Highlights

• Assessments of the nutritional status of people living with HIV for the identification of those who need support are almost complete.

• WFP assisted 21,000 children with moderate acute malnutrition (MAM) through its targeted supplementary feeding programme (TSFP) in the four districts with the highest rates of MAM.

• Under WFP’s Food for Assets activities, participants in two districts received food assistance for the rehabilitation of cocoa, coffee and oil palm plantations and cocoa out-plating.

Food security analysis

• WFP is preparing to launch the Comprehensive Food Security and Vulnerability Analysis (CFSVA), conducted at the end of 2015 in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Food Security, and FAO. The CFSVA surveyed 34,000 households across Sierra Leone’s 149 chiefdoms and 18 urban wards, making it the largest food security assessment of its kind. Preliminary findings of the analysis informed the design of WFP’s new Ebola recovery operation.

• WFP concluded validation workshops at the chiefdom level to disseminate the results of the CFSVA and promote national ownership. The results will be presented in a report to accompany the CFSVA.

Household food availability and access is expected to improve as harvests begin

Key Messages

• Seasonal rainfall remains significantly above-average for many parts of Sierra Leone (NOAA).

• There have been few reports of damage or injury due to flooding, although two chiefdoms in Port Loko District (Lokomasama and Maforki) suffered some flood damage to households and rice plantations in August and September. Overall, the season is progressing normally as harvests of cassava, vegetables, sweet potato and upland rice continues around the country and main season crops get closer to harvest.

• Market functioning continues to improve as food stocks increase from minor August harvests of cassava, sweet potato, okra, garden eggs, cucumber, onions, and pepper and prices gradually decrease. These decreasing prices and early crops mark the end of the lean season. Most districts will improve to Minimal (IPC Phase 1) acute food insecurity in October as most upland and IVS harvests happen.

• Despite the main October harvests, most households in Port Loko and Kailahun Districts will remain in Stressed (IPC Phase 2) food insecurity through January 2017 due to residual EVD shocks. In addition to having some of the highest EVD rates in the country during the crisis, Port Loko’s economy suffered from the closure of two iron ore mines, while limited trade flow into and within Kailahun diminished cash crop sales which are a main livelihood in the District.

• Faster rates of economic recovery in Bo and Western Area Urban and Rural districts will continue to provide income opportunities in the area of petty trading, casual labor, and regional trade. It is expected that these district will remain in Minimal (IPC Phase 1) food insecurity through at least January 2017.

• UNHRD continues to dispatch operational equipment for its Partners, most recently supporting WFP by sending ICT equipment to Freetown in Sierra Leone.

• During the worst of the crisis, UNHRD facilities in Accra and Las Palmas served as regional staging areas and the Accra depot hosted UNMEER headquarters.

• On behalf of WFP, UNHRD procured and dispatched construction material and equipment for remote logistics hubs, Ebola Treatment Units (ETU) and Community Care Centres. In collaboration with WHO, UNHRD also procured and dispatched equipment to establish camps for teams tracing EVD.
  Members of the Rapid Response Team (RRT) set-up supply hubs, an ambulance decontamination bay and ETUs.

An integrated food and nutrition security project

Sierra Leone recorded its first Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) case on 24th May 2014. By 7th November 2015, when the country was initially declared free from the EVD epidemic by the World Health Organisation (WHO), over 8,000 people had been infected, resulting in more than 3,500 deaths and 4,000 survivors all over the country. On 31st July 2014, the President of Sierra Leone, His Excellency Ernest Bai Koroma, declared a state of public health emergency that was maintained throughout the outbreak. Several restrictive measures were accordingly adopted, including quarantine and banning of public gathering except for the ones related to Ebola sensitisation. This situation seriously impeded all sectors of the economy, including agriculture, and thus impacted the food security status of the population.

It was estimated that vulnerable households’ access to food would be very limited during the three months of the 2015 lean season (June to August) due to the combination of the end of the 2014 harvests’ stocks, an increased dependence to markets, and a low purchasing power (Famine Early Warning System Networks, FEWSNET, December 2014). It was also assessed that there would be a need to support communities’ resilience through the re-establishment of a farming system via the procurement of agricultural inputs (World Food Programme, Food and Agriculture Organisation, December 2014).

As part of its intervention in the post Ebola recovery context, Action Contre la Faim – Sierra Leone (ACF – SL) designed a project to address these needs, with the financial support from Irish Aid. The project, “Mitigating the impact of the Ebola Virus Disease on the most vulnerable households through an integrated food and nutrition security intervention in Moyamba”, was implemented from 15th May 2015 to 30th June 2016. The intervention was based on three components including unconditional cash transfers to enable households-beneficiaries’ access to food during the lean season; vegetable production to ensure beneficiaries’ consumption of nutritious food and sources of incomes; and awareness on nutrition.

After reviewing the humanitarian context, including the EVD outbreak impact on food security in Sierra Leone, this project case study takes you through the detailed rationale and implementation of the 3 components mentioned above, and presents its main impacts, challenges and lessons learnt.

For more information, please contact: fsl-hod@sl.missions-acf.org and advocacyexpert@sl.missions-acf.org

Nutrition for Growth: Sierra Leone’s progress on its commitments 3 years later

Ranking 181/188 in the Human Development Index, Sierra Leone remains one of the countries with the highest maternal and infant mortality rates. According to the 2014 National Nutrition Survey, the Global Acute Malnutrition, Severe Acute Malnutrition and stunting (chronic malnutrition) rates in Sierra Leone stand at 4.7%, 1.0% and 28.8% respectively.

The Government of Sierra Leone (GoSL) signed up to various commitments in the context of regional and global movements. As part of the Nutrition for Growth Summit (N4G, London, 2013), the GoSL committed to reduce stunting in children under 2 to 11.7% and global acute malnutrition in children under 5 to 2% by 2020 while increasing exclusive breastfeeding to 70%. They also committed to increase funding for nutrition; create budget lines under Ministries of Health and Agriculture; and to ratify the Code of Marketing of Breast-milk substitutes (CMBS).

In May 2016 ACF in Sierra Leone conducted, in cooperation with the local NGO Focus 1000 and the SUN Movement Civil Society Platform, an analysis on progress made so far in Sierra Leone regarding the commitments taken at the Nutrition for Growth (N4G) summit in London in 2013. This advocacy report summarises the findings of this study and comprises our recommendations to strengthen the efforts and results in achieving these commitments by 2020.

Main findings:

• While some efforts and progress have been made between 2013 and 2016, a lot still needs to be done to achieve the objectives by 2020;

• Important lack of data on nutritional status in Sierra Leone (National Nutrition Surveys not conducted regularly enough);

• For nutritional status commitment: between 2010 and 2014, acute malnutrition (under 5) decreased from 6.9% to 4.7%; severe acute malnutrition (under 5) increased from 0.9% to 1%; chronic malnutrition in (children under 2) increased from 25.7% to 26.7%; exclusive breastfeeding increased from 32% to 58.8%;

• For policy commitment: while a Core Code Committee for the Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes (CMBS) was created in 2011 to advocate for the endorsement of the CMBS, as of 2016 the process was still pending at the Ministry of Health Permanent Secretary office level;

• For financial commitment: while the GoSL expenditure for nutrition increased both for nutrition specific and nutrition sensitive interventions between 2012 and 2015, in 2015 it still represented 0.98% of the country’s GDP only and 32% of the estimated cost for the implementation of the 2015 activities comprised in the Food and Nutrition Security Implementation Plan;

• For community commitment: community support networks for nutrition and agriculture have been scaled up throughout the country.

Main recommendations:

1. Conduct annual National Nutrition Surveys, using alternatively SMART and SQUEAC methodologies;

2. Align nutrition targets on the World Health Assembly timeline;

3. Consider means of mainstreaming nutrition within line ministries, such as the development of nutrition-sensitive policies;

4. Restart the discussions on the creation of budget lines for nutrition;

5. Give specific attention to mainstreaming nutrition within the Ministry of Water resources;

6. Restart the Core Code Committee meetings to engage with the Permanent Secretary office and obtain the Cabinet Minister’s authorisation to draft the law;

7. Take more SMART commitments at the next Nutrition for Growth Summit.

This publication was presented to nutrition stakeholders in Sierra Leone (ministries’ representatives, parliamentarians, UN agencies, donors, civil society) during a workshop organised by ACF for the N4G media event in Rio that took place in Rio (Brazil) on 4th August.

For more information please contact Laetitia Battisti (advocacyexpert@sl.missions-acf.org), advocacy officer for ACF in Sierra Leone.

Participants in the regional technical consultation on agricultural and food prospects in the Sahel and West Africa, held from 19 to 21 September 2016, in Lomé, Togo, draw the following conclusions:

1. As part of preparations for the agro-pastoral season, States and their partners provided support to farmers with inputs (seeds, fertilizers, pesticides) and agricultural equipment, even if these efforts have not met the expressed needs.

2. On rainfall, the rainy season installation was early in Central and Eastern Sahel, including in Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger and Chad. However, it was late in Western Sahel (Senegal, the Gambia, Cape Verde and Guinea Bissau). Overall, starting from July, the rains have been abundant and well distributed in time and space, except in part of the agro-pastoral areas of Niger and Chad. At the Gulf of Guinea, light rainfall deficits were noted particularly in August, in the coastal area from Sierra Leone to Nigeria. In early September, seasonal rainfall totals were everywhere normal to excess, except in places along the coastline, in Liberia, Côte d’Ivoire, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Togo and Nigeria where light deficits were observed. The heavy rains have caused flooding in some countries, causing damage to crops, infrastructures and loss of human lives and livestock, including in Benin, Burkina, Mali, Niger, Nigeria and the Gambia.

3. Regarding the hydrological situation, like the rainfall, river water flows and volumes are important this year and close to or even higher than those in wet years. The filling level of irrigation structures and dams is also satisfactory and favourable to off-season cropping. However, the high flood of the Niger River has caused losses of acreages for swamp rice crops in Mali.

4. On the crop situation, plantings were early in Central and Eastern Sahel, normal in coastal countries and late in Western Sahel. Due to good soil water, from July, the level of vegetative growth and development of the crops is satisfactory. This, combined with the possibility that rains continue to fall into October promises average to higher crop yields.

5. As for the phyto-sanitary situation, it is generally calm and under control, except in Burkina Faso and Benin where damage from caterpillar infestations on maize were observed. The desert locust situation remains always calm overall. However, the presence of winged individuals in small numbers is reported throughout the summer breeding areas in the northern Sahel of West Africa, Sudan and along the Indo-Pakistan border. This follows on the improvement of the ecological conditions in outbreak areas with risks of small-scale breeding especially in the west and northwest Mauritania.

6. As a result of the foregoing, good to very good harvests are expected this year in the region. Thus, for cereals, production could be between 64 and 75 million metric tonnes, i.e., increases between 0.2% and 28% compared to last year and the past five-year average. Production of roots and tubers would be between 151 and 168 million metric tonnes with increases of 3 to 22% compared to last year and the average of the past five years.

7. On the pastoral level, the situation is overall satisfactory because of the good filling level of water points, the abundance of pasture and control of animal diseases by the vetterinary services. However, low forage biomass productivity pockets can be observed in places in Mauritania, Mali, Niger and Chad.

8. Markets were generally well supplied in the region due to the fact that cross-border trade flows were maintained during the 2016 lean season and the good progress of the rainy season, which encouraged traders and farmers to market their stocks. The demand side experienced a normal seasonal increase. Prices of local cereals, tubers and cash crops are generally up compared to the five-year average. These increases are more pronounced in Nigeria, Ghana, Côte d'Ivoire and in certain markets of Benin, Togo, Sierra Leone, Liberia and Senegal. In the coming months, given the good harvest prospects, commodity prices will experience a seasonal decline, except in Nigeria where they will remain above the fiveyear average. As for livestock, the situation is variable depending on the marketing basins. Prices are overall rising except in countries of the Eastern Basin where the continued depreciation of the Nigerian currency and the crisis around Lake Chad Basin have negatively affected the functioning of markets.

9. In nutritional terms, the situation remains worrying. According to UNICEF (July 2016), 9.4 million children under 5 could suffer from global acute malnutrition in the Sahel countries and the eleven States of Northern Nigeria affected by the conflict, including 3.5 million in its severe form.

10. The food situation is overall satisfactory and was reinforced by the early harvest, from August in the coastal countries, and September in the Sahel. However, conflicts in the Lake Chad Basin and Northern Mali, represent the major threat to food security in the region. Thus, in Northern Nigeria, nearly 5.8 million people need immediate food and humanitarian assistance, including 4.5 million people in the States of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe.

Summary

The present report is submitted pursuant to General Assembly resolution 70/134 on assistance to refugees, returnees and displaced persons in Africa. It updates information contained in the report of the Secretary-General submitted to the Assembly at its seventieth session (A/70/337) and covers the period from 1 July 2015 to 30 June 2016. The report has been coordinated by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and includes information provided by the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs of the Secretariat, the International Labour Organization, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women, the World Food Programme, the World Health Organization, the United Nations Development Programme, the United Nations Population Fund and the United Nations Children’s Fund. It also includes information drawn from publicly available reports by the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre.

I. Introduction

1. New and ongoing conflicts have generated further displacement in the Africa region1 over the past year. Violence in Burundi, the Central African Republic, Nigeria and South Sudan displaced hundreds of thousands of people internally and across borders, while the deteriorating situation in Yemen caused significant numbers to flee across the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden and seek safety in different countries in the region. Meanwhile, protracted conflicts in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mali, Somalia and the Sudan prevented millions from returning home.

2. As at the end of 2015, there were around 12 million internally displaced persons in Africa.2 Their largest numbers were concentrated in the Sudan (3.2 million), Nigeria (2.1 million), South Sudan (1.7 million), the Democratic Republic of the Congo (1.5 million) and Somalia (1.2 million). Sub-Saharan Africa was home to the largest number of refugees in the world (an estimated 4.4 million). Refugees originating from the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Somalia, South Sudan and the Sudan accounted for 80 per cent of that figure.

3. The majority of countries in Africa continued to uphold their long-standing tradition of hospitality towards and solidarity with refugees. Five African countries were among the world’s top 10 refugee-hosting countries: Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Chad. Despite this generosity, the economic, political and security challenges associated with hosting large numbers of refugees for an extended period cannot be underestimated.

4. The failure to address the root causes of conflict, together with insecurity and widespread human rights violations, were the main reasons behind the chronic nature of displacement in the region and the insufficient progress made with regard to the securing of solutions for displaced people. Meanwhile, food insecurity affected many refugees and internally displaced persons, with levels of acute malnutrition, stunting and anaemia on the rise. Aid agencies faced obstacles to gaining access to affected populations, which further exacerbated the humanitarian situation in some operations. In some of the most affected areas, food insecurity prompted negative coping strategies, including survival sex. Other challenges included the failure to ensure the civilian nature of asylum and of refugee camps, incidents of sexual and gender-based violence and insufficient funding for humanitarian operations.

Résumé

Le présent rapport est présenté en application de la résolution 70/134 de l’Assemblée générale sur l’aide aux réfugiés, aux rapatriés et aux déplacés d’Afrique. Il actualise les informations contenues dans le rapport présenté par le Secrétaire général à l’Assemblée à sa soixante-dixième session (A/70/337) et couvre la période allant du 1er juillet 2015 au 30 juin 2016. Il a été élaboré sous la coordination du Haut-Commissariat des Nations Unies pour les réfugiés et se fonde sur les informations reçues du Bureau de la coordination des affaires humanitaires du Secrétariat, de l’Organisation internationale du Travail, du Haut-Commissariat des Nations Unies aux droits de l’homme, de l’Entité des Nations Unies pour l’égalité des sexes et l’autonomisation des femmes, du Programme alimentaire mondial, de l’Organisation mondiale de la Santé, du Programme des Nations Unies pour le développement, du Fonds des Nations Unies pour la population et du Fonds des Nations Unies pour l’enfance, ainsi que sur des rapports rendus publics par l’Observatoire des situations de déplacement interne.

I. Introduction

1. Des conflits nouveaux et en cours ont provoqué de nouvelles vagues de déplacement dans la région de l’Afrique1 au cours de l’année passée. La violence au Burundi, en République centrafricaine, au Nigéria et au Soudan du Sud a déplacé des centaines de milliers de personnes dans leurs propres pays et à travers les frontières, alors que la dégradation de la situation au Yémen a poussé un grand nombre de personnes à fuir à travers la mer Rouge et le Golfe d’Aden pour chercher refuge dans différents pays de la région. Entre-temps, les conflits prolongés en République démocratique du Congo, au Mali, en Somalie et au Soudan ont empêché des millions de personnes de rentrer chez elles.

2. À la fin de 2015, environ 12millions de personnes étaient en situation de déplacement interne en Afrique2. Les nombres les plus élevés étaient concentrés au Soudan (3,2 millions), au Nigéria (2,1 millions), au Soudan du Sud (1,7 million), en République démocratique du Congo (1,5 million) et en Somalie (1,2 million). L’Afrique subsaharienne comptait le plus grand nombre de réfugiés au monde (estimé à 4,4 millions). Les réfugiés provenant de la République centrafricaine, de la République démocratique du Congo, de la Somalie, du Soudan et du Soudan du Sud représentaient 80 % de ce chiffre.

3. La majorité des pays en Afrique ont perpétué leur longue tradition d’hospitalité et de solidarité envers les réfugiés. Cinq pays africains figuraient parmi les 10 premiers pays d’accueil des réfugiés au monde, à savoir, l’Éthiopie, le Kenya, l’Ouganda, la République démocratique du Congo et le Tchad. Malgré cette générosité, on ne saurait sous-estimer les difficultés d’ordre économique, politique et en matière de sécurité liées à l’accueil d’un grand nombre de réfugiés pendant une longue période.

4. Le fait de ne pas s’attaquer aux causes profondes du conflit, ainsi que l’insécurité et les violations généralisées des droits de l’homme expliquent pour l’essentiel le caractère chronique des déplacements dans la région et les progrès insuffisants enregistrés dans la recherche de solutions au problème des personnes déplacées. Entre-temps, l’insécurité alimentaire a touché de nombreux réfugiés et personnes déplacées dans leurs propres pays, entraînant une augmentation des cas de malnutrition aiguë, de retards de croissance et d’anémies. Les organismes d’aide avaient du mal à accéder aux populations touchées, ce qui a aggravé la situation humanitaire dans certaines opérations. Dans certaines des zones les plus touchées, l’insécurité alimentaire a entraîné le recours à des stratégies d’adaptation néfastes, notamment la prostitution de survie. D’autres difficultés étaient liées à l’incapacité de garantir le caractère civil de l’asile et des camps de réfugiés, aux cas de violence sexuelle et sexiste et au financement insuffisant pour les opérations humanitaires.

I. Introduction

1. The present report is submitted pursuant to the statement by the President of the Security Council of 16 December 2014 (S/PRST/2014/27), by means of which the Security Council requested me to submit to it an annual report on ways to strengthen the partnership between the United Nations and the African Union on issues of peace and security in Africa, including the work of the United Nations Office to the African Union (UNOAU). Outlined herein are the collaborative efforts of the United Nations and the African Union to address threats to peace and security in Africa, and the key role played by UNOAU, established in 2010, in strengthening relations between the two organizations.

2. The Security Council, the General Assembly and various organs of the African Union have repeatedly called for stronger strategic engagement between the United Nations, the African Union and the regional economic communities/regional mechanisms for conflict prevention, management and resolution in Africa, in accordance with Chapter VIII of the Charter of the United Nations. In my report entitled “The future of United Nations peace operations: implementation of the recommendations of the High-level Independent Panel on Peace Operations” (A/70/357-S/2015/682), I noted the significant progress made in institutionalizing United Nations cooperation with regional organizations, including the African Union. I also recognized that the peace and security responsibilities shouldered by the African Union and the regional economic communities/regional mechanisms in Africa had increased in recent years. I am committed to strengthening arrangements to facilitate coordinated action and effective delivery by the African Union for our collective benefit.

II. Challenges to peace and security in Africa

3. Since 2001, there has been a reduction in protracted intra-State conflicts on the continent. Collaboration between the United Nations, the African Union, the regional economic communities/regional mechanisms and other partners has contributed to efforts to address issues of peace and constitutional order in politically polarized situations, such as in Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau. Countries emerging from crises or violent conflict, such as Côte d’Ivoire and Liberia, are developing more inclusive political institutions. Peacebuilding and reconciliation efforts have yielded results in Sierra Leone, paving the way for progress towards sustainable development. In addition, the African Union has adopted a normative framework on unconstitutional changes of government and has suspended the participation at its meetings of Governments established through military coups.

4. Nevertheless, numerous challenges to the prevention, management and resolution of conflict in Africa remain. Transnational networks continue to smuggle weapons, people and illicit drugs across the continent and beyond. Addressing the immediate causes of conflict through preventive diplomacy and mediation will not yield sustainable peace in the absence of long-term sustained measures to tackle structural issues, such as weak governance and political, social and economic marginalization and exclusion. In some instances, the existence of borders which are not fully delineated and demarcated can be sources of conflict, especially when such zones are, or simply are thought to be, rich in resources. Moreover, modern conflicts involve a nebulous array of non-State actors, rapid means of communication, ease of access to weapons and finance, and the spread of violent extremism, which together challenge conventional approaches to conflict management.

5. The spread of violent extremism and terrorism in Africa, and the humanitarian and human rights crises that they provoke, pose a serious threat to the continent. The emergence and spread of such groups as Al-Shabaab in Somalia, Boko Haram in the Lake Chad basin countries, and the Lord’s Resistance Army, first in Uganda and later in South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Central African Republic, present new threats to peace and security in Africa that require timely and decisive responses from the African Union and the wider international community. In 2007, the African Union deployed the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) to restore stability in the country; it also established the Regional Cooperation Initiative for the Elimination of the Lord’s Resistance Army; and more recently, it has supported the Lake Chad Basin Commission in the establishment of a multinational joint task force to combat Boko Haram. UNOAU has played and continues to play an instrumental role in supporting those and other African Union initiatives to address those threats.

• UNHRD continues to dispatch operational equipment for its Partners, most recently supporting WFP by sending ICT equipment to Freetown in Sierra Leone.

• During the worst of the crisis, UNHRD facilities in Accra and Las Palmas served as regional staging areas and the Accra depot hosted UNMEER headquarters.

• On behalf of WFP, UNHRD procured and dispatched construction material and equipment for remote logistics hubs, Ebola Treatment Units (ETU) and Community Care Centres. In collaboration with WHO, UNHRD also procured and dispatched equipment to establish camps for teams tracing EVD. Members of the Rapid Response Team (RRT) set-up supply hubs, an ambulance decontamination bay and ETUs.

Highlights of GAO-16-819, a report to the Chairman, Committee on Foreign Relations, U.S. Senate

Why GAO Did This Study?

For more than 60 years, the United States provided assistance to foodinsecure countries primarily in the form of food commodities procured in the United States and transported overseas. In recent years, the U.S. government has increasingly provided food assistance in the form of cash transfers or food vouchers. In fiscal years 2010 through 2015, USAID funding for Emergency Food Security Program (EFSP) for cash transfers and food voucher projects grew from about $76 million to nearly $432 million. GAO was asked to review USAID’s monitoring and evaluation of cashbased food assistance. This report examines, among other things, (1) USAID’s and implementing partners’ processes for monitoring cash transfer and food voucher projects and (2) the extent to which monitoring data reported to USAID can be used to evaluate the performance of such projects. GAO analyzed program data, interviewed relevant officials; and conducted fieldwork in Kenya and Liberia, selected on the basis of criteria such as funding and types of projects.
GAO also reviewed the final reports for a nonprobability sample of closed cash transfer and food voucher projects.

What GAO Recommends

USAID should (1) take steps to ensure compliance with its requirements for data in final reports and (2) strengthen the indicators it uses to measure the timeliness, cost-effectiveness, and appropriateness of cash transfer and food voucher projects. USAID concurred with GAO’s recommendations.

Tropical cyclone Matthew expected to impact Hispaniola

Africa Weather Hazards

1. Prolonged heavy rainfall during the season throughout the Niger River basin has triggered flooding and inundation along the Niger River in Mali, Niger, and Nigeria. Seasonal Inundation is also expected to be greater than it has been for many years across the inner Niger delta in Mali.

2. Low and poorly distributed seasonal rainfall across parts of central Senegal and The Gambia have led to strengthening moisture deficits.

3. Below-average seasonal rainfall and persistent moisture deficits in the region have negatively impacted developing crops across parts of the eastern Oromia and SNNP provinces of Ethiopia. Similar conditions have also negatively impacted ground conditions in many parts of Uganda, South Sudan, and eastern DRC.

4. There is a potential for increased number of locusts migrating from the Arabian Peninsula which may negatively impact cropping activities.

Sarah Boseley Health editor

Exclusive: Bank chief Jim Yong Kim vows to expose governments that fail to tackle malnourishment as part of mission to rid world of stunting by 2030

The president of the World Bank has warned he will name and shame countries that fail to tackle the malnourishment and poor growth of their children, as part of a mission to rid the world of stunting.

Jim Yong Kim, the former physician who heads the Bank, told the Guardian he would take to the podium at the World Economic Forum in Davos every year to point the finger at governments who failed to live up to promises to tackle a scourge affecting tens of millions of children.

Read the full article on the Guardian.

Summary

Sierra Leone has concluded the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), spanning January 2000 to December 2015. Despite the country’s weak start in the implementation of these goals, following the end of its decade-long civil war in 2002, it recorded notable progress towards the achievement of a number of the MDG targets. Unfortunately, while the government was on the verge of finalizing the implementation of the MDGs, Ebola virus disease (EVD) broke out in May 2014, killing more than 3,500 people out of a total of more than 8,000 infected persons. This caused unprecedented devastation to the socio-economic fabric of the country until Sierra Leone was declared Ebola-free on 7 November 2015. This catastrophe certainly undermined the acceleration of progress made towards the achievement of the MDG targets. Nonetheless, Sierra Leone has generally made laudable strides in the implementation of the MDGs, despite enormous remaining and emerging challenges.

L'Afrique de l’Ouest peut être divisée en trois zones agro-écologiques ou en trois bassins commerciaux (bassins de l’ouest, bassin du centre, bassin de l’est). Les deux sont importants pour l'interprétation du comportement et de la dynamique du marché.
Les trois principales zones agro-écologiques incluent la zone Sahélienne, la zone Soudanaise et la zone Côtière où la production et la consommation peuvent être facilement classifiées. (1) Dans la zone Sahélienne, le mil constitue le principal produit alimentaire cultivé et consommé en particulier dans les zones rurales et de plus en plus par certaines populations qui y ont accès en milieux urbains. Des exceptions sont faites pour le Cap Vert où le maïs et le riz sont les produits les plus importants, la Mauritanie où le blé et le sorgho et le Sénégal où le riz constituent des aliments de base. Les principaux produits de substitution dans le Sahel sont le sorgho, le riz, et la farine de manioc (Gari), avec les deux derniers en période de crise. (2) Dans la zone Soudanienne (le sud du Tchad, le centre du Nigéria, du Bénin, du Ghana, du Togo, de la Côte d'Ivoire, le sud du Burkina Faso, du Mali, du Sénégal, la Guinée Bissau, la Serra Leone, le Libéria) le maïs et le sorgho constituent les principales céréales consommées par la majorité de la population. Suivent après le riz et les tubercules particulièrement le manioc et l’igname. (3) Dans la zone côtière, avec deux saisons de pluie, l’igname et le maïs constituent les principaux produits alimentaires. Ils sont complétés par le niébé, qui est une source très significative de protéines.
Les trois bassins commerciaux sont simplement connus sous les noms de bassin Ouest, Centre, et Est. En plus du mouvement du sud vers le nord des produits, les flux de certaines céréales se font aussi horizontalement. (1) Le bassin Ouest comprend la Mauritanie, le Sénégal, l’ouest du Mali, la Sierra Leone, la Guinée, le Libéria, et la Gambie où le riz est le plus commercialisé. (2) Le bassin central se compose de la Côte d'Ivoire, le centre et l’est du Mali, le Burkina Faso, le Ghana, et le Togo où le maïs est généralement commercialisé. (3) Le bassin Est se rapporte au Niger, Nigéria, Tchad, et Bénin où le millet est le plus fréquemment commercialisé. Ces trois bassins commerciaux sont distingués sur la carte ci-dessus.

West Africa can be divided into three agro-ecological zones or three different trade basins (West Basin, Central Basin and East Basin). Both important for understanding market behavior and dynamics.

The three major agro-ecological zones are the Sahelian, the Sudanese and the Coastal zones where production and consumption can be easily classified. (1) In the Sahelian zone, millet is the principal cereal cultivated and consumed particularly in rural areas and increasingly, when accessible, in urban areas. Exceptions include Cape Verde where maize and rice are most important, Mauritania where sorghum and maize are staples, and Senegal with rice. The principal substitutes in the Sahel are sorghum, rice, and cassava flour (Gari), the latter two in times of shortage. (2) In the Sudanese zone (southern Chad, central Nigeria, Benin, Ghana, Togo, Côte d'Ivoire, southern Burkina Faso, Mali, Senegal, Guinea Bissau, Serra Leone, Liberia) maize and sorghum constitute the principal cereals consumed by the majority of the population. They are followed by rice and tubers, particularly cassava and yam. (3) In the Coastal zone, with two rainy seasons, yam and maize constitute the most important food products. They are supplemented by cowpea, which is a significant source of protein.

The three trade basins are known as the West, Central, and East basins. In addition to the north to south movement of particular commodities, certain cereals flow horizontally. (1) The West basin refers to Mauritania, Senegal, western Mali, Sierra Leone, Guinea, Liberia, and The Gambia where rice is most heavily traded. (2) The Central basin consists of Côte d'Ivoire, central and eastern Mali, Burkina Faso, Ghana, and Togo where maize is commonly traded. (3) The East basin refers to Niger, Nigeria, Chad, and Benin where millet is traded most frequently. These three trade basins are shown on the map above.

Urgence alimentaire (Phase 4 de l’IPC) persistante au nord-est Nigeria

Messages clés

L’Urgence (Phase 4 de l’IPC) persiste dans des zones nouvellement libérées et avec des opérations militaires actives des Etats de l'Adamaoua, du Borno et de Yobé du nord-est Nigeria. Les déficits alimentaires extrêmes persistent, de même que la prévalence critique de la malnutrition aiguë conduisant à un risque élevé de mortalité. Les zones inaccessibles pourraient faire face à des résultats plus graves. L’information limitée sur ces zones suggère une situation de catastrophe alimentaire (Phase 5 de l’IPC) pour certains ménages isolés par le conflit.

Un accès humanitaire amélioré et une augmentation significative de l'assistance demeurent nécessaires de toute urgence pour sauver des vies dans ces Etats du nord-est Nigeria, ainsi que dans les zones voisines au Niger et au Tchad et en République Centrafricaine où l’insécurité alimentaire du niveau Crise (Phase 3 de l’IPC) se maintient aussi.

Ailleurs, les récoltes ont localement débuté au Sahel. Les conditions agro-climatiques continuent à être favorables pour le développement des cultures tardives et des pâturages. L’intensification des activités agricoles avec la généralisation des récoltes crée des opportunités de revenus pour les ménages pauvres. Toutefois, des inondations continuent à être enregistrées dans plusieurs localités du Sénégal, du Nigeria, du Mali, du Niger, et de la Guinée entrainent des pertes de cultures et de stocks alimentaires.

Les résultats de la sécurité alimentaire sont en nette amélioration avec le début des récoltes. La majorité des ménages évolue vers une situation Minimale (IPC Phase 1) suite à l’amélioration de leurs stocks et revenus tirés des activités saisonnières de récoltes. Toutefois, dans certaines zones agropastorales du Sahel, le Stress (Phase 2 de l’IPC) et la Crise (Phase 3 de l’IPC) demeurent jusqu'aux récoltes en octobre. En Sierra Leone, le Stress (Phase 2 de l’IPC) persistera dans les zones à faible pouvoir d’achat.

D’une manière générale, l’approvisionnement du marché continue à être normal dans la région suite aux nouvelles récoltes et aux échanges transfrontaliers normaux. Cependant, l'insécurité et les conflits perturbent le fonctionnement des marchés au nord du Mali et autour du Lac Tchad. La dépréciation de la Naira continue à maintenir les prix des céréales à un niveau atypique au Nigeria malgré les récoltes en cours. Elle crée aussi des conditions défavorables pour les flux du bétail du Sahel vers le Nigeria.

September 2016 | Volume 4 | Issue 3

• What do providers need to effectively provide LARCs?

• What has 20 years of evidence taught us about postabortion care?

• Are programs ready to remove contraceptive implants?

• Ebola Virus Disease: what it takes for a successful clinical surveillance and data collection system.

• How to ensure timely referrals and adequate followup of children discharged from hospitals in Uganda?

• What psychoeducation interventions are needed for survivors of torture and related trauma in Iraq?

• Read the September 2016 issue of GHSP to find answers to these questions and more. View a list of all articles by article type below or online.

The National Polio Round three campaign targeting children 0-59 months has ended onMonday October 3, 2016.

Addressing the National launching ceremony at the Grey Bush Community Health Centre in Freetown, Deputy Minister of Health and Sanitation 1, Madam Madina Rahman underscored the importance for all children 0-59 months to be immunized to avoid disability and stigmatization.

She noted the efforts made by government and partners to eradicate the disease, and advocated for more efforts to make Sierra Leone a polio free country.

As a government together with their partners, Madam Rahman said they have made available the vaccine free of cost and encouraged parents to positively support the campaign by getting their children immunized.

She encouraged nurses and other health workers involved in the campaign to be committed, adding that government is poised to ensure that every child is safe and protected from preventable illnesses and deaths.

The UNICEF Deputy Representative Sandra Lattouf reiterated the need for all children less than five years to be reached and vaccinated.

She congratulated the Ministry of Health and the country for achieving 95 percent successful coverage in the February and April 2016 rounds of polio campaign.

The task, she noted cannot be achieved without high political commitment, continued collaboration among all partners, and the support of the population.

Madam Sandra observed that 1.5 million children under five years of age have been targeted as beneficiaries from the immunization against polio, adding that the UN Family is once again proud to be part of the campaign led by the Health and Sanitation Ministry to eradicate polio.
Children less than two years old who missed the routine immunization were identified and immunized with the respective vaccines during the campaign.

“By vaccinating children against polio and providing them with routine immunization as per schedule, we are laying the foundation for a healthy and strong nation”, the Deputy UNICEF Representative said.

Other highlights include remarks from the Deputy Chief Medical Officer II, Dr. Amara Jambai, the District Medical Officer Western Area, Rev. Dr. Thomas Samba, an overview of the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) by the Manager, National EPI/Child Health Programme, Dr. Dennis Marke, administering of the polio by the Deputy Minister and other dignitaries and skit performance by comedian, Vamboi and team.