Cameroon Humanitarian Situation Report
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Cameroon Humanitarian Situation Report SITUATION IN NUMBERS March 2018 Highlights 1,810,000 • UNOCHA-led interagency assessment mission identified # of children in need of humanitarian estimated 40,000 IDPs in Mamfe and Mbonge/Kumba sub- assistance 3,260,000 divisions of South West region. The total number of IDPs is # of people in need expected to be substantially higher as the assessment mission (Cameroon Humanitarian Needs Overview 2018) was unable to visit many areas due to access constraints. • Over 2.3 million children under five years of age including Displacement 241,000 refugee and IDP children were vaccinated against polio and #of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) received vitamin A and mebendazole (deworming tablets) in Far (Displacement Tracking Matrix 12, Dec 2017) North, East and Adamaoua regions. 69,700 # of Returnees • The awareness activities through educational sessions and (Displacement Tracking Matrix 12, Dec 2017) theatre presentations reached 30,709 IDPs and members of the 87,600 # of Nigerian Refugees in rural areas host communities in Far North region promoting Essential (UNHCR Cameroon Fact Sheet, Mar 2018) Family Practices. 232,100 # of CAR Refugees in East, Adamaoua and North UNICEF’s Response with Partners regions in rural areas (UNHCR Cameroon Fact Sheet, March 2018) Sector UNICEF Sector Total UNICEF Total UNICEF Appeal 2018 Target Results* Target Results* US$ 25.4 million WASH : People provided with 528,000 8,907 75,000 8,897 access to appropriate sanitation Funding status 2018 Education: School-aged children 4- 17, including adolescents, accessing (US$) 411,000 9,911 280,000 9,911 2017 Carry- education in a safe and protective over: $2.1M learning environment. (8%) Nutrition : Number of children aged 6-59 months with SAM admitted 38,646 7,354 40,482 7,604 for treatment Funds Child Protection : Children reached 2018 received: with psychosocial support through 30,668 85,000 6,823 Funding Requirement $1.8M child friendly/safe spaces (girls and gap: $25.5M boys) $21.6M C4D : Persons reached with (85%) information about WASH / health / nutrition / education services (behavior/best practices) through 235,913 138,911 community-based social mobilization and/or outreach activities *Total results are all cumulative Situation Overview & Humanitarian Needs Faced with increasing reports of displacements in the South West region, the UNOCHA-led interagency assessment mission comprising UNICEF, WFP, UNHCR, UNFPA, FAO and UNDSS was conducted in Mamfe and Kumba/Mbonge sub- divisions from 25 to 30 March. In Mamfe, seven villages were visited including Kembong, a village where many houses were reportedly burned during military operations. The remaining six villages hosted IDPs from Kembong and the team was able to interview the IDPs to identify their needs. On the other hand, the insecurity in Mbonge sub-division did not allow the team to visit affected villages. Due to this access constraint, interviews were conducted with IDPs in Kumba town to identify their needs as well as learn about the situation about the people in Mbonge sub-division. Findings indicate that the majority of IDPs are hiding in the bush, while the minority is hosted in the villages or towns. The priority needs identified for people who reside in the villages/towns are cash/voucher or in-kind assistance to fulfil their basic needs, including food, shelter, health, education and water/sanitation needs, while health services (medication and treatment), shelter, mosquito nets, food and water treatment tablets were identified for those hiding in the bush. According to the village chiefs and influential people from the villages interviewed as well as local NGOs and churches, there are estimated 40,000 IDPs in South West region. The overall IDP figure is estimated to be substantially higher as the information received was limited due to access constraint. UNICEF is working on the resource mobilisation to respond to the needs identified through this assessment. According to UNOCHA, some 8,000 people have been accumulatively internally displaced between January and March 2018 in Far North region due to military operations led jointly by the Cameroonian and Nigerian armies in the border areas with Nigeria. The IDPs from these affected villages including Zelevet, Tchebe Tchebe are currently hosted in Koza, Mozogo, and Mokolo in Mayo Tsanaga department, including in the site of Zamai where the returnees who fled the captivity of Boko Haram in Nigeria are residing. While there is an indication that many of these IDPs have already returned to their place of origin, others reportedly remain in the aforementioned villages and Zamai site. UNICEF is working with other humanitarian actors to obtain more information on the locations and exact numbers of IDPs who remain to be in need of assistance. The Zamai site has received at least 236 new arrivals since January according to the village chief of Zamai. Currently this site is estimated to host some 1,700 people including the aforementioned new arrivals, adding pressure to the limited resources that are available on site. This has resulted in a situation where the water quantity from the existing water points has become insufficient to cover the needs of the current number of people hosted in this site due to the low productivity of the water points. However, the additional water point has recently been completed by the international NGO CARE, and is expected to improve the situation. As the outbreak of scabies has been reported in this site, the provision of clean water and good sanitation practice is essential to protect the health of the children. UNICEF plans to collaborate with the Regional Health Delegate to tackle this problem. The issue of returnee children from Nigeria not being enrolled in schools after they have been relocated to Zamai site remains to be resolved. The site has no school and the nearby community school does not have the capacity to absorb over 150 school-age children. With the additional new arrivals reported in this site, the gap has now widened. UNICEF continues to explore the solution to this problem. UNICEF together with the partner NGO ALDEPA identifies systematically the new IDP children and provide them with psychosocial activities in the Child Friendly Spaces (CFSs) in Zamai site and in other villages. Adolescents clubs are also set up in these villages hosting new IDPs including Zamai to provide support to adolescents. A new partnership agreement currently underway with the international NGO IMC will reinforce interventions in Mayo Tsanaga and Mayo Sava departments in terms of child Protection and Health. At the IDPs site in Kolofata, 140 latrines and 100 showers are now available as a result of the joint efforts by UNICEF and international NGO IRC. Water is currently provided by MSF Swiss through water trucking, which currently provides 15 litres per day/person for the 4,943 IDPs on site. With the newly approved Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), UNICEF plans to cover sanitation gaps and build sustainable infrastructure for drinking water supply. The Central African Republic (CAR) crisis faces a significant funding gap as the needs transition from humanitarian to longer-term issues of structural development. UNICEF is working on a resilience strategy with other agencies and donors pg. 2 to enable the refugees and host communities to increase their capacity to adapt the current sociodemographic and economic pressures and to cope with the influx of new refugees. Estimated Population in Need of Humanitarian Assistance *Cameroon Humanitarian Needs Overview 2018 **SMART Survey 2017 & UNHCR Standardised Expanded Nutrition Survey (SENS) 2016 Start of humanitarian response: November 2013 Total Male Female Total Population in Need* 3,260,000 1,610,000 1,650,000 Children (Under 18)* 1,810,000 915,000 896,000 Children Under Five** 523,000 258,000 265,000 Children 6 to 23 months** 163,000 80,500 82,500 Malnourished Pregnant and 18,000 - 18,000 lactating women** Humanitarian Leadership and Coordination • The Humanitarian/Resident Coordinator leads the overall humanitarian coordination, supported by OCHA. • At the national level, UNICEF and the Government are co-leading the nutrition, WASH and education sectors, as well as the sub-sectoral group for child protection. • At the field level, UNHCR leads inter-sector coordination, which addresses particularly challenges and gaps both for refugees, IDPs and host communities in the Far North. This extends into the coordination of the humanitarian response to the Central African Republic refugee crisis in the regions of the East and Adamawa. UNHCR organizes monthly meetings with other humanitarian actors, to consolidate data and harmonize interventions. Humanitarian Strategy UNICEF’s integrated programme is based on four pillars: building a protective environment and supporting community peacebuilding; preventing and responding to the violent exploitation of children; increasing access to basic services; and strengthening emergency preparedness and response systems. All four pillars bridge the humanitarian-development nexus and foster community resilience to outside pressures, such as conflict or population displacement, while supporting the State to anticipate and respond to shocks. UNICEF aims at strengthening collaboration between community-based structures and government services to provide care and protection to children, particularly the most marginalized. By supporting community dialogue mechanisms, inter-generational dialogue