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	The Sahel - Worsening violence and insecurity impacting 15 million people by OCHA, MSF, UNHCR, Unicef, agencies   The Sahel - Worsening Violence and Insecurity: A Call to Action from UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs   Escalating armed violence is causing an unprecedented humanitarian emergency in the Sahel. The impact on affected children, women and men is dramatic. Needs are rising fast as conflict and insecurity devastate hundreds of thousands more lives.   Over the past six months, armed groups have intensified attacks in Burkina Faso and parts of Mali and Niger. Regions around the three countries borders are new hotspots of violence. In the first five months of 2019, more than 1,200 civilians were directly targeted and killed. Exacerbated by conflict, tensions in communities with deep-rooted grievances are growing.   Operating in sparsely populated, impoverished regions with little Government presence, armed groups are roving across borders and expanding areas of influence. Neighbouring Cote d'Ivoire, Benin, Ghana and Togo are at risk. Attacks have already spilled over into Benin.   In the Lake Chad Basin, the conflict continues unabated into its tenth year. More than 27,000 people have been killed. Millions of civilians are grappling with extreme hardship and deprivation.   Many have suffered violence and abuse and are deeply traumatised. Armed groups have recently intensified attacks against civilians, with a marked increase in murders, kidnappings and lootings, leading to renewed population displacements.   Conflict and its devastating humanitarian impact have plagued the Sahel for many years. The current levels, however, are unprecedented. Insecurity has never spread so fast. Women and children are bearing the brunt of the violence.   Renewed, increased and concerted efforts are needed to curb the ongoing violence from spreading further in the Sahel, and beyond. http://bit.ly/2JnTnFM   http://www.nrc.no/news/2021/september/burkina-faso-275.000-displaced-since-april/ http://reliefweb.int/report/burkina-faso/humanitarian-emergency-unprecedented-level-sahel http://www.nrc.no/shorthand/fr/sahel---the-worlds-most-neglected-and-conflict-ridden-region/index.html http://unocha.exposure.co/humans-of-sahel-1   Sep. 2021   Niger: Children killed or forcibly recruited by armed Islamist groups in devastating conflict. (Amnesty International)   Increasing numbers of children are being killed or targeted for recruitment by armed groups in conflicts raging at Niger’s borders with Mali and Burkina Faso, Amnesty International said in a new report published today (13 September).   The 57-page report, ‘I Have Nothing Left Except Myself’: The Worsening Impact on Children of Conflict in the Tillabéri Region of Niger, documents the devastating impact on children of the conflict, involving armed groups Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS) and the al-Qaida-affiliated Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM).   Both ISGS and JNIM have committed war crimes and other abuses, including the murder of civilians and the targeting of schools. Many children have been left traumatised after witnessing deadly attacks on their villages. In some areas, women and girls have been barred from activities outside the home, and risk abduction or forced marriage to fighters.   Matt Wells, Amnesty International’s Crisis Response Deputy Director, said:   “Niger is at a precipice. In parts of the country an entire generation is growing up surrounded by death and destruction. Armed groups have repeatedly attacked schools, food reserves and are targeting children for recruitment.   “The Nigerien government and its international partners must urgently take action to monitor and prevent further abuses across Tillabéri region and protect the basic rights of all those affected by this deadly conflict - especially children.”   The Nigerien authorities have failed to protect civilians. Witnesses to attacks described how, despite their urgent calls, Niger’s Defence and Security Forces frequently arrived long after killing and looting had ended.   Amnesty considers the situation in Niger a non-international armed conflict, given the intensity of violence and level of organisation of both ISGS and JNIM.   Targeted killing of civilians   The conflict in Tillabéri, in the north-west of the country, has escalated significantly since the start of this year. According to the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project, violence against civilians has led to 544 conflict-related deaths between 1 January and 29 July in Niger, already far exceeding the 397 people killed last year.   Armed groups have killed more than 60 children in Niger’s tri-border area this year. ISGS, which operates primarily on the border with Mali, appears responsible for most of the killings.   Amnesty spoke to 16 boys who had narrowly survived ISGS attacks on their villages. They described how masked attackers on motorbikes opened fire, particularly targeting men and older boys. One boy, aged around 13 or 14, said, “We all are used to hearing gunshots and to seeing [dead] people layered on top of [dead] people”.   Fighters have fired into homes, killing or injuring civilians attempting to hide. One woman and her baby daughter suffered gunshot wounds while hiding at home during a likely ISGS attack.   The FDS withdrew from some border areas after suffering losses to ISGS and JNIM in late 2019, leading to an absence of state authorities. Witnesses to attacks said the FDS often failed to respond, as killing and looting unfolded over several hours. A 50-year-old man, in words echoed by many others, told Amnesty, “We have been abandoned”.   Recruitment of children   The recruitment of children by JNIM has increased significantly this year in Torodi department, near the Burkina Faso border. Witnesses said JNIM has targeted younger men and boys aged between 15 and 17, and possibly younger.   JNIM members offer incentives such as food, money and clothes to attract recruits. Recruits reportedly receive weapons training for periods ranging from one week to three months. JNIM is also known to use children as spies, scouts and lookouts, among other functions defined as participation in hostilities under international law.   Attacks on children’s education   As part of violent opposition to education they consider “Western”, ISGS and JNIM have burned down schools and threatened teachers. As of June this year, at least 377 schools in the Tillabéri region had closed, depriving more than 31,000 children of education. Amnesty documented attacks which targeted and burned schools in at least four departments of Tillaberi region. In rural areas, most school structures are made from straw, making them easy to burn down.   Teachers have also been threatened for their work. One 15-year-old boy from Mogodyougou said, “The teachers… left. They’d be killed [if they stayed].”   Under international humanitarian law, attacks against schools are prohibited unless the school is being used for military purposes. As such, attacks against schools or other buildings dedicated to education documented by Amnesty constitute war crimes.   Children’s health imperilled   The conflict has significantly undermined children’s access to healthcare, as armed groups have looted health facilities. Immunisation rates have plummeted, and diseases such as measles are on the rise. The relentless attacks have had a profound impact on children’s mental health and wellbeing. Very few children interviewed had received psychosocial support. Amnesty documented symptoms of trauma and distress among children, including nightmares, disturbed sleep patterns, fear, anxiety, and loss of appetite. Many reported how the sound of motorbikes triggered memories of attacks.   Acute food insecurity   During attacks, ISGS have burned grain stores, looted shops and stolen livestock, leaving families destitute and without adequate food. Children face heightened risks of malnutrition and related illness. A woman with seven children told Amnesty that ISGS fighters torched her family’s granaries during an attack on Zibane village. She said, “Everything was burned … I have nothing left, except myself.”   Through satellite imagery analysis, Amnesty corroborated the targeted burning of grain stores. Such attacks have forcibly displaced tens of thousands of people, often emptying entire villages due to lack of food. Both ISGS and JNIM also regularly impose ‘taxes’ on communities, often enforced through violence. Humanitarian agencies have predicted that an estimated 2.3 million people in the region are likely to suffer from food insecurity due to the attacks, as well as from drought and floods.   Nearly a decade of conflict   Conflict erupted in Mali in 2012 and has since spilled into neighbouring Burkina Faso and Niger. Armed groups have competed for control in the border areas, and frequently clashed with the Nigerien military, and forces from countries including Chad, Mali, Burkina Faso, and France. An estimated 13.2 million people in the three countries will need humanitarian assistance this year, and around 1.9 million people have been internally displaced.   http://www.amnesty.org.uk/press-releases/niger-children-killed-or-forcibly-recruited-armed-islamist-groups-devastating   Jan. 2020   Close to 5 million children in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger will need humanitarian assistance over the course of 2020, UNICEF said today, up from 4.3 million. This projection is linked to a surge in violence that has included attacks against children and civilians, abductions and recruitment of children into armed groups.   'When we look at the situation in the Central Sahel, we cannot help but be struck by the scale of violence children are facing. They are being killed, mutilated and sexually abused, and hundreds of thousands of them have had traumatic experiences', said Ms Marie-Pierre Poirier, UNICEF Regional Director for West and Central Africa.   Since the start of 2019, more than 670,000 children across the region have been forced to flee their homes because of armed conflict and insecurity.   'Children affected by the violence in the Central Sahel urgently need protection and support', Poirier added. 'UNICEF calls on governments, armed forces, non-state armed groups and other parties to conflict to stop attacks on children (in their homes, schools or health centres).   UNICEF is asking for safe access to all affected children, in line with humanitarian principles. We urge all parties to protect and facilitate access to social services. This is a cornerstone for social cohesion and contributes to preventing conflict'.   The spike in violence also has devastating implications on children's learning. At the end of 2019, more than 3,300 schools in the three countries were closed or non-operational due to violence - a six-fold increase since April 2017 affecting 650,000 children and 16,000 teachers.   Insecurity and displacement are creating significant barriers for children and families trying to access essential services, food and nutritional supplies - risk factors that can lead to the deterioration of children's health and nutritional status. UNICEF estimates that across the central Sahel, over 709,000 children under 5 years will suffer from severe acute malnutrition and require lifesaving treatment this year.   Meanwhile, families access to safe water is also dwindling. In Burkina Faso alone, access to safe water fell by 10 per cent from 2018 to 2019 across areas where internally displaced people represent more than one-fifth of the population. Some areas have experienced as much as a 40 per cent decrease.   http://reliefweb.int/report/burkina-faso/un-agencies-raise-alarm-central-sahel-where-millions-face-hunger-amid-rapidly http://reliefweb.int/report/burkina-faso/23-million-children-need-protection-central-sahel-region-2020-more-80-cent http://www.unhcr.org/news/press/2020/2/5e39d14a4/unhcr-stepping-response-escalating-violence-displacement-sahel-region.html http://fews.net/west-africa/alert/december-2019 http://reliefweb.int/report/mali/nearly-5-million-children-will-need-humanitarian-assistance-central-sahel-year-violence http://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/film/burkina-faso-s-spiralling-crisis http://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/in-depth/sahel-flames-Burkina-Faso-Mali-Niger-militancy-conflict http://igarape.org.br/en/the-sahel-is-engulfed-by-violence-climate-change-food-insecurity-and-extremists-are-largely-to-blame/   Oct. 2019   Conflict, violence in Burkina Faso displaces nearly half a million people.   UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is joining its partners to warn about the unfolding humanitarian crisis in Burkina Faso's central and northern regions where each day the lives of hundreds of thousands of civilian are being disrupted by insecurity and violence. Some 486,000 have been forced to flee within the country, 267,000 of whom in the past 3 months alone. A further 16,000 are refugees in neighbouring countries.   The escalating armed violence is causing an unprecedented humanitarian emergency in the Sahel. While visiting Kaya, northeast of Ouagadougou, and Barsalogho, in the central Sanmatenga Province, we witnessed firsthand the dramatic impact of these tragic events on the affected population.   Thousands of people are on the move, exhausted and trying to find safety among host families or at transit and official travel sites. Many have been repeatedly displaced. The prospects for their immediate return to where they come from are poor. As a result, their needs and those of host families, already vulnerable by food and nutrition crises in the region, are growing. Women and adolescent girls face particular threats given that health and other essential services are lacking.   People we met had endured horrifying and traumatic events, with reports of more than 500 being killed in 472 attacks and counter-military operations since last year. We heard reports that basic services such as health care and education, as well as freedom of movement, have been severely affected by the attacks and by generalized insecurity.   Currently, all of Burkina Faso's 13 regions host people fleeing violence. The Centre-Nord region hosts the largest number of displaced people - more than 196,000 in Sanmatenga province alone - followed by the Sahel region - 133,000 in Soum province. Some 1.5 million people are now in urgent need of humanitarian assistance in the country. We also remain extremely worried about 31,000 Malian refugees also affected by the ongoing conflict.   One thing was absolutely clear. Humanitarian needs are rising fast as conflict and insecurity continues to devastate hundreds of thousands of lives. Hosting communities are already impoverished, living on margins themselves. Food, water, shelter, and healthcare has to be arranged and reinforced immediately if we want to avoid another tragedy within this tragedy. Malnutrition and starvation are a real threat.   We need urgent resources to launch a coordinated humanitarian response, an immediate necessity to save lives.   Armed groups have also intensified attacks in Burkina Faso neighbouring countries of Mali and Niger. Regions around the three countries borders are new hotspots of violence. Operating in sparsely populated, impoverished regions with little Government presence, armed groups are roving across borders and expanding areas of influence. Attacks have already spilled over into Benin in 2019. Overall, 5.4 million people in the affected regions need urgent assistance, including 3.2 million in Mali, and 700,000 people in western Niger.   http://bit.ly/2ozXerE http://www.acaps.org/country/burkina-faso/special-reports#container-1343 http://bit.ly/2O1SpAX http://www.icrc.org/en/document/helping-vulnerable-displaced-people-burkina-faso http://interagencystandingcommittee.org/emergency-directors-group/documents/stronger-international-support-needed-burkina-faso-humanitarian http://www.nrc.no/perspectives/2020/five-things-you-should-know-about-the-crisis-in-burkina-faso/ http://reliefweb.int/report/burkina-faso/survivors-and-heroines-women-crisis-burkina-faso   Sep. 2019   Nigeria is a pressure cooker of internal conflicts and generalized violence that must be addressed urgently, an independent United Nations expert said, following a fact-finding visit to the country.   'The overall situation that I encountered in Nigeria gives rise to extreme concern', with issues like poverty and climate change adding to the crisis, said Special Rapporteur Agnes Callamard.   She pointed out that if ignored, the ripple effects of unaccountability on such a large scale, had the potential to destabilize the sub-region if not the whole continent.   'Nigeria is confronting nationwide, regional and global pressures, such as population explosion, an increased number of people living in absolute poverty, climate change and desertification, and increasing proliferation of weapons', she said. These are re-enforcing localized systems and country-wide patterns of violence, many of which are seemingly spinning out of control.   Ms. Callamard highlighted many areas of concern, including armed conflict against the Boko Haram terrorist group in the northeast; insecurity and violence in the northwest; the conflict in the central area known as the Middle Belt and parts of the northwest and south, between nomadic Fulani herdsmen and indigenous farming communities.   She also noted the prevalence of organized gangs or cults in Nigeria's south; general repression of minority and indigenous groups; killings during evictions in slum areas; and widespread police brutality.   The UN expert said there were some positive signs, including progress against the extremist Boko Haram group and affiliates, as well as a decline in allegations of arbitrary killings and deaths in custody at the hands of the military over the last two years.   However, she noted little progress in terms of accountability and reparations for grave human rights violations in the past.   'I particularly urge the Nigerian Government, and the international community, to prioritize as a matter of urgency, accountability and access to justice for all victims and addressing the conflicts between nomadic cattle breeding and farming communities, fueled by toxic narratives and the large availability of weapons', she underscored.   While some high-profile cases of killings by police have resulted in the arrest and prosecution of the officers responsible and others involving clashes between Fulani herdsmen and indigenous farming communities have been investigated in Benue State, she flagged that 'such examples of accountability remain the exception'.   'In almost all of the cases that were brought to my attention during the visit none of the perpetrators had been brought to justice', lamented the Special Rapporteur.   'The loss of trust and confidence in public institutions prompts Nigerians to take matters of protection into their own hands, which is leading to a proliferation of self-protecting armed militia and cases of 'jungle justice', she said. http://bit.ly/2krUtXk   http://www.msf.org/conflict-intensifying-northeast-nigeria-and-needs-are-massive http://www.msf.org/documentary-lucky-be-alive-amid-hunger-nigeria http://unocha.exposure.co/the-cost-of-hunger http://www.nrc.no/perspectives/2022/not-safe-to-return-home/   June 2019   North-east Nigeria: Crisis shows no sign of abating. (OCHA)   Now in its tenth year, the conflict continues to uproot the lives of tens of thousands of civilians. In recent months, a new spike in violence and military counter-operations have affected civilians in the BAY states, particularly in Borno State. Since January, some 134,000 people have been forced from their homes.   'Aid agencies have significantly scaled up and reached some two million people with aid this year', explained the Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Mr. Edward Kallon.   'However, much more support is urgently needed. We are worried about the tens of thousands of people who have recently fled rising violence and are still sleeping outside in the open. With the rainy season progressing, they will face increased risk of diseases and need immediate protection'.   The numbers of this crisis are worrying: In Adamawa, Borno and Yobe, 7.1 million people - 53 per cent of the population - require urgent humanitarian assistance. 2.9 million food insecure people at emergency level. 368,000 children are severely malnurished.   'The crisis in the Lake Chad Region is far from over', said Mr. Vincent Houver from the International Organization of Migration, one of the mission members.   'The humanitarian community cannot spare any effort at this time. This week we have met with women, children, and men who have been forced to flee multiple times and urgently need protection and assistance to survive and rebuild their lives. We cannot let them down'.   During a recent visit, emergency directors from UN aid agencies and NGOs, representing the Interagency Standing Committee (IASC), witnessed first-hand the extent of the needs in Nigeria's north-east, as violence continues unabated and the 2019 humanitarian response plan remains over 67 per cent unfunded.   'Some of the people we met have been living in camps for internally displaced persons for several years'. explained Mr. Christian Gad, Head of Emergencies for the Danish Refugee Council.   'All actors, including the Government and the private sector in Nigeria, need to join forces to help those affected by the crisis recover, in dignity, and restart their lives'.   http://www.unocha.org/story/nigeria-crisis-shows-no-sign-abating http://www.unocha.org/nigeria http://www.humanitarianresponse.info/en/operations/nigeria http://www.nrc.no/perspectives/2021/restoring-hope-for-north-east-nigerias-forgotten-families/ http://www.nrc.no/news/2019/july/boko-haram-conflict-causing-misery-to-millions-10-years-on/ http://reliefweb.int/country/nga   June 2019   Violence in central Mali has reached unprecedented levels, with alarming consequences for civilians, writes Patrick Irenge who has been MSF's medical coordinator in Bamako, Mali, since September 2017.   While this West African country has been facing a political and security crisis since 2012, violence has intensified in the central region and is seriously affecting the civilian population.   Patrick describes how this insecurity has created an unprecedented emergency and reviews MSF's response, assisting the most vulnerable alongside our regular projects.   The crisis in northern Mali has been ongoing since 2012. It is not getting any better, having intensified in the centre of the country. What is the situation like now?   In Mali, a climate of violence has been established in the daily lives of people in the centre and north of the country.   In the centre, security incidents and intercommunity conflicts have been on the rise for over a year; the massacres in the village of Ogossagou (March 2019) and more recently the village of Sobane (June 2019), together killing 160 and 35 people, including 24 children (data from June 17) are the tragic proof of this.   The heavy toll of these attacks has generated international media coverage and prompted widespread indignation but, unfortunately, while the astonishing violence of these deadly events is unusual, they are just the latest two examples among a multitude of others. Currently, the region of Mopti suffers security incidents on an almost daily basis.   The most alarming thing is that these incidents are increasingly affecting the civilian population, creating a climate of insecurity, fear and mistrust with even more disastrous consequences.   What is the impact of this violence on the humanitarian situation? What are the greatest needs of the people living in the worst hit areas?   First, we must remember that in central and northern Mali, a large majority of the rural population lives very modestly, surviving on agriculture and livestock. They already face hardship associated with the rainy season and lean months.   Now, added to these seasonal difficulties is the population's lack of mobility, with some communities now completely unable to move. This immobility is caused by people's fear of taking a road that may have been mined, and the presence of armed actors in the region or by the fear of crossing the hamlet of another ethnic group.   As a result, entire villages are literally hemmed in; their inhabitants can no longer carry out their usual economic activities and no longer have access to primary healthcare. Our teams in Douentza, and in daily contact with the community, also bear witnesses to this immense struggle to access care.   Another problem is the increasing number of displaced people who have fled violence. These families have often left everything behind (belongings, livestock, etc.) and live in makeshift shelters or host communities, left to cope on their own with no hope of returning to their homes.   Generally speaking, the needs of the affected and displaced populations are numerous: food, healthcare, basic items, shelter, protection and access to water. And, unfortunately, humanitarian aid is insufficient because providing regular aid is very difficult or almost impossible in the most remote areas.   On the health front, what are the most glaring signs of the deteriorating humanitarian situation?   There are several alarming signs. An obvious indicator is the late arrival of large numbers of patients at health structures. Far too many are waiting to be seriously ill before deciding to seek medical assistance.   We are also seeing an increase in cases of malnutrition that are directly linked to the decline in economic activities which allow families to meet their basic needs.   Many pregnant women can no longer attend health centres for antenatal care and are often forced to give birth at home, increasing the risk of complications and deaths at the community level.   Children also suffer serious consequences as they no longer have access to routine vaccinations or other preventive treatments such as seasonal malaria prophylaxis. As such, they are dangerously exposed to several life-threatening diseases. In some remote villages our teams have treated children who had never even been vaccinated, which would suggest that some people have not had access to medical care for years.   There is also a sharp increase in psychological disorders among people who have suffered and fled violence or who fear impromptu attacks.   How is MSF responding to this situation?   In parallel with the medical structures we support, MSF has intensified its emergency response activities since May 2018.   We monitor how people's needs are evolving across the country everyday thanks to the presence of our teams in the field (an alert management system); we also launch exploratory and evaluation missions on the spot to quickly identify large population movements and other serious situations.   Our teams do this through mobile clinics which generally provide curative, preventive and psychological care and, where required, distribute essential relief items. These targeted interventions enable us to come to the aid of the most vulnerable and to temporarily protect their health despite insecurity.   This is a strategy that we also use in our regular projects. We call them "one-shot" clinics: as soon as a safety window, such as a temporary lull in violence a specific area opens up, we deploy a team that can provide the maximum level of care on the spot, including crucial preventive treatments and vaccinations. Sometimes there are more than 180 consultations in one day.   You mention the "one-shot" mobile clinics. Has MSF adopted other strategies to address the problem of access to populations?   Our identity 'as a neutral, impartial and independent organisation' and our acceptance have allowed us and continue to allow us to reach particularly difficult areas. But since insecurity is an unstable and highly unpredictable variable, MSF has indeed been pushed to adapt operations to the conflict situation in central and northern Mali.   One strategy has been to involve the community more in the management of certain diseases through the training of community health workers and the provision of medicines. For simple pathologies, such as malaria or diarrhoea, patients are now cared for within their communities rather than in a health centre.   These community health workers are also trained to monitor pregnancies and to detect signs of malnutrition and other serious illnesses in order to refer cases on time.   This method of decentralisation has also been applied in nomadic communities who, because of their lifestyle, have limited access to health facilities. So when this population moves to track the livestock feed requirements, community health workers from the community follow suit and continue to provide health care.   Another important aspect, on which we focus our efforts, is vaccination because in a situation of conflict it really helps to strongly reduce mortality in children.   What are MSF's biggest concerns for the coming months?   At the moment, we are worried that the insecurity will continue to intensify, inevitably depriving more and more people of access to healthcare and essential items.   Besides, as mentioned previously, Mali faces a number of challenges on a cyclical basis. For example, the rainy season that has just begun will bring its fair share of problems, such as peak malaria season, flooding, deteriorating road conditions and thus the accessibility of communities.   There is also a risk of lack of food because insecurity has significantly restricted farming activities. The difficulties that the Malian population will face in the coming months are more serious than in previous years.   * For several months, Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) has been intensifying its medical activities in Mali. Despite the difficulties related to the security context, MSF has launched emergency interventions mainly in the central region to meet the important needs of the population. Unfortunately, this increase is also the sad indicator of an alarming humanitarian situation that is deteriorating day by day.   http://www.msf.org/violence-central-mali-reaches-unprecedented-levels http://reliefweb.int/report/mali/how-much-more-blood-must-be-spilled-atrocities-against-civilians-central-mali   June 2019   Cycle of violence against civilians must stop, says UN expert   Alioune Tine, the Independent Expert on the situation of human rights in Mali, says continuing deadly attacks on civilians in certain areas of the country could be described as crimes against humanity and urged stronger protection of people and property.   Tine made the remarks following the weekend attack on the Dogon village of Sobanou-Kou in central Mali's Mopti region. He said he had received reports of many people killed and injured, as well as dozens abducted, with high numbers of women and children among the victims. Investigations by the authorities are continuing and further details, including exact casualty figures, will be available soon, Tine said.   The expert said the Sobanou-Kou attack on 9 June which continued overnight is part of an intensification of the deadly cycle of violence in central Mali, and these attacks are regularly carried out against civilian populations.   "Impunity for these crimes gives the perpetrators a sense of immunity and these human rights abuses, documented almost every week for more than a year, could be characterised as crimes against humanity."   He said he welcomed the government's quick response to the attacks on civilians in the Mopti region, including incidents on 1 January and 23 March in Fulani villages, as well as others in the area.   "However, I urge the Malian authorities to take more preventive measures to protect civilians, including the establishment of a stronger security presence in the centre of the country, the disarmament and the immediate dissolution of all armed militias, and conduct of effective judicial investigations to bring perpetrators to justice," Tine said.   "I would like to stress the absolute necessity, with the support of all concerned partners, to further strengthen the security of people and property in these areas exposed to this spiral of violence."   He said a comprehensive and coordinated approach is needed to prevent further violence and to tackle the problem in a sustainable way. "I appeal to civil society, traditional and religious leaders, and also to the international community and the regional authorities, to discharge their respective responsibilities." http://bit.ly/2J2ENSF Visit the related web page
	The Crisis in Cameroon is Getting Worse by Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), agencies   Nov. 2019   Nearly two million Cameroonians face humanitarian emergency. (UN News)   Ongoing violence in Cameroon's northwest and southwest has created a fast-growing humanitarian emergency now affecting some 1.9 million people, a 15-fold increase since 2017, UN humanitarians said on Tuesday.   In Geneva, UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) spokesperson, Marixie Mercado, explained that almost a million children were affected in the West African nation, which until a few years ago was among the most settled and peaceful in the region.   'Insecurity - and to a lesser degree, extremely poor road access - have left around 65 per cent of both regions out of bounds to aid workers, who've face increased attacks and risk being taken hostage.   What began as a political crisis in the northwest and southwest regions is now a quickly deteriorating humanitarian emergency', said Ms. Mercado, a reference to separatist clashes that began in late 2017, linked to alleged discrimination against the country's English-speaking regions.   'Around 1.9 million people, about half of whom are children, are estimated to be in need, an increase of 80 per cent compared to 2018, and an almost 15-fold increase since 2017', she insisted.   With security worsening in rural and urban areas, particularly in the northwest, UN humanitarian coordinating office, OCHA, insisted that human rights violations continue to be committed by both separatists and Government forces.   'Arbitrary arrest, burning of villages and indiscriminate killing of civilians are conducted with impunity', it said in its latest situation report on Monday.   For a growing number of youngsters, the situation has deprived them of an education, with thousands of schools closed amid threats by separatists seeking leverage for a political solution to the crisis.   'Three years of violence and instability in the northwest and southwest regions of Cameroon have left more than 855,000 children out of school', said Ms. Mercado. 'Thousands of youngsters are living in fear', she added.   In all, nine in 10 primary schools - more than 4,100 - and nearly eight in 10 secondary schools (744) remain closed, or non-operational, in the troubled northwest and southwest since the start of the school year in September.   'Fear of violence has kept parents from sending their children to school and teachers and staff from reporting to work', the UNICEF official explained.   Security fears continue to hamper the work of humanitarians however, with 529 recorded security incidents in the southwest and northwest since the beginning of the year, according to UNICEF.   Since August, this has meant that a growing number of aid organizations have faced hostage-taking and extortion situations, while five of the seven attacks against aid workers took place over the past two months.   'In the southwest region, access has improved slightly and we have been able to conduct more missions during the second quarter of the year compared to the first, and to reach places that haven't been accessible for a year or more', Ms. Mercado said.   Condemning all attacks on aid workers and humanitarian supply teams, OCHA spokesperson, Jens Laerke, also highlighted the reported kidnapping of three schoolgirls last month.   'When armed groups like this kidnap students on the way to school that's absolutely horrific and must be condemned'.   OCHA noted that lack of funding continues to be a major issue in Cameroon, with the $299 million appeal for 2019 only 41 per cent funded. http://bit.ly/2CkumXq   May 2019   The Crisis in Cameroon is Getting Worse.   Statement by the Norwegian Refugee Council's Secretary General, Jan Egeland, to the United Nations Security Council Arria-Formula meeting on his visit to assess the humanitarian situation in Cameroon, and recommendations on the way forward.   'I wish to thank the Security Council for this opportunity to speak about the massive human suffering I witnessed when I visited Cameroon three weeks ago.   I traveled to both the South-West province of Cameroon and the Far North. In the former, I met with communities fleeing armed conflict. In the latter, I spoke with refugees and internally displaced families fleeing Boko Haram violence.   Cameroon has been a generous host to refugees, including from the Central African Republic and Nigeria. We appreciate the cooperation of the authorities in providing sanctuary to people in great need.   When brutal fighting displaces hundreds of thousands of civilians, it usually sets international alarm bells ringing. But, the shocking unmet needs of tens of thousands of people fleeing violence in South-West and North-West Cameroon has resulted in no systematic mediation efforts, no large relief programme, little media interest and too little pressure on the parties to stop attacking civilians.   The collective silence surrounding the atrocities is as shocking as the untold stories are heart-breaking. That is why this session is so important.   A group of displaced and disillusioned women I met told me that they felt abandoned by the international community, as well as by the conflict parties. They asked me, where is international solidarity? Where are the African organisations, the donor nations? Where is Europe? This conflict has roots in generations of interference from European powers.   When I visited the provincial capital Buea, I met with families from the hundreds of villages that have been burned. They affirmed that tens of thousands of people are still hiding in the bushes, and that new attacks are taking place every week.   Children have been denied their right to education for years because of the political conflicts between grown adults. Most schools have been closed, and the Ministry of Education affirms that at least 780,000 children are out of school. We risk losing a generation to illiteracy.   I was also shocked by the scale and brutality of the crisis. Even hospitals have been attacked, and health workers fear for their lives.   The absence of a humanitarian response commensurate to the hundreds of thousands of people in great and unmet need is striking. We are too few humanitarian actors on the ground, and we are gravely underfunded.   My colleagues in the Norwegian Refugee Council and other relief organisations in Cameroon tell me they can reach people in need in the South-West and North-West despite the insecurity.   Parties to the conflict said they are ready to support access to all areas of great need. This includes the South-West Governor who I spoke with in Buea, and armed opposition groups with whom we are in contact. Our immediate priority is access and assistance to people hiding in the bushes, who as of today receive no assistance or protection. They fear they cannot return to their torched villages, nor do they feel that it is safe for them to go to the urban centres. These families are terrorized beyond belief.   Similarly in the Far North, civilians feel abandoned. The humanitarian response is severely underfunded and underreported. The displaced children I met in the capital town, Maroua, and surrounding areas, had hoped one day to return to their ancestral lands from where they fled Boko Haram violence. But insecurity still plagues these areas.   The only thing that has changed for these communities is that their suffering and the violence raged against them has disappeared from our TV screens, hearts and minds.   In my 40 years as a humanitarian worker, I have too often seen how the lack of early intervention results in smaller conflicts becoming horrific and endless wars. There is still time to avoid the conflict in the South-West and North-West from escalating further, with untold suffering as a consequence. Equally, there is time to give hope and durable solutions to displaced families in the Far North, and to the Central African refugees that Cameroon hosts.   Our conclusions are the following:   The UN, the Secretariat, this Security Council, and all the agencies and programmes of this great family of organisations, need to do better in what we have all pledged; act to ensure conflict prevention, conflict resolution and bridge building before it is too late.   The crisis in the English-speaking part of Cameroon is one of the world's most neglected. The lack of information and international political attention has allowed the situation to deteriorate from peaceful demonstrations to the atrocities committed by both sides. We need more independent information and reporting from the crisis. And more than anything we need to protect and assist defenseless civilians.   We urgently need national and international conflict resolution resources to help stop the violence and start UN talks about the many grievances that exist. Mediation or facilitation of peace talks should be done by local, national or international actors that have the trust of both the government and non-state armed groups.   Organisations and countries with influence over the conflict parties must make it clear that the attacks on civilians, on their homes and villages, and their schools and their hospitals, are crimes under international law that cannot be allowed to continue.   The deep and acute protection crisis might also be alleviated by a greater presence by international organisations. The UN Country Team should be given the financial and human resources needed to put protection at the centre of its response.   A first step to break the vicious cycle could be a concerted international effort to reopen and provide protection for schools and schoolchildren. Today, the political and strategic conflict among politicians and armed men has paralyzed education for young people. It must be possible to de-politize education. The grown adults must at agree on finding a way for children to return to school, as the mothers I met pleaded for.   To do this, both parties must show willingness to make compromises on the issues that so early became contentious in this conflict. UN and humanitarian partners also need to strengthen their efforts to pave the way for an effective education response.   We need to ramp up the humanitarian response. As the Emergency Relief Coordinator noted, many of the 1.3 million people who need humanitarian support have received no assistance. A massive funding injection is needed to save lives.   We need to extend the scope of the humanitarian response beyond city centres and into rural areas in South-West and North-West region. The total funding for Cameroon must be increased; money cannot just be shifted from other regions towards the crisis in the South-West and North-West.   If we do not act today, lives will be lost. The future of a generation of Cameroonians hangs in the balance'.   http://www.nrc.no/news/2019/may/cameroon-unsc-statement/ http://www.undispatch.com/the-crisis-in-cameroon-is-getting-worse/ http://reliefweb.int/report/cameroon/under-secretary-general-humanitarian-affairs-and-emergency-relief-coordinator-mark   Mar. 2019   320,000 Somalis fled conflict and insecurity in 2018   The number of civilians who fled their homes due to conflict and insecurity increased to 320,000 in 2018, up 50 per cent from the previous year - according to newly-released figures.   'We're alarmed at the sharp increase in the number of civilians forced to flee their homes in Somalia. The conflict is getting worse for civilians, making thousands more homeless. If this worrying trend continues, it could lead to catastrophe', warned Evelyn Aero, Regional Adviser for the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC).   Over 320,000 people fled conflict and insecurity last year within Somalia, according to the Protection and Return Monitoring Network. This number is up from 202,000 people displaced in 2017. Areas hardest hit by the fighting were in the Lower Shabelle region, which is still heavily impacted today.   'These families take refuge in crowded camps for displaced people in Somalia, living in flimsy shelters. They're vulnerable to malaria, evictions, insecurity and gender-based violence. Young children are especially vulnerable to malnutrition and disease. They urgently need more aid to survive', said Aero.   Overall 2.6 million Somalis are currently displaced within the country. Besides conflict and insecurity, other causes of displacement include drought, flooding and evictions, among others.   Conflict continues to cause unintentional damage to property and civilian casualties. NRC urges all parties to the conflict to respect International Humanitarian Law, and take all possible measures to protect vulnerable civilians, and reduce mass displacement. Civilians are not a target.   This year's UN humanitarian aid appeal for Somalia seeks $1.08 billion, but so far only $67 million of this plan has been funded. If aid is not increased, some lifesaving programmes such as for food, water or health care may be cut back. NRC calls on donors and the international community to scale up their support, and respond to the plight of displaced Somali families in urgent need of aid.   http://www.nrc.no/news/2019/february/somali-fled-2018-press-release/   Feb. 2019   725,000 people face hunger following drought in Somaliland   Severe lack of rain has worsened the drought in parts of Somaliland leaving 725,000 people at risk of hunger and in urgent need of humanitarian support.   'The time to act is now, or the costs will increase, both in economic terms and in terms of the number of lives lost', said Victor Moses, Country Director for the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) in Somalia.   According to a recent report compiled by ACAPs, the 2018 rainy season was worse than normal with parts of Somaliland receiving only 25-50 per cent of average rainfall.   'Thousands of people particularly women and children, who are already food insecure, are now fearing the worst as little to no rain is expected over the next couple of months', said Moses.   The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) has been operational in Somaliland since 2004 and is currently providing diversified livelihoods and resilience-focused support to affected families.   The Somali government and humanitarian agencies launched the 2019 Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) last month and called on donors to provide $1.08bn of funding to sustain aid operations in Somalia in 2019.   Moses reiterated his appeal to the international community to do more to prevent suffering and to protect the gains the people of Somaliland were able to make during early 2018.   'Somalia has been faced with recurrent droughts, often leading to immense suffering and displacement. We have learned how important it is to secure an early intervention to prevent a crisis from escalating. In addition, there is a need to strengthen people's resilience', said Moses.   Ongoing conflicts in Sool region, are also exacerbating the food crisis. NRC is planning to support families in the troubled area of Sool and Sannag with emergency cash transfers to buy essential food, water and shelter items.   'More displaced people mean more dependency on humanitarian aid, which puts additional pressure on agencies with limited resources to reach everyone in need. This is compounded by the fact people can't reach services because of restrictions to access. We urged all parties to the conflict to allow people safe access to services they desperately need', Moses added.   http://www.nrc.no/news/2019/february/725000-people-face-hunger-following-drought-in-somaliland/ http://bit.ly/2En7ic7 http://www.nrc.no/latest-news/ http://reliefweb.int/report/somalia/somalia-2019-post-gu-fsnau-fews-net-technical-release-1-september-2019 http://www.fao.org/giews/country-analysis/external-assistance/en/ Visit the related web page
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