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Niger: Humanitarian Action for Children 2015: Niger

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Source: UN Children's Fund
Country: Mali, Niger, Nigeria

UNICEF is requesting US$42.5 million to meet the humanitarian needs of children in Niger in 2015.

Niger is facing a multifaceted humanitarian crisis caused by food insecurity, malnutrition, population movements, epidemics, and natural disasters – and the crisis is compounded by an increase in the frequency of calamities and insufficient emergency preparedness. As of October 2014, 5.3 million people are considered to be at risk of food insecurity1, and this number is expected to decrease in 2015 to 4.3 million2. Prevalence of global acute malnutrition (GAM) and severe acute malnutrition (SAM) in children aged 6 to 59 months is 14.8 per cent and 2.7 per cent, respectively3. Due to security concerns in Mali, the return of Malian refugees has almost stopped in 2014, with 50,000 Malian refugees still hosted in Niger. In addition, worsening security in the northeast Nigeria and cholera outbreaks in that region caused displacement of 105,000 people to Niger4 and additional influx is expected during 20155. Since the beginning of 2014, Niger has faced outbreaks of cholera, including 1,660 cases and 51 deaths registered as of the end of October, mainly in the districts neighboring Nigeria. In 2015, UNICEF will continue to support the Government in implementing measures aimed at preventing and preparing for an Ebola outbreak. Humanitarian access, especially in the border areas of Mali and Nigeria, remains a challenge due to security constraints.

Humanitarian strategy

In 2015, UNICEF’s humanitarian strategy remains harmonized with the Government’s ‘National Support Plan’. UNICEF and partners will support the Government in responding to the needs of approximately 1.4 million vulnerable people including: an estimated 367,000 children affected by SAM; 121,500 people affected by displacement (105,000 people displaced from Nigeria and 16,500 refugee children from Mali); and 880,000 people vulnerable to water-borne diseases (including 400,000 through Cholera- and Ebola-prevention activities, 420,000 people through Wash in Nut activities, and 60,000 affected by flooding). As the lead of the Nutrition, WASH, Education and Child Protection clusters in Niger, UNICEF supports the integration of activities through the integration of WASH and psychosocial support packages within nutrition interventions to increase WASH access, improve child development, promote healing and reduce the risk of relapse. Through a Letter of Understanding with UNHCR, UNICEF is supporting the Malian refugees and the displaced people from Nigeria (refugees and returnees) by ensuring their access to primary services. In 2015, UNICEF will ensure quality education for 11,500 Malian refugees and 8,500 displaced children from Nigeria; and psychosocial support for 5,000 children from Mali and 36,000 children from Nigeria. In addition, UNICEF will support increased access to water, hygiene and sanitation for approximately 52,500 people who found refuge in host communities in Diffa. UNHCR will cover access to water and sanitation for the Malian refugees in the camps. UNICEF will support prevention and treatment of malnutrition for all the refugee children from Mali and for displaced children in Diffa. To prevent a further spread of cholera, UNICEF is partnering with Ministries of Health, Water and Sanitation and WHO to deliver an integrated package of services to cholera-prone areas, including distribution of a minimum cholera non-food item kit to 400,000 people at risk, including soap and household water treatments tabs (PUR or Aquatabs).


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