Year: 2020 Version: 5 – 03/07/2020

HUMANITARIAN IMPLEMENTATION PLAN (HIP) CENTRAL AFRICA1

The full implementation of this version of the HIP is conditional upon the necessary appropriation being made available from the 2020 general budget of the European Union AMOUNT: EUR 117 200 000

The present Humanitarian Implementation Plan (HIP) was prepared on the basis of the financing decision ECHO/WWD/BUD/2020/01000 (Worldwide Decision) and the related General Guidelines for Operational Priorities on Humanitarian Aid (Operational Priorities). The purpose of the HIP and its annex is to serve as a communication tool for DG ECHO2's partners and to assist them in the preparation of their proposals. The provisions of the Worldwide Decision and the General Conditions of the Agreement with the European Commission shall take precedence over the provisions in this document. This HIP covers , the (CAR), and . It may also respond to sudden or slow-onset new emergencies in Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, Sao Tomé and Principe, if important unmet humanitarian needs emerge, given the exposure to risk and vulnerabilities of populations in these countries.

0. MAJOR CHANGES SINCE PREVIOUS VERSION OF THE HIP

Fourth modification as of 03/07/2020 The total budget of the HIP is increased by EUR 5 million (Central African Republic: EUR 5 million). The perspectives in the Central African Republic for 2020 are very worrisome and the COVID-19 pandemic will exacerbate needs in all sectors. This additional funding will cover unmet needs. The eligible sectors in CAR are: (i) protection (ii) health and nutrition, (iii) food assistance and livelihoods, (iv) water, sanitation and hygiene, (v) shelter (vi) emergency preparedness and response and (vii) education in emergencies.

Third modification as of 17/6/2020 The total budget of the HIP is increased by EUR 25.5 million (Nigeria: EUR 13.5 million, Cameroon: EUR 6 million, Chad: EUR 6 million). This additional funding will focus on food and nutritional crises, conflicts and their consequences. The additional funding will be used to tackle an already unprecedented multifaceted crisis before the effect of the unexpected COVID-19 epidemic, with emergency food assistance, nutrition, multi- sectoral rapid response assistance, protection, support to humanitarian operations. In particular, extra funding will be used to mitigate the risk linked to food insecurity during the lean season starting in June 2020.

The full implementation of this version of the HIP is conditional upon the necessary appropriations being made available from the 2020 general budget of the European Union.

1 For the purpose of this Humanitarian Implementation Plan, the Central African countries concerned are Cameroon, Central African Republic, Nigeria, Chad, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Sao Tomé and Principe. 2 Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (DG ECHO).

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Second modification as of 11/5/2020 The total budget of the HIP is increased by EUR 8.5 million (Nigeria: EUR 4 million, CAR: EUR 2.5 million, Chad: EUR 2 million) to respond to the covid-19 pandemic. The eligible sectors are: (i) health, (ii) water, sanitation and hygiene and (iii) logistics for CAR and; (i) health and (ii) water, sanitation and hygiene for Nigeria and Chad.

First modification as of 17/2/2020 The budget breakdown per country is adapted following the evaluation of the proposals received for each country. The new budgetary breakdown per country has been revised in the Technical Annex. The total amount of the 2020 Central Africa HIP remains unchanged.

1. CONTEXT

Overview of the main humanitarian challenges in the region Three major regional crises affect Central Africa: (i) the Lake Chad crisis affecting Northeast Nigeria, Niger, Chad and Cameroon with the forced displacement of over 2.7 million people, (ii) the CAR regional crisis which led to the forced displacement of 1.2 million people, mainly in CAR, but also in neighbouring Cameroon, DRC and Chad and (iii) the crisis in Cameroon, where socio-political unrest in the North West and South West regions led to a deterioration of the situation and turned into a complex humanitarian crisis in 2018, causing the forced displacement of more than half a million people within Cameroon, and tens of thousands into neighbouring Nigeria. The Lake Chad crisis, which started with the rise of (BH) in the North- East of Nigeria some ten years ago, has expanded across the Lake Chad Basin (LCB). Multiple issues and dynamics are affecting a region increasingly marked by insecurity, instability, lack of development and climate change. Today, the Lake Chad area is among the largest and most protracted humanitarian crises in the world. The non-state armed groups continue to represent a major threat to security and stability. During the last year, attacks against Nigerian military targets have intensified in number and calibre.

The EU, including its Member States, is one of the key providers of aid in the Lake Chad region. The EU has mobilised substantial support at local, regional and local levels through several instruments such as the European Development Fund, EU Trust Fund for Africa, Humanitarian Aid and the Instrument contributing to Stability and Peace. In that context, an integrated regional EU approach is necessary to address this multi-faceted crisis in a more coherent manner.

Moreover, part of the region is located in the Sahel belt, where food insecurity and malnutrition persist. More than 6,7 million people were estimated in food insecurity during the lean season 2019 in the Sahel3 . In Chad for instance, the global acute malnutrition rate is beyond the emergency threshold in 16 regions out of 23. Seasonal forecasts for mid-season 2019 suggest drier than average conditions in the central part of CAR, Cameroon, Chad and Nigeria. In 2019, the Sahel food and nutrition insecurity and the regional CAR crisis were considered as forgotten crisis by DG ECHO.

The region is also significantly exposed to natural disasters and epidemics such as large- scale floods in Nigeria and outbreaks of cholera and measles in Chad, Cameroon and

3 PREGEC

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Nigeria. Climate change further increases vulnerabilities with irregular rainfall patterns. Greater scarcity of natural resources is likely to continue to fuel tensions between herders and farmers causing violence and displacements.

In CAR, the peace process offers some hope. Its successful implementation may still result in increased humanitarian needs in the short-term as stabilisation leads to more returns and improved access to previously hard-to-reach areas.

The 2020 outlook for the region remains therefore worrisome with no sign of reduction in humanitarian needs in the short-term. Insecurity, violence and conflicts will likely continue to affect the region in a context of extreme poverty and structural limited access of basic services for the most vulnerable.

Main vulnerability indicators per country

CAR ranks 188/189 on the UNDP Human Development Index (HDI 2018), 119/119 on the Global Hunger Index, 188/189 on the Gender Inequality Index and with an overall INFORM Vulnerability Index of 8.5/10, CAR is the third most vulnerable country in the world. Its Hazard and Exposure score is 7.9/10 and its Lack of Coping Capacity score is 8.7/10. The country has an INFORM risk class of "very high" due to the ongoing conflict, its lack of coping capacity and its high vulnerability, with a Crisis Index of 3/3, resulting from a Conflict Intensity score of 3/3 and an Uprooted People score of 3/3. CAR has a total population of 4 666 3774. 2.9 million of them, i.e. about 62% of the population, are in need of humanitarian assistance. The very volatile security context has a very strong impact on the country's humanitarian outlook. Military presence linked to the conflict consists of a UN integrated mission (MINUSCA) with about 10 000 troops and the national army which has started to be deployed outside the capital. On 6 February 2019, the government and 14 armed groups signed a peace agreement. Despite this process, insecurity continues to be a major concern and armed groups have a very strong hold on the country. The population in CAR is suffering from a severe protection crisis, including incidents of armed actors targeting civilians based on religious or ethnic affiliation or for economic gains. The capacity of the central government to respond to the crisis is limited as long as the State has not gained back the control of major parts of the national territory. Consequently, insecurity and its negative impact on livelihoods continue to constrain access to food for vulnerable households, further increasing acute food and nutrition insecurity. Humanitarian needs are acute in most of the sectors: food assistance, shelters and non-food items, education, protection, health, nutrition and access to water and sanitation. Chad ranks in the bottom ten of the Global Hunger Index (118 of 119), the Fragile State Index (171 of 178), the Gender Inequality Index (186 of 189) and the UNDP Human Development Index (186 of 189). Its overall INFORM Vulnerability Index is 7.2/10, (Hazard and Exposure index 5.5/10; Lack of Coping Capacity index 8.9/10). The country has an INFORM Crisis Index of 3/3, resulting from a Conflict Intensity score of 1/3, Uprooted People 3/3 and People affected by Natural Disasters of 2/3. Food insecurity and malnutrition, population displacement and health emergencies result in more than 7.5 million people being in acute or chronic vulnerability, thus affecting half of the Chadian population. Nearly 4.3 million people, 51% of whom are women, need urgent humanitarian assistance. Their vulnerability is further exacerbated by low levels of development, climatic risks and an ongoing economic crisis. According to the Cadre

4 Source: World Bank (2018)

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Harmonisé (Harmonized Framework), close to 3.7 million people faced food insecurity during the last lean season (June-August 2019). Furthermore, a deterioration of social cohesion and inter-community conflict in agro-pastoral areas and localities hosting displaced persons pose a significant risk. The presence of displaced people puts pressure on the limited resources, causing tensions with host communities. The nutritional situation is also a point of concern. From January to June 2019, 153 120 children with severe malnutrition were admitted for treatment, a 25% increase compared with the same period in 2018 and a 47% increase compared with the same period in 2017. Furthermore, Chad experiences three simultaneous displacement crises and hosts over seven hundred thousand displaced persons in need of assistance with refugees from Sudan, CAR and Nigeria, Chadian returnees from CAR and people displaced by insecurity in the Lake region. The country's humanitarian outlook indicates that the situation is of a protracted nature, within a political environment dominated by ever stronger Presidential power. Chad is pivotal to regional security efforts. Thus, proper civil-military coordination is essential. The protracted situation of Sudanese and CAR refugees and returnees – considered a forgotten crisis by DG ECHO – calls for a quick and large implementation of the Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus.

Cameroon ranks 153 on the UNDP Human Development Index and 151 out of 189 on the Gender Inequality Index. Its overall INFORM Risk Index for 2019 is 5.7/10 (Hazard and Exposure index 4.9/10; Vulnerability Index 6.3/10; Lack of Coping Capacity index 5.9/10). The INFORM Crisis Index for Cameroon is 2/3, resulting from a Conflict Intensity score of 1/3, an Uprooted People index of 2/3 and a Natural Disaster index of 0/3. Cameroon has a total population of 24.9 million, and 1 037 000 people are directly affected by crises, i.e. 4% of the total population. Some further 2.5 million, i.e. 10% of the total population, are estimated to be indirectly affected, as local communities hosting displaced populations. Since 2013, the conflict in CAR has caused massive arrivals of 275 711 refugees 5 in Eastern Cameroon. For the most vulnerable, dependence on humanitarian aid persists due to limited self-reliance opportunities. In June 2019 a Tripartite Accord has been signed between the Government of Cameroon, the Government of the Central African Republic and UNHCR for the voluntary repatriation of Central African refugees living in Cameroon. It is planned to repatriate 30 000 refugees in 2020 following the CAR peace agreement. The situation of the CAR refugees in Cameroon is considered a forgotten crisis. In the Far , violence of non-state armed groups has caused the internal displacement of 247 000 people and the arrival of 94 800 refugees from Nigeria. Insecurity has also provoked disruptions in economic activities, notably cross-border trade and agriculture and the increased need for protection of the population. Structural food insecurity, poverty and limited access to basic services are exacerbated due to the displacements. In the Northwest and Southwest regions, protection of civilians is at stake as mobilizations for greater autonomy by the end of 2017 has led to a situation of high insecurity and instability causing the forced displacement of more than 530 500 people within Cameroon and close to 40 000 refugees to Nigeria. Health and education structures are being attacked while the disruption of economic and agricultural activities is also observed. Despite categorized as a middle-income country, Nigeria's poverty and human development indicators, as well as its current performance on SDG-implementation, are among the continent's worst. Nigeria ranks 157 on the UNDP Human Development Index and 103 on the Global Hunger Index. Nigeria ranks 10 on the INFORM Risk

5 Source: UNHCR 30/04/2019

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Index for 2019 with an index of 6.8/10 (Hazard and Exposure index 8/10; Vulnerability Index 5.9/10; Lack of Coping Capacity index 6.6/10). Nigeria has a total population of 200 million in 2019, projected to double by 2050. The combination of regional disparities, important inequalities and high fertility rates in the poorest areas of the country contribute to some very alarming key social and public health indicators (such as life expectancy and adult literacy rate), which has led Nigeria to have recently overtaken India as the country with the highest number of extremely poor. The country is affected by five major crises: the Lake Chad conflict; the North West violence and nutrition crisis; inter-communal violence in the Middle Belt; the Cameroon refugee arrivals; and natural disasters (such as floods, which affected 2.5 million people in 2018) and epidemics (Lassa fever, cholera, measles, yellow fever and meningitis outbreaks). With over 35 000 people killed since 2009, the Lake Chad crisis continues to generate massive humanitarian needs in Nigeria’s Northeast, with 7.1 million people in need of humanitarian assistance, 3 million people food insecure and over 2 million IDPs. Moreover, close to one million people do not have access to humanitarian assistance or basic services in and are living in a particularly worrying situation, with alarming rates of severe acute malnutrition. Whenever they reach garrison towns, people living in areas inaccessible for humanitarian actors report severe movement restrictions and supply disruptions, harvest confiscations and widespread hunger, and all-season foraging for wild foods as a key coping mechanism. They moreover report worsening perceptions of safety relative to previous months, and very limited access to any level of healthcare.

2. HUMANITARIAN NEEDS

1) People in need of humanitarian assistance Populations in Central Africa are affected by man-made and natural disasters as well as epidemics. In light of their vulnerabilities, affected people and potential beneficiaries can be categorised as follows:

Conflict-affected people The conflict in the Lake Chad region has had a negative impact on the lives and livelihoods of 17.4 million people. The resulting humanitarian crisis remains among the largest in the world. In recent months, armed groups have stepped up attacks, uprooting thousands more people and driving them into already overcrowded displacement camps. Around 2.7 million people (refugees and internally displaced) have been forced to flee from their homes. The crisis has also heightened food insecurity and malnutrition, with 3.6 million people grappling with food insecurity at “crisis” and “emergency” levels, and around 400 000 children facing severe malnutrition. The region is facing a severe protection crisis. Many civilians have suffered abuse and rights violations and are deeply traumatized. The recurrent attacks and insecurity as well as security measures have restricted free movement. Farming, trade, transhumance and other activities have been significantly affected, depriving millions of people of their means of survival and limiting access to basic services. Displaced people are also unable to move freely in and out of camps. The violence has also forced more than 1 000 schools to close. In CAR, the entire population of 4.7 million people is considered directly or indirectly affected by the ongoing humanitarian crisis, with 2.9 million estimated as extremely vulnerable and requiring assistance. CAR hosts a large number of IDPs, with some 612

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000 individuals6 of whom 203 000 live in IDP sites and 409 000 in host families. An estimated 130 000 people returned spontaneously from neighbouring countries where they had sought refuge as of July 20197. The repatriated people are facing challenges in terms of peaceful co-existence with the communities in the areas of return and are notably confronted with illegal occupation of their land and property. In Chad, 465 343 refugees from Sudan, CAR and Nigeria are still dependent on external aid. 55% of these refugees are below the age of 18 and 4% elderly persons. Women headed households account for roughly 80%. In the south, approximately 99 6938 CAR and 42 000 Chadian returnees live in sites close to the border and among host communities. The lack of legal documentation and assets are the main constraints to their socio-economic integration. In Eastern Chad, only 3 485 Sudanese refugees returned to their country of origin since April 2018, but over 342 406 are still living in this area. In the Lake Chad area, since the beginning of 2019, an estimated 174 340 people have reportedly been displaced - including the arrival of refugees from Nigeria, returnees from Niger and the new displacement of previously displaced communities seeking security and assistance. In Cameroon more than 777 500 individuals are internally displaced due to conflict or violence, 247 000 in the Far North Region and more than 530 0009 in the Southwest and Northwest regions. Cameroon also hosts 370 000 refugees from CAR and Nigeria. Ongoing insecurity in CAR and Nigeria limits returns of refugees to their home countries. The Far North region hosts 94 800 refugees who fled the conflict in Nigeria. 58 300 are in the Minawao camp while the majority is living out-of-site. In addition to the 247 000 internally displaced people in the Far North, 110 000 former IDPs returned to their area of origin. Violence in the Northwest and Southwest regions has caused the internal displacement of 196 000 in the Southwest, and 248 000 in the Northwest, 54 000 in the Littoral region and 32 500 in West region.

In Nigeria, the humanitarian crisis in Northeast Nigeria (Borno, Yobe and Adamawa States) continues to affect a large part of the population. More than 2 million people are internally displaced, an increase of more than 150 000 since January 2019. 74% of IDPs are in Borno State, the epicentre of the crisis, and 59% are living in host communities, making it harder to access them with assistance and putting additional pressure on the already stretched resources of these communities. One in four IDPs are under five, and 80% are women and children. Freedom of movement of the civilian population is still limited, and people living in urban centres of the central and northern parts of Borno state are not able to enter or exit beyond a small security perimeter defined by military authorities. These military restrictions as well as security threats continue to hamper the ability of affected populations to access basic services, livelihoods and safety. However, more than 1.6 million people have returned home since August 2015, indicating that conditions in some locations (mostly Yobe and , and some parts of Borno State) have improved. Moreover, the violence between herders and farmers in the North West and North Central areas of Nigeria is of increasing concern. The clashes led to hundreds of people killed and hundreds of thousands of people displaced in 2018, particularly in Benue, Zamfara, Sokoto and Katsina states. For the North West, this situation is aggravated with a severe malnutrition situation. Finally, the crisis in the

6 Source: CMP (Commission Mouvement de Populations) – 30 April 2019 7 Source: DTM Round 7 8 Source: UNHCR (30 june 2019) 9 IOM DTM, 2019

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People affected by food crisis and acute undernutrition - Food crisis In CAR, where the majority of the population rely on agriculture for food and income, the crisis has severely affected livelihood strategies and coping mechanisms. Violence and inter-communal tensions resulted in a disruption of agricultural and market activities and created massive population displacements that, in turn, severely impacted both food availability and access. According to the last IPC10, 1.81 million people - 38.5% of the population - are in a situation of acute food insecurity (IPC 3+) for the period from May to August with close to 466 000 people in phase 4. The most vulnerable populations are the IDPs and host communities in the areas affected by the conflict such as Bria, Obo, Zemio, Rafai, Kaga-Bandoro, Alindao, Bambari, and Batangafo. Insecurity and conflict have not only limited agricultural activities, access to food and the functioning of local markets; they have also impacted negatively transhumance trends and pastoralists’ livelihoods, thus fuelling deadly conflicts between pastoralists and farmers communities. For the harvest period, between September and October 2019, it is expected that 1.35 million people will be in severe acute food insecurity including nearly 274 000 people in emergency phase. In Chad, the latest Cadre Harmonisé analysis foresees a total population of 640 874 in phases 3-5 of food insecurity during the lean season (usually from June to September). According to the seasonal forecasts of the Comité inter-États de lutte contre la sécheresse au Sahel CILSS countries in 2019, rainfall is expected to occur in amounts which are roughly equivalent to the average cumulative rainfall for the period 1981- 2010 in the southern part of Chad. On the other hand, a deficit in normal rainfall is expected around Lake Chad and in the rest of the country. The final levels of cereal production for 2018/2019 are estimated at 3 021 973 tonnes; this is an increase of 11.2% from last year and 12.6% over the average of the last 5 years. The food insecurity situation of newly arrived CAR refugees and their host community is particularly acute, with 9% of people severely food insecure and 57% moderately food insecure according to WFP (EFSA, April 2018). In Cameroon, the crisis in the Far North region has heavy consequences on economic activities and local livelihoods. The Far North is the region most affected by food insecurity, followed by South West and North West. According to the Cadre Harmonisé exercise of March 2019 some 1 093 000 people are estimated to be food insecure during the 2019 lean season in seven of the ten regions of Cameroon. Out of them, 608 500 persons are in phase 3-5 in the Northwest and the Southwest, which is 17% of the population of the two regions; some 316 000 are estimated to be in phase 3 (crisis) in the Far North, and 47 000 in phase 4 (emergency) in the Northwest, Southwest regions. In Nigeria, attacks by armed groups, and military restrictions continue to have negative impact on trade, livelihoods and markets, leaving the civilian population dependent on humanitarian assistance. As per the June 2019 analysis of the Cadre Harmonisé, almost 5 million people are projected to be in food security phase 3 (crises) and 4 (emergency) across Borno, Yobe and Adamawa States during the June-August 2019 lean season. The expected 37 % increase of people classified in phase 4 suggests that the situation is further deteriorating. Moreover, these projections do not take into account the food

10 Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, June 2019

ECHO/-AF/BUD/2020/92000 7 Year: 2020 Version: 5 – 03/07/2020 security situation in the hard-to-reach areas, where the situation is expected to be even worse: Famine Early Warning System Network (Fewsnet refers) to “elevated risk of famine” in some of these hard-to-reach areas, even though phase 5 cannot be confirmed nor disproved with the available evidence. - Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) According to the SMART of December 2018 for CAR, about 110 000 children under five are suffering from Global Acute Malnutrition (GAM) and are in need of nutritional treatment and prevention including about 45 000 children under five suffering from SAM. SAM is above the emergency threshold of 2% in 10 out of the 16 prefectures. The nutritional situation is clearly linked to a limited access to health care and is exacerbated by the displacement of populations. 37.7% of the children under five suffer from chronic malnutrition.

In Cameroon, the SAM prevalence rate has constantly improved over the years 2017- 2019 according to SMART surveys. However, admission trends indicate remaining malnutrition pockets in the Far North regions. In the , the situation remains very alarming with 1,7% of SAM prevalence (SMART 2018) In the North West and South West regions, nutrition surveys are still awaited.

In Chad, nutrition surveys from 2015 to 2018 show a continuous serious nutritional situation for children. In 2019, SAM is a public health problem in several provinces, especially in the Sahel and Sahara belts where GAM rates are above emergency levels. The regions of Eastern Logone, Logone Occidental, Mayo Kebbi East, Mayo Kebbi West, Moyen Chari, and Tandjilé have prevalences of GAM between 5.0% and 9.9% placing them in a precarious nutritional situation. The regions of Chari Baguirmi, Lake, Tibesti and N'Djamena show an alarming nutritional situation with a prevalence of MAG ranging between 10.0% and 14.9%. The situation is estimated critical in the regions of Sila, Salamat, Batha, Guera, Wadi Fira, Kanem, El Gazal Barh, Hadjer Lamis, Ouaddai, Borkou, Ennedi East and Ennedi West where the prevalences of MAG exceed the emergency threshold of 15%. From January to June 2019, 153 120 children with severe malnutrition were admitted for treatment, a 25% increase for the same period in 2018 and a 47% increase from the same period in 2017. During the first 6 months of 2019, health centres with an integrated nutrition programme admitted 41 750 children under 5 with SAM. This represents a 150% increase compared to the same period in 2018 (16 655 admissions).

In Nigeria there are up to 940 000 children acutely malnourished, 440 000 of whom in its severest, life-threatening form. The percentage of children with acute malnutrition in Borno state almost doubled since 2017, from 6.7% GAM to 11.2% between March and May 2019, with about one in two children malnourished among new arrivals to IDP camps. The situation is likely to be even worse in the hard-to-reach areas, where according to proxy indicators, GAM rates are in some cases reaching as high as 91% (against the 15% emergency threshold), with children affected by SAM as high as 33% (against the emergency threshold of 2%). Moreover, the violence between herders and local farmers in the North West and North Central areas middle belt of Nigeria is aggravated with a severe malnutrition situation. Nutrition care centers report a 25% increase in admission of children affected by SAM in June 2019 in comparison to last year.

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Vulnerable people affected by natural disasters or epidemics Cameroon, CAR, Chad and Nigeria are highly exposed to epidemics and natural disasters, notably floods and drought. In CAR, due to the collapsed health system, the entire immunisation programme depends on external aid, with logistic and security constraints hampering prevention activities. As a consequence, immunisation rates are extremely low. The surveillance system is also very weak. The country is often hit by meningitis, monkey-pox, measles and rabies outbreaks. With regard to the potential spread of Ebola, limited health surveillance and response capacities are a concern. In Chad, roughly 60% of the national territory is desert, 25% falls in the semi-arid Sahel belt, whilst the remaining 15% approaches sub-tropical conditions but is subject to flooding. Climate change consequences have had a tendency to worsen the situation. In particular, the rainfall pattern has become highly erratic, causing flash floods and drought. Chad is endemic to several diseases (such as cholera, measles and malaria) and suffers recurrent outbreaks. Measles epidemics usually begin in the middle of the dry season and decline with the onset of the wet season, however the 2018 outbreak is still persisting. As of 31 May 2019, a total of over 18 682 cases with 191 deaths have been recorded since the beginning of the year. In Cameroon, over 1 140 cases of measles have been detected in the Far North, North Adamawa, Centre and Littoral since the beginning of 2019. In addition, 851 cases of cholera have been confirmed in the North and Far North regions from 2018 to July 2019. Moreover, 250 000 people are estimated to be regularly affected by natural disasters in the northern regions. Due to limited hygiene, poor sanitation and inadequate vaccination (only 25% of Nigerian children of 12 to 23 months have received all recommended vaccines), Nigeria is regularly affected by epidemics such as cholera (20 340 cases and 333 deaths in 2018), lassa fever (600 cases and 170 deaths in 2018), cerebrospinal meningitis (4 202 cases and 352 deaths in 2018), measles, polio and yellow fever. Overcrowding conditions in camps, lack of adequate sanitation facilities, poor environmental sanitation and inadequate shelter conditions are all aggravating factors of potential epidemic spread. The Nigerian Centre for Disease Control reported an increasing number of measles cases across the country since the beginning of 2019 with almost one in two cases in Borno State.

2) Description of the most acute humanitarian needs Protection and IHL compliance The protection of civilians remains a priority in CAR. 14 690 protection incidents have been reported in 201811. The majority of the incidents have been perpetrated by Armed Groups. Most affected prefectures are Ouham-Pende and Ouaka. Violations of the right to life, violations of a person’s physical or mental integrity, gender based violence and violations of housing, land and property rights are the most common violations. Protection needs are also high in refugee and returnee sites and camps in Chad and Cameroon. In Chad, refugees have limited rights to move freely inside the country. The lack of birth registration for the issuance of birth certificates to Chadian population including refugees born in the territory and lack of legal identification of Chadian

11 Cluster Protection

ECHO/-AF/BUD/2020/92000 9 Year: 2020 Version: 5 – 03/07/2020 population returning from CAR and Niger are significant challenges in addressing the issue of statelessness in Chad and ensuring their protection. UNHCR advocated to the Chadian authorities regarding the situation of about 122 278 Sudanese refugee children born in Chad between 2003 and 2015. As of June 2019, some 80 000 Sudanese refugees children remain without birth certificates. Returnees from CAR with no family links in Chad are still vulnerable and remain at risk of being ostracised and discriminated against. This issue is highly political and the government's returnee reintegration plan remains largely unfunded. Lack of opportunities pushes the most vulnerable population to rely on negative coping strategies, putting them on higher risk of protection. In the Far North region of Cameroon, it is essential to comply with the International Refugee Law and the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) Convention Governing the Specific Aspects of Refugee Problems in Africa, and in particular the Nigerian refugees' right to asylum and to non-refoulement. Despite the signature of a Tripartite Agreement between UNHCR and the governments of Cameroon and Nigeria in March 2017, cases of “refoulement” are still reported (around 1 400 forced returns to Nigeria in 2018 and more than 9 000 since January 2019). For displaced persons in Cameroon, both refugees and IDPs, the loss of documentation and the high percentage of family separations are a direct consequence of their forced flight. Psychological trauma, violence, including gender-based violence, unsafe or undignified coping mechanisms such as transactional sex, have also been observed. The social unrest and violence in the Southwest and Northwest regions of Cameroon have led to serious human rights violations. The crisis in northeast Nigeria is one of the world’s largest protection crises, in which civilians face serious risks to their safety, well-being and basic rights. Some who fled hard to reach areas report being held for years by non-state armed groups with no access to basic services and suffering abuse. Once they are able to escape these conditions, they are often treated with suspicion and stigma by armed forces, undermining their ability to reintegrate into society. Thousands of women and girls have been abducted since the start of the conflict, and new abductions continue to occur. Gender-based violence remains endemic. Additionally, in 2017 and 2018, 289 children (mainly girls) were forced or compelled by non-state armed groups to carry person-borne improvised explosive devices. Men and boys have been mainly targeted for recruitment and are at higher risk of being killed in battlefronts while arbitrary detention in military screening sites is also an ongoing concern. Attacks on camps for IDPs continue to be carried out and threaten those living in the camps. Meanwhile, abuses committed by men in uniform have also been reported, and critical concerns remain around the processing of civilians at military screening sites. In most cases few clear procedures and protocols are in place, and the arbitrary detention of men and boys occurs in disrespect and ignorance of the law. Restriction of movement out of garrison towns remains an acute protection concern.

With IHL violations becoming more likely in conflict-affected areas of Cameroon, Nigeria, CAR and Chad, protection of civilians is paramount. In addition, the progressive and steady militarization of the region is reportedly leading to an increase in protection incidents, particularly related to gender-based violence. Further advocacy is required to ensure effective access to the most vulnerable conflict-affected populations and to guarantee the delivery of coordinated and principled humanitarian assistance.

Health and Nutrition In CAR, the crisis has dismantled the already very fragile health preventive activities, primary and secondary health care, all functional referral hospitals, early warning

ECHO/-AF/BUD/2020/92000 10 Year: 2020 Version: 5 – 03/07/2020 mechanisms, rapid outbreak response capacities, psychosocial support and assistance to victims of violence, including sexual and gender-based violence, remain essentially reliant on humanitarian actors. Key mortality indicators (under-five and maternal mortality) are still very high in the country. Access to free health care is essential in all humanitarian interventions in the health sector, as well as greater complementarity with longer-term support to the healthcare system. Chad and the Sahel belt of Cameroon continue to suffer from low vaccination coverage and poor availability/access to primary and secondary healthcare. In Chad, according to the latest SMART survey (2018), at least 349 660 SAM children were expected in 2019 but the mortality rate (0.96/10 000/day) amongst children under five remains far below the emergency threshold (2/10 000/day). The maternal mortality remains among the highest in the world, although it has dropped to 860 deaths per 100 000 live births based on the EDS-MICS report 2014-2015. The measles epidemic which was declared in 2018 is still ongoing with more than 23 265 cases and 225 deaths. The available health structures and competent human resources cannot cope with the increasing trend of malnutrition cases, especially during the lean season peaks and epidemics outbreaks. Girls face additional health challenges in a country where female genital mutilation and child marriage pervade across ethnic groups. In Cameroon, some 60 000 SAM cases are expected for 201912. In Nigeria, in addition to the deteriorating nutrition situation in the Northeast, with almost doubled GAM rates in Borno State, overcrowding conditions in camps is aggravating the risk of epidemic outbreaks, coupled with lack of adequate sanitation facilities, poor environmental sanitation and inadequate shelter conditions. A cholera outbreak has been declared in June 2019 in Adamawa state (11 000 cases in 2018). The nutrition and health situation in the Northwest of the country is also worrying, in particular in Zamfara and Sokoto states, which have historically recorded some of the worst health and nutritional indicators in Nigeria, with up to 7.9% SAM and only 4.5% full immunization coverage in Sokoto State. This situation is expected to deteriorate even further following the increase of violence and displacements in July-August 2019.

Food assistance and livelihoods In CAR, reduced and limited access to agricultural fields linked to increasing security constraints and potential conflict with local populations, massive population displacement and major logistic hindrances continue to hamper significantly local agricultural production, ultimately resulting in high needs for food assistance and livelihood support. An important proportion of households are adopting negative coping mechanisms such as selling domestic assets or reducing non-food expenses in health and education. Severe food insecurity affects mostly people living in rural areas and primarily displaced people and host families. In Chad, while the 2018/19 cereal production increased by 11,2% compared to last year, the latest Cadre Harmonisé analysis foresees a total population of 640 874 in phases 3-5 of food insecurity during the lean season (June to September). In Cameroon, food assistance is one of the main needs for the three crises affecting the country. In Eastern Cameroon, the latest surveys showed that 74% of the CAR refugees intend to stay in Cameroon as long as the situation in CAR remains volatile. Most of them have no opportunities or capacities to develop income-generating activities. In the

12 Source : UNICEF

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Far North, violence has exacerbated the fragility of the region, where nearly 80% of the population is either poor or very poor. Insecurity and the border closure with Nigeria have disrupted agricultural and economic activities, so restoring livelihoods is a priority. Finally, instability and insecurity have affected dramatically the food security situation in the Northwest and Southwest regions with over 900 000 people estimated to be food insecure in 2019. In Nigeria, out of the 3 million people in the Northeast classified in phase 3 (crisis) or 4 (emergency), only 1.2 million are currently receiving food assistance. This increase from the expected 2.7 million classified in phases 3 and 4 for this lean season suggest that the situation is further deteriorating. Moreover, these figures do not take into account food insecurity in the hard-to-reach areas, where the situation is expected to be even more severe. Access to land is hampered by the military restrictions of movements due to the conflict and insecurity, leaving affected populations with little or no livelihoods opportunities.

Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) In CAR, only 54% of the households use a source of potable water for drinking and 34% practices open defecation13. Needs in WASH are particularly severe in the areas most affected by the conflict and in IDP camps. Basic WASH services need to be re- established, pending a comprehensive and longer-term approach to tackle structural problems. Chad has only 43% water access coverage rate and 10% sanitation coverage rate at the national level. Only 32% of the inhabitants of rural areas, which represent 78.1% of the population, have access to safe drinking water. Nearly 68% of the population still practice open defecation and only 10% of the population has access to basic sanitation. This rate is 3% in rural areas and 33% in urban areas. In addition, an estimated 19 000 people die each year from diseases related to lack of access to drinking water and poor conditions of hygiene and sanitation14. In Cameroon, more than 55% of the rural population do not have access to safe water and 80% to basic sanitation at national level. Those figures are even higher in the Far North and Eastern regions. The situation in North West and South West regions is not documented, but given the large number of displaced population additional pressure on the access to water and sanitation in their host communities, needs are expected to be significant. In Northeast Nigeria, according to UNICEF, more than 1.6 million people have access to less than three litres of water per person per day. This represents the lowest survival minimum (i.e. drinking and food), and only 8% get 15 litres per person per day, corresponding to the commonly agreed minimum standard needed to cover basic domestic needs (i.e. drinking, hygiene and cooking needs). Access to sanitation facilities is equally dire with at least 84% of IDPs in camps having to share a latrine with more than 50 people, i.e. 2.5 times below the minimum humanitarian SPHERE standards. In at least three IDP camps, close to 120 people have to share a single latrine.

13 2019 Humanitarian Needs Overview 14 Source: UNDAF

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Shelter and Non-Food Items (NFIs) In CAR, shelter and NFI needs are related to displacement dynamics. Needs of emergency assistance are important for newly displaced populations. In protracted displacement sites, the deteriorating living conditions after so many years since the beginning of the crisis are a major challenge. With the implementation of the Peace Agreement there is a legitimate hope that return movements will increase and it is therefore expected that assistance needs to return and/or to rebuild will grow. In Southern Chad, there is an urgent need to provide multi-sectorial assistance, including shelters, NFI for newly arrived CAR refugees in host villages and camps. Integration will be enhanced with semi-permanent shelters. Emergency NFI stocks and WASH kits are also needed in case of new displacements or influx. In Cameroon, NFIs for IDPs in the Northwest and Southwest regions are one of the main needs since the onset of this crisis. Some gaps also remain in terms of transitional shelters and NFIs in Minawao camp due to new arrivals from Nigeria. Newly displaced in the Far North region are also in need. In Northeast Nigeria, more than 150 000 people have been newly displaced in 2019, mainly triggered by non-state armed groups attacks and military operations. About 40% of IDP camps in Northern Borno are severely overcrowded, with some camps providing only two square meters per person, twenty times lower than the minimum emergency standard. 182 000 families are in need of shelter intervention in Borno state alone with tens of thousands of people living in the open without any or makeshift shelters. The inadequate living conditions and inability to build additional latrines is resulting in a significant risk of epidemics. Overcrowding also has a negative impact on the mental and physical health, as well as the safety and security of the population, increasing protection risks including gender-based violence, and risks of fires and other hazards. Logistics and access Road conditions in CAR and Chad are generally very poor and various areas are landlocked for several months a year due to heavy rains. In CAR, attacks and violence against humanitarian workers, including killings (seven in 2018), is a major constraint for access and has forced humanitarian assistance to be temporarily suspended in several locations. Security is an issue in the Lake Chad region where attacks remain frequent, hampering humanitarian access. In the Northwest and Southwest regions of Cameroon, both administrative impediments and security constraints often hamper access to most affected populations, in particular those located in remote areas. Humanitarian air services to access CAR, Chad, Cameroon and Nigeria will remain crucial in order to deliver humanitarian aid in time for the most in need.

Coordination, advocacy and communication The complex nature of the humanitarian contexts requires proper coordination and proper understanding and implementation of civil-military coordination guidelines. In order to preserve access to the beneficiaries, it is essential that humanitarian workers adhere strictly to the humanitarian principles and that a clear distinction between humanitarian and military action is maintained. Given the high number of organisations active in the humanitarian space, the high staff turnover and the volatility of the humanitarian situation, coordination remains challenging. In addition, the articulation between emergency, recovery and longer-term development interventions needs to be strengthened. Advocacy has to be supported by appropriate resources, visibility and

ECHO/-AF/BUD/2020/92000 13 Year: 2020 Version: 5 – 03/07/2020 communication initiatives at the national and international level. Concerted efforts to advocate for principled actions will be required, including with respect to durable solutions. Disaster risk reduction and resilience To save the lives and protect the livelihoods of vulnerable populations exposed to natural hazards, notably floods and epidemics, and sudden population displacements suitable and viable preparedness measures, rapid response mechanisms and early warning systems are needed. Hence, disaster risk reduction concerns should be mainstreamed in the humanitarian response. Support to resilience building should be a key concern in Central Africa, given the population's vulnerability and exposure to risks. In line with resilience building efforts, support to self-reliance constitute an opportunity for vulnerable populations who face protracted displacement. Regarding acute malnutrition, there is a strong need in strengthening surge capacities of decentralized health structures in relation to Community-based management of acute malnutrition (CMAM) and to respond to sudden-onset disasters and epidemics.

Education in Emergencies Displaced children in the region face significant barriers for (re-)entering education due to gaps in their education, language barriers and the existing weaknesses in education systems in host communities. Children's exposure to violence, instability and harmful coping mechanisms (forced marriage, child labour, and association with armed groups) means that transitioning back to the regular education system is particularly difficult. This holds particularly true in the absence of psycho-social support and child protection services in many host communities.

In CAR, between September 2018 and February 2019, 363 schools were reported as closed. In total, more than 100 attacks against the education system have been reported since 2017. The joint humanitarian needs assessment for Education, conducted by cluster partners in early September 2018, reported that approximately 1.3 million children and adolescents (aged 3-18, 28 percent of the overall population) need assistance. Most national teachers have left their posts as they have not been paid and due to insecurity in many regions. As a result, 60 per cent are community teachers with little training, most of whom remain in hotspot areas and they do their best to provide basic education and child protection. 15

In Cameroon, an average of 4 400 schools representing 80% of the schools in the North West and South West regions have been forced to close since the beginning of the conflict, leaving more than 600 000 children out of schools. Access to education remains a challenge as a no school policy is still declared by non-state armed groups. In the Far North region 68 schools were still closed at the end of 2018, and over 506 000 children were declared in need of assistance for education.

The Education Cannot Wait ranking for Chad is 7 with a composite score of 4.6 (2018). There is a fair level of investment in the sector with the Education Cannot Wait Fund but bottlenecks at the central and local level are limiting the scope and pace of implementation. The alphabetization rate in the Lake Chad region is only 5%. Even if the official rate of enrolment in the Lake Chad region is 47% (51% for girls) the

15CAR HNO Light, March 2019

ECHO/-AF/BUD/2020/92000 14 Year: 2020 Version: 5 – 03/07/2020 primary achievement rate for girls is only 14% and 86% of children are not regularly attending school.

In Nigeria, an estimated 2.2 million school-age children and teachers in northeast states are affected and in need of immediate education assistance. This includes over 2 million children, including 731 000 IDPs, 640 000 returnees and 395 000 children in inaccessible areas. IDP children are at higher risk of lacking access to education, and schools are not yet functional in several areas of IDP return. In inaccessible areas, many children, especially girls, are reported to be deprived of any education. Children under 15 years represent 45 per cent of the population and have borne the brunt of the immediate impact and long-term effects of violence and displacement. This context is putting a generation of school at risk.

3. HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE

1) National / local response and involvement In CAR, the government has shown its interest in having a central role in coordinating international response and is responsible for the National Plan for Recovery and Peacebuilding (RCPCA - Plan National de Relèvement et de Consolidation de la Paix en Centrafrique). Although still largely absent from the provinces, the government is progressively seeking to establish its presence outside the capital. The national capacities remain very weak with limited social services available for the population. The government's involvement in the humanitarian response is also limited and there is a lack of public condemnation of violence and security incidents against humanitarian organisations.

The Government of Chad was very active in the early stage of the CAR crisis, taking the initiative to evacuate their citizens from CAR. However, the implementation of the Global Plan for Returnee Integration is still lagging behind. Food and nutrition issues remain largely dealt with by the international community due to the structural lack in human and financial resources, exacerbated by the ongoing severe economic crisis. The "Vision 2030" and its National Development Plan for 2017-2021, adopted by the Council of Ministers in July 2017, have not been fully implemented yet.

Cameroon has a long-standing tradition of refugee acceptance. The government played an active role in the negotiation of a Tripartite Agreement with Nigeria, CAR and UNHCR for the repatriation of refugees. However, there is no effective involvement of the Government neither on emergency response to IDPs or to tackle the structural weaknesses of social services such as health, education or access to wash, particularly in the Far North (including in return areas) and the eastern part of the country hosting refugees. In response to the crisis in the North West and South West the Government has released an Emergency Humanitarian Assistance Plan in June 2018. In June 2019, over 70 000 IDPs households have been reached with food and NFI governmental assistance according to the government. In addition, coordination centers have been established in both regions. In Nigeria, a new ministry has been created in 2019, in charge of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development. Together with the nascent North East Development Commission, it offers an opportunity for stronger governmental ownership and leadership of the relief response in the northeast and elsewhere in the country. Up until now, the emergency assistance provided by the government National

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Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) is far from being sufficient to meet the magnitude of needs.

2) International Humanitarian Response In CAR, the HRPs have been historically largely underfunded (52% funded in 2018, 43% in 2017, 38% in 2016, 53% in 2015). The EU Trust Fund Bêkou continues to link humanitarian and development actions and to support the resilience of the population by focusing on three main areas: basic services, reconciliation, economic recovery and job creation. In Chad, the humanitarian donor presence is limited (mainly the EU, France, the United Kingdom, Switzerland and the United States), and thus has limited leverage in the face of huge humanitarian needs. Humanitarian coordination is ensured via OCHA and the cluster system, with varying quality across sectors. Other EU instruments (e.g. the EUTF for Africa16) link humanitarian intervention to longer-term development. In Cameroon humanitarian actors are present in numbers in the Far North Region, but funding has decreased compared to 2018. In 2018 Cameroon was the most underfunded humanitarian crisis across Africa. The 2019 HRP is funded at 20% as of July 2019. In the western regions, the presence and capacity of humanitarian organizations is still limited, particularly in the North West, which hampers the scale-up of the response. In Eastern Cameroon, only few humanitarian organizations remain present and there is a steady decline in donor funds. In Nigeria, the 2018 HRP appealed for $1.05 billion. At year’s end, the total reported humanitarian funding was $920 million, including $710 million to the HRP - 68% funded - and $210 million outside of the HRP. It was the sixth best funded single- country appeal and the second best funded appeal for Africa. However, critical sectors such as gender-based violence and child protection continue to be significantly under- funded despite the demonstrated needs.

3) Operational constraints Limited resources available to face high chronic vulnerabilities, in a context of weak national/local capacities/willingness, represent a major challenge. Insecurity and logistic issues result in additional costs and delays during implementation. High staff turnover and/or lack of staff on the ground and limited humanitarian access are other significant challenges. Finally, national administrative and legal frameworks may affect the implementation, in particular for international NGO partners. i) access/humanitarian space/partners’ presence and capacity; In CAR, humanitarian space and access remain problematic, in particular outside the capital where humanitarian workers and assets are regularly targeted by armed groups and criminals. The ability of humanitarian actors to deliver, continues to be hindered by extremely high staff turnover, by limited local capacity and by the dire security situation which in some cases has led to temporary suspension of humanitarian interventions and relocation of humanitarian personnel. In addition, a new law was signed in 2019

16 European Union Trust Fund for stability and addressing root causes of irregular migration and displaced persons in Africa

ECHO/-AF/BUD/2020/92000 16 Year: 2020 Version: 5 – 03/07/2020 governing the work of the international NGOs. Certain provisions of this law could hinder the smooth implementation of humanitarian actions. In Cameroon, access for humanitarian organizations has improved in the Far North Region. However, access in the North West and South West of the country remains challenging, although it has improved in the South West. The stepping up of humanitarian assistance and the presence of humanitarian actors in Northeast Nigeria over the last three years has been (and continues to be) instrumental in saving many lives despite the challenging operational environment which is dominated by a militarized context. 87% of the target population can be reached with assistance, while close to one million people remain hard-to-reach for humanitarian actors, mainly in Borno State. Moreover, humanitarian partners are facing a number of access constraints, including ongoing hostilities, threats of attack, IEDs and unexploded ordnance, impassable roads and bridges during the rainy season, restrictions on movement imposed by the military and lack of safety assurances from non-state armed groups. There are also significant bureaucratic impediments that continue to restrict the humanitarian response, especially for international NGOs. In Chad, the new NGO law has already affected the work of the international NGOs with significant implementation delays observed in 2019. ii) absorption capacity on the ground and efficiency of operations In all four countries covered by this HIP, the rainy season and poor road conditions might complicate the provision of assistance, especially in remote areas. In all countries, limited options for international actors to work through local partners exist and are being utilized where possible. Remote-management is not applied at this stage but community-based approaches are encouraged when appropriate under partners’ responsibility to ensure the right balance between international recognized standards and local ownership.

4) Envisaged DG ECHO response and expected results of humanitarian aid interventions General considerations for all interventions All humanitarian interventions funded by DG ECHO must demonstrate the integration of gender and age sensitivity in a coherent manner. Also, all humanitarian interventions funded by DG ECHO must take into consideration any risk of sexual- and gender-based violence (SGBV) and should develop and implement appropriate strategies to actively prevent such risks. DG ECHO equally urges the establishment of quality, comprehensive and safe SGBV response services. Specific attention will also be paid to the measures ensuring inclusion of people with disabilities in proposed actions. DG ECHO will give particular attention to climate-proofing humanitarian response. For more information see the Thematic Policies Annex.

Assistance to the most vulnerable populations affected by armed conflicts and natural disasters DG ECHO's intervention will address both the acute and protracted humanitarian needs of the affected populations according to the various needs and capacities of the different

ECHO/-AF/BUD/2020/92000 17 Year: 2020 Version: 5 – 03/07/2020 age, gender and disability groups. The acute needs of internally displaced populations, refugees, host communities and returnees in CAR, Chad, Cameroon and Nigeria will be addressed in the identified priority sectors, developed in the attached Technical Annex. Priority sectors include food assistance, emergency health and nutrition, emergency WASH, shelter and non-food items, protection, Education in Emergencies, support to pastoral and agricultural activities and livelihoods, coordination, security and logistics all in compliance with protection mainstreaming principles. Flexible, integrated and rapid interventions such as the Rapid Response Mechanisms should be used to address sudden movements of population and acute needs. Multi-sectorial approaches should be fostered and taking into account the expertise of the implementing partners. When appropriate, DG ECHO will prioritise the cash transfer modality over vouchers and in- kind assistance. In CAR, the response will need to remain flexible and adjusted to the evolving needs in a highly volatile context. Food assistance and malnutrition prevention and treatment should also complement interventions of the Rapid Response Mechanism. Given the protracted nature of the crisis, actions should be coordinated to the greatest possible extent with longer-term development actions, including the EU Trust Fund Bêkou. The implementation of the peace agreement, if successful, should result into return movements of displaced people. Additional focus might therefore be needed to assist the returns of Central African refugees. Specific attention will be needed for the situation of disability groups, including women and girls with disabilities to strengthen their autonomy and protect them from physical and psychological violence. In Chad, DG ECHO will support the implementation of the Humanitarian- Development-Peace Nexus (nutrition/health, refugee integration and social safety nets) with development partners. Multi-sectorial response to newly arrived refugees from CAR and Sudan will be supported. The needs of long-standing refugees will be addressed by contributing to further identify and scale up efforts towards self-reliance and durable solutions in coordination with the Government of Chad, UNHCR, other EU interventions and the World Bank. IDPs and local population around the Lake Chad will be supported according to their vulnerability and not their status or location. In Cameroon, targeting the most vulnerable refugees, displaced and affected local communities to support them with food assistance will be a priority. In Eastern Cameroon, priority will be given to self-reliance initiatives for CAR refugees, when DG ECHO support has a clear added value and is linked with broader, more structural or developmental approaches. In the Far North region, multi-sectorial assistance and rapid response to new needs will remain a priority, as well as protection monitoring, prevention and response to all types of violence, and registration for asylum seekers. DG ECHO might also support the voluntary return of CAR and Nigerian refugees if effective. In the Northwest and Southwest regions, holistic humanitarian capacity and response needs to be supported, in full respect of the humanitarian principles. Dissemination of International Humanitarian Law will be a priority as well as protection, health, water and sanitation and multi-sectoral emergency assistance. Education in Emergency might be considered under specific requirements. Support services and coordination mechanism will also remain of paramount importance for both crises. In Nigeria, the provision of protection and live saving emergency assistance to the most vulnerable in the Northeast Nigeria remains the DG ECHO immediate priority. Decreasing the number of people unable to access humanitarian aid should be prioritized, as well as ensuring a protection-oriented multi-sectoral response to populations whose freedom of movement continues to be limited. In parallel, Nigeria are part of the six pilot countries identified by the EU for implementing the ECHO/-AF/BUD/2020/92000 18 Year: 2020 Version: 5 – 03/07/2020

Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus at local level, with a focus on livelihood, gender and conflict sensitivity. The food security and nutrition situation in the North West will continue to be monitored and a response could be considered if needed and relevant.

Emergency preparedness and disaster risk reduction Emergency preparedness and disaster risk reduction should be mainstreamed in humanitarian responses as far as possible. Project proposals should include not only a needs analysis but also a risk analysis. Transition from stand-alone humanitarian interventions towards complementary actions with development and national actors and instruments will be sought to strengthen the resilience of the most vulnerable populations. DG ECHO’s support will focus on local, regional and national systems (e.g. early warning system, contingency plans, epidemiological surveillance) in order to increase their capacity in term of early warning and early action, with strategies promoting multi annual approaches where appropriate.

General considerations for all interventions Special attention will be given to relevant aspects related to forced displacement, advocacy, International Humanitarian Law and humanitarian access. DG ECHO will also provide support to meet the mounting needs of children in conflict affected contexts that are out of school or risk education disruption. Within this HIP projects addressing both education and child protection needs through integrated actions will be funded. DG ECHO will prioritize education in emergency projects in areas where the percentage of out-of-school children is particularly high, there are serious child protection concerns and where other sources of funding available are limited. Complementarity and synergies with other EU services and funding instruments will be sought, in addition to complementarity and synergies with funding provided by the Global Partnership for Education and the Education Cannot Wait. In addition, all humanitarian interventions funded by DG ECHO must take into consideration, together with other protection concerns, any risk of gender-based violence and develop and implement appropriate strategies to prevent such risks. Moreover, in line with its life-saving mandate, DG ECHO encourages the establishment of quality, comprehensive and safe gender-based violence response services since the onset of emergencies, in line with DG ECHO's 2013 Gender policy17.

4. HUMANITARIAN COORDINATION

1) Other DG ECHO interventions The Emergency Toolbox HIP may be drawn upon for the prevention of, and response to, outbreaks of epidemics in Central Africa. Also, under the mentioned HIP the Small- Scale Response and Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) instruments may be applied in the region.

17 Gender Age Marker Toolkit, 2013 - http://ec.europa.eu/echo/files/policies/sectoral/gender_age_marker_toolkit.pdf ; Gender and Sensitive Aid, September 2019 - http://ec.europa.eu/echo/what/humanitarian-aid/gender-sensitive-aid_en

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2) Other donors' engagement In CAR as of October 2019, USD 222.9 million have been allocated to the HRP corresponding to a coverage of 51.5% of the plan. Besides the European Commission, the main bilateral humanitarian donors are the US (EUR 45 million) with a focus on logistics support, relief commodities and WASH activities, Germany (EUR 23 million) with a focus on food and multi-sectoral assistance, Sweden (EUR 16 million) with a focus on multi-sectoral projects, and the United Kingdom (EUR 14 million) with a focus on emergency assistance and community managed projects. Canada, Switzerland, Ireland, Belgium, France, Denmark and Norway contribute to the humanitarian assistance in CAR with an annual budget ranging from Euro 5 to 8 million per country. All these countries mainly intervene in multi-sectoral, food, health, nutrition, protection and wash sectors towards IDPs, returnees and host communities. Most of the above- mentioned donors also contribute to the CAR Humanitarian Fund managed by OCHA which provides funding to the UN agencies, international and national NGOs and to the IFRC. In Chad, donor coordination remains complex, all the more so as some key players (e.g. Food For Peace, OFDA, SIDA) are not based in the country. As of August 2019, the HRP is financed at a level of 32.7% (USD 154.9 million out of USD 476.6 million). In the context of the national social protection strategy, DG ECHO supported the scaling- up of Questionnaire Harmonisé for data collection in order to fill in the unified register (Registre Unique, supported by World Bank) during lean season operation as an exit strategy in the medium term. The data collection system remains fragile due to systemic weakness of the Chadian state and needs to be supported. USAID supports the resilience agenda, provides in-kind food assistance and respond to the complex emergency in the lake region; SIDA supports IDPs particularly in the lake region; Germany supports resilience; DFID funds the main UN agencies and ICRC. Humanitarian funding to Cameroon has been decreasing in recent years. The coverage of the HRP is 33% as of October 2019. The ECHO-led humanitarian donor group which includes DFID and USAID is seeking to bring on board additional like-minded donors in order to raise more awareness on the crises affecting the country and promote coordination. Germany has doubled its humanitarian funds for Cameroon in 2019 while BPRM18 global funding to Cameroon has decreased as well as France’s support to WFP and ICRC. Together with Switzerland and Italy who have maintained their level of funding in the country, they contribute to small-scale interventions with INGOs in the Far North Cameroon. IDA18 is Government channelled and will be implemented from 2020 on in the four regions of ‘Septentrion’ affected by the presence of refugees to support health, education, and social safety nets. In addition, the EUR 12 million “GA SONGO Initiative” was launched by Agence Française de Développement and will provide support to CAR refugees in Cameroon and IDPs in CAR with actions of up to 48 months.

In Nigeria as of August 2019, USD 334.1 million have been allocated to the HRP corresponding to a coverage of 39% of the plan. The main bilateral humanitarian donors are the USA with a focus on emergency response, the United Kingdom with a focus on multiyear protection and resilience building, Germany with a regional approach on the Lake Chad Basin. Sweden, Canada and the Country Pool Fund are also providing

18 BPRM – United States Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration

ECHO/-AF/BUD/2020/92000 20 Year: 2020 Version: 5 – 03/07/2020 humanitarian funding. The humanitarian donor group, currently chaired by Canada, ensures close coordination on funding, minimizing risks of funding overlapping, and advocacy, including with the development donor group.

5. HUMANITARIAN-DEVELOPMENT NEXUS

In all countries synergies between humanitarian and development programmes continue to be systematically sought. Nigeria and Chad are pilot countries for the operationalisation of the Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus with EU Member States. The purpose of the Nexus pilot process is to consolidate complementarities between the humanitarian, development and external action services of the EU and Member States in order to address better protracted crisis situations. Collective actions towards longer-term strategic objectives will be sought in respect of the different mandates.

1) Other concomitant EU interventions

The EDF is the main EU instrument to provide external development assistance in the region. The EUTF for Africa continues to support countries in the Sahel and the Lake Chad region to achieve peace, security and development. The Instrument contributing to Stability and Peace (IcSP) is also engaged across the region to support stability.

In CAR, the Bêkou Trust Fund aims to link humanitarian assistance with longer-term interventions with a focus on the restoration of essential public services, the economy, the reconciliation and the capacity of the administration. In 2019, the EU Trust Fund Bêkou has been extended until the end of 2020. IcSP provides support in the area of peace and security and the EU Training Mission provides training to the national army (FACA). In 2020, humanitarian aid needs to be linked to recovery activities in order to initiate the transition towards longer-term support. There are ongoing efforts to bring together humanitarian and development actors. DG ECHO is working in coordination with SDC, OFDA, the CAR Humanitarian Fund and the Bêkou Trust Fund to reduce the gap in terms of geographic coverage, to avoid duplication in interventions and to create synergies between actors.

In Chad, EU TF for Africa projects around the Lake Chad have supported resilience of vulnerable people, as well as employment and security activities for a total amount of EUR 88.3 million. A EU PRO-ACT project in the Eastern regions is establishing a bridge between DG ECHO action and the 11th EDF fund. The EU also has active Common Security and Defence Policy in the Sahel region and the G5 Sahel, including Chad. DG ECHO and DG DEVCO nutrition interventions will be complementary through the support to health authorities and the RUTF (Ready-to-use-therapeutic food) pipeline. Humanitarian and development interventions in nutrition sensitive activities (WASH, food security, behaviour change communication) will also be coordinated. In Cameroon, an additional EUR 52 million were mobilized under the PRO-ACT to improve the resilience of local communities with income generating opportunities in regions affected by the CAR Crisis. Under the EU TF for Africa, four actions for a total amount of EUR 37 million to promote resilience and youth employment are on-going in the Far North, and North Regions. Cameroon is also a UN-pilot country for the

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Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus and DG ECHO is supporting this transition towards more durable solutions to forced displacement, improved access to basic services and improved market and socio-economic opportunities. In Nigeria, the EU has operationalized since 2017 the Joint Humanitarian-Development Framework and the Nexus commitments, and invested close to EUR 350 million in the Northeast, notably through the Borno and Yobe packages (focusing on reconstruction, livelihoods, education, disarmament and reintegration, and social protection). Such investment will be particularly relevant for areas such as Western Yobe and Southern Borno and Adamawa states. However, the recent deterioration of the security situation and conflict dynamics in Eastern Yobe and most of Borno states limits the State’s presence/provision of basic social services outside the State capitals, and hampers the capacity of recovery actors to reach the expected outcomes, leading to renewed increased needs for humanitarian assistance.

2) Exit scenarios

While no realistic exit scenario can be envisaged at this stage with local public services, LRRD is sought wherever possible in protracted situations, in particular through the implementation of the Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus.

Electronically signed on 09/07/2020 13:43 (UTC+02) in accordance with article 4.2 (Validity of electronic documents) of Commission Decision 2004/563 ECHO/-AF/BUD/2020/92000 22