This report outlines the findings and recommendations from a qualitative assessment carried out to complement and further develop the findings from a recently concluded quantitative study of SNAP+ in order to better understand the driving factors behind behavior during the Ebola crises.

The quantitative study, completed in July 2016, assessed how program participants spent the funds distributed from the CTP. The study identified the development of certain coping mechanisms around how cash was spent. After households stabilized their initial food needs by spending a very high percentage of the initial transfers, the study determined that average spending tapered to 30 percent on food and 20 percent on education, with the rest going to health care, income-generating activities, and paying debts.

This gender impact assessment sought to understand a household’s financial decision-making process and the gender and social dynamics that informed those decisions. This impact assessment is intended as a learning opportunity for donors, implementing partners, and other key stakeholders, including government officials, to better inform the design and implementation of cash transfer mechanisms as part of relief and humanitarian crisis response.

International Development Secretary announces new focus on disability on International Day for People with Disabilities

The UK will lead a step-change in the world’s efforts to end extreme poverty by pushing disability up the global development agenda, International Development Secretary Priti Patel has announced.

To mark International Day for People with Disabilities (3 December) Ms Patel is calling on partners to do more to prioritise reaching the poorest and most excluded by ensuring people with disabilities are not being left behind.

The International Development Secretary will give her first keynote speech on disability next week at a Bond event to celebrate the International Day.

In her speech Ms Patel will set out how people with disabilities will be systematically and consistently included in the work the Department for International Development (DFID) is supporting in developing countries.

This builds on the commitment put forward in the Bilateral Development Review 2016, for DFID to become a global leader on disability.

Speaking on International Day for People with Disabilities the International Development Secretary Priti Patel said:

More than one billion people are living with disabilities globally - 80% of whom live in developing countries.

These are some of the most excluded people in the world, often locked out of education, jobs, and overlooked by decision-makers.

I am determined to establish DFID as the global leader in this neglected and under prioritised area – people with disabilities must be at the heart of our work to build a more prosperous and secure future, which is in all of our interests.

I will be working with governments, NGOs, multilaterals, businesses and individuals to ensure that nobody is left behind.

DFID’s focus areas on disability will include:

• upholding our commitment to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities to ensure people with disabilities systematically benefit from international aid and humanitarian assistance;
• ensuring people with disabilities access a quality education and productive employment;
• working with national governments and the private sector to ensure people with disabilities no longer face stigma and discrimination;
• continuing to prevent avoidable disability, for example through our work on health system strengthening and the control of neglected tropical diseases such as lymphatic filariasis and trachoma; and
• pushing partners to collect crucial data to improve our understanding of disability in development, increase their internal expertise on disability; and design programmes that prioritise and deliver results for people with disabilities.

This builds on DFID’s existing work to support people living with disabilities in developing countries access work opportunities and schooling, and access the rehabilitative care they need:

• In Pakistan DFID is helping children with mild to moderate disabilities attend mainstream schools.
• DFID’s investment in Ghana’s mental health system has delivered impressive results – training over 3,867 health care workers and we are helping to erode the deeply-rooted stigmas associated with mental ill health.
• Through work with Leonard Cheshire, DFID is leading African universities and others on research to understand, and find solutions to, the barriers people with disabilities in Kenya, Sierra Leone, Uganda and Zambia face when accessing health services, education, employment and social protection.

The UK is also redoubling efforts to halve the disability employment gap in the UK through the Work and Health Green Paper.

In his latest update from Sierra Leone, Isaac Bayoh, who now works with Medici con l’Africa, looks at how people are coping a year after the outbreak ended

The Ebola epidemic in Sierra Leone remains among the most devastating events in our country’s history, perhaps more dreadful even than the 11 years of civil war.

Read the full article here

On 1 November, IOM assisted 167 stranded Nigerien migrants, including 48 women, 40 children and 79 men, to return home to Niger from southern Libya.

The Community Stabilization Programme brought the Southern Heritage Festival for Peace to Twaiwa Village on 15 November.

IOM has offered two mobile-phones for the 32 women who escaped from the Islamic State in Sirte, with more interventions planned.

IOM Libya’s Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) has released its fourth Flow Monitoring Analytical report.

Situation Overview

The power struggle between the House of Representatives (HoR), based in the north-eastern city of Tobruk, the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) led by Fayez al-Sarraj and the Tripoli-based General National Congress (GNC) continues, all while GNA’s Skhirat-signed agreement is nearing its expiration date in December.

An alternative to the agreement will be unveiled within weeks, a spokesman for forces loyal to the Libyan National Army’s General Khalifa Haftar argued in November. Haftar has, in the meantime, requested assistance from Russian counterparts in the fight against Islamic militant groups. At the same time, Libyan forces continue their advance against the Islamic State, which is holding out in a limited neighborhood in their former stronghold of Sirte. The Libyan National Army also says it has made progress in the battle in south Benghazi’s Ganfouda and Gwarsha districts. However, the UN has expressed concern over the continued worsening humanitarian situation in these areas. In the meantime, in the south, tensions remain high in Sabha, after four days of tribal fighting erupted, killing around 20 people and injuring more than 50.

On an economic note, Libya-based Waha Oil Co. reached a production rate of 75,000 barrels per day and predicts output to increase. But for ordinary Libyans the economic situation remains strained as the Libyan dinar marked a historical devaluation in exchange of foreign currencies on the black market, $1 hit a record high by being sold for LYD6.750.

On a migration note, despite approaching winter season migrants continue leaving the Libyan shores on ill-equipped boats, attempting to reach Europe. As of December, 18,557 migrants were rescued outside the Libyan coast, 1,923 of which were in November.

Ongoing conflicts continue to intensify food insecurity

Global agricultural prospects are improving but lean seasons loom in near future

8 December 2016, Rome - Civil conflict and weather-related shocks have severely stressed food security in 2016, increasing the number of countries in need of food assistance, according to a FAO report. The new edition of the Crop Prospects and Food Situation report, released today, highlights 39 countries that are in need of external assistance for food.

While the outlook for global cereal supplies is improving due to generally favourable growing conditions for crops, the legacy of recent droughts persists, as do the negative effects of a spate of conflicts.

Agricultural forecasts suggest robust grain harvests are on the horizon, but hunger will likely intensify in some regions during the lean seasons before the new crops have matured.

In Southern Africa, where El Niño effects sharply curtailed food production in 2016, the number of people requiring outside assistance from January through March 2017 is expected to significantly increase compared to the same period a year ago. Child stunting rates are "significantly high" in the most troubled areas, notably Madagascar, Malawi and Mozambique, the report notes.

In some regions, inadequate stocks of cereal and legume seeds due to two consecutive poor harvests may limit plantings. FAO and governments are implementing agricultural support programmes to improve access to key farming inputs.

Conflicts cast a long shadow on food security

To facilitate humanitarian response planning, the report identifies the primary causes of local food crises. These range from exceptional shortfall in food production and widespread lack of access - due to low incomes, high prices or disrupted distribution networks - to the impact of conflicts on local food security conditions.

Civil conflicts and their consequences, including refugee movements that are burdening host countries such as Cameroon and Chad, are cited in 21 of the 39 countries. Widespread conflict can lead to the loss and depletion of households' productive assets, as in Central African Republic, and to security concerns that hinder farming activities, as in South Sudan.

In parts of South Sudan, improved harvests are likely to have only a short-lived effect as ongoing conflict has reduced the ability to engage in agriculture, posing extra risks for the most vulnerable communities.

Continuing civil conflict in Syria has led to 9.4 million people requiring food assistance. This year's wheat production is estimated to be around 55 percent below its pre-crisis level. The ongoing conflict in Yemen has likely increased the number of food-insecure people from the 14.2 million people assessed in June, the report said. The recent escalation of conflict in Iraq is triggering a widespread internal displacement. Acute food insecurity affects more than 8 million people in Afghanistan and their numbers are likely to increase with the return of around 600,000 refugees from Pakistan before the end of 2016.

The number of food insecure people in Nigeria is above 8 million and is projected to increase to 11 million by August 2017. The ongoing conflict in northern states curtailed plantings, while the sharp depreciation of the Naira currency has raised domestic food prices and affected regional trade as more Nigerian cereals are exported while fewer livestock are imported.

Agricultural trends appear poised to improve after rough 2016

Droughts and weather effects linked to El Niño triggered significant crop shortfalls in 2016 in several countries. Africa's aggregate cereal production declined in 2016 despite some sub-regional gains, notably in West Africa and the Sahel region, which is on track for a record cereal production. Maize output in Southern Africa decreased sharply, severely stressing food security conditions.

Poor harvests triggered sharply higher prices for staple maize in Malawi, where 6.5 million people are expected to be food insecure during the upcoming lean period. On a positive note, with El Niño over, preliminary estimates point to a 27 percent increase in maize plantings for South Africa's 2017 crop, by far the region's largest producer.

While much of Asia benefited from robust food production in 2016, led by a sharp recovery in India, the impact of long-running conflicts in several Near Eastern countries continues to severely depress agricultural production despite generally beneficial weather conditions for staple grain crops.

In Latin America and the Caribbean, expectations of a production rebound in Central America in 2016 are welcome, following the drought-affected outputs in the previous year, while the 2017 planting season in South America is off to a favourable start after a reduced 2016 crop mostly due to droughts in Bolivia, Brazil and Paraguay.

The 39 countries currently in need of external food assistance are Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Guinea, Haiti, Iraq, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nepal, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Swaziland, Syria, Uganda, Yemen and Zimbabwe.

Key Messages

• Aggregate regional cereal production is expected to be above average in 2016/17, contributing to generally stable supply and prices. Regional maize and rice production reached record high levels.

• Areas experiencing below average production include import-dependent Gambia, Liberia, and Mauritania. While national-level production in Nigeria is expected to reach record-high levels, production in conflict affected Northeastern Nigeria (Borno States) is expected to be well below average, but slightly above 2015/16 levels.

• Despite the recent depreciation of many regional currencies, imports from international markets will fill structural regional rice and wheat deficits. International markets are expected to remain well supplied and prices stable despite the La Niña conditions.

• Staple food prices are expected to remain well above average in Nigeria and in Ghana. Trade with Nigeria will remain disrupted by the atypical import and export parity prices, driven by the depreciation of the Naira. Trade flows from Burkina Faso and Mali in the Central Basin are expected to help offset deficits in neighboring countries.

• Regional institutional procurement is expected to take place at average levels. Local and regional procurement may be particularly feasible in the Central Basin, and possible in the Eastern marketing basins as well.

CURRENT SITUATION

Regional production for 2016/17

• Overall, rainfall was above average and well distributed across time and space during the 2016/17 cropping season, contributing to favorable crop development conditions.
  This is the despite the delayed onset of rains in the western Sahel and below average rainfall in parts of the pastoral and agropastoral areas of Niger and Chad (Figure 3).
  Preliminary estimates suggest that 2016/17 cereal (rice, maize, millet, and sorghum) production for West Africa will increase by 10 percent compared to 2015 levels and 18 percent compared to the five-year average.

• Total cereal production in all four regional trade basins (Figure 4) is expected to increase compared to the recent five year average (Table 1). Millet production in Nigeria is well below long term historical trends, as production declined sharply in 2010 when many farmers switched to other, more profitable crops. Cereal production increased by at least seven percent compared to average in the region’s main producing countries. Production in some of the region’s marginal producing countries declined by up to 25 percent compared to average (Gambia, Liberia, and Mauritania). In Nigeria’s Borno State, where ongoing conflict has persistently disrupted market and trade activities, production was above 2015 levels, but well below average.

• Regional trader opening (carryover) stocks are above average (with the majority concentrated in the Central Basin) following several consecutive years of cereal production that exceeded local consumption requirements. Regional carryover stocks are estimated at 1 million MT for rice and 1.6 million MT for coarse grains (millet, sorghum, and maize). These stocks contribute to good local market supply and favorable price differentials, strengthening trade flows between the Central Basin and the rest of the region. In addition, the availability of above average harvests of tubers (23 percent above average) and legumes (three percent above average) further contribute to regional staple food supplies.

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – In 2013, African Union (AU) leaders committed to a future where the continent is free from the scourge of conflict; pledging to ‘end all wars in Africa by 2020.’

But the high ideals of Vision 2020 – also referred to as ‘Silencing the Guns’ – can only become a reality if pragmatic steps are taken to curb the misuse and uncontrolled spread of arms. One such measure is the enforcement of United Nations (UN)-imposed arms embargoes.

A seminar hosted in Addis Ababa today by the AU and the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) examines the pivotal role that sanctions can play in maintaining and restoring peace and security.

‘The AU recognises that while the causes and factors driving armed conflict have varied, the wide and devastating use of conventional weapons, particularly small arms and light weapons, has remained a common characteristic among all of them,’ says Dr Tarek Sharif, Director of the Peace and Security Department of the AU Commission.

‘The reduction and elimination of illicit arms flows into conflict zones will considerably reduce human suffering, provide a conducive environment for conflict resolution and peacebuilding and mitigate the risk of relapse into violence,’ Sharif adds. ‘This seminar represents an important step to foster dialogue and understanding regarding arms embargoes in Africa within the context of Silencing the Guns.’

A new ISS policy brief, launched at the seminar, pinpoints ways in which the AU can enhance the enforcement of these sanctions – and also identifies the challenges that stand in the way of effective implementation.

Countries that have had their arms embargoes lifted recently, such as Côte d’Ivoire and Liberia, show that with proper enforcement, coupled with sufficient support from neighbouring countries, it is possible to attain the criteria set by the UN for lifting embargoes. A challenge, however, is for countries to sustain the momentum after embargoes are lifted.

‘Porous borders, limited technology, legislative gaps and poor information-sharing between states all hinder the enforcement of arms embargoes,’ says Nelson Alusala, ISS consultant and author of the policy brief. ‘There is also a misperception that these embargoes are punitive and impede on the sovereignty of states, when in reality such sanctions are a positive step in the transformation of conflict-affected areas.’

The conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo and the instability in Somalia continue to challenge the effectiveness of arms embargoes in these countries. While the policy brief identifies the underlying challenges in these countries, it emphasises the responsibility and role of the states themselves; whether those are states directly targeted by sanctions, or their neighbours.

‘This role is particularly relevant in terms of enforcing legislation, regulating brokering activities and enhancing inter-agency communication and coordination to ensure strict adherence to the requirements of the embargoes,’ says Einas Mohammed, Senior Policy Officer on Disarmament and Non-proliferation in the Defense and Security Division of the AU Commission.

‘There are clear and timely steps that the AU Peace and Security Council could take to derive maximum benefits from arms embargoes,’ Alusala adds. ‘The sanctions committee, which has already been conceptualised, should be made operational and linked to the UN Sanctions Subsidiary Organs Branch and African states under sanctions.’

The AU can also contribute to regional measures by integrating arms embargo enforcement measures in its cooperation with regional economic communities. ‘Arms embargoes must be applied as part of a comprehensive strategy that includes peacekeeping, peacebuilding and peacemaking,’ says Alusala. ‘In doing so, the AU can pursue a structured approach to assist national and regional institutions in enforcing these sanctions.’

To read the policy brief, click here.

For enquiries and to arrange media interviews, contact:

Nelson Alusala, ISS: nalusala@issafrica.org; +27 72 196 7084

Les perspectives agricoles mondiales s’améliorent malgré la menace de saisons maigres dans un futur proche

8 décembre 2016, Rome - Selon un nouveau rapport de la FAO, les conflits civils et les chocs liés aux conditions météorologiques ont fortement pesé sur la sécurité alimentaire en 2016, faisant augmenter le nombre de personnes ayant besoin d'une assistance alimentaire. La nouvelle édition du rapport «Perspectives de récolte et situation alimentaire», publiée aujourd'hui, souligne que 39 pays ont besoin d'une aide extérieure pour couvrir leurs besoins alimentaires.

Alors que les perspectives sur les approvisionnements céréaliers dans le monde s'améliorent en raison de conditions de croissance favorables pour les cultures, les séquelles des dernières sécheresses persistent, tout comme les effets négatifs ressentis suite aux conflits.

Les prévisions agricoles suggèrent que les prochaines récoltes de grains seront bonnes mais que la faim va probablement s'intensifier dans certaines régions et ce, pendant les saisons maigres, avant que les nouvelles cultures n'arrivent à maturation. En Afrique australe, où les effets du phénomène El Niño ont fortement contribué à réduire la production agricole en 2016, le nombre de personnes ayant besoin d'une assistance extérieure de janvier à mars 2017 devrait augmenter de manière significative, comparé à la même période l'année précédente. Le rapport indique que les retards de croissance sont «beaucoup plus répandus» dans les zones connaissant des troubles telles que Madagascar, le Malawi et le Mozambique.

Dans certaines régions, les stocks de semences de céréales et de légumes, devenus inadéquats à la suite de deux récoltes insuffisantes et consécutives, pourraient limiter les campagnes de semis. La FAO et les gouvernements travaillent à la mise en œuvre de programmes de soutien agricole visant à améliorer l'accès aux intrants agricoles essentiels.

Les conflits jettent une ombre sur la sécurité alimentaire

Afin de faciliter la planification d'une intervention humanitaire, le rapport identifie les causes premières des crises alimentaires locales.** **Cela va du déficit exceptionnel de la production agricole au manque d'accès généralisé (en raison des faibles revenus, des prix élevés ou des perturbations des réseaux de distribution), en passant par les effets du conflit sur les conditions de sécurité alimentaire locale.

Les conflits civils et leurs conséquences, y compris les mouvements de réfugiés qui pèsent sur les pays d'accueil tels que le Cameroun et le Tchad, sont cités par 21 des 39 pays concernés. Les conflits généralisés peuvent conduire à la perte et à la diminution des moyens de production des ménages, comme cela est le cas en République centrafricaine, et à des problèmes de sécurité qui auront pour effet de freiner les activités agricoles, à l'image du Soudan du sud. Dans certaines zones du pays, les récoltes, bien que meilleures, vont probablement avoir un effet éphémère en raison du conflit en cours, qui limite la pratique des activités agricoles, posant ainsi davantage de risques pour les communautés les plus vulnérables.

En Syrie, 9,4 millions de personnes ont besoin d'une assistance alimentaire, en raison de la poursuite du conflit civil. Cette année, le niveau de la production de blé devrait être environ 55 pour cent moins important que celui précédant la crise. Selon le rapport, le conflit en cours au Yémen a clairement contribué à faire augmenter le nombre de personnes en situation d'insécurité alimentaire, dépassant largement l'évaluation de juin qui les estimaient à 14,2 millions. En Irak, la récente escalade du conflit provoque des déplacements internes massifs. L'insécurité alimentaire aiguë affecte plus de 8 millions de personnes en Afghanistan et ce nombre est appelé à augmenter après le retour de 600 000 réfugiés du Pakistan, avant la fin de l'année 2016.

Au Nigéria, le nombre de personnes en situation d'insécurité alimentaire dépasse les 8 millions et devrait atteindre les 11 millions d'ici le mois d'août 2017. Les conflits en cours dans les Etats du Nord du pays ont limité les campagnes de semis, tandis que la forte baisse du Naira a contribué à faire monter les prix des produits alimentaires intérieurs et a affecté le commerce régional, alors que l‘exportation de céréales nigérianes est en hausse et que l'importation de bétail diminue.

Les tendances agricoles appelées à s'améliorer après une année 2016 difficile En 2016, les sécheresses et les effets climatiques induits par le phénomène El Niño ont provoqué d'importantes pertes de récoltes dans plusieurs pays. L'ensemble de la production céréalière africaine a baissé en 2016 malgré quelques gains sous-régionaux, notamment en Afrique de l'Ouest et dans la région sahélienne, qui est en passe de battre un record avec sa production céréalière. En Afrique australe, la production de maïs a connu une forte baisse, menaçant gravement les conditions de sécurité alimentaire.

Les faibles récoltes ont entra_î_né une forte hausse des prix de l'incontournable maïs au Malawi, où 6,5 millions de personnes devraient vraisemblablement se retrouver en situation d'insécurité alimentaire lors de la prochaine saison maigre. D'un point de vue positif, avec la fin du phénomène El Niño, les estimations préliminaires font état d'une hausse de 27 pour cent des semis de maïs pour la campagne agricole sud-africaine de 2017, de loin le plus grand producteur de la région.

Alors que la plupart des pays d'Asie ont bénéficié de productions agricoles plutôt généreuses en 2016, notamment grâce à une nette relance en Inde, l'impact des conflits toujours en cours dans les pays du Proche-Orient continue d'amoindrir la production agricole et ce, malgré des conditions climatiques globalement favorables pour les cultures céréalières de base.

En Amérique latine et dans les Caraïbes, un rebond de la production en Amérique centrale en 2016 serait apprécié, après des rendements diminués par la sécheresse l'année précédente, tandis que la campagne de semis de 2017 en Amérique du sud devrait bien démarrer après avoir enregistré une baisse des récoltes en 2016, due en grande partie aux sécheresses qui ont sévi en Bolivie, au Brésil et au Paraguay.

Les 39 pays ayant actuellement besoin d'une aide alimentaire extérieure sont: l'Afghanistan, le Burkina Faso, le Burundi, le Cameroun, la République centrafricaine, le Tchad, le Congo, la République populaire démocratique de Corée, la République démocratique du Congo, Djibouti, l'Erythrée, l'Ethiopie, la Guinée, Haïti, l'Irak, le Kenya, le Lesotho, le Liberia, la Libye, Madagascar, le Malawi, le Mali, la Mauritanie, le Mozambique, la Birmanie, le Népal, le Niger, le Nigéria, le Pakistan, la Papouasie-Nouvelle-Guinée, la Sierra Leone, la Somalie, le Soudan du Sud, le Soudan, le Swaziland, la Syrie, l'Ouganda, le Yémen et le Zimbabwe.

Mejoran las perspectivas agrícolas mundiales, pero las temporadas de carestía acechan en un futuro inmediato

8 de diciembre de 2016, Roma - Los conflictos civiles y el impacto de una meteorología adversa han afectado gravemente a la seguridad alimentaria en 2016, aumentando el número de países que necesitan ayuda alimentaria, según un informe de la FAO. La nueva edición de Perspectivas de cosechas y situación alimentaria, publicada hoy, subraya que 39 países necesitan de ayuda externa para conseguir alimentos.

Aunque las perspectivas para los suministros mundiales de cereales están mejorando debido a las condiciones de crecimiento para los cultivos en general favorables, persisten aún los efectos de las recientes sequías, al igual que el impacto negativo de diversos conflictos.

Las previsiones agrícolas anuncian abundantes cosechas de cereales en el horizonte, pero el hambre probablemente se intensificará en algunas regiones durante las temporadas de carestía, antes de que los nuevos cultivos hayan madurado. En África austral, donde los efectos de El Niño redujeron drásticamente la producción alimentaria en 2016, se espera que el número de personas necesitadas de ayuda externa entre enero y marzo de 2017 aumente de forma notable en comparación con el mismo período del año anterior. Las tasas de retraso de crecimiento infantil son "significativamente elevadas" en las zonas más problemáticas, en particular en Madagascar, Malawi y Mozambique, señala el informe.

En algunas regiones, las reservas insuficientes de semillas de cereales y leguminosas a causa de dos malas cosechas consecutivas pueden limitar la siembra. La FAO y los gobiernos están implementando programas de ayuda para mejorar el acceso a insumos agrícolas claves.

Los conflictos: una amenaza para la seguridad alimentaria

Para facilitar la planificación de la respuesta humanitaria, el informe identifica las causas primarias de las crisis alimentarias locales. Estas oscilan desde un déficit excepcional en la producción de alimentos y una amplia falta de acceso a los mismos -debido a los bajos ingresos, los altos precios o la interrupción de las redes de distribución- al impacto de los conflictos en las condiciones locales de seguridad alimentaria

En 21 de los 39 países necesitados de ayuda externa el informe señala conflictos civiles y sus consecuencias, incluidos movimientos de refugiados que ejercen presión sobre países anfitriones como Camerún y Chad. Un conflicto generalizado puede conducir a la pérdida y el agotamiento de los activos productivos de los hogares, como sucede en la República Centroafricana, y a problemas de seguridad que obstaculizan las actividades agrícolas, como en Sudán del Sur.

En algunas áreas de este país africano, la mejoría de las cosechas tendrá probablemente un efecto de corta duración, ya que el conflicto en curso ha reducido la capacidad de realizar tareas agrícolas, lo que representa un "riesgo concreto de hambruna" para las comunidades más vulnerables.

El permanente conflicto civil en Siria ha hecho que 9,4 millones de personas necesiten ayuda alimentaria. La producción de trigo de este año se estima en un 55 por ciento por debajo de su nivel anterior a la crisis. El conflicto existente en Yemen ha podido incrementar el número de personas que sufren inseguridad alimentaria desde los 14,2 millones de personas evaluadas en junio, según el informe. La reciente escalada del conflicto en Irak está provocando un desplazamiento interno generalizado. La inseguridad alimentaria aguda afecta a más de 8 millones de personas en Afganistán y es probable que su número aumente con el regreso de unos 600 000 refugiados de Pakistán antes de finales de 2016.

En Nigeria la población con inseguridad alimentaria supera los 8 millones y se prevé que aumente a 11 millones en agosto de 2017. El actual conflicto en los estados del norte ha reducido la siembra, mientras que la fuerte depreciación del naira ha hecho subir los precios internos de los alimentos y afectado el comercio regional, ya que se exportan más cereales nigerianos al tiempo que se importa menos ganado.

La agricultura tiende a mejorar tras un difícil 2016

Las sequías y el impacto climático relacionados con El Niño provocaron importantes pérdidas en los cultivos en 2016 en varios países. La producción total de cereales en África ha bajado este año, a pesar de algunas mejoras subregionales, en especial en África occidental y en la región del Sahel, que va camino de lograr una producción de cereales récord. La producción de maíz en África austral disminuyó bruscamente, amenazando gravemente las condiciones de seguridad alimentaria.

Las malas cosechas llevaron a precios muy altos para el maíz –un alimento básico- en Malawi, donde se espera que 6,5 millones de personas padezcan inseguridad alimentaria durante el próximo período de carestía. En una nota positiva, con El Niño terminado, las estimaciones preliminares apuntan a un aumento del 27 por ciento en la siembra de maíz para la cosecha de Sudáfrica en 2017, con diferencia el mayor productor de la región.

Aunque gran parte de Asia se benefició de una abundante producción de alimentos en 2016, impulsada por una fuerte recuperación en la India, el impacto de los conflictos de larga duración en varios países del Próximo Oriente continúa afectando gravemente a la producción agrícola, a pesar de las condiciones climáticas generalmente favorables para los cultivos de cereales básicos.

En América Latina y el Caribe, las expectativas de un repunte de la producción en América Central en 2016 suponen buenas noticias, tras unos resultados menguados por la sequía del año anterior. Por otro lado, la temporada de siembra de 2017 en América del Sur comienza de forma favorable tras la cosecha reducida de 2016, debido principalmente a las sequías que afectaron a Bolivia, Brasil y Paraguay.

Los 39 países que necesitan en la actualidad ayuda externa son: Burkina Faso, Burundi, Camerún, República Centroafricana, Chad, Congo, Djibouti, Eritrea, Etiopía, Guinea, Haití, la República Popular Democrática de Corea, Iraq, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malí, Mauritania, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nepal, Níger, Nigeria, Pakistán, Papúa Nueva Guinea, Sierra Leona, Somalia, Sudán del Sur, Sudán, Swazilandia, Yemen y Zimbabwe.

Contacto
Christopher Emsden
Oficina de prensa, FAO (Roma)
(+39) 06 570 53291
christopher.emsden@fao.org

The Ebola outbreak demonstrated a clear lack of preparedness from the global health and humanitarian system for an outbreak of infectious disease. The dialogue at Wilton Park built on an investigation conducted by the United States to determine how the response from the IOs and NGOs may change, or even cease, if an outbreak is determined to be intentional, or if the outbreak spread to a nonpermissive environment. The study approached key stakeholders from relevant response organisations who were asked to describe how their organisations would have responded to a fictional scenario in which a non-state actor claims responsibility for new cases of Ebola in an adjacent geographical area with a previously unexposed population. The study subsequently sought the views of major bilateral donors to the Ebola response to better understand the challenges and approaches nations would take in the event of a deliberate use and its impact on a humanitarian disaster response. This dialogue aimed to bring together a selected group of multi-sector participants to glean what has been learned so far and develop firm proposals for action.
In association with: Global Affairs Canada, the UK Ministry of Defence, the US Department of Health and Human Services, and the US State Department.
Key points

• The Ebola outbreak demonstrated a number of weaknesses in the international health and humanitarian response infrastructure. It is clear that a number of factors affect the nature of response and that any possible combination of these factors could occur. Permissiveness of environment affects NGO response, and a biological attack shifts response into including a military component. A natural outbreak could also be exacerbated by a nefarious actor acquiring biological samples that could be used deliberately against populations.

• Interoperability and coordination with the military is a key lesson to be learned.
  Military actors possess capacity that can be used, and are useful for providing surge and additional capacities in an emergency. Hence they have a significant role to play in both security and response. However, this role does also raise concerns, both from a military perspective (danger of mission-creep) and a response perspective (concerns over militarisation of response).

• The engagement of local communities is similarly a common lesson to be learned from Ebola. Local innovations, local community knowledge, and the building of community trust were key to containing and treating the outbreak. Communities, therefore, must be engaged and not simply expected to submit to external impositions of response.

• In implementing Article VII and providing aid and assistance, it is necessary to build capacity to both provide and receive assistance under Article VII. Response Page 2 of 8 capacities should ensure that not only is there a clear requirement for aid and assistance being sent, but that the capability of countries to logistically distribute the aid is sufficient.

• Bio-risk was high in the Ebola outbreak and managing this risk is one of the keys to containment. Biosecurity procedures and biosafety protocols should be embedded in all outbreak responses lest a natural outbreak turn out to be a deliberate biological weapon event. Bioethics for clinical trials and compassionate use authorisations must be considered before outbreaks to allow for reflexive and considered, rather than emergency-mode, decisions.

• Each of these challenges must not be considered in isolation. All challenges exist in a complex environment with one another and can affect one another in emergent ways.

• Recommendations:

  • That the BTWC operates in a complementary fashion to the health and humanitarian communities; not duplicating the efforts that these two systems make.

  • Establishing an Article VII Working Group to specifically explore assistance in a BWC context, explicitly engaging with States Parties, the WHO, the IASC, and the Humanitarian Cluster System.

  • Bio-risk management should be considered prior to the next outbreak and embedded in natural as well as deliberate outbreak responses. Actions Package 3 of the GHSA should be engaged in this aim.

  • Communities must be engaged, and communication with affected populations must be open and honest, in order to improve future responses and enable fast and inclusive action.

AUTHORS

Erin Stone, Laura Miller, Joseph Jasperse, Grayson Privette, Juan Cruz Diez Beltran, Amara Jambai, John Kpaleyea, Alfred Makavore, Mohamed Foday Kamara, Ruwan Ratnayake

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: There are few documented examples of community networks that have used unstructured information to support surveillance during a health emergency. In January 2015, the Ebola Response Consortium rapidly implemented community event-based surveillance for Ebola virus disease at a national scale in Sierra Leone.

METHODS: Community event based surveillance uses community health monitors in each community to provide an early warning system of events that are suggestive of Ebola virus disease transmission. The Ebola Response Consortium, a consortium of 15 nongovernmental organizations, applied a standardized procedure to implement community event-based surveillance across nine of the 14 districts. To evaluate system performance during the first six months of operation (March to August 2015), we conducted a process evaluation. We analyzed the production of alerts, conducted interviews with surveillance stakeholders and performed rapid evaluations of community health monitors to assess their knowledge and reported challenges.

RESULTS: The training and procurement of supplies was expected to begin in January 2015 and attain full scale by March 2015. We found several logistical challenges that delayed full implementation until June 2015 when the epidemic was past its peak. Community health monitors reported 9,131 alerts during this period. On average, 82% of community health monitors reported to their supervisor at least once per week. Most alerts (87%) reported by community health monitors were deaths unrelated to Ebola. During the rapid evaluations, the mean recall by community health monitors was three of the six trigger events. Implementation of the national system achieved scale, but three months later than anticipated.

DISCUSSION: Community event based surveillance generated consistent surveillance information during periods of no- to low-levels of transmission across districts. We interpret this to mean that community health monitors are an effective tool for generating useful, unstructured information at the village level. However, to maximize validity, the triggers require more training, may be too many in number, and need increased relevance to the context of the tail end of the epidemic.

FUNDING STATEMENT

CEBS was supported by the UK Department for International Development and the US Agency for International Development’s Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance.

INTRODUCTION

In August 2014, the WHO declared the outbreak of Ebola virus disease (EVD) in West Africa to be a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.1 The number of EVD cases across the region rose sharply during the following four months, with Sierra Leone having reported a total of 7,476 confirmed EVD cases by the end of 2014.2 The rapid spread of the virus overwhelmed the country’s health system. Due to the high caseload, the EVD surveillance system (consisting of case investigation of reported cases, contact tracing, screening of patients at health facilities and swab testing of corpses) could not rapidly identify and respond to alerts resulting in a high proportion of cases detected after death.3 As is usual for surveillance systems, there was no community level system to quickly detect and report new cases. In the absence of such system, the surveillance system was mainly passive, relying on the identification of suspect cases at facilities and contact tracing. This fueled the exponential spread of EVD across Sierra Leone.

The complexity of the response required coordinated support at the district level throughout the nation. The International Rescue Committee (IRC) initiated the creation of the Ebola Response Consortium (ERC) in August 2014 to support the Sierra Leone Ministry of Health and Sanitation (MoHS) in the EVD response. The ERC is a consortium of 15 NGOs with operational presence across the country backing this response through the implementation of district-wide programs in surveillance, infection prevention and control in primary health care facilities, and water, sanitation, and hygiene.

Although past EVD outbreaks highlighted the importance of community volunteers in detecting and reporting suspect cases, these outbreaks occurred across much smaller geographic contexts.4 Recognizing the opportunity to bring this concept to scale, the ERC partnered with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the MoHS to design and implement a community event-based surveillance (CEBS) system in 9 of the 14 districts of Sierra Leone beginning in January 2015. This was based on a pilot of the project in Bo district in October 2014.3 The objectives of CEBS were to improve the timeliness with which EVD cases were detected, isolated, and provided with the appropriate care before they created further chains of transmission. To fulfill the objective of early warning through increased sensitivity and rapid reporting from the village level, the ERC used a structured approach to identify events and rumors suggestive of EVD rather than case-based surveillance. Such event-based reporting is often used to detect new clusters of disease and to track health conditions at large events.5

This paper introduces the CEBS model, describes the ERC’s experiences during the first six months of CEBS implementation, and highlights key programmatic challenges. The overall aim is to better inform the design and implementation of community surveillance systems for future outbreaks of epidemic-prone disease. In parallel, an epidemiological evaluation of the effectiveness and sensitivity of the detection of confirmed cases was previously outlined and the results have been published elsewhere.

“Not to take our eyes off the ball”

It is well known that the overall security situation in the Lake Chad Basin area remains precarious and volatile. The efforts exerted by the international community to confront and curb the horrendous violence perpetrated by Boko Haram are commendable, yet the group is still able to continue its campaign of terror. While it is avoiding direct combat, it relies on ambushes, use of Improvised Explosive Devices and suicide bombers targeting vulnerable groups.

As a result, the humanitarian situation has worsened, with an increasing number of people suffering from food insecurity and malnutrition. According to OCHA, of the 21 million people living in affected areas in Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon and Niger, about 2.4 million have been displaced by the insurgency. Additionally, over 9 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across the region, including 7 million that are severely food insecure, and about 480,000 children facing acute malnutrition. And malnutrition rates are expected to increase in the coming months.

I repeat these statistics to remind all of us of the appalling conditions of daily life suffered by the affected communities, not to take our eyes off the ball, to keep in mind that women, children and elders remain most vulnerable. That is what I had in mind when I visited Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State. Maiduguri is a symbol of the suffering caused by the Boko Haram-instigated violence, with the hundreds of thousands of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) it is hosting, yet at the same time a demonstration of the courage, resilience and hospitality of its people.

During my visits to the NSG and Bakasi Camps, which host respectively 17,000 and 10,000 IDPs, I could see, through the distress in their eyes, that these statistics are a reflection and a consequence of a human-made ordeal. I assured the people of Borno State of the commitment of the UN to support them during these challenging times, and I appealed to the surge of UN humanitarian assistance.

I wholeheartedly commend the Nigerian government, the Nigerian Army, and the military coalition of the Multi National Joint Task Force in the fight against Boko Haram. It is imperative that the international community provide concrete and effective support to the Task Force to enable them achieving even better results. It is very worrying that the 2016 Humanitarian Response Plan for the Lake Chad Basin region, necessitating US $739 million, is still only 41 per cent funded. It goes without saying that additional $163 million pledged by donors in September is welcomed. The needs are enormous, and an appropriate response should continue to help us provide much-needed support to the suffering populations.

It has now become common knowledge that addressing the roots causes of violent extremism and terrorism remains the key to curb the untold campaigns of violence we have been witnessing over the last years. This calls for a more equitable distribution of national resources, and meaningful action by policy makers to address structural issues of exclusion, social injustice, and deprivation.

In the same vein, it is worth underlining that the armies comprising the Task Force are national institutions, which are regulated by codes, principles and rules of engagement. According to these rules, the strict observance of standards of human rights and humanitarian laws must guide their action under all circumstances. State Security apparatuses and institutions should not resort to methods in combating terrorists that are likely to not only turn the population against them but also push them to the side of the insurgents.

Once again, I wish to reiterate the active solidarity of the UN and the entire international community with the governments and the peoples of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad and Niger, in the fight against international terrorism which has manifested itself the Lake Chad Basin countries in the form of Boko Haram terrorist activities.

Mohamed Ibn Chambas

Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the UN Office for Africa West and the Sahel

« Ne perdons pas l’objectif des yeux »

C’est bien connu que la situation sécuritaire globale dans la zone du bassin du Lac Tchad demeure précaire et volatile.
Les efforts de la communauté internationale à faire face et à juguler la terrible violence de Boko Haram sont louables. Mais le groupe est toujours capable de mener sa campagne de terreur. Evitant l’engagement direct, il s’appuie sur les embuscades, l’utilisation d’engins explosifs improvisés et des attaques-suicide pour cibler les groupes vulnérables.

La situation humanitaire s’est, de ce fait, détériorée, avec son lot d’insécurité alimentaire et de malnutrition. Selon OCHA, des 21 millions de personnes vivant dans les zones affectées du Nigeria, du Tchad, du Cameroun et du Niger, près de 2,4 millions ont été déplacées par la rébellion. Plus de 9 millions de personnes dans la région sont en besoin d’aide humanitaire, 7 millions en situation critique d’insécurité alimentaire et près de 480 000 enfants sont confrontés à une malnutrition sévère. Et dans les mois à venir, il est prévu une hausse des taux de malnutrition.

Je répète ces statistiques pour rappeler à tous les conditions déplorables de vie quotidienne des communautés affectées, et que nous ne perdions pas l’objectif de vue, que nous gardions à l’esprit que les femmes, les enfants et les personnes âgées demeurent les plus vulnérables. C’est ce que j’avais à l’esprit lorsque j’ai visité Maiduguri, la capitale de l’Etat de Borno. Avec les centaines de milliers de déplacés internes qu’elle abrite, Maiduguri est un symbole des souffrances causées par la violence de Boko Haram. Elle est en même temps une démonstration du courage, de la résilience et l’hospitalité de ses habitants. Pendant mes visites aux camps de NSG et Bakassi, qui abritent respectivement 17.000 et 10.000 déplacés internes, j’ai pu voir, la détresse dans les regards, que ces statistiques sont une réflexion et une conséquence d’une épreuve créée par les hommes. J’ai assuré les populations de l’Etat de Borno de l’engagement des Nations Unies à les soutenir pendant ces moments éprouvants et j’ai appelé à une forte augmentation de l’aide humanitaire des Nations Unies.

Je félicite l’Armée et le gouvernement nigérians et la coalition militaire de la Force Multinationale Conjointe engagés dans la lutte contre Boko Haram. Il est impératif que la communauté internationale soutienne concrètement et effectivement la Force mixte afin qu’elle atteigne des résultats meilleurs.

Il est très préoccupant de savoir que le Plan de réponse humanitaire 2016 pour la région du Bassin du Lac Tchad, qui nécessite 739 millions de dollars US, est financé à seulement 41%. Cela va sans dire que les 163 millions de dollars US additionnels promis par les donateurs en septembre sont les bienvenus. Les besoins sont énormes et une réponse appropriée devrait nous permettre de poursuivre le soutien plus que nécessaire aux populations affectées.

On sait tous que s’attaquer aux racines de l’extrémisme violent et du terrorisme demeure la clé pour endiguer les incalculables campagnes de violence dont nous avons été témoins ces dernières années. La situation requiert un partage plus équitable des ressources nationales, et des actions significatives des décideurs sur les questions d’exclusion, d’injustice sociale et de privations.

Dans la même logique, il est important de souligner que les Armées composant la Force mixte sont des institutions nationales, répondant à des codes, des principes et des règles d’engagement. Selon ces règles, le strict respect des lois et droits humains doit en toute circonstance guider toutes leurs actions. Les institutions et appareils sécuritaires d’Etat ne devraient pas, dans la lutte contre les terroristes, recourir à des méthodes qui pourraient retourner les populations contre eux ou à les pousser à rejoindre les insurgés.

Une fois de plus, j’aimerais réaffirmer la solidarité active des Nations-Unies et de toute la communauté internationale avec les gouvernements et les peuples de la République fédérale du Nigéria, du Cameroun, du Niger et du Tchad, dans la lutte contre le terrorisme international qui se manifeste dans les pays du Bassin du Lac Tchad dans la forme des activités terroristes de Boko Haram.

Mohamed Ibn Chambas
Représentant Spécial du Secrétaire Général des Nations Unies pour l’Afrique de l’Ouest et le Sahel

Highlights

• WFP conducted a training on post-harvest management for 104 participants, including smallholder farmers, Ministry of Agriculture extension supervisors, UN agencies, NGOs and the private sector.

• WFP provided food assistance to 211 flood-affected households in the Western Area in collaboration with the Office of National Security and the Red Cross.

• A 60 percent increase in fuel prices has resulted in a price hike in transportation, goods and services throughout the country.

Operational Updates

• Smallholder farmers in Buya Rumende and Masinera chiefdoms in Port Loko district benefited from a post-harvest handling training facilitated by WFP and attended by the Ministry of Agriculture and the Presidential Recovery Priorities team.

• To complement the 2015 Comprehensive Food Security and Vulnerability Analysis (CFSVA) district-level findings, WFP is working on chiefdom level analysis and reporting for chiefdom and local level decision-making. A template has been developed for the finalization of the reports.

• Following a flood which occurred on the evening of 17 November, the Office of National Security, the Ministry of Social Welfare, WFP and the Red Cross conducted a rapid assessment and registered flood-affected households.

Challenges

• The increase in fuel price from 3,750 to Le 6,000 has subsequently increased the price of goods and services, including food commodities, which is expected to exacerbate food insecurity throughout Sierra Leone, wherein almost half of the population is food insecure. The increase in fuel and transportation has instigated social unrest in some parts of the country.

The remote health post in Koribondo has no electricity, the sole midwife rushes from one pregnant woman to another, and nurses use buckets to fetch water from a nearby well. On a rainy afternoon, dozens of mothers waited under a leaky roof to get themselves and their babies tested for malaria. Many had walked for hours on dirt paths to reach the clinic. The motorcycle ambulance, meanwhile, sat idle. There was no fuel for it.

A year after Sierra Leone was declared free of the Ebola virus, this small country in West Africa is struggling to rebuild its health system. Malaria remains the most common cause of illness and death, accounting for more than 40 percent of outpatient morbidity and 38 percent of deaths among children under five. Malaria alone killed twice as many people in 2014 than the Ebola outbreak. But Sierra Leone is hopeful the hard lessons learned while coping with the Ebola epidemic will help the country, with the support of partners, build new lifesaving strategies that will also stop any future outbreaks from becoming a global threat.

A mass distribution of antimalarial drugs, implemented during the peak of the Ebola outbreak with the support of UNICEF, WHO and the Global Fund, brought home some vital clues: the importance of more effectively training and deploying community health workers, as well as the role of social mobilization. The thousands of men and women who stepped in to fight malaria and Ebola, displaying extraordinary heroism and compassion, prove an inspiration as the country seeks a brighter future. “When communities are involved, it makes a big difference,” said Dr. Brima Kargbo, Sierra Leone’s Chief Medical Officer. “That was our main lesson.”

Prólogo

El presente Informe sobre Desarrollo Humano en África 2016, dedicado a la igualdad de género, toma el relevo del Informe sobre Desarrollo Humano en África 2012, en el que se analizaba la importancia de garantizar la seguridad alimentaria de todos los africanos. Ambos informes persiguen un mismo objetivo: tratar lo que cabe considerar dos puntos inconclusos de la agenda en el marco de la trayectoria de desarrollo de África. Los dos han sido reconocidos como prioridades importantes para los Gobiernos y los ciudadanos de los países africanos.

El informe de este año acerca de la igualdad de género examina las iniciativas en curso de los países africanos dirigidas a acelerar el empoderamiento de las mujeres en todos los ámbitos de la sociedad —en el hogar y en la comunidad, en la salud y en el rendimiento escolar, en el lugar de trabajo, y en la participación y el liderazgo político—. Si bien en la mayoría de los países se ha avanzado de manera notable en numerosos frentes, la igualdad de género todavía está lejos de resultar satisfactoria para las mujeres y las niñas africanas.
A fin de hacer frente a la brecha entre los géneros, este informe aborda la igualdad de género y el empoderamiento de las mujeres en África desde un enfoque basado en la economía política.

Uno de sus mensajes clave es que dedicar una atención más coordinada a la igualdad de género aportará un estímulo significativo, necesario desde hace mucho tiempo para acelerar el desarrollo humano y el crecimiento económico de todo el continente y dotarlos de una mayor inclusividad.

Las políticas y programas que hacen hincapié en el aprovechamiento del potencial de las mujeres constituyen un importante motor económico y social en favor de un desarrollo más inclusivo y sostenible. Por el contrario, las políticas y los programas que —involuntariamente— dejan de lado o marginan a las mujeres jamás tendrán éxito a largo plazo. Tampoco se alcanzará un crecimiento inclusivo si el empoderamiento de las mujeres se compartimenta o se considera una actividad independiente de las que se perciben tradicionalmente como las funciones principales de gobierno.

En pocas palabras, acelerar los progresos en favor de la igualdad de género es una función principal de gobierno que abarca iniciativas multisectoriales en las que participan las entidades de las administraciones locales y nacionales, los agentes no gubernamentales, las organizaciones de la sociedad civil y el sector privado. De igual modo, ese modo holístico de impulsar la igualdad de género coincide con la ambiciosa agenda de los Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible (ODS), que los Gobiernos africanos y el conjunto de la comunidad internacional han fijado para los próximos 15 años, al tiempo que la potencia. Adoptar un enfoque holístico en relación con la igualdad de género favorecerá asimismo la consecución de la Agenda 2063: el África que Queremos.
Por tanto, el Informe sobre Desarrollo Humano 2016 proporciona un marco para la puesta en práctica del ODS 5, relativo a la igualdad de género, en particular, y de todos los ODS, en general.

Por último, hay que destacar que este informe se ha redactado con el propósito de fomentar el debate sobre políticas y la discusión acerca de los pasos necesarios para que la igualdad de género se integre de manera más amplia en las agendas nacionales y en los diálogos sobre políticas que se mantienen en toda África. Asimismo, el informe se ha elaborado con diversos destinarios en mente: los encargados de la formulación de políticas y los profesionales africanos, otras organizaciones de desarrollo, el sector privado, la sociedad civil, el ámbito académico y los ciudadanos de África, jóvenes y mayores. Esperamos que el informe propicie y estimule discusiones activas y consensos acerca de las sendas que cada país africano puede tomar para afrontar este reto esencial para el desarrollo y derecho humano fundamental: la igualdad de género.

Helen Clark
Administradora Programa de las Naciones Unidas para el Desarrollo

Préface

Au nom du Bureau régional pour l’Afrique du PNUD, j’ai le plaisir de présenter le deuxième Rapport sur le développement humain en Afrique, consacré à la concrétisation accélérée de l’égalité des genres sur le continent.

L’égalité des genres n’est pas une priorité de développement nouvelle pour les pays d’Afrique. Son importance est depuis longtemps reconnue à l’échelle du continent.

En effet, l'Union africaine et son prédécesseur, l'Organisation de l'unité africaine, n’ont eu de cesse, des décennies durant, de militer en faveur des droits des femmes et des filles.

Ainsi, l’Union africaine a proclamé 2016 Année africaine des droits de l’homme avec une attention particulière sur les droits des femmes, alors qu’elle avait déclaré 2015 Année de l’autonomisation des femmes et du développement. Néanmoins, les progrès en matière d’égalité des genres ont été plus lents que prévu et irréguliers dans de nombreux pays africains.

Le présent rapport sur l’égalité des genres a donc pour objectif de recentrer l’attention sur ce qui demeure un défi de développement fondamental, alors même que l’Afrique connaît une période de transition économique, sociale et politique sans précédent. Le rythme rapide de la croissance économique de certains pays africains il y a quelques années à peine a été freiné par le récent ralentissement de la demande de produits de base au plan mondial.

Les troubles politiques et civils induits par les inégalités, les conflits localisés et les attentes non satisfaites continuent d'affecter de nombreux pays d'Afrique. En outre, l'épidémie d'Ebola de 2014 et les épisodes de sécheresse qui ont frappé l’Afrique de l'Est, l’Afrique de l'Ouest et l’Afrique australe en 2015/2016 montrent le degré de vulnérabilité et de fragilité des sociétés africaines, même celles qui sont en pleine mutation, face aux chocs imprévus et aux crises économiques.

Dans de telles conditions, les femmes africaines portent souvent, en tant que mères pourvoyeuses de soins et soutiens de famille, un fardeau bien plus lourd que celui des hommes.

Dans l'analyse qui suit, le rapport met en avant les progrès réalisés en matière d’égalité des genres, mais souligne également les insuffisances qu’il reste à combler et les défis à relever. Il fournit tout d’abord un état des lieux des avancées enregistrées en matière de développement humain sur le continent, en s’appuyant sur les différents indicateurs de développement humain du PNUD. En particulier, l'indice de développement de genre et l’indice d'inégalité de genre ont été privilégiés. Le rapport analyse ensuite plus en détail les comparaisons et les tendances propres à la dimension de genre en termes de santé, d’éducation, d’opportunités et d’obstacles économiques, de représentation politique et de leadership. Les causes profondes et sousjacentes des inégalités persistantes entre les hommes et les femmes font en outre l’objet d’une attention spécifique, notamment les images négatives véhiculées par certaines normes sociales, qui entravent la réalisation de l’égalité des genres ainsi que les dilemmes politiques auxquels les États africains sont confrontés dans leurs efforts pour concilier les normes juridiques et la jurisprudence avec les traditions et les coutumes sociales préjudiciables aux femmes.

Le rapport examine ensuite les politiques et approches institutionnelles adoptées par les États africains pour remédier aux inégalités entre les genres et accélérer l’autonomisation des femmes ainsi que la concrétisation de l’égalité des chances sur le plan économique, social et politique. Le propos est éclairé par des comparaisons établies, d’une part, entre les pays africains et d’autre part, entre l'Afrique et différentes régions en développement, telles que l’Asie ou l’Amérique latine et Caraïbes.

Le rapport présente, dans son dernier chapitre, un programme d’action reposant sur un cadre politique et stratégique qui place l’égalité des genres au cœur du programme de développement. Quatre grands « axes » sont proposés, qui offrent un cadre politique et programmatique susceptible d’accélérer la réalisation de l'égalité des genres et d’intégrer pleinement la dimension de genre dans le programme du développement au sens large :

• soutenir l'adoption de réformes juridiques, de politiques et de programmes visant à promouvoir l'autonomisation des femmes ;

• soutenir les capacités nationales pour promouvoir et accroître la participation et le leadership des femmes dans la prise de décisions au sein du foyer, de l’économie et de la société ;

• soutenir les capacités à mettre en œuvre des approches multisectorielles destinées à atténuer les impacts des pratiques de santé et d'éducation discriminatoires à l’égard des femmes ;

• soutenir les femmes dans leur lutte pour l’acquisition des droits de propriété et de gestion des actifs économiques et environnementaux.

La raison d’être de ces axes est fondée sur le principe selon lequel les gouvernements ne peuvent pas garantir que les progrès réalisés en matière de croissance économique et de développement humain soient pleinement inclusifs pour tous leurs citoyens et durables à long terme à moins de veiller à ce que les femmes bénéficient des mêmes possibilités économiques, sociales et politiques que les hommes, en passant d’une égalité des genres juridique à une égalité de fait.

Nous espérons que ce rapport stimulera la discussion et le débat sur cette question, qui demeure un défi essentiel et une opportunité inexploitée pour l’avenir de l’Afrique.

Abdoulaye Mar Dieye Administrateur assistant du PNUD et Directeur du Bureau régional pour l’Afrique

This brief summarizes FEWS NET’s most forward-looking analysis of projected emergency food assistance needs in FEWS NET coverage countries. The projected size of each country’s acutely food insecure population (IPC Phase 3 and higher) is compared to last year and the recent five-year average and categorized as Higher ( p), Similar ( u), or Lower ( q). Countries where external emergency food assistance needs are anticipated are identified. Projected lean season months highlighted in red indicate either an early start or an extension to the typical lean season. Additional information is provided for countries with large food insecure populations, an expectation of high severity, or where other key issues warrant additional discussion. Analytical confidence is lower in remote monitoring countries, denoted by “RM”. Visit www.fews.net for detailed country reports.