Highlights
1) During the flooding that affected more than 520,000 people in Niger since July 2013, UNICEF assisted 14,816 households in Tillia, Agadez, Niamey, Dosso, Tillaberi. Approximately 103,712 beneficiaries have received non-food items from UNICEF and its partners. After receiving assistance, most of the displaced families who were occupying schools (as of 3 of September, 891 classrooms were occupied) did vacate them. Consequently, boys and girls could get back to school.
2) As of 7 October, 287,762 under-five children have been admitted to therapeutic feeding centres for severe acute malnutrition (SAM), while another 369,560 have been receiving treatment for moderate acute malnutrition (MAM).
3) As of 14 October 2012, a cumulative total of 4,887 cholera cases and 102 deaths since the beginning of the year with a case fatality rate of 2.09 percent have been reported against 2,133 cases with 49 deaths reported at the same period in 2011. In one month, 664 cases have been registered. The epidemic is still spreading. Activities are being implemented by UNICEF partners to contain outbreaks.
4) Due to the armed intervention threat in Mali, the number of officially recorded refugees continues to rise and has now reached a total of 65,012 (including 40,307 children) in refugee camps and other sites close to the Malian border. From 30 October to 14 December, UNHCR will carry out its level 2 registration to provide additional data on refugee profile. Further to this process, and as specified in the CAP 2013 scenario elaborated by UNHCR, the number of refugees is expected to go down. However, preparedness activities are underway to ensure partners will be ready to respond to additional influxes as well as internal displacement in Niger resulting from the military intervention in Mali.
5) Further to the CAP 2013 workshop held on 8 and 9 October 2013, each Cluster finalized its resilience-based strategy and projects. After sectoral reviews and approval, some 84 projects have been submitted so far to the Inter-cluster for review and comments.
6) On 6 October 2013, the Letter of Understanding (LoU) between UNHCR and UNICEF was signed. It details the activities UNICEF will lead in the camps, in particular the provision of Education for refugees.
7) In an effort to broaden the stakeholder base for multilateral humanitarian action, the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) and OCHA invited representatives of some 18 Member States, Regional Organizations, Banks, and Red Crescents with a growing interest in multilateral humanitarian action to visit Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso from 14-21 October 2012. The purpose of the visit was to give participants the opportunity to consider first-hand the value of multilateral humanitarian activities and to foster a dialogue on how the global humanitarian system operates in the field and how all partners can contribute to creating a more inclusive and effective response system.
8) Since the beginning of October, Back to School activities are taking place in each district. In each Regional Education Directorate (DREN), communication and community mobilization activities are being broadcasted on TV/Radio to encourage parents to send their children back to school.