Icrc Annual Report 2013 Africa
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AFRICA KEY RESULTS/CONSTRAINTS In 2013: . following upsurges in fighting, particularly in the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mali and South Sudan, people were provided with essential supplies and the means to contact their relatives . casualties of clashes and victims of abuses, including sexual violence, received care from ICRC surgical teams or from local doctors at ICRC-supported facilities, often after receiving first aid from National Society volunteers . vulnerable households, including those headed by women, strengthened their resilience to the effects of conflict, aided by seed distributions, livestock services, micro-economic initiatives and improvements to water infrastructure . insecurity, logistical constraints and government-imposed restrictions in some contexts continued to impede or delay ICRC efforts to monitor the situation of conflict- or violence-affected people and provide them with assistance . detainees had their treatment and living conditions monitored during ICRC visits, with strengthened cooperation between health and penitentiary authorities improving their access to medical care, notably in Liberia and Tunisia . with ICRC encouragement, 19 African countries advanced IHL implementation by signing the Arms Trade Treaty after its adoption by the UN General Assembly in April PROTECTION Total ASSISTANCE Total CIVILIANS (residents, IDPs, returnees, etc.) CIVILIANS (residents, IDPs, returnees, etc.) Red Cross messages (RCMs) Economic security, water and habitat (in some cases provided within a protection RCMs collected 98,149 or cooperation programme) RCMs distributed 81,980 Food commodities Beneficiaries 2,133,903 Phone calls facilitated between family members 325,646 Essential household items Beneficiaries 997,144 People located (tracing cases closed positively) 1,638 Productive inputs Beneficiaries 3,391,633 People reunited with their families 1,537 Cash Beneficiaries 676,342 of whom unaccompanied minors/separated children 1,476 Vouchers Beneficiaries 32,399 PEOPLE DEPRIVED OF THEIR FREEDOM (All categories/all statuses) Work, services and training Beneficiaries 3,156,965 ICRC visits Water and habitat activities Beneficiaries 3,930,840 Detainees visited 264,182 Health Detainees visited and monitored individually 6,904 Health centres supported Structures 101 Number of visits carried out 2,006 WOUNDED AND SICK Number of places of detention visited 707 Hospitals Restoring family links Hospitals supported Structures 120 RCMs collected 5,162 Water and habitat RCMs distributed 3,231 Water and habitat activities Number of beds 5,653 Phone calls made to families to inform them of the whereabouts Physical rehabilitation 1,937 of a detained relative Centres supported Structures 30 Patients receiving services Patients 26,061 EXPENDITURE (in KCHF) IMPLEMENTATION RATE Protection 70,873 Expenditure/yearly budget 95% Assistance 298,472 PERSONNEL Prevention 50,348 Mobile staff 690 Cooperation with National Societies 30,634 Resident staff (daily workers not included) 4,178 General 968 451,296 of which: Overheads 27,297 104 | ICRC ANNUAL REPORT 2013 AFRICA DELEGATIONS Algeria Burundi Central African Republic Chad Congo, Democratic Republic of the Eritrea Ethiopia African Union Guinea Liberia Libya Mali Mauritania Nigeria Rwanda Somalia South Sudan Sudan Uganda REGIONAL DELEGATIONS Abidjan Antananarivo Dakar Harare Nairobi Niamey Pretoria Tunis Yaoundé ICRC delegation ICRC regional delegation ICRC mission ICRC ANNUAL REPORTAFRICA 2013 | 105 Pedram YAZDI / ICRC YAZDI Pedram AFRICA Where necessary, as in Somalia and Sudan (in Darfur), the ICRC In 2013, the ICRC operated from 29 delegations and missions continued to adapt its working methods to pursue its assistance to alleviate the suffering caused by past and present armed con- activities in partnership with local communities and organizations flicts and other situations of violence in Africa. Owing to press- and with National Societies while ensuring accountability. It con- ing humanitarian needs in the Central African Republic (hereafter ducted field visits and interviewed beneficiaries in order to review CAR), the Democratic Republic of the Congo (hereafter DRC), programme results and identify areas for improvement. Backed by Mali, Somalia, South Sudan and Sudan, ICRC operations in these ICRC funds and other support, National Societies strengthened countries remained among the organization’s largest worldwide, their capacities, including to apply the Safer Access Framework, even though insecurity, sometimes coupled with limited accept- and remained the ICRC’s main partners when it came to helping ance of humanitarian work, challenged the ICRC’s efforts to reach vulnerable populations meet urgent needs and strengthen their people affected by conflict/violence. In response to upsurges in resilience to the effects of conflict/violence on their livelihoods fighting, particularly in the CAR, the DRC, Mali and South Sudan, and their safety. To maximize impact, the ICRC coordinated its the ICRC expanded its emergency activities in the hardest hit areas, activities with those of Movement partners, UN agencies and other while continuing to implement early-recovery initiatives in places humanitarian players. where they were feasible. It increased its proximity to the com- munities affected, for example, by upgrading its presence in Mali Dialogue with all parties involved in the ongoing conflicts/ to a delegation and opening two sub-delegations in South Sudan’s violence, as in the CAR and South Sudan, enabled National Jonglei and Unity states. In post-conflict/violence situations where Society/ICRC teams to deliver assistance to people in areas acces- tensions persisted, as in Guinea and Libya, it engaged in dialogue sible to few/no other organizations. Discussions were pursued on with the relevant parties to promote respect for humanitarian gaining access to conflict-affected regions such as Ethiopia’s Somali principles. Where humanitarian needs decreased – for example, Regional State and Sudan’s Blue Nile and South Kordofan states. In in Chad, Sierra Leone and Uganda – it concentrated on helping Eritrea, such efforts led to the resumption of some ICRC liveli- local authorities and communities strengthen their capacities hood support activities in Northern Red Sea state for the first time for recovery. since 2004. Dialogue with the Harakat al-Shabaab al-Mujahideen 106 | ICRC ANNUAL REPORT 2013 also allowed the ICRC to further expand its assistance activities in Vulnerable communities, including where climate shocks exacer- central and southern Somalia. bated the effects of conflict, benefited from emergency provisions of food, water and other essentials. Across Africa, over 2.1 million dis- Many communities still faced insecurity associated with the activi- placed or destitute people, including over 800,000 in Mali, received ties of military forces and/or armed groups, violations of applicable food supplies, often accompanied by hygiene/household items. In law, such as sexual violence, the presence of mines/explosive rem- areas with functioning markets in Nigeria and Somalia, families nants of war, intercommunal tensions and criminal activities such exchanged cash or vouchers for food or other items. Where fight- as banditry and kidnapping. Attacks against patients and medical ing had damaged water systems, as in the CAR and the DRC, the services continued to be reported. In response, the ICRC reminded ICRC worked with the local authorities to restore access to water, the authorities, weapon bearers and other influential players of the including by trucking in water, installing/repairing water points need to protect those who are not/no longer fighting, in accord- and providing water treatment chemicals. In Mali, it provided ance with IHL or other applicable law. It made representations on fuel to enable water supply/treatment stations serving three towns reported violations urging the relevant authorities to take correc- to remain operational. It built latrines in areas hosting IDPs to tive action, fostered respect for the applicable law during training help prevent the spread of water-borne diseases. Over 3.9 million sessions for armed forces, including peacekeeping troops, and people benefited from such activities, enhancing their access to arranged for public communication and events – using opportuni- water and mitigating health risks. ties provided by the Health Care in Danger project and the “150 years of humanitarian action” initiative – to underscore the impor- Although insecurity prevented many communities from resuming tance of ensuring the safe delivery of medical/humanitarian aid. their livelihood activities, whenever possible, early-recovery ini- tiatives helped people build their resilience to the effects of con- Where the lack of resources and attacks against patients and medi- flict/violence. Farmers, including in Côte d’Ivoire, Eritrea, Mali cal personnel and facilities reduced access to health care, the ICRC and Niger resumed/improved production using ICRC-supplied scaled up its medical activities, as in the CAR, Somalia and South seed, sometimes distributed with food to tide them over until the Sudan, to help local health workers and National Societies address next harvest. Pastoralists, as in the Casamance region in Senegal, growing medical needs. Victims of abuses, including sexual vio- Somalia, South Sudan and Sudan, maintained their herds’ health lence, and other vulnerable people availed themselves of care at with