Cameroon Humanitarian Situation Report
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Cameroon Humanitarian Situation Report SITUATION IN NUMBERS Highlights October 2017 The relocation of IDPs and the returnees who fled the captivity of Boko Haram, as well as the forced return of IDPs to their 1,800,000 villages of origin, presents an alarming trend from a human # of children in need of humanitarian assistance rights perspective. UNICEF is working closely with the 2,900,000 humanitarian community to ensure that the rights of these # of people in need (Cameroon Humanitarian Needs Overview 2017) people and children are protected. In Logone and Chari department (Far North region) where the Displacement 237,967 highest number of school closure was recorded for the school Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) year 2016/2017 due to insecurity, 28 schools reopened (DTM 10, Aug 2017) enrolling over 5,827 children for the new school year. These 61,090 schools lack resources and are in great need of teachers, Returnees classrooms, school materials and water point/latrines. (DTM 10, Aug 2017) Since July 2017, approximately 7,000 Central Africans have 88,516 crossed into Cameroon, fleeing the increased violence in their Nigerian Refugees in rural areas (UNHCR, Cameroon Factsheet, Oct 2017) homeland. UNICEF is providing basic emergency assistance to these populations, despite funding shortages. 224,859 CAR Refugees in the East, Adamawa and North regions in rural areas UNICEF’s Response with Partners (UNHCR, Cameroon Factsheet, Oct 2017) Sector UNICEF Indicator UNICEF Appeal 2017 2017 Total 2017 Total Target Results* Target Results* US$ 23.7 million WASH: Number of affected people with a sustainable access to drinking 241,000 114,755 55,000 38,655 Funding status 2017* water, to address their vulnerabilities 2016 Carry EDUCATION: Number of children aged forward: US 3-17 years accessing quality formal or 316,592 124,764 221,500 124,494 $2.9 M non-formal basic education 2017 NUTRITION: Number of children aged Requirement Funding Funds 6 to 59 months with severe acute 23.7M 56,627 47,062 58,640 42,098 Gap: US$ received: malnutrition (SAM) admitted for 13.9M US$ 7.6M treatment CHILD PROTECTION: Number of children reached with psychosocial 229,379 101,868 105,800 70,549 support through child-friendly spaces *Funds available includes funding received for the current appeal year as well as the carry-forward from the previous year. *Total results are cumulative Situation Overview & Humanitarian Needs Impact of the Lake Chad Basin Crisis: The Displacement Tracking Matrix 10 (IOM, August 2017) showed that there are 237,967 IDPs, a slight increase compared to the 235,913 in DTM 9 (June/July 2017). It also showed that there are 29,728 unregistered refugees who are out of Minawao camp, compared to the 30,278, and 61,090 returnees compared to 59,398. The majority of these affected population groups remains located in Makary, Fotokol and Kousseri in Logone and Chari department. A multi-sectoral rapid needs assessment was conducted by UNICEF in Waza in Logone and Chari department on 4 October. An assessment report and a response plan are being finalised. Health and WASH were identified as their priority needs. Despite the ongoing assistance to IDPs in Kolofata, Mayo Sava department, the government has decided to relocate some 12,500 IDPs to a new site with very limited access to services. The 2,500 IDPs who have already been relocated to this site are in need of water. UNICEF is engaging with the regional delegation to identify short and medium term solutions that are sustainable. A similar alarming trend is also observed for the returnees including 245 children who fled the captivity of Boko Haram in Mozogo where the authorities decided to relocate them to an existing IDP site in Zamai, Mayo Tsanaga department. UNICEF will work closely with other humanitarian partners to ensure that the human rights of these people are respected and will adapt its response to the new context. Based on the assessment conducted in late July and the response plan developed, UNICEF continues to assist the IDPs in Fotokol, Logone and Chari department in Child Protection, Health, WASH and Nutrition. Impact of the CAR crisis: According to UNHCR, 1,057 (229 households) new asylum seekers entered Gbatoua Godole, Adamaoua region, but have not yet been registered by UNHCR. These asylum seekers fled from attacks by the armed group called 3R (Retour, Réclamation, Réhabilitation) in Central African Republic (CAR) sometime between July and early October. In addition, on 20 October, 47 new refugees arrived in Gbiti, East region, including 21 children (with 19 separated children) and 25 women, among them an unspecified number of pregnant women. These refugees fled from Maina village about 15 km away from Gbiti in anticipation of an announced conflict in the area, and have been pre-registered by UNHCR. Estimated Population in Need of Humanitarian Assistance Cameroon Humanitarian Needs Overview 2017 *SMART 2017 & UNHCR Standardised Expanded Nutrition Survey (SENS) 2016 Start of humanitarian response: November 2013 Total Male Female Total Population in Need 2,900,000 1,400,000 1,500,000 Children (Under 18) 1,822,000 902,000 920,000 Children Under Five* 493,000 238,000 255,000 Children 6 to 23 months* 203,000 98,000 105,000 Pregnant and lactating women* 261,000 - 261,000 Humanitarian Leadership and Coordination At the national level, emergency coordination is led by the Humanitarian/Resident Coordinator (HC/RC) and supported by OCHA. Under the leadership of OCHA, the humanitarian needs are quantified and humanitarian strategic response plans developed and coordinated. At the sectoral 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 bimonthly meetings with other humanitarian actors, to consolidate data and harmonize interventions. Humanitarian Strategy In 2017, UNICEF will focus on strengthening the resilience of Cameroonian communities, while addressing both the humanitarian and development needs of the affected regions. By working with all strata of society, in partnership with communities as well as local government, UNICEF will implement programs that address prevailing needs, while being responsive to any changes in context. UNICEF will build strategic partnerships with local NGOs who are able to reach populations that might otherwise be unreachable. This approach – the nexus between humanitarian and development programming – includes early warning indicators. An underlying criterion is an integrated approach, which will ensure that communities, particularly IDPs and unregistered refugees, receive a package that addresses all their basic needs. Children will have their educational needs met, receive psychosocial support to cope with their traumas and displacement, and have their primary health needs met. UNICEF is making 2017 a transition year, moving towards this comprehensive shift in program approach. As such, UNICEF will move towards reaching more communities in isolated areas. It will shift towards building the skills of national and sub-national partners, both government and civil society. Finally, UNICEF intends to explore innovative approaches to increase community involvement in programs, reach and accountability. Summary Analysis of Programme Response Lake Chad Basin Crisis Nutrition The preliminary results of the 2017 SMART nutritional survey showed 1.1% of SAM (Severe Acute Malnutrition) and 40.9% of stunting during the data collection for Far Nord region. The SAM rate showed some decline compared to last year, whereas the stunting rate remained about the same. The survey covered only host communities. Stunting and SAM are the main problem in this region with their prevalence above the emergency and alert threshold respectively. Prevention against undernutrition is likely the most important approach to combat stunting. WASH During the reporting period, the construction of gender sensitive latrines equipped with hand washing material was completed in 4 schools (2 blocks per school) of Kousseri commune in Logone and Chari department. As a result, access to basic sanitation has been improved for 2,139 students including 133 IDP children. The construction of 36 latrines is ongoing in 7 schools and 8 health centers of Logone and Chari and Mayo Danyo departments. In partnership with the NGOs ACDC, AAEDC and FBM, the implementation of Community Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) activities is ongoing in 252 communities hosting 16,521 IDPs in Fotokol, Waza, Kousseri, and Makary communes in Logone and Chari department, and Koza commune in Mayo Tsanaga department. In addition, in partnership with an NGO ACDC, 1,829 WASH kits were distributed in Fotokol and Waza communes. A total of 1,829 IDP households (about 10,953 individuals) benefited from soaps, buckets with lids, goblets, kettles, and children’s pots made available by UNICEF. During the national emergency WASH sectorial coordination meeting, the low progress of the WASH response to malnutrition was raised, which resulted in the agreement to conduct field visits in some health districts to better understand the problem, including the verification of data. Education So far there has been no security incidents related to schools and students reported during the month; however, a significant concern remains for schools that are still occupied by the military forces in Fotokol and Makary in Logone and Chari department, where in some instances military officers are teaching in schools. UNICEF is working with the regional delegation to collect accurate information in this regard. During the month, 2 FM radio stations, one in Mokolo, Mayo Tsanaga department and another in Kousséri, Logone and Chari department continued to broadcast lessons and protection messages to the targeted out-of-school children in these areas.