Internal Weekly Bulletin
25 February – 3 March 2014
CAR/Cameroon – More than 30,000 new refugees since 1 February
CAR/Chad – 80,000 evacuees, 8,000 refugees; US$4.2 million CERF funding
CAR – Operation Sangaris extended; EU to send up to 1,000 people
CAR – Humanitarian situation and response
Gambia/Senegal – Border closed to trade after border tariffs change
Mali – Strategic Response Plan launched
Mali – Humanitarians injured in landmine explosion
Mali – New mass grave discovered in Kati area
Mauritania – CADRI Mission from February 23 -27
Mauritania – One dead and several wounded in street protests in Nouakchott
Nigeria – More than 150 killed in six separate attacks
Nigeria – Further appeal for external support
West and Central Africa – Eight countries to benefit from Japan donation to WFP
CAR/Cameroon – More than 30,000 new refugees since 1 February
UNHCR reports on 26 February that since 1 February, a total of 32,817 refugees from CAR
have crossed into Cameroon, bringing the total of CAR refugees arrived since March 2013 to
130,187. UNHCR led an inter-agency evaluation on mission (including IOM, UNFPA,
UNICEF, WFP and WHO) to the East and Adamawa regions, to carry out a rapid
assessment of the humanitarian situation. An EMOP has been elaborated to support 27,000
for an initial three-month period (USD 1.5 million).
CAR/Chad – 80,000 evacuees, 8,000 refugees; US$4.2 million CERF funding
In Chad, as of 2 March, IOM has registered a total of 80,354 Chadian nationals, TCNs and
refugees who have fled CAR since December 2013. UNHCR has identified 8,000 refugees
from CAR arrived since 1 February, bringing the total of CAR refugees since March 2013 to
86,000. Refugees arriving in the border areas and the transit centres in Ndjamena are preregistered by UNHCR prior to their relocation to a camp or hosting village. UNHCR
continues to advocate with the Government of Chad to recognize 2nd and 3rd generation
Chadian nationals and issue them identification documents. UNHCR further urges the
Government to formalize an assistance plan for this group. Arrivals continue while shelter
capacities and humanitarian assistance remain limited. As of 26 February, WFP has
provided food to 39,000 evacuees in Chad. A 6-month Emergency Plan Response is under
elaboration to support as many as 150,000 persons (USD 33 million). On 26 February, the
Emergency Relief Coordinator approved US$4.2 million from CERF to enable assistance in
child protection, WASH and healthcare sectors. In January, US$10 million had been
disbursed from the Underfunded Emergencies window.
CAR – Operation Sangaris extended; EU to send up to 1,000 people
The security situation in CAR, especially in the capital and in northwest and southwest,
remains tense. Areas of particular concern include PK-12 (Bangui), and Boda, Bouar and
Bossangoa. Following the visit of the Humanitarian Coordinator in the CAR, Mr. Abdou
Dieng, to the PK 12 neighborhood of the capital Bangui, on 21 February, humanitarian
actors are working with international forces to finalize an evacuation plan that would bring
some 3,000 Muslim people to a safe location. On 25 February, the French National
Assembly authorized a four-month extension of the Sangaris operation in the CAR and the
deployment of 400 extra troops. On 27 February, the EU’s Operation Commander - Major
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Gen. Philippe Pontiès – stated that the EU is set to send up to 1,000 people to the CAR as
part of its military mission by the end of April. French President François Hollande arrived in
the capital on 28 February.
CAR – Humanitarian situation and response
Latest IOM estimates, as of 28 February, place the IDP population in CAR at 657,000, an
increase of 3,000 IDPs as compared to last week. The largest concentration remains in
Bangui where over 232,000 IDPs reside in 62 sites. As of 26 February, there are 290,701
CAR refugees living in neighbouring countries and 17,300 refugees in CAR coming
essentially from, DRC, Chad and Sudan. Action Contre La Faim indicates that the most
important wholesale food market in Bangui (PK-5) risks collapse. Economic activities are
decreasing sharply and the supply from Chad is completely interrupted. Humanitarian
access to vulnerable people is hampered by armed militias throughout the country. From 1
to 26 February WFP provided 1,189 mt of food to a total of 168,968 people in CAR
(Ouham,Ouham Pendé, Nana-Mambéré and Nana-Gribizi provinces) of which 126,252 in
Bangui. A weekly MISCA escort now secures movement of trucks between Garoua Boulai,
on the border with Cameroon, and Bangui. At one escort per week, road movement of goods
remains insufficient. As of 26 February, the air bridge between Douala and Bangui has
secured the movement of nearly 1,085 mt of rice. From 1 January to 24 February 2014, a
total of 2,734 children have been admitted for treatment of SAM in CAR, with support from
ACF, IMC, MSF, COHEB, MERLIN and UNICEF. This represents 52 per cent of the 100-day
plan target.
Gambia/Senegal – Border closed to trade after border tariffs change
The border between Senegal and Gambia has been closed by the Senegalese
transportation union (SNTTRS) after complaining about the new Gambia Ports Authority’s
policies with regards to tariffs and payments methods. The closure will oblige commercial
vehicles to take the long way round to bypass the Gambia which will result in an increase in
goods’ prices and supply. Apart from the negative impact on trade and inflation in the two
countries, failure to assert authority over the SNTTRS blockade and the isolation of the
southern region risks undermining progress made so far by Senegalese President Macky
Sall in resolving the separatist conflict in Casamance.
Mali – Strategic Response Plan launched
On 26 February, the Humanitarian Strategic Response Plan 2014 - 2016 was launched
during a ceremony. The participants to the event were the Malian Minister of Humanitarian
Affairs, Hamadoun Konatéa, the Humanitarian Coordinator, David Gressly, OCHA,
humanitarian key actors and stakeholders working in the country (NGOs, UN agencies,
Government Representatives, etc.).
Mali – Humanitarians injured in landmine explosion
On 26 Februray, Reuters reported that two Malian employees of the ONG Medecins du
Monde (Belgium) and their driver were seriously injured, when the vehicle hit a landmine on
the road from the town of Kidal to the airport. Medecins du Monde stated that there was no
indication that the organization had been directly targeted. The injured aid workers have
been evacuated to Bamako to get hospitalized.
Mali – New mass grave discovered in Kati area
On 24 February, RFI reported that five bodies of people in military uniforms have been
discovered on 23 February in the outskirts of Kati, a town 15 km away from Bamako which
was the stronghold of the former junta. Another mass grave with 21 corpses was discovered
in December 2013 in the same area. According to RFI, the corpses might be the military "red
berets" murdered when they attempted a coup against the junta then in power, on 30 April
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2012. 25 soldiers, including Amadou Sanogo, former General, have already been arrested
and charged with the kidnapping and murder.
Mauritania – CADRI Mission and workshop
The second Capacity for Disaster Reduction Initiative (CADRI) mission took place from 23 27 February. The mission included a workshop on “Lessons learned from the flood response
in 2013” resulting in three recommendations: put in place a National Contingency Pan;
organize a simulation exercise; and establish an agency responsible of disaster
management and coordination of the humanitarian actions.
Mauritania – One dead and several wounded in street protests in Nouakchott
After unknown men allegedly tore Koran books and threw them into the toilet of a mosque of
a peripheral neighbourhood of Nouakchott, street protests began in the capital on 2 March.
As of 3 March, clashes with security forces had left one death and several wounded.
Nigeria – More than 150 killed in six separate attacks
The past week was marked by an increased number of attacks attributed to Boko Haram in
the northeastern states of Yobe, Adamawa and Borno. On 25 February, 43 students were
killed in a secondary school in Budi Yadi. It was the fourth attack on a school in Yobe State
since June 2013. On 26 February, at least 37 persons died in three separate attacks in
Shuwa (25), Kirchinga (8) and Michika (4), all in Adamawa State, near the border with
Cameroon. On 1 March, two attacks in Maidiguri and Maino, in Borno State, caused the
death of 74 people. So far, more than 250 people died in 2014 in attacks attribute to Boko
Haram.
Nigeria - Further appeal for external support
Two days before the visit of the French President Hollande on 27-28 February, Nigeria
issued an appeal to France and francophone neighbouring countries, especially Cameroon,
for support in the battle against armed groups. Nigeria’s appeal came right after the diffusion
of a video on 20 February in which Boko Haram’s supposed leader Abubakar Shekau
threatened to attack the South as well, and more specifically the oil-producing Niger Delta
region.
West and Central Africa – Eight countries to benefit from Japan donation to WFP
On 28 February, WFP welcomed a US$88.3 million contribution from the Government of
Japan to 26 countries. Amongst those, eight countries in West and Central Africa will also
benefit from this donation: Mali (US$6.5 million), Niger (US$3.9 million), DRC (US$3.4
million), Mauritania (US$2.4 million), CAR (US$1.7 million), Guinea (US$1.6 million),
Cameroon (US$0.9 million) and Liberia (US$0.7 million).
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