoral and urban areas. Cowpea is an integral component of all households’ diets.

Mogadishu is Somalia’s largest market with links to most markets in the country. Baidoa is a significant sorghum producing and consuming area. Qorioley is a large maize production area. Burao,
Galkayo, and Dhusamareb are exclusively pastoral where people depend on purchases of domestically produced sorghum and imported rice. Togwajale is a sorghum producing area with links to Ethiopian markets; most cereal flows from Ethiopia pass through this market. Hargeisa is the capital of Somaliland and an important reference market for livestock trade with Ethiopia. Buale, located in an important maize production area in the southern region supplies most nearby markets. El Dhere and Merka are areas of cowpea production: the principal source of income. Bossasso and Kismayo are both port towns and entry points of imports. Beled Weyn connects the south and central regions of the country, and also has linkages with Ethiopia. Belet Hawa is an important cross-border market with Kenya.

The livestock sector is central to the economic and cultural life of the Somali people. The sector provides food and income to over 60 percent of the country’s population. Burao and Galkayo are the largest livestock markets in the Horn of Africa especially for export sheep and goats from the Somali region of Ethiopia and parts of southern Somalia. The majority of the livestock exported through Berbera and Bosasso seaports transit or pass through these markets. Burao and Galkayo are two important reference markets for key pastoral livelihood zones of Hawd, Sool Plateau, Nugaal valley, and the Adun in the northeast and central regions. Beled Weyne connects the south and central regions of the country, and is the supply source of export cattle through Bosasso port. Dinsor,
Bardera, and Afmadow are important cattle markets in the agro pastoral livelihood zones in southern Somalia. Significant number of the cattle trekked to Garissa, Kenya transit these markets.
Afmadow is largest cattle market in southern Somalia. It is the reference market for the largest cattle belt in the Juba valley. It is the main source of the cross border cattle trade to the Garissa,
Mombasa, and Nairobi markets in Kenya.

With the global population exceeding 7 billion, the earth’s resources are under increasing strain, resulting in more crises and people needing help than ever before. In response, the Red Cross has evolved its approach to providing aid.

As the numbers rise – more conflict over limited resources, more weather-related disasters, more poverty and food crises – the Red Cross is bridging relief aid and development for a more sustainable future.

Alyson Lewis, resilience team manager, says: “In the communities where we work overseas, people face extremely difficult situations, often made worse by underlying poverty. This makes it difficult to break away from dependency on aid.

“At the British Red Cross we are constantly reviewing the way we work, aiming to be more effective, and as a result we’ve developed a ‘resilience approach’ for international programmes. This means whether we’re working on emergency response, disaster recovery or a longer-term programme, the result will be a community better able to withstand future threats to their wellbeing.”

Identifying the risks

The resilience approach helps people identify risks ahead of time, reduce these risks, and be ready to respond after a crisis. As a result, lives are saved and people can recover quickly, with less need for emergency aid.

“Building resilient communities depends on the context and understanding the risks people face,” says Alyson. “In Nepal, a country highly prone to disasters, local people have identified a need for practical skills and knowledge to help them prepare for an earthquake or act in the immediate aftermath of one.

“Poor quality construction in the Kathmandu Valley means the majority of buildings are likely to cause many deaths in the event of an earthquake. In February, we started supporting the Nepal Red Cross’ three-year programme to address the risks of earthquakes and other hazards locals are concerned about, such as landslides and epidemics.”

Resilient women

Another major risk for many communities is lack of access to food. More people die from hunger than HIV, TB and malaria combined. Pregnant women and children are more vulnerable to malnutrition, and climate change is predicted to increase child malnutrition by an additional 20 per cent by 2050.

Breaking the cycle of hunger is not impossible. However, it requires governments and organisations to invest in developing long-term resilience, such as improving irrigation and agricultural practices, and supporting women in small-scale farming. This can make a huge difference as women are usually responsible for a lot of the work in producing food for their families, but they often lack access to resources.

In Africa this year, millions of people across the Sahel have suffered from a terrible food crisis. However, Habsatou Abdulaye, who lives in Burkina Faso, where regular food crises occur, has a different story to tell. As part of a Red Cross programme which helps women establish vegetable gardens, she’s managed to grow enough food to help her eight children survive this year’s drought.

As she draws water, from the well the Burkinabe Red Cross helped build, there is no shade and you can almost hold the heat, it’s so heavy. But it’s clear what Habsatou means when she says: “I feel like this project takes you from heat and puts you in a fresh place.”

From relief to resilience

“Resilience isn’t a quick fix answer,” says Alyson. “But it’s an approach that, given time, can help vulnerable communities and individuals to cope, and maintain their dignity when facing adversity. What distinguishes resilience from bare survival is people anticipating, dealing with, and recovering from crises without becoming dependent on handouts and without compromising their long-term prospects.”

Mina Mondol, who survived Bangladesh’s 2009 Cyclone Aila, but lost her home, knows exactly what this means.

“Me and my husband used to be daily labourers in the fields,” Mina says. “But after the cyclone there was no work.”

However, following support from a British Red Cross programme which helped survivors establish different and sustainable ways to earn a living, Mina’s family is thriving.

“We’ve started our own business cultivating and selling crabs,” she says. “It’s going really well. We’ve even made enough money to build a new home.”

With future savings, Mina and her husband plan to send their three daughters to school. They have high hopes for the future, and it seems likely, no matter what crises they may face, they will never again experience the sort of hunger they did after Cyclone Aila.

More about how we’re helping people prepare for disasters

Thanks to the generosity of donors, the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement has been able to help millions of people affected by the 2011 food crisis in east Africa.

The Movement provided communities with immediate relief, and is investing in solutions to help people in the long-term.

Here, Havoo talks about the positive impact a Red Cross well has had on her community in Mulanjo, Kenya – enabling her to easily access water, so her children can spend their time in education:

Havoo’s story: the well and water point are a wish come true from British Red Cross on Vimeo.

Further support

The British Red Cross East Africa Food Crisis Appeal is now closed, but we will continue to support work of the Kenya Red Cross in the Dadaab refugee camp complex. The British Red Cross also plans to support resilience work with Kenyan communities.

Barry Armstrong, disaster response manager, said: “The Red Cross continues to help people across east Africa. Our support for this work has only been made possible by people’s generosity. Thank you to everyone who supported the East Africa Food Crisis Appeal.”

You can help us respond to future crises by donating to our Disaster Fund.

Find out more about the 2011 east Africa food crisis

Read about our work in Dadaab

SC/10792

Security Council
6848th Meeting (AM)

Briefing Council, Special Representative for Somalia Highlights Political, Security Gains; Speakers Say ‘No Amount of Support Can Replace Somali Leadership’

With Somalia’s nine-year transition complete, upholding its “remarkable” progress, new President, leaner Parliament and calmer security landscape required, now more than ever, urgent and sustained support to ensure further successes following two decades of conflict, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General told the Security Council this morning via a video link from Mogadishu.

“The changes [in the country] have met the expectations of most Somalis and have raised higher expectations for more,” said Augustine Mahiga, who also heads the United Nations Political Office for Somalia. Briefing the Council on recent developments in the Somali peace process, he highlighted last month’s presidential election — the first to be held inside Somalia in decades — and the liberation of extremist-held towns throughout the country.

He said that hope now hinged on consolidating the milestones reached along the transition Road Map towards peace and stability, including the new Parliament, containing a higher number of graduates, including women, than any previous such body in the country, and a “vastly improved” security situation marked by the weakening of extremist Al-Shabaab insurgents, particularly in the wake of the fall of Kismayo, seen as the group’s “last stronghold”, in late September.

The new Administration in Mogadishu must now “move with speed” to stabilize the newly liberated areas, he said, emphasizing that the Government’s immediate challenges encompassed establishing district administrations, justice and the rule of law and providing basic services to the people. “The Somali authorities now urgently need assistance to meet the new challenges in the various sectors to help them own and lead the process in the post-transition period.” Continued security funding was also needed for sustained initiatives and for training Somali national forces, who would eventually take over the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), he added.

Somalia’s representative, Elmi Ahmed Duale, agreed, saying that “now there is a light at the end of the tunnel”, with President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s Six Pillar Policy that aimed to secure progress in the areas of stability, economic recovery, peacebuilding, service delivery, international relations and unity, laying the foundations of “a new beginning”.

“The road map has been completed,” he told the Council. “It is now very clear that the new federal Government urgently needs tangible concerted, well-coordinated support from the Security Council, all United Nations bodies and the international community to enable and empower the new Government in implementing and achieving the end goals of the [President’s Policy].”

After the briefing, Council members took the floor, with many applauding the recent Somali successes and voicing concerns, among them the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the country that had displaced more than 1 million people and left 2 million others without access to food or other basic necessities.

The United States’ representative, noting that the promising achievements had transformed what was once pervasive despair into cautious optimism, summed up the general sentiment. “The completion of the transition was a real success, inspiring hope among Somalis for the first time in many years,” she said. “Now is the time to consider how the world can support Somalia in its post-transition phase.”

Many speakers voiced their support for continued funding and for addressing the humanitarian crisis. France’s representative emphasized that new gains must not come undone and new donors were needed to provide continued funding for critical initiatives. Among those essential areas, South Africa’s representative pointed to strengthening institutions as a means to ensuring lasting peace. Looking back on recent progress, he said Somalia’s achievements had shown what was possible on the continent through cooperation between international, regional and national efforts. Yet he added that “no amount of support can replace Somali leadership”.

Portugal’s representative maintained that “the same degree of commitment, integrity and endurance we have witnessed throughout these months is now needed from the Somali authorities to respond to the demanding challenges this new chapter encompasses: to have a secure and stable country, ready for elections under universal suffrage in four years’ time”.

Also speaking this morning was the Minister of State for External Affairs of India.

The Council was also addressed by representatives of the United Kingdom, Togo, Morocco, Colombia, Russian Federation, Pakistan, Azerbaijan, Germany, China, Guatemala, Japan, Turkey, Italy, Finland, Spain and Ethiopia.

The head of the Delegation of the European Union also delivered a statement.

The meeting began at 10:20 a.m. and ended at 1:07 p.m.

By Rachel Warden

SIRAKORO, Mali, 15 October 2012 - It is a bright, hot day in the tiny village of Sirakoro in Mali’s central Mopti region. Children, their parents, school staff and community leaders have met up with a team of UNICEF Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) specialists, along with local partner NGO Association Recherche Action Femme et Développement (ARAFD).

VIDEO: UNICEF correspondent Rachel Warden reports on how hand-washing and safe water can save the lives of children in Mali.

Over the course of this meeting, 13-year-old Bouba Diongo will say, “The teacher taught us that, when we come home, if we want to use the latrine, we should take clean water and soap. When we are finished, we should wash our hands.”

Critical message for Malians

UNICEF and partners have been working with schools throughout Mali to create clean environments where children learn to take on the responsibility of good hygiene. The initiative is known as WASH in Schools.

Such simple messages as the one Bouba has described are part of the programme – and are of critical importance in this region. The Sirakoro School and village lie in an area that is particularly vulnerable to cholera. In fact, there was recently an outbreak of cholera in the Gao region, north of Sirakoro.

Washing one’s hands hinders the spread of germs, including the ones that cause cholera.

According to UNICEF Mali WASH Specialist Jérémie Toubkiss, “This programme is a very good thing for this village, for this school and for the whole area, because the best way to prevent cholera is to promote a better water supply, sanitation and hygiene behaviours.”

Meeting takes stock of one year of WASH in Schools

UNICEF, ARAFD and members of the community have gathered under the shade in the Sirakoro schoolyard to discuss the school’s progress in WASH in Schools, which Sirakoro School joined less than a year ago. Participants can discuss successes of the programme, where UNICEF can provide more support, lessons learned.

Conversation turns to progress on the construction and maintenance of adequate facilities and supplies for the entire population – girls’ and boys’ latrines, a clean water source, hand-washing stations, soap. Also discussed is the adoption of good hygiene practices at school and in the community.

The UNICEF team checks the state of the latrines, the cleanliness of the courtyard and classrooms and the use of hygiene materials. They learn that there has been a problem with the water pump.

Another discussion is about the school’s hygiene club. Students have been very enthusiastic about the club. At meetings, they have lessons in hygiene and form teams to maintain the general cleanliness of the school. The students also bring these life-saving behaviours back home to their families and communities.

UNICEF and ARAFD, along with community leaders, take the opportunity of the gathering to stress to students and parents the immediate importance of vigilance in hygiene, in the wake of the recent outbreak of cholera in Gao.

Healthy children, healthy learners

In the case of Sirakoro, the WASH in Schools initiative has helped during an emergency. Preparedness in the face of a cholera outbreak is key to fighting the spread of the disease.

However, the ripple effect of the WASH in Schools initiative benefits children’s health and education in tandem. When children are healthy, their attendance goes up, and they are better able to learn. And, with access to the privacy of latrines, girls are less apt to drop out of school when they reach adolescence.

The meeting at the Sirakoro School is one of many steps to building resilience and fulfilling children’s right to health and education. And it all begins with that basic rule of washing hands.

I. Introduction

1 . The present report is submitted pursuant to paragraph 21 of Security Council resolution 2036 (2012). In that resolution, the Council requested the African Union to keep it regularly informed, through the Secretary-General, on the implementation of the mandate of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) and progress made with regard to establishing an AMISOM presence in the four Sectors set out in the Mission’s Strategic Concept of 5 January 2012; increasing the force strength of AMISOM from 12,000 to a maximum of 17,731 uniformed personnel, composed of troops and personnel of formed police units; and enhancing the effectiveness of the Somali National Security Forces.

2 . The report, which is the last to be submitted in accordance with the requirements of resolution 2036 (2012), provides a brief update on the main political and security developments in Somalia during the period under review. It also covers the activities undertaken by AMISOM in furtherance of its mandate. The report concludes with recommendations on the way forward.

The ICRC has distributed 2,000 tonnes of food and 250 tonnes of seed, bringing hope to people affected by conflict and disaster.

New York, United States of America, 16 October 2012 – CNN has partnered with UNICEF to put the international spotlight on the global crisis of stunting, or low height for age in children. About 165 million children under the age of 5 suffer from stunting, with more than 90 per cent of them living in Africa and Asia.

Stunting is a hidden tragedy – the outcome of chronic nutritional deficiency during the first 1,000 days of a child’s life. The damage it causes to a child’s development is irreversible. That child will never learn, nor earn, as much as she or he could have, if properly nourished in early life.

Tackling undernutrition

Tackling the problem of undernutrition, which leads to stunting, is achievable and cost effective. Leading development experts have ranked providing young children with micronutrients as the most cost-effective way to advance global welfare.

UNICEF is a leader in a global effort to deliver a life-saving package of interventions to the world’s poorest communities during the critical 1,000-day period. These interventions include: promoting breastfeeding and good infant and child feeding practices; micronutrient supplementation and fortification; treatment of severe acute malnutrition; and community support for nutrition programming.

Children worldwide have the same capacity to reach their height potential, if they receive adequate nutrition, their caregivers follow recommended feeding, care and health practices and they grow up in healthy environments. By raising awareness of this problem, CNN is helping to make this happen.

CNN and UNICEF, partners in awareness-raising

CNN has worked with UNICEF to tell the story of stunting, starting with CNN.com, where essays by world-class footballer and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador David Beckham and internationally acclaimed actress and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Mia Farrow have been highlighted. CNN’s Mallika Kapur has reported on an Indian state’s battle to build up its babies.

CNN has also visited three countries in which stunting is a problem and is airing the pieces on CNN International, bringing the problem to life by showing mothers and children who are suffering from undernutrition.

In Afghanistan, the story is told in the context of a country ravaged by many years of war.

In Kenya, undernutrition has had profound effects on child development. Grammy Award winner and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Angelique Kidjo has visited Samburu, in northern Kenya, and expressed her concerns about the problem.

CNN has also traveled to India to report on the stunting epidemic in that country.

Christiane Amanpour is drawing attention to the issue on her CNN show by interviewing Ms. Kidjo and UNICEF Executive Director Anthony Lake.

CNN has also posted links to other relevant stories on their website, from the Sahel, Mauritania and Yemen.

More about UNICEF’s work in the area of stunting:

Mr. Lake on The global crisis you’ve never heard of: stunting (Time magazine)

Mr. Lake and President of the United Republic of Tanzania Jakaya Kikwete on How improving children's diets can aid development (BBC)

Mr. Lake, Investing in nutrition security is key to sustainable development

Global Meeting on Long-term Consequences of Stunting

Extensive flooding in Niger has caused significant damage and displacement across all of the African country's eight regions, including the largest of Tillabery, Dosso and Niamey, said top official Aghaly Abdoulkader, the director of the cabinet.

Over the past few months, heavy rains have damaged infrastructure, fields, rice paddies and water points destroying large quantities of food and washing away many cattle.

Furthermore, there are displaced Malian families who have been forced to flee their homes into Niger due to political instability and ongoing conflict in their country.

A ShelterBox Response Team (SRT) has arrived in Niamey to continue the disaster relief charity's response to both disasters by finding suitable solutions to distribute shelter already in country with various aid agencies, including Femmes France-Niger, Agency for Technical Cooperation and Development (ACTED) and Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA).

'Yesterday we had meetings all day with organisers of response to both issues,' said SRT member David Hatcher (UK). 'Today we have plans to recce some sites with Femmes France-Niger where flood survivors can be possibly relocated, and to talk to United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) about how we may be able to support them with the Mali refugee crisis.'

'Kidnapping'

Joanna Reid (UK) is the SRT member accompanying David: 'As far as challenges are concerned, there are a few. The kidnapping of six aid workers in country last night is on our minds; providing the displaced families the help they need; and identifying local partners who can help with constructing the tents. Also we have to be aware of the local policies about the provision of tents that differ from region to region when looking at distribution options.'

'What started out as a challenging day, not helped by all of my kit going missing during the flight here, has ultimately proved to be very positive,' said David. 'Though the heat is proving to be a bit of a challenge with the temperature forecasted to be well over 100°F (38°C) every day this week.'

“The courses will formally start in January, but registration is open. I will study communication sciences, I want to be a journalist”, said Mohammed Bashir Sheikh, a Somali refugee from the Dadaab refugee camp, speaking to MISNA about the forthcoming opening of a branch of Kenyatta University.

“This is the first project for the opening of a university in a refugee camp,” says Bashir Sheikh, blogger and head of an internet center in Dadaab, which, with its 470,000 residents, is the third largest city in Kenya and the largest refugee camp in the world.

“I arrived in Dadaab when I was four and a half years old. I have lived more time here than in my hometown of Kismayo, in Somalia,” says the 25-year old blogger to MISNA, noting that “the establishment of a university in a refugee camp restores hope for many young people who live such that they might be able to build a different future.”

The University of Dadaab accepts two thirds of the students from the refugee camp and one third from the people of the local villages, not to exacerbate already existing tensions between the two communities, fueled by the continued expansion of the Camp in the territory. In 2011 alone, the population of Dadaab after the Somali conflict and the severe drought that hit the Horn of Africa rose by 160,000 units, or one-third of the total.

Foreign donors will be allowed through special programs to pay for classes to young people who show particular propensity to study.

“Education is like food and water. It must be recognized as a right for these kids who know only war and misery. Instead, more of them are dropping out and for those who remain classrooms are overcrowded, with more than a hundred children per classroom,” said the blogger. The university will offer degrees and master in economics, sociology and literature. “We hope it acts as an incentive for young people to continue studying – sighs Bashir Sheikh – and not to abandon the dream of a better future.”

[AdL/BO]

Depuis plus de 6 mois aux frontières du Mali, TSF renforce la coordination des organisations humanitaires œuvrant auprès des réfugiés maliens.

Au Sahel, les conditions de sécurité se sont nettement dégradées en mars 2012 avec l’arrivée massive dans les pays frontaliers du Mali de réfugiés fuyant les combats entre rebelles Touaregs et armée régulière. Selon l’Office du Haut-Commissaire des Nations Unies aux réfugiés on compte plus de 52 600 réfugiés au Niger, et plus de 108 000 au Burkina Faso.

Selon le PAM, depuis août dernier, la survie de la majorité des populations du Sahel ne dépend plus que de l’aide humanitaire. Afin de renforcer l’aide apportée aux populations vulnérables, TSF fournit des communications satellites fiables et rapides pour une meilleure coordination des organisations sur le terrain.

Etant donné les contextes géographique et sécuritaire extrêmement complexes au Sahel, TSF utilise à la fois des dispositifs satellites fixes pour connecter les Hubs humanitaires, et mobiles pour connecter les équipes lors de leurs déplacements.

TSF AU NIGER

• Camp de réfugiés d’Abala :

Le 24 avril 2012, TSF a installé une antenne satellite fixe Vsat dans le bureau de coordination ACTED et UNHCR au sein du camp d’Abala accueillant à présent plus de 14 300 réfugiés. Le hub humanitaire offre une connexion Wifi sécurisée aux 30 travailleurs humanitaires qui viennent se connecter quotidiennement : MSF Suisse, MSF France, CARE International, Islamic Relief, CADEV, HELP, VSF Belgique, ACTED et UNHCR…

Les 55 Go échangés depuis le hub humanitaire TSF permettent une gestion de l’information plus efficace au quotidien et une réponse coordonnée de tous les acteurs sur zone.

Témoignages :

Camp Manager Assistant/ACTED : Avec les problèmes constatés sur le réseau local, sans TSF il nous aurait été impossible de communiquer nos rapports avec le bureau de Niamey et les partenaires. Grâce au dispositif TSF, la communication continue est assurée, tout comme la qualité de la coordination.

Responsable Information et Communication/ACTED : La connexion TSF au camp d’Abala est un soutien essentiel dans la mise en œuvre et le développement de notre projet, surtout dans une région où la télécommunication est si peu développée. La connexion est également très importante pour toutes les agences intervenant dans la zone ! C’est en effet le seul moyen de communiquer lorsque le réseau GSM est indisponible. Les coupures peuvent parfois durer deux jours.

• Banibangou :

Depuis le 13 juin, l’antenne satellite Vsat installée par TSF dans les locaux de l’organisation CARE International soutient les actions des ONG VSF, Oxfam, Karkara, de la mairie de Banibangou, de la préfecture et de la radio RFI Hausa. Cette localité située à quelques kilomètres seulement de la frontière malienne fait face depuis plusieurs mois à l’arrivée massive de réfugiés fuyant l’insécurité au Mali. Cette augmentation de la population engendre une pression supplémentaire sur les ressources alimentaires déjà insuffisantes dans la région.

Les organismes humanitaires utilisent la connexion TSF pour évaluer et suivre l’évolution des conditions de vie critiques des réfugiés. Les services télécoms offerts par TSF leur permettent d’accéder à des données fiables et de qualité pour une prise de décision rapide et une réponse adéquate. A ce jour, 14 Go de données ont été échangés.

• Région de Tillia :

Le 10 juillet, TSF a remis un Bgan et un routeur Wifi à Action Contre le Faim Espagne (ACF-E) pour ses activités de lutte contre la malnutrition et l’insécurité alimentaire. La connexion satellite de TSF permet à ACF-E de mettre en place, en collaboration avec l’ONG locale Hed Tamat, des mécanismes d’aide humanitaire d’urgence, notamment pour l’accès à l’eau potable et les infrastructures sanitaires.

L’insécurité permanente dans cette région proche de la frontière malienne est une contrainte majeure à l’acheminement de l’aide d’urgence dans les zones affectées. Les équipements satellites de TSF permettent aux équipes d’ACF-E de rester en contact permanent avec leur siège lors de leurs missions d’évaluation de la situation alimentaire et de la prévalence de la malnutrition dans la zone.

A ce jour, plus de 139 Mo ont été utilisés pour ces communications d’urgence.

Dans la région de Tillia, la situation est critique. Il est essentiel de renforcer la résilience des populations maliennes réfugiées afin de faire face à la précarité de leurs conditions de vie actuelles. La plupart des réfugiés viennent de régions pastorales et agricoles du Mali, et attendent de pouvoir rentrer pour commencer les récoltes avant la saison des pluies et s’occuper de leurs troupeaux qui représentent leur unique moyen de subsistance. Les combats toujours très intenses au Mali empêchent ces populations de quitter le Niger, où leur survie dépend directement de l’aide humanitaire.

• Nord Dakoro :

Depuis le 5 juin, les connexions satellites Bgan et IsatPhone Pro ainsi que les ordinateurs portables fournis par TSF à Vétérinaires Sans Frontières Belgique, permettent aux équipes mobiles de rester en communication avec leur siège lors de missions prolongées dans des zones isolées et souvent très dangereuses.

Les données essentielles collectées sur la situation alimentaire dans les villages reculés sont ainsi rapidement transférées et analysées pour la mise en place d’interventions nutritionnelles plus efficaces. Plus de 103 Mo ont été échangés entre ces équipes et leur siège. Le téléphone satellite leur a également permis de passer plus de 17 heures d’appels prioritaires.

• Centre télécom communautaire TSF de Dakoro, régions de Maradi :

Le centre communautaire installé par TSF au Niger depuis 2007 participe au désenclavement numérique des populations vulnérables en offrant à la communauté locale un accès constant à Internet. Depuis le début du conflit armé au Mali, de nombreux réfugiés maliens au Niger fréquentent le centre communautaire pour renouer les liens familiaux et demander une assistance personnalisée.

Témoignage :

Responsable du centre TSF de Dakoro : Il y a aussi des déplacés de Libye, du Mali et de Côte d'Ivoire dans la zone, tous utilisent le centre pour leur communication (recherche de soutien ou d'aide).

TSF AU BURKINA FASO

• Gorom-Gorom :

L’installation de la connexion satellite Vsat par TSF le 11 juillet 2012 dans les locaux de Vétérinaires Sans Frontières Belgique (VSF-B) à Gorom-Gorom, au nord-est du Burkina Faso, a permis aux ONG et agences des Nations Unies travaillant dans la zone d’échanger 25 Go de données.

La connexion bénéficie notamment à VSF-B, A2N, UNHCR, la Croix Rouge burkinabé, Save the Children, HELP, AEC, TASSATH, Afrique Verte et AGED. Les services étatiques de la Direction provinciale de la Santé Publique et la Direction provinciale de la Solidarité Nationale fréquentent également le hub humanitaire très régulièrement.

Avant l’intervention de TSF, les organisations de la zone étaient forcées de parcourir chaque semaine les 57km qui séparent Gorom-Gorom de Dori, chef-lieu du département, pour trouver un accès à Internet correct. Depuis, la connexion TSF améliore la mise en œuvre des activités d’urgence qui, depuis mai 2012, se sont intensifiées, et facilite la communication entre le terrain et les services centraux aux niveaux national et international.

• Djibo :

Depuis le 19 juillet, la connexion satellite de TSF dans les bureaux de l’Office du Haut-Commissaire des Nations Unies pour les réfugiés (UNHCR) renforce les actions de toutes les ONG de la zone (Oxfam...) auprès des réfugiés dans les camps au nord de Djibo, où vivent plus de 15 000 personnes. 26 GO de données ont déjà été échangés.

Dans la région de Gorom-Gorom, à quelques kilomètres de la frontière malienne, le réseau mobile fonctionne mais l’accès à Internet se fait par réseau Edge ou clé 3G, la connexion est donc très lente et peu fiable.

Les conditions de sécurité précaires au Sahel rendent les interventions humanitaires d’urgence difficiles et mettent en péril la survie des populations déjà très vulnérables. Les moyens de communication satellite de TSF permettent une meilleure coordination des équipes terrain et améliorent ainsi leurs actions auprès des populations du Sahel.

(extrait)

III. Écoles d’accueils inondées

Une analyse auprès des Académies d’Enseignements (AE) et des Centres d’Animation Pédagogique (CAP) des 5 régions du Sud et le district de Bamako a pu identifier 503 écoles ayant reçu des déplacés depuis le 4 Aout 2012.1 En croisant les données du Ministère de l’Education et de l’Alphabétisation (MEA) et de l’UNICEF des 290 écoles inondées ou occupées avec la liste établi des écoles d’accueil, 4 écoles dans le cercle de KAYES (KAYES N’DI II, LIBERTE I, LIBERTE III, LEGAL SEGOU II), et 1 école dans le cercle de Mopti (SOCOURA 2°C) ont été identifiées comme école d’accueil inondée. La région de KAYES a été la région la plus fortement touchée par les inondations avec 26% de toutes les écoles concernées.

IV. Effectif des écoles occupées par région

Les données recueillies par le Ministère de l’Education et de l’Alphabétisation (MEA) et l'UNICEF ont également indiqué que 78 écoles sont occupées dont 64 par les populations sinistrées et 14 par des groupes armés dans le cercle de Mopti.2

By Justus Bahati Wanzala

NAIROBI, Kenya (AlertNet) – Small and furry are not the words that usually come to mind when one thinks of Kenyan livestock. But they describe exactly the animals that Charles Mwangi farms.

Read the Full Report

covering mixed migration events, trends and data for Djibouti, Eritrea/Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Puntland, Somalia, Somaliland and Yemen.

Djibouti

New Arrivals: According to the data compiled by the UNHCR and partners during the month of September 2012, an estimated 8,382 people arrived on Yemen’s shores, with the largest movement of 5,530 people moving from Djibouti, representing 66% of the total arrivals.

The total arrivals in September 2012 are almost the same as those arriving in August 2012, but are 31% less than the total number of new arrivals in September 2011. In terms of those crossing the Red Sea from Djibouti, in September 2011 the numbers are 28% lower than the same month last year.

The major departure points of the migrants from Djibouti, was from Obock and different coastal departure points 30-40 km north of Obock. There were Approximately 185 people crossing out of Obock per day in September, representing a 6% decrease of the total percentage of (daily) new arrivals from last month.

To transport the above migrants, 95 smuggler boats were recorded as having landed on the Red Sea Coast of Yemen which is slightly higher than the previous month which recorded 92 boats.

Assistance to migrants: The government of Djibouti has recently stepped up efforts to provide humanitarian assistance to vulnerable migrants, including health support and voluntary return assistance. So far this year, Djibouti coastguards have rescued 2,049 migrants in distress at sea, compared to 2,622 in 2011 Smuggling: Some Somali new arrivals in September reported that they engaged the services of a smuggling network based in Mogadishu. They paid between $350- $400 to travel from Mogadishu via Djibouti to the Red Sea coast of Yemen. It was reported that a new smuggling ring seems to have cropped up in Harar, an Eastern city of Ethiopia. The syndicate appears less organized due to the piecemeal payment to each broker at each travel point. Ethiopians using this route paid approximately 290 USD for the journey to Yemen. Journeying to Jijiga through to Wajalle and Borama before proceeding to Loya Ade from where they are smuggled to port Obock.

As previously reported, Somali new arrivals continued to report that with the tightening of controls against smugglers on the roads of Djibouti, smugglers transport migrants from Djibouti-ville to Obock by small boats after they cross the Loya Ade border. From Obock, they board larger boats bound for Yemen. Many Somali new arrivals stated that they told the smugglers that they were Ethiopians because Ethiopians normally travel on to Saudi Arabia and are given preference. New arrivals reported that they paid smugglers $ 130 - $150 for the boat crossing from Obock to Yemen‟s Red Sea coast.

2nd Regional Committee on Mixed Migration: The Regional Committee on Mixed Migration for the Horn of Africa and Yemen held its second meeting in Djibouti on 23- 24 September 2012. The meeting follows an earlier event held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in December 2011 which included member government delegations from Djibouti, Ethiopia, Somaliland, Puntland and Yemen. Egypt, Eritrea and Saudi Arabia were also invited as observer States. Representatives from the international and donor community included IGAD, the AU, UNHCR, IOM and DRC. The meeting aimed to improve collaboration between governments in the Horn of Africa and Yemen, and their international partners and to improve the condition of migrants, save lives and effectively manage migration in the region. Participants reviewed progress on 2011 recommendations relating to rescue at sea, smuggling and trafficking, and the role of Migration Response Centers (MRCs) operating in the region. The meeting also assessed the situation of migrant health and examined ways to extend medical services to migrants.

Arrest and Deportation: Few Somalis reported that while in Djibouti, they were arrested, detained and ill-treated, after they were suspected of being linked to the Al-Shabaab group.

Key Events

Population movements increased to 24,000 during the month of September compared to 9,000 in August.

As a result of the build up and advance of AMISOM / SNF forces towards the previous Al-Shabab stronghold of Kismayo, more than 14,000 people fled from Kismayo city and district mostly towards Jamaame, Jiliband Afmadow districts. Additionally, over 2,500 movements to Mogadishu from Kismayo were reports while approximately 2,700 displacements toward different villages within Kismayo distict were recorded. Insecurity was the major reason for displacement resulting in more than 17,000 displacements.

The Cluster at a Glance

Over the first nine months of the year (January to September) Cluster members distributed 98,070 standardised NFI kits, benefitting 588,420 Somalis affected by displacement. During the same time period, 296,000 IDPs benefitted from improved shelter. Cluster members used a variety of shelter types dictated by security of tenure and urgency of the need (see page 4)

In September, Shelter Cluster meetings were held in Hargeisa, Bossaso, Mogadishu and Nairobi to set the objectives and priorities for 2013 – 2015 (see page 3). This consultative process was an opportunity to visit the field and meet agencies operating in the contrasting environments.

The contrast between the different zones was underlined by the involvement in the shelter sector by the authorities. Increased participation enables more durable solutions to be found and donor confidence to invest in shelter.

After months of planning, mapping, settlement layout and discussions, the Tri-Cluster shelter component started in Sona K in Mogadishu (see page 2). As a beneficiary commented, “when the new shelter is completed, it will be a new day for us”.

The Cluster led an assessment of solar lighting in Hargeisa (page 3). As technology improves and prices come down, Cluster partners have more options to choose between, whether it be household lighting or street lighting. Whatever the technical solution, the benefits of solar lighting are clear.
The country-wide Shelter Cluster Review, led by REACH Initiative aims to consolidate documents inclusive of secondary data from shelter partners, remote sensing analysis and field data collection (page 2). Its scope will be to act as a baseline for the sector and to feed into relevant decision making and strategic processes such as government policies, CAP and other humanitarian key documents or funding decisions.

October heralds the 2nd CHF allocation ($3.25 million for Shelter) the submission of CAP projects and new funding for Emergency Reserve. During this busy planning period, agencies continue to deliver on long-term shelter projects while the needs for NFIs in response to conflict or natural disasters continue.