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South Sudan: 8,000 People Displaced by Recent Violence in Wau, South Sudan

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Source: International Organization for Migration
Country: South Sudan

South Sudan– A recent upsurge in violence beginning 10 April has displaced an estimated 8,000 people in South Sudan’s Wau town. International Organization for Migration (IOM) teams and relief agencies are providing assistance to new arrivals at existing displacement sites, which had already been hosting nearly 43,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) who had fled their homes due to insecurity in late June 2016.

IOM Displacement Tracking and Monitoring (DTM) teams were deployed to displacement sites in Wau on 11 and 12 April to assess the scale of new displacement.

Between 10 and 12 April, approximately 4,000 people arrived at the protection of civilians (PoC) site adjacent to the UN Mission in South Sudan base, joining more than 25,200 IDPs already sheltering in the site. An additional 3,800 people arrived at the Cathedral site, which has been hosting nearly 8,000 people since June.

“With thousands of people fearful to return to their homes, humanitarian needs in Wau continue to grow,” says William Barriga, IOM South Sudan Chief of Mission. “The displacement figure is likely to increase over the coming days as families continue to seek protection at displacement sites.”

Clashes were intense in areas south and west of Wau town, including near the Nazareth church displacement site. DTM teams observed that many IDPs, who were seeking protection at the Nazareth church compound, have left for the PoC site and Cathedral, in search of more secure areas.

While conditions in the town had calmed by 11 April, IOM received reports of gunfire in south and west areas of Wau on the morning of 12 April and observed additional IDPs moving towards the PoC site.

Difficult living conditions in the already overcrowded displacement sites have been compounded by the influx of new arrivals, stretching limited space and resources. IOM and aid agencies are working to provide services and space to new arrivals despite constraints.

More than 7.5 million people, out of an estimated population in South Sudan of 12 million, are in need of humanitarian assistance, including more than 4.9 million people facing severe food insecurity due to displacement, conflict and economic decline since December 2013.

For further information, please contact Ashley McLaughlin at IOM South Sudan, Tel: +211 922 405 716, Email: amclaughlin@iom.int.


South Sudan: South Sudan: Humanitarian Dashboard (February 2017)

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Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
Country: South Sudan, Uganda

SITUATION OVERVIEW

In February, the humanitarian situation continued to deteriorate, culminating in the declaration of localized famine in Mayendit and Leer Counties in Unity on 20 February. Some 100,000 people are facing starvation. and a further 1 million people are classified as being on the brink of famine across the country. There are now 4.9 million severely food insecure people in South Sudan and this number is expected to rise to 5.5 million at the height of the lean season in July.

By the end of February, about 3.6 million South Sudanese people had been forced out of their homes, including about 1.89 million internally displaced and 1.6 million seeking refuge in neighbouring countries. An estimated 31,500 people were forced to flee advances by armed forces on the western bank in Upper Nile. In Jonglei, nearly 17,000 people were displaced by heavy clashes in Uror and Nyirol counties. In Central Equatoria, Kajo-Keji town largely emptied, with only around 400 people remaining in the war-torn town following renewed attacks, while some 30,000 people remained in the IDP sites in Liwolo. Cholera continued to spread and was confirmed in Bor South and Yirol East in February. The refugee outflow to neighbouring countries continued, with 66,000 people arriving into Uganda in February alone.

There was an increase in the number of humanitarian access incidents reported in February (70) compared to January (64). The incidents had a substantial impact on humanitarian operations, with aid workers relocated from famine-affected Mayendit County, and operations suspended in multiple locations. About 52 per cent of the reported incidents involved violence against humanitarian personnel and assets, reflecting an increase in armed attacks (6% of 64 incidents in January vs 11% of 70 incidents in February).

By the end of the month, humanitarians had reached more than 1.9 million people, out of 5.8 million targeted under the 2017 Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP). However, lack of early funding proved to be a challenge, with the US$1.6 billion appeal for 2017 for South Sudan just two per cent funded by the end of February. Timely funding in the first quarter of the year is particularly critical in South Sudan, where vast amounts of supplies must be pre-positioned before the rainy season begins in April.

Cameroon: WFP Cameroon Country Brief, March 2017

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Source: World Food Programme
Country: Cameroon, Central African Republic, Nigeria

Highlights

  • In mid-March, the Government officially launched the report of the Zero Hunger Strategic Review Exercise carried out in Cameroon in mid-2016. The report, which contains specific recommendations towards achieving Zero Hunger in Cameroon will inform WFP future portfolio of assistance and contribute to the formulation of a Government led food security and nutrition policy and action plan.

  • The UNHAS Steering Committee validated a fleet review to upgrade the current 19-seater aircraft to a 37-seater, to meet increased operational demands.

Operational Updates

  • In March 2017, WFP and partners provided food assistance to 480,000 people across Cameroon’s north and eastern regions, including 117,000 young children who received nutrition support. In the Adamaoua region, seasonal food support was introduced for the first time to 15,000 vulnerable local populations, following reports of a significant deterioration of the food security situation in these areas (WFP Food Security Assessment 2016).

  • With support from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), WFP in collaboration with UN and NGO partners, plans to introduce a multi-purpose cashbased platform in the Logone and Chari (Far North region) to allow greater flexibility in meeting beneficiary needs in terms of health, food, hygiene and sanitation, while promoting livelihood opportunities. The project is planned to start in May.

  • In eastern Cameroon, in the context of the CBT, WFP has engaged in collaboration with women’s cooperatives to promote marketing of locally produced Cassava flour, which constitutes an opportunity to boost local production while facilitate women's participation in market activities.

  • In April, WFP plans to roll out an emergency school meals programme for children in the Boko Haram affected areas of the Far North region to encourage enrolment and improve children's diet and nutrition.

  • With support of the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID) emergency preparedness fund, WFP organized an Emergency Readiness Training for UN and NGO personnel in Maroua (Far North region) to develop capacity in managing crisis situations in humanitarian operations.

Senegal: WFP Senegal Country Brief, March 2017

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Source: World Food Programme
Country: Senegal

Highlights

  • The preliminary results of the March 2017 Cadre Harmonisé indicate that, as of March, 420,000 people are in a crisis situation. The projection for the upcoming lean season shows that around 800,000 people will be severely food insecure.

  • WFP celebrated the African School Meals Day (JAAS) in the region of Kaffrine, in the presence of the Senegalese Minister of Education, WFP Country Director and various stakeholders.

Operational Updates

  • VAM: The results of the March 2017 Cadre Harmonisé have been published: about 428,635 people are currently in crisis and 829,193 are projected to be in crisis during the 2017 lean season. Through SECNSA, a National Response Plan is being developed by the Government of Senegal with inputs from various partners, including WFP who is in the process of mobilizing resources to support the 2017 response plan.

  • School meals: On 2 March, during the celebration of the African School Meals Day (JAAS) in Koungheul, Kaffrine region, Mr. Guy Adoua, WFP Country Director, delivered a keynote speech on the theme of the day: "Sustaining school canteens through local production: a safe investment to promote children's education and youth employment". The celebration was presided by the Senegalese Minister of Education, Mr. Serigne Mbaye Thiam, who emphasized WFP’s contribution to the local economy, through the cash and voucher modality and local purchases.

  • Resilience and Rural Development: The Tambacounda sub-office supported a community-based participatory planning exercise in Kouthiacoto village. A refresher training was provided to a pool of trainers, which included local authorities, technical services, implementing partners, UN agencies and NGOs. Government representatives from the Ministry of Environment’s directorate and from the Executive Secretariat for Food Security (SE/CNSA), also participated. Four days were dedicated to the identification of priority actions to be carried out in the village by WFP and its partners in 2017. The common goal is to increase communities resilience through a synergetic approach among WFP interventions (R4, nutrition and school meals) and to raise awareness at the national level on WFP 3PA approach to resilience programming.

  • Targeted Food Assistance: On 22 March, WFP organized an after action workshop on the Integrated Initiative for the Prevention of Malnutrition and Food Insecurity, within the 2016 national response plan. The workshop was attend by governmental partners such as the general delegation for Social Protection, Ministry of Health representatives, financial partners including ECHO, cooperating partners (Africare, CLM, U-IMCEC) and members of the Sectoral Food Security Sector Group (WV, Catholic Relief Service, ACF, ACTED,
    International Plan).

  • Cash-based transfers (CBT): WFP participated in the mid-term review workshop of the social safety net programme. The workshop led to two key outcomes: 1) in response to shocks, cash and voucher will be used to set up a pilot programme for adaptive social protection; 2) WFP was strongly urged to enhance synergies and integration of CBT interventions

Nigeria: Nigeria, Borno State - Concept of Operations, April 2017

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Source: World Food Programme, Logistics Cluster
Country: Nigeria

Nigeria: Nigeria Operation Overview, August 2016 - March 2017

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Source: World Food Programme, Logistics Cluster
Country: Nigeria

Gambia: WFP The Gambia Country Brief, March 2017

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Source: World Food Programme
Country: Gambia

Highlights

  • The Zero Hunger Country Strategic Review has officially begun.

  • A total of 8,817 people were assisted under the immediate response emergency operation (IR-EMOP 201036) in March 2017.

Operational Updates

  • In March 2017, WFP provided food assistance through cash transfers to 8,817 people under IREMOP 201036. The assistance targets people affected by floods and windstorms during the 2016 rainy season. The activity was implemented in partnership with the National Disaster Management Agency, Gambia Red Cross Society and United Purpose.

  • A total of 80,229 schoolchildren and cooks were targeted for assistance by WFP in the month of March. WFP provided food assistance to pre and primary school children in Greater Banjul Area,
    West Coast, Lower River, Central River and Upper River Regions for the month of March.

  • WFP and the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education led the celebrations for the World School Meals Day on 1 March. Schoolchildren benefitting from the school meals programme participated in the celebration activities.

  • The national Zero Hunger Strategic Review process has commenced. The Lead Convener and his team have started initial consultations with government members to familiarise them about the process and scope of the review.

  • Technical meeting with key government stakeholders was held ahead of the regional and national consultation on Purchase from Africans for Africa project. The regional consultations are scheduled to start in April 2017.

  • Funding was recently received from SRAC allocation as well as the European Commission under a joint action to be implemented by WFP, FAO and UNICEF.

  • Preparation plans for the resumption of nutrition prevention and treatment activities have commenced. These activities were previously suspended under the PRRO due to lack of resources.

  • A total of 77,828 people are reported to be in food insecurity (Phase 3 – Crisis) according to the March 2017 Cadre Harmonisé findings. This number is expected to increase to 111,645 people (Crisis) by August 2017.

Mauritania: WFP Mauritania Country Brief, March 2017

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Source: World Food Programme
Country: Mali, Mauritania

Highlights

  • For the next six months, WFP needs USD 14.2 million to avoid pipeline breaks and assist the local population and Malian refugees with self-reliance activities through cash/in-kind assistance.

  • WFP’s financing gap over the next six months (89 percent) puts at risk food and cash assistance to the vulnerable population during the lean season (MaySeptember).

  • USD 0.8 million is also needed to provide schoolchildren with school meals until the end of the school year in June.

Operational Updates

WFP Mauritania is working on an interim country strategic plan aligned with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the government’s priorities. The plan builds on WFP key strengths and capacities in humanitarian response and recovery and will be WFP’s strategic, programmatic and governance instrument in Mauritania from 2018 onwards. It aims to facilitate the implementation of a results-oriented portfolio that meets humanitarian and development needs, as required by the Mauritanian context. The Country Strategic Plan aims also to engage with all country stakeholders and to convene partners around a common approach to eradicate hunger. The country office is preparing to transition to this new strategy from 2018.

The 2017 Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) in Mauritania was developed jointly by the Government, humanitarian actors working in Mauritania including UN agencies and international non-governmental organizations, and key donors. It aims to guarantee multi-sector humanitarian coordination and planning (water, hygiene and sanitation, nutrition, protection, early warning, health, food security, and multi-sector refugees) in 2017 during the transitory phase from UNDAF 2012–2016 to UNDAF 2018–2022.

Relief and Recovery Operation – Refugee Component

In March, WFP reintroduced in-kind distributions with recent funding. Some 200 new refugees were registered by UNHCR during March and benefitted from assistance. WFP reached 49,300 refugees with a reduced cash and food ration of 1,700 Mauritanian Ouguiya (USD 4), 120g rice and 12g oil per person. To complement the reduced daily individual rations, WFP also distributed 28g lentils.

Malnutrition treatment activities for pregnant and nursing women and children aged 6-59 months in March targeted some 600 vulnerable people. School meals were regularly distributed to 4,400 children in the six primary schools of the camp. WFP also provided school meals for 4,300 Mauritanian children attending schools in Mbera village.

Relief and Recovery Operation – Local Vulnerable Population Component

WFP staff conducted an identification mission of Food Assistance for Assets (FFA) sites in Hodh Ech-Charghi and Guidimakha regions where WFP plans to roll-out FFA in April to ensure sufficient assets are created or rehabilitated to stabilize beneficiaries’ livelihoods prior to the lean season.
Sites identified through a participatory approach with the communities, included small dams and dikes, as well as rehabilitation and construction of wells.

Country Programme – School Meals

WFP partially resumed its school meals programme for 16,800 schoolchildren attending 100 elementary schools in the region of Hodh Ech-Charghi. With private donations from the Japan Association for WFP, the country office was able to distribute two meals (hot porridge and lunch) in March. School meals are a key social protection and social inclusion tool which also boosts nutrition and education.

Special Operation – UNHAS

In March, UNHAS transported 257 passengers and 2,750 mt of light cargo in 35 rotations between Nouakchott and other locations. UNHAS had to cancel four flights during the month of March due to unfavourable weather conditions.


Chad: Tchad : Vue Générale des Opérations - Statistiques par camp, bureau et région de la population de personnes relevant de la compétence du HCR (Au 31/03/2017)

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

World: The impending hunger catastrophe won’t be Africa’s last, Red Cross Red Crescent warns

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Source: International Federation of Red Cross And Red Crescent Societies
Country: Ethiopia, Niger, Nigeria, Somalia, World

Abidjan/Nairobi, 12 April 2017 – The lives and futures of more than 18 million people are at risk in the Greater Horn of Africa and in Nigeria, as a result of one of the worst hunger crisis in recent history. This unfolding humanitarian crisis will be repeated again and again without concerted efforts to build resilience on the continent, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) warned today.

“As long as we have conflicts and do not take strong measures to mitigate the effects of climate change, food insecurity will be with us,” said Dr Fatoumata Nafo-Traoré, IFRC’s Regional Director for Africa. “As we respond to the risk of imminent mass starvation in Africa, we also need to invest in community-level capacities and systems, so that local communities are prepared for any future shocks.”

This warning comes at the end of a continental conference of Red Cross and Red Crescent leaders, in Abidjan. The three-day meeting recommended a number of actions.

Other recommendations included strengthening domestic resource mobilization, increasing countrylevel policy dialogue with governments, fostering increased community ownership of programmes, and developing innovation centres in communities, while recognizing innovative community-level initiatives on disaster risks reduction.

“We need to take advantage of modern technologies in our response to current humanitarian challenges. Mobile applications and social media should be used to raise awareness on climate change and to share early warning information about disasters,” said Dr Abbas Gullet, IFRC’s Vice President. “We also need to improve data collection, through technology and capacity building at community level.”

The meeting also called on governments, donors and humanitarian partners to prioritize and invest in interventions that will finally help break the grim and destructive cycle of African hunger—by strengthening communities’ capacities and skills to better prepare for, and respond to disasters and food insecurity, among other crises.

“We’ve seen drought and hunger before: in Somalia in 2011 and 2012, in Niger in 2005, in Ethiopia in the 1980s. Not enough was done to prevent those crises from happening, and not enough is being done to prevent a similar disaster from happening in the future,” said Dr Gullet.

IFRC and member National Societies are providing long-term support to vulnerable communities throughout Africa. Local Red Cross and Red Crescent staff and volunteers are embedded in many of the most vulnerable and hardest-to-reach communities. “How many people will die this year?

How many will die in future years if we don’t build the resilience of communities alongside our provision of emergency aid?” added Dr Gullet. “We cannot keep saying ‘never again’ unless we are prepared to change the way we respond.”

For more information contact:

In Abidjan: GABA Franck Romuald Kodjo, +225 0770 1632, gabacaleb@yahoo.fr
Euloge Ishimwe, +225 870 922 01 ; +254 731 688 613, euloge.ishimwe@ifrc.org
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies 2 I Press release 12 April 2016
In Geneva: Matthew Cochrane, +41 79 251 80 39, matthew.cochrane@ifrc.org

IFRC is the world`s largest humanitarian network comprising 190 National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies working to save lives and promote dignity around the world. www.ifrc.org - Facebook - Twitter - YouTube – Flickr

Nigeria: Nigeria: Operation Overview - April 2017

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

Situation Overview

An estimated seven million people across Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states of Nigeria are in need of life-saving assistance as a result of years of ongoing violence in the North-East of the country. With telecommunications infrastructure having been severely damaged by the conflict, provision and restoration of communications services are required to support the response community. As global lead of the Emergency Telecommunications Cluster (ETC), the World Food Programme (WFP) is convening theEmergency Telecommunications Sector (ETS) in Nigeria to meet vital communications needs,respondingwith government, private sector and humanitarian organisations to ensure a coordinated response

World: World Food Programme Cash-based transfers for delivering food assistance

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Source: World Food Programme
Country: Ecuador, Nigeria, Somalia, Syrian Arab Republic, Turkey, World

The World Food Programme (WFP) delivers millions of tons of food each year to hungry people, but, increasingly, this assistance comes through cash-based transfers (CBT) that allows them to buy food in the market and be in charge of key decisions that affect their lives.

For WFP, cash-based transfers are an effective way of reaching the Zero Hunger development goal by 2030, through reducing the cost of providing food assistance while maximising the number of people reached. If deployed in the right context, CBT can improve access to food, contribute to more consistent consumption patterns and diversified diets as well as reduce negative coping strategies such as selling valuable production assets to buy food. WFP takes the view that it is the people it serves who are in a position to decide what is best for them. Cash-based transfers help by giving the purchasing power to the people.

WFP is a lead humanitarian organization providing cash-based assistance. In 2016, it supported more than 14 million people globally with cash-based transfers for food. These transfers come in various forms from traditional banknotes, bank transfers or value vouchers to more innovative electronic platforms such as smart cards or mobile money.

Their use is dictated by the situation, from the immediate aftermath of a natural disaster to a protracted refugee crisis or recurrent assistance needed during the lean season.

WFP works closely with other humanitarian partners, national governments and non-governmental organizations, as well as new partners from the private sector to implement programmes that are cash-based. They include telecom companies and financial service providers, such as banks, microfinance institutions and money-transfer companies, as well as local food retailers to optimize the food supply chain and ensure that consumers get the best possible price.

Niger: Rebuilding childhood after Boko Haram: Defiant hope for the future

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Source: UN Children's Fund
Country: Cameroon, Chad, Niger, Nigeria

By Hakim Kabour

The heavy door to the prison closed behind me and I’m locked in, sitting in a circle with children exchanging greetings. Smiles, fidgeting hands, “How are you? Can you believe this heat?” Always the same smiles — despite the fact they’re locked up. I’m struck by their good nature.

A thousand kilometres from here, in the extreme southeast of Niger bordering Nigeria, a very important dialogue is starting between community leaders from villages who’ve been abducted by Boko Haram. If the leaders resist the return of these children, they will stay safely at a transit centre. Arrival preparation is essential to avoid stigmatization and rejection, from the community or their own families. It’s one of the most complex steps in the process and can derail the whole reintegration if not done well.

The situation for children suspected of associating with armed forces and groups is an extremely delicate problem in Niger and every country where UNICEF and its partners work in this area. The Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Paris Principles provide the basis for our intervention and give us a framework with the government of Niger. These documents insist that children must be considered victims of a conflict and they must be protected. It’s a great step forward, opening the possibility for tangible future solutions for children in danger.

UNICEF works with local authorities and neighborhood leaders to discuss the rights of the children, the fact that they are victims and the circumstances that ended with them in armed groups. Family mediations are crucial for the child to return home in the best possible circumstances, knowing that the return can be problematic for some parents. Tracking the psychological impact of post-traumatic stress is also essential, for the victims and for the families, especially if they’ve lost a loved one.

Hakim shares a smile with boys who he helps as part of his Child Protection efforts in Niger. Teaching life skills and practical trades like tailoring gives children a sense of financial independence and hope for the future.

In two years, more than 100 children who’ve been associated with Boko Haram have been supported by child protection programs in partnership with the judicial system here in Niger. Every story is different, every voice is unique. Some have been captured by security forces and others escaped Boko Haram, which operates in the far-east region of Niger. It’s very rare that children go directly home to their family.

The phone rings. The authorities release several children. Their faces brighten as they are released. It’s essential to help them return to a normal life. The logistics need to be organized quickly: the education supplies, the transport, the welcome at the transit centre in Niamey. With the Ministry for the Protection of Children, UNICEF takes responsibility for them and assures re-entry into their community and family reintegration. It’s a beautiful day for these young people, everyone agrees

They spend two to three months at the transit centre, as a smooth transition is organised. In workshops they learn practical skills that they can use back in their village. During this transition, they are exposed to cultural and educational games, along with psychosocial activities. A multidisciplinary approach provides a holistic response for the child so they can return to their society, to give them confidence and self-esteem, and to help deal with the negative experiences they had in custody. To leave custody and go to the transit centre is a key step in the process of reintegration.

It’s really important to focus on helping these young people develop useful skills to help them earn a living, and at the same time avoid stigmatisation. For example, we try to avoid training sessions with only children who’ve been associated with Boko Haram; we work to bring them into workshops for a broader group. This helps integrate the children into their community without provoking frustration from others who are also suffering daily consequences from the conflict.

It’s a fragile process. Many families anxiously await the return of their children from armed groups. We walk a fine line between acceptance and rejection. The future of these children and their families is in our hands.

The phone rings. A young girl has just been reunited with her family. It occurs to me that UNICEF is helping open doors to the future, literally and figuratively.

I realise how crucial it is for these parents, for these young people who find the courage to carry on despite all they have been through. With the support of the Niger authorities, and a protocol that considers them victims (signed in February 2017, nearly 3 years since the abduction of the Chibok girls), we are able to offer a real alternative for these young people: instead of prison we offer freedom and autonomy. Instead of being locked up, we offer the protection of their rights. Instead of rejection, we offer empathy and support. Our programs need to anticipate the needs of the children, whether boys or girls, suspected associating with Boko Haram, or other insurgent groups.

To help them put words to their suffering, to listen, understand and look towards the future with them, from my point of view, is one of the most important things we can do. We must explain the realities of conflict and the consequences for the most vulnerable if we are to help these families. The reconciliation of parents and children must go through this phase.

I close the door to the prison and emerge into the bright sunlight. I am free and they are not. But their focus on the future carries me and gives me confidence, it encourages me. The road is full of obstacles. But despite it all, these young people believe. If they believe, then I must too.

Read more about children’s situation in Niger and surrounding countries.

Hakim Kabour started working for UNICEF in Algeria in 2013. He joined the team in Niger 6 months ago as a consultant working on child protection in emergencies for UNICEF Niger and has been focusing ever since on children associated with armed forces and armed groups.

Chad: UNHCR 2016 Annual Report in SGBV Incidents Among Refugees in Chad

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

Summary

Vulnerable refugees, especially children and women, are exposed to sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) on a daily basis. The increasingly difficult socio-economic situation, the downward trend in the resources allocated to refugee protection and assistance programmes, including reductions in food rations over the last five years, are factors that aggravate refugees' vulnerability and exposure to SGBV.

The negative effects of SGBV on the refugees' physical, mental and psychological health demand that rapid, coordinated and effective interventions be carried out by all actors so as to affect favourably the protection environment.

This annual report elaborates on the incidents of SGBV among the refugees in Chad during 2016 as well as the different prevention and response actions against SGBV undertaken by UNHCR and partners.

The data in this report were collected by UNHCR and various partners in the 19 camps hosting a total of 393,161 Sudanese, Central African, Nigerian, Congolese and other nationalities for the period 01 January to 31 December 2016.

Despite the slight decrease in the number of observed incidents in 2016 among the refugee population compared to 2015, the results of the analysis of the data remain worrying.
UNHCR recorded a total of 1,247 incidents of SGBV during 2016, an estimated rate of 0.31% of all refugees in Chad.

However, we feel that these figures are underestimated because of lack of information related to several other underlying socio-cultural norms.
Women and girls remain the most affected by this type of violence given the social status ascribed to them by the communities, their gender, their weak physical and legal defense capacity and their major involvement in the search for "even negative" coping mechanisms for the subsistence of their households.

Indicators show that women remain less represented and less active in the various community management structures (about 30%). Also they have very limited participation in the community strategic decision making processes. They instead opt for the understandable choice of dedicating themselves to income-generating activities for the subsistence of their household rather than participate in the voluntary activities of community management mechanisms.

It is therefore vital that UNHCR and partners review the community-based protection approach in order to build on, and enhance the contribution of refugees to their own protection.
As to the relative importance of the typology described under III (Definitions), physical violence remains the SGBV most encountered in the refugee camps, followed by psychological violence. These forms of violence are usually perpetrated on women by their spouses or on children by their parents and neighbors.

Rape, exploitation and sexual assault account for 14.9% of all SGBV cases recorded in 2016.
UNHCR and partners have stepped up efforts to monitor, counter and raise awareness about female genital mutilation.

Although the practice persists, there is a significant reduction in cases recorded in 2016, ie 1.2% of all SGBVs identified, as compared to 2015. Despite this downward trend, this practice continues to mostly affect refugee girls.

The challenges identified in 2016 with regard to the overall response, namely adequate security and confidentiality of the victims, access to legal and psychosocial services, continued in 2016 to affect the quality of services available to, and provided to victims. Thus, only 1.28% of victims in need of safe houses had access to the service, 6.49% of victims had access to legal services, 26.06% were attended to by the police, 30.15% had access to material support, 39.69% consulted for medical care and 78.9% consulted the psychosocial services.

The situation described in this report reinforces the need for UNHCR and partners to actively pursue in 2017 activities around SGBV identification, response and prevention in refugee camps in order to reduce and provide enhanced protection to refugee women, men, girls and boys.

Chad: UNHCR Rapport Annuel Sur Les Cas Incidents De SGBV 2016 Parmi Les Refugies Au Tchad

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

Sommaire

Les réfugiés vulnérables particulièrement les enfants et femmes sont exposés au quotidien aux violences sexuelles et basées sur le genre (SGBV). La situation socio-économique de plus en plus préoccupante, la réduction tendancielle des ressources allouées aux programmes de protection et d'assistance des réfugiés y compris les réductions des rations alimentaires sur les 5 dernières années constituent des véritables facteurs aggravant la vulnérabilité des réfugiés face aux SGBV.
L'impact négatif des SGBV sur la santé physique,mentale et psychologique des réfugiés requiert une intervention rapide, coordonnée et efficace de l'ensemble des acteurs afin de garantir un environnement de protection favorable.

Ce rapport annuel présente la situation des incidents de SGBV identifiés parmi les réfugiés au Tchad durant l'année 2016 ainsi que les différentes actions de prévention et de réponse contre les SGBV menées par le HCR et ses partenaires.

Les données qui font l'objet de ce rapport ont été collectées par le HCR et ses différents partenaires dans les 19 camps abritant un total de 393,161 réfugiés Soudanais, Centrafricains, Nigérians, Congolais et d'autres nationalités au 31 décembre 2016.

Malgré la légère diminution du nombre des cas incidents observé en 2016 au sein de la population réfugiée au Tchad par rapport à 2015,les résultats de l'analyse des données restent préoccupants.
Le HCR a enregistré un total de 1247 cas incidents de SGBV durant l'année 2016 soit une incidence estimée à 0,31 % sur l'ensemble des réfugiés au Tchad. Toutefois,ses chiffrent restent sous estimés à cause du manque de dénonciation liés à plusieurs facteurs socio-culturels.
Le groupe des femmes et des filles restent le plus concerné par ces violences du fait de leur statut social dans leur communauté, leur sexe, leur faible capacité de défense physique et légale ainsi que leur implication majeure dans la recherche des moyens de subsistance « même négatifs » pour leur ménage.
Les indicateurs montrent que les femmes restent moins représentées et moins actives dans les différentes structures de gestion communautaire (environ 30%). Par ailleurs participation très limitée au processus de prise de décisions stratégiques.Elles font le choix compréhensible de vaquer aux activités génératrices de revenu pour la subsistance de leur ménage que de participer aux actions bénévoles des mécanismes communautaires de gestion.

Il devient donc vital pour le HCR et ses partenaires de revoir le processus de protection à base communautaire afin de capitaliser et valoriser la contribution des réfugiés à leur propre protection.
Concernant la typologie,la violence physique demeure la SGBV la plus rencontrée dans les camps des réfugiés,suivi de celle psychologique.Ses violences sont généralement perpétrées sur les femmes par leurs conjoints ou sur les enfants par leurs parents et voisins.

Le viol,l'exploitation et les agressions sexuelles représentent 14,9 % de l'ensemble des SGBV enregistré en 2016. Le HCR et ses partenaires ont renforcé les différentes actions de surveillance et de lutte et sensibilisation contre les mutilations génitales féminines.Bien que la pratique persiste,on observe une réduction sensible des cas enregistré en 2016 soit 1,2 % de l'ensemble des SGBV identifiées.

Ce chiffre revue à la baisse continue cependant d'affecter en majeure partie les jeunes filles réfugiées.
Les défis identifiés en 2016 concernant la réponse globale à savoir la sécurisation appropriée des victimes, l'accès aux services juridiques et la prise en charge psychosociale ont été observés en 2016 affectant ainsi la qualité des services rendus aux victimes.Seuls 1,28% de victime a eu besoin d'un logement Secure,6,49 % des victimes a eu accès aux services juridiques,26,06 % a fait recours à la police,30,15% a eu accès au support matériel,39,69 % a consulté pour une prise en charge médicale et 78,9% au service psychosocial.

La situation décrite à l'aide des résultats du présent rapport justifie largement la nécessité pour le HCR et ses différents partenaires de poursuivre activement en 2017 les actions d'identification,de réponse et de prévention des SGBV dans les camps des réfugiés afin de réduire les risques et fournir une meilleure protection aux femmes, aux hommes, aux filles et aux garçons réfugiés.


Nigeria: Nigeria: 3 years after Chibok, girls escaping Boko Haram face rejection

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Source: International Alert
Country: Nigeria

London/ Abuja/ Maiduguri, 13 April 2017: Women and girls escaping Nigeria's insurgency group Boko Haram are rejected by their families or communities, says peacebuilding charity International Alert. More help must be given to stigmatised survivors to find acceptance at home.

The 276 schoolgirls in Chibok, northeast Nigeria, whose kidnap on 14 April 2014 sparked the global #BringBackOurGirls campaign, represent just a fraction of the estimated 8,000 women and girls who have been held by the insurgency group since 2009.

While most remain in captivity, hundreds have escaped or have been rescued.

Girls escaping often report physical, emotional and sexual abuse, and forced marriage at the hands of Boko Haram, and are typically highly traumatised.

Meanwhile, their families and communities fear the girls may have been radicalised in captivity. This makes it difficult for returnees to rebuild their lives.

Since December 2015, International Alert, together with UNICEF Nigeria and local partners, have been providing support for hundreds of girls and women returning from Boko Haram. They have also organised workshops to support the process of long-term reintegration. This includes working with communities and family members to foster empathy and reduce stigma.

The programme is supported by the government of the UK (UKAID) and the government of Sweden (Sida).

Kimairis Toogood, Peacebuilding Advisor for International Alert in Nigeria, said:

“Tragically, communities, families and husbands don’t always welcome returning women and girls with open arms, for a fear they may have been radicalised in captivity. This problem is fuelled by a culture of stigma around sexual violence - especially if the girls return with a baby. These girls may struggle to integrate back into their communities, and face a life of isolation and poverty.”

Jummai*, a young woman who escaped Boko Haram and is now taking part in the reintegration programme, said:

“The issue of being raped and carrying a baby from sexual violence, the stigma, the isolation from suspicious people in the [displacement] camp was emotionally overwhelming. The [dialogue] sessions have been crucial in my moving on in my life. They have helped me cope with the loss of my husband and the impact of rape.”

Find out more: www.intalert.org/FutureForOurGirls

Report: ‘Bad blood’: Perceptions of children born of conflict-related sexual violence and women and girls associated with Boko Haram in northeast Nigeria (February 2016)

Sudan: Sudan: Humanitarian Bulletin | Issue 9 | 27 March – 9 April 2017

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Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
Country: Japan, South Sudan, Sudan

HIGHLIGHTS

  • Over 85,000 South Sudanese refugees arrived in Q1 of 2017; the total number is 380,000 since Dec 2013.

  • The national NGO Sanad Charity provided 9,000 South Sudanese refugees, taking refuge in border areas between East Darfur and South Sudan, with food assistance.

  • On 30 March, WFP began to move food assistance to famine-hit and food-insecure people in South Sudan using a newly opened aid corridor.

  • In 2016, 3.9 million people in Sudan received humanitarian assistance from the UN and humanitarian partners.

FIGURES 201 7

people in need in Sudan 4.8 million (2017 HNO)

people in need in Darfur 3 million (2017 HNO)

GAM caseload 2.2 million (2017 HNO)

South Sudanese refugee arrivals in Sudan - since 15 Dec 2013 379,692 (registered by UNHCR) - as of 31 March 2017

Other refugees and asylum seekers 144,866 (registered by UNHCR) - as of 31 March 2017

FUNDING

566.8 million US$ received in 2016

58.3% Reported funding (as of 9 April 2017)

Over 85,000 South Sudanese refugees arrive in 2017

More than 85,000 South Sudanese refugees have arrived in Sudan since the beginning of 2017, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) said in its latest inter-agency operational update on the South Sudanese Refugee Response. UNHCR estimates that nearly 380,000 refugees have fled to Sudan since December 2013. UNHCR and partners are now anticipating that up to 180,000 new arrivals from South Sudan may arrive by the end of 2017.

The highest number of new arrivals during the first quarter of 2017 was reported in East Darfur State, which accounts for nearly 40 per cent of new arrivals in 2017 so far.

Mali: Sahel 2016 | Rapport de suivi périodique (Octobre-Decembre 2016)

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Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
Country: Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Gambia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal

Le PMR est un rapport produit en collaboration avec les secteurs / clusters pays et régionaux1. Il présente les progrès réalisés au travers d’une analyse qualitative et quantitative des indicateurs de résultat du Sahel.

Le contexte

En 2014, une stratégie de réponse humanitaire triennale pour le Sahel a été mise en place afin de répondre aux besoins des populations les plus vulnérables dans 9 pays (Burkina Faso,
Cameroun, Gambie, Mali, Mauritanie, Niger, Nigeria, Sénégal et Tchad).

Afin de faire le suivi de sa mise en œuvre, chaque secteur/ cluster a identifié des indicateurs de résultat communs pour la région ainsi que des cibles (désagrégées par genre) au niveau sous-national.
Les 7 secteurs opérationnels au niveau régional (eau, hygiène et assainissement - EHA, éducation, assistance multisectorielle aux réfugiés, nutrition, protection, santé et sécurité alimentaire) rapportent mensuellement sur leurs réalisations au travers de l’outil de rapportage en ligne (ORS).

Le rapport

Les 7 secteurs opérationnels au niveau régional (eau, hygiène et assainissement - EHA, éducation, assistance multisectorielles aux réfugiés, nutrition, protection, santé et sécurité alimentaire) rapportent mensuellement sur leurs réalisations au travers de l’outil de rapportage en ligne (ORS).
Ce rapport présente, par secteur et par pays, les réalisations rapportées pour la période allant de octobre à décembre 2016. Il comporte une partie narrative et quantitative. Chaque secteur est responsable de s’assurer de la qualité et validité des données rapportées.

Le système de rapportage en ligne (ORS)

ORS a été développé par OCHA ROWCA. C’est un outil innovant conçu spécifiquement pour soutenir le partage d’information humanitaire et notamment (mais pas uniquement) sur les réalisations en cours. Il est actuellement déployé et opérationnel dans 8 pays. L’ensemble des données présentées dans ce rapport sont enregistrées sur ORS et disponibles en ligne.
Pour plus d’information, visitez http://ors.ocharowca.info.

Yemen: Instruments of Pain: Conflict and Famine

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Source: International Crisis Group
Country: Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan, Yemen

For the first time in three decades, four countries, driven by war, verge on famine. Over coming weeks, Crisis Group will publish special briefings on Yemen, South Sudan, Somalia and Nigeria. Each conflict requires tailored response; all need increased aid and efforts to end the violence.

The last time the UN declared a famine was in 2011, in Somalia. The last time it faced more than one major famine simultaneously was more than three decades ago. Today we are on the brink of four – in Yemen, Nigeria, Somalia and South Sudan.

The spectre of famine is primarily the result of war, not natural disaster. According to the UN, more than twenty million people, millions of them children, are at risk of starvation. This is happening in man-made crises and under the Security Council’s watch. In some places, the denial of food and other aid is a weapon of war as much as its consequence. Combatants’ fighting tactics often make the problem worse.

Both sides of Yemen’s conflict, for example, fight with little to no regard for the local population. The Huthis and former President Ali Abdullah Saleh’s forces, on one hand, and their opponents in the Saudi Arabia-led coalition, on the other, have repeatedly strangled the flow of aid and commodities to areas controlled by their rivals. The impending Saudi-led push to recapture the Red Sea coast, including the port of Hodeida – the main entry point for imports on which much of the country depends – and the battle that offensive will provoke risk creating another major chokehold on supplies.

Elsewhere, too, the actions of governments and their opponents exact high humanitarian tolls. In north-east Nigeria, Boko Haram’s attacks on rural communities and the destruction wrought by fighting between its insurgents and the military caused the acute food crisis. The curtailing by Lake Chad basin states of economic activity, aimed at weakening the insurgency, has damaged communities’ livelihoods and increased their vulnerability.

Fighting in South Sudan often involves indiscriminate killing of civilians, sexual violence and pillage by state and non-state armed actors alike. Civilians in Southern Unity state must constantly flee armed groups, rendering them unable to farm or receive assistance and creating conditions for famine. Many resort to hiding in swamps; to seek food is to risk attack.

The risk of famine is thus closely tied to the spike, over recent years, in war and its fallout, particularly mounting human suffering. Critical norms, including adherence to International Humanitarian Law (IHL), are fast eroding. For the first time in a generation, most indicators suggest the world is becoming more dangerous.

The Nigerians, Somalis, South Sudanese and Yemenis over whom famine looms have already suffered intense, in some cases protracted conflict. The impact on those most affected is more than a passing tragedy. The displacement, destruction to livestock and local communities and the threat of a lost generation, without education or socio-economic prospects, hinder prospects for building sustainable peace.

Beginning today with publication of the special briefing Instruments of Pain (I): Conflict and Famine in Yemen, and continuing over the next few weeks with similar special briefings on South Sudan, Nigeria and Somalia, Crisis Group will describe these crises’ roots and the measures necessary to prevent their further deterioration. Each requires a unique response: challenges of access and funding vary, as do ways to quiet and eventually end the wars that have increased risks of famine. Each special briefing will offer detailed prescriptions.

Overall, though, governments of the states affected and their backers should:

  • show far greater respect for IHL, particularly by allowing in aid and protecting those delivering it. They must avoid tactics that contribute to the risk of famine, like the Hodeida offensive, the curtailing of Lake Chad basin trading or predation in Southern Unity state;

  • increase and sustain funds for relief efforts. Shortfalls are not the only financial challenge – in Yemen, for example, the central bank’s failure to pay public sector salaries has left many Yemenis unable to buy food that is available. But humanitarian efforts in all four crises are chronically underfunded; and

  • renew efforts to calm violence and bring those conflicts to a sustainable end. The spike in war over recent years, which has already caused more civilian casualties, mass displacement and terrorism, now threatens to starve millions. Without redoubled efforts to end those conflicts, 2017 promises to be not the low-water mark, but rather a way-station on the descent to something far worse.

World: Internal Displacement Update, Issue 14: 22 March - 5 April 2017

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Source: Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre
Country: Afghanistan, Argentina, Australia, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Colombia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, India, Iraq, Kenya, Nigeria, Peru, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syrian Arab Republic, World

Feature

Horn of Africa

Affected areas Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan

Cause of displacement Disaster (Drought, food insecurity and conflict)

Figures More than 464,000 new displacements between 1 November 2016 and 24 March 2017

More than 444,000 people were displaced directly or indirectly in relation to drought in Somalia between 1 November 2016 and 24 March 2017. More than 187,000 people were displaced between 1 and 24 March. The largest movements were to Baidoa in Bay region (more than 82,000 people),Mogadishu (more than 79,000) and Gaalkacyo (as many as 24,000) (UNHCR, 24 March 2017; UNHCR, 24 March 2017). More than 4,000 people, mostly women and children from Bay, Gedo and Middle Juba regions, crossed into Ethiopia in early 2017 because of drought (OCHA, 31 March 2017).
Somali families told “harrowing stories of abandoning their weak cattle, of being forced to leave their homes to search for food and water”. A mother of ten from Gedo province said: “I lost ten goats. One day they just started falling and dying. I decided to move away, as I feared that my children would start falling and dying too” (Norwegian Refugee Council, 29 March 2017).

More than 20,000 people were displaced by drought in Garissa and Turkana counties in Kenya between 1 January and 31 March. Another 5,000 people fled violence relating to cattle rustling in Baringo county during the same period, and more than 30,000 Kenyans with their cattle migrated to Uganda in search of water and grazing pastures. One hundred people who had received UNHCR support to return to Somalia arrived in Kenya’s Dadaab camp in March (OCHA, 31 March 2017).

In South Sudan, conflict and drought contributed to displacement. “Spreading violence first led people to abandon their homes and villages, but sustained hunger with little hope of harvests to ease their suffering sent them on the long, risky walks to safety far away.” Nyawich Bangot, who fled Unity state, said: “There were so many random killings: men were killed randomly, even children were killed randomly. Our houses with our food stored inside were all destroyed, food we grew with our own hands to keep us going during the hard times” (UNHCR, 10 April 2017).

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