21 septembre 2017 – Seuls 15 pays dans le monde disposent des trois politiques nationales de base qui contribuent à garantir que les parents disposent du temps et des ressources nécessaires pour soutenir le développement cérébral sain de leurs jeunes enfants, selon un nouveau rapport du Fonds des Nations Unies pour l'enfance (UNICEF) publié jeudi.

Selon ce rapport intitulé 'Les premiers moments comptent pour chaque enfant', deux années d'enseignement préscolaire gratuit, des pauses rémunérées pour l'allaitement au cours des six premiers mois suivant la naissance et six mois de congé maternité payé ainsi que quatre semaines de congé paternité payé contribuent à jeter des fondations solides pour un développement optimal de la petite enfance.

Ces politiques aident les parents à mieux protéger leurs enfants et à leur offrir une nutrition, des jeux et des expériences d'apprentissage précoce de meilleure qualité au cours des cinq premières années de leur vie, une période cruciale où la croissance du cerveau atteint un rythme qui ne sera plus jamais égalé.

Le rapport indique que Cuba, la France, le Portugal, la Russie et la Suède figurent parmi les pays qui garantissent ces trois politiques. Cependant, 85 millions d'enfants de moins de cinq ans doivent grandir dans 32 pays où aucune de ces politiques essentielles n'est en place. Étonnamment, 40% de ces enfants vivent dans seulement deux pays : le Bangladesh et les États-Unis.

« Quelle est la chose la plus précieuse que possède un enfant ? Son cerveau. Malgré tout, nous ne prenons pas soin du cerveau des enfants comme nous prenons soin de leur corps, surtout pendant la petite enfance, une période où la science nous montre que le cerveau d'un enfant, et son avenir, se dessinent rapidement », affirme Anthony Lake, Directeur exécutif de l'UNICEF. « Nous devons redoubler d'efforts pour donner aux parents et aux éducateurs le soutien dont ils ont besoin pendant cette étape critique du développement cérébral ».

Le rapport met en garde contre l'incapacité à protéger les enfants les plus désavantagés et à leur offrir des possibilités de développement précoce, car elle sape la croissance potentielle de sociétés et d'économies entières. Il cite pour cela une étude qui révèle que les enfants de ménages pauvres qui peuvent jouer et bénéficier d'un apprentissage précoce au cours de la petite enfance gagnent en moyenne 25% de plus à l'âge adulte que ceux qui n'ont pas pu en profiter.

« Si nous n'investissons pas dès maintenant en faveur des enfants et des familles les plus vulnérables, nous continuerons d'alimenter les cycles intergénérationnels de la pauvreté et de l'inégalité », affirme M. Lake.

En moyenne, les gouvernements du monde dépensent moins de 2% de leur budget d'éducation dans des programmes consacrés à la petite enfance. Toutefois, le rapport souligne qu'investir dans les premières années de vie des enfants d'aujourd'hui apportera des bénéfices économiques significatifs à l'avenir. Chaque dollar investi dans des programmes en faveur de l'allaitement maternel génère 35 dollars en retour, et chaque dollar dédié aux soins et à l'éducation pendant la petite enfance pour les enfants les plus défavorisés peut rapporter jusqu'à 17 dollars en retour.

Le rapport exhorte les gouvernements et le secteur privé à soutenir les politiques nationales de base en faveur du développement de la petite enfance, notamment en investissant en faveur de services de développement de la petite enfance et en les étendant dans les maisons, les écoles, les communautés et les centres de soin – en accordant la priorité aux enfants les plus vulnérables ; en élevant les politiques familiales, y compris les deux années d'enseignement préscolaire gratuit, les congés parentaux payés et les pauses pour l'allaitement rémunérées, au rang de priorité ; en accordant aux parents qui travaillent le temps et les ressources nécessaires pour contribuer au développement cérébral de leurs jeunes enfants ; en collectant et analysant les données relatives au développement de la petite enfance et en suivant les progrès pour toucher les enfants et les familles les plus vulnérables.

The Security Sector’s Role in Responding to Health Crises representatives from key regional organizations involved in the Ebola response, including the African Union (AU) and the Mano River Union (MRU), as well as additional researchers, Ebola Task Force coordinators at national and regional levels, and representatives of the diplomatic and international community based in Freetown. Participants shared practical recommendations to facilitate better preparedness to mitigate future epidemics.

The discussions focused on practical lessons learned from the Ebola crisis and generated recommendations for security sector actors’ contributions to future preparedness and response capacity from the perspectives of the armed forces, police services, intelligence services, border management, local security actors, international security arrangements, national governments, societal actors, institutional and legal frameworks, and security sector reform (SSR) activities. The participants worked together in break-out groups and practical exercises on the relationship of health and security sectors; the roles played by security institutions; and the roles of bilateral, regional and international actors.
The workshop culminated on the second day with a plenary during which the results from the parallel group meetings were presented and discussed, highlighting key lessons, challenges and recommendations from the interactive sessions. This report outlines the most important findings and suggestions that emanated from this expert meeting.

INTRODUCTION

L'épidémie de maladie à virus Ebola (MVE) qui a sévi en Afrique de l’Ouest en 2014-2015, plus particulièrement en Guinée, au Liberia et en Sierra Leone, a engendré plus de 28 000 cas et fait plus de 11 000 victimes.

Aujourd’hui, les recherches et les études sont plus nécessaires que jamais : en plus d’aider à faire le point sur les événements, elles permettent de localiser les failles apparues dans les processus d’intervention nationaux, régionaux et mondiaux, de déterminer les moyens de renforcer les processus de préparation, d’alerte rapide et d’intervention, et de définir les stratégies possibles pour améliorer les interventions et la résilience en cas de crises sanitaires similaires. Toutefois, le rôle des services et des institutions du secteur de la sécurité n’a pas encore fait l’objet d’une analyse systématique. Les institutions de sécurité nationale (police, gardes-frontières, milices de proximité, douanes, immigration, sécurité nationale et renseignement, défense, forces armées) ont activement participé aux interventions. En outre, au moment de l’aggravation de l’épidémie en 2014, des services de sécurité internationaux ont également été déployés au Liberia, en Sierra Leone et en Guinée, respectivement par les États-Unis d’Amérique, le Royaume-Uni et la France, en réponse aux appels à une aide militaire internationale.

Ces expériences offrent de nombreux enseignements auxquels il est indispensable de s’intéresser. Avec le concours financier du Département fédéral suisse de la Défense et la collaboration du Centre pour les politiques de gouvernance et de sécurité JS & Associates (CGSP) en Sierra Leone, le Centre pour le contrôle démocratique des forces armées – Genève (DCAF) et le Global Health Centre (GHC) de l’Institut de hautes études internationales et du développement de Genève ont coorganisé les 24 et 25 août 2016 un atelier-table ronde de deux jours sur le thème « Le secteur de la sécurité et les crises sanitaires mondiales : retours d’expérience sur l’épidémie d’Ebola en Afrique de l’Ouest en 2014 ». L’atelier s’est déroulé au Bintumani Conference Centre de Freetown, en Sierra Leone. Fruit des principaux débats, résultats et recommandations de cet atelier, le présent rapport vise à faciliter la préparation, en vue d’atténuer les épidémies ultérieures. Cette démarche, qui nécessitera les efforts concertés et coordonnés des secteurs de la santé et de la sécurité, concerne tout autant les acteurs locaux, nationaux et régionaux que la communauté internationale des donateurs mobilisés en Afrique de l’Ouest.

L’atelier a été organisé dans le sillage de plusieurs études préliminaires et d’une série de tables rondes et d’ateliers ayant rassemblé des acteurs de la santé et de la sécurité d’Afrique de l’Ouest, de Suisse et d’ailleurs (« Le secteur de la sécurité et les crises sanitaires mondiales : retours d’expérience sur l’épidémie actuelle d’Ebola », Genève, février 2015 ; « Le secteur de la sécurité et les crises sanitaires mondiales », Genève, octobre 2015 ; « La sécurité sanitaire, les objectifs de développement durable et le rôle des groupes de réflexion », Genève, novembre 2015 ; Forum sur la sécurité internationale, Genève, juin 2016 ; « L’engagement du secteur de la sécurité dans les crises sanitaires mondiales », siège de l’OTAN, Bruxelles, juin 2016). Les résultats des recherches, consultations et discussions d’expert-e-s ont été rendus publics et communiqués aux milieux diplomatiques et internationaux de Genève lors de deux débats publics (« L’Ebola et le secteur de la sécurité : perspectives et limites de la mobilisation du secteur de la sécurité dans les crises sanitaires mondiales », Genève, février 2015 ; « Convergences des secteurs de la santé et de la sécurité », Genève, mai 2015). Pour informer les praticien-ne-s et les expert-e-s des secteurs de la santé et de la sécurité, deux notes d’information ont été publiées et largement diffusées (Security Sector Engagement in Global Health Crises : A Brief for Policy-Makers, mai 2015 ; The Security Sector and Global Health Crises : Lessons and Prospects, juin 2016), ainsi qu’un article (« We Need a Sustainable Development Goal 18 on Global Health Security », The Lancet, vol. 385, n° 9973, 21 mars 2015).

Des membres du projet ont également participé à plusieurs consultations d’expert-e-s, réunions stratégiques et débats consultatifs consacrés aux enseignements à tirer de l’intervention internationale contre l’épidémie d’Ebola.
Dans ce contexte, l’atelier de Freetown a fait émerger les connaissances pratiques issues des retours d’expérience des acteurs régionaux et nationaux. Plus de 60 personnes y ont participé, parmi lesquelles des contributrices et contributeurs régionaux aux activités en cours du projet (venus de Côte d’Ivoire, de Guinée, du Liberia, du Mali, du Nigeria, du Sénégal et de Sierra Leone), des représentant-e-s des principales organisations régionales investies dans la lutte contre l’Ebola, notamment l’Union africaine (UA) et l’Union du fleuve Mano (UFM), ainsi que des chargé-e-s de recherche, des personnes ayant coordonné les équipes spéciales de lutte contre l’Ebola à l’échelle nationale et régionale, et des représentant-e-s du corps diplomatique et de la communauté internationale installés à Freetown. Les discussions ont essentiellement porté sur des recommandations pratiques visant à faciliter la préparation, en vue d’atténuer les épidémies ultérieures.

Les échanges se sont concentrés sur les enseignements concrets tirés de la crise de l’Ebola. Ils ont débouché sur des recommandations relatives à la contribution des acteurs de la sécurité aux futures activités de préparation et d’intervention.

Ces recommandations concernent les forces armées, les services de police, les services de renseignement, la gestion des frontières, les acteurs locaux de la sécurité, les accords internationaux de sécurité, les gouvernements nationaux, les actrices et acteurs de la société, les cadres institutionnels et juridiques et les activités de réforme du secteur de la sécurité (RSS). Divisés en petits groupes, les participant-e-s se sont prêtés à des échanges et des exercices pratiques sur les relations entre les secteurs de la santé et de la sécurité, sur le rôle joué par les institutions de sécurité et sur les rôles respectifs des acteurs bilatéraux, régionaux et internationaux. L’atelier s’est achevé le deuxième jour par une séance plénière, au cours de laquelle les résultats des réunions menées en parallèle ont été présentés et débattus pour mettre en lumière les principaux enseignements, défis et recommandations ressortant des sessions interactives. Le présent rapport expose les conclusions et les suggestions les plus importantes auxquelles a abouti cette réunion d’expert-e-s.

Highlights

• With the completion of the rapid damage and loss assessment, UNICEF is now focusing efforts on operationalization of the recovery strategy. As part of the recovery, the installation of household hold rain water harvesting systems (RWHS) continued. It is expected to benefit 2,700 households with a complete safe water package. A total of 313 RWHS have been installed (22 in Kamayama, 42 at Jah Kingdom, 24 in Pentagon, 45 in Gbamgbayila, 80 in Kaningo and 100 in Regent).

• As part of the recovery, the operationalization of the humanitarian cash transfer programme, led by the Government of Sierra Leone and funded by UK Aid, continued during the reporting period. As of 21 September, 1,541 households have been registered for the programme and 420 households have received the first tranche of US$120.

• A total of 463,884 persons were vaccinated with cholera vaccines in the first five days of the vaccination campaign, representing 89.5 per cent of the target population for the vaccination.

• UNICEF is continuing to support the affected communities in the shelters and neighbouring communities through supply of WASH services, as well as supporting affected children, including provision of psychosocial support, identification of child protection concern and referral to support. In addition, UNICEF is also supporting the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MEST) to ensure that affected children continue their learning and with the assessment and rehabilitation of affected schools.

A devastating mudslide – triggered by three days of heavy monsoon rains – caused widespread damage and loss of life in Freetown, Sierra Leone on the 14th of August. Homes were engulfed after heavy rains caused part of the Sugar Loaf Mountain to collapse. Some 500 people lost their lives in the disaster and thousands have lost their homes, many of whom are being sheltered in temporary sites.

Ireland responded to the disaster through our Embassy in Freetown and our humanitarian aid programme, managed by Irish Aid. Ireland’s strong support to our UN, Red Cross and NGO partners enabled them to quickly react to the disaster, supporting the Government of Sierra Leone in meeting the emergency needs of survivors and people affected by the floods.

The Sierra Leonean Red Cross, for example, supported by the International Federation of the Red Cross (IFRC) responded immediately when the mudslide hit. Red Cross staff and volunteers were crucial to the initial search and rescue efforts, working frantically alongside emergency officials to rescue survivors. Early funding released from the IFRC’s Disaster Emergency Fund helped Red Cross volunteers to assist the communities that lost their homes and loved ones in the mudslides, providing first aid, health care, water, sanitation and emergency food. In 2017, Ireland has provided €1.6 million in funding to the IFRC, supporting the response of local Red Cross and Red Crescent societies when disaster strikes.

Our NGO partners based in Sierra Leone have also been key to the disaster response. Irish Aid provided €115,000 to Trócaire to support their work raising awareness among victims of the flood response services available to them; providing psychosocial support to those affected; and distributing dignity kits. We also contributed €100,000 to Concern, to support them in distributing supplies and cash. In addition, over eight tonnes of emergency supplies were airlifted through Irish Aid’s Rapid Response Initiative to Concern to help respond to the shelter needs of people displaced by the mudslide and flooding. These supplies focussed on the most vulnerable – elderly people, pregnant women and children under five. Irish NGO GOAL also reallocated €120,000 in Irish Aid funding towards its response, supporting the rehabilitation of eight health centres and activities focused on the prevention of cholera. The Embassy in Freetown will provide a further €100,000 in 2017 for the relief efforts, focussing on nutrition and disease control.

Many NGOs on the ground have also received funding through the Start Fund, an Irish Aid supported multi-donor pooled fund for NGOs. Start funding is supporting various projects to ensure clean water supply in Freetown, psychosocial support to the injured and cash grants to those affected. Ireland has provided a total of €3.9 million to the Start Fund since 2013, including an allocation of €1.3 million in 2017.

Ireland has a longstanding relationship with Sierra Leone and has been supporting the people of Sierra Leone to rebuild their country since the end of an eleven year civil war in 2002. More recently, Ireland worked closely to assist the country in its response to the outbreak of Ebola in 2014.

An Irish Aid office was established in Sierra Leone in 2005, and the country became one of Ireland’s Key Partner Countries in 2013. Ireland’s Embassy in Freetown, established in 2014, now coordinates Ireland’s bilateral development programme in Sierra Leone. In 2016, Ireland’s bilateral support to Sierra Leone amounted to €6.4 million, aimed at improving gender inequalities, the nutrition of women and children, conditions for fair elections, and promoting human rights and fair provision of services.

This weekly update is produced by UNDP in collaboration with the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office in Sierra Leone, liaising with the Office of National Security and development partners.

Situation overview

Following the landslides and floods that hit Freetown and surrounding areas on 14 August 2017, the UN system in Sierra Leone continues to support national recovery. Under national leadership and in addition to addressing the most urgent needs of those most affected, assessments are now being conducted to inform medium- and long-term action plans, to mitigate risks and to protect the people of Sierra Leone from future tragedy. For the purpose of information and coordination, relief and recovery efforts are detailed here.

Recovery efforts

HEALTH

WHO
• The first round of Sierra Leone’s first Oral Cholera Vaccination (OCV) campaign concluded on 21 September. Based on field reports, the first round of this emergency campaign met its ambitious targets, with over 500,000 people receiving the vaccine. Round 2 of OCV will be conducted between 5-10 October. The campaign, which was conducted in communities affected by the recent flooding and landslides in Western Area, was implemented by the Ministry of Health and Sanitation with support from Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance; WHO; UNICEF; MSF and other health partners.

• Throughout implementation, the campaign has been supported by extensive communications support and community engagement, to which WHO has provided significant guidance in development of messages and materials, supervision and training of community mobilizers, as well as community health workers. These teams reinforce disease prevention messages as well as support the overall uptake of OCV, with use of safe water, sanitation and hygiene practices remaining critical to reduce risks of cholera and other diarrheal diseases.

• Surveillance for priority diseases including cholera continues and training is ongoing for health workers in the affected areas, so as to improve clinical detection and reporting of potential cases of such diseases. The training targets over 300 health workers from 70 clinics in Western Area Urban and 60 in Western Area Rural as well as 240 staff from the major hospitals.

UNFPA

• On 21 September, UNFPA distributed 19 mama and baby kits to pregnant women staying at Old School and Juba camps. The mama and baby kits contain essential items including nappies, baby clothes, sanitary pads, wrappers, washing powder and other baby products (bringing the total reached to 99 pregnant women).

• UNFPA provided 94 dignity kits to UNAIDS for distribution to women living with HIV/AIDS and other women who are considered to be key affected populations at risk for HIV. To date a total 1,113 dignity kits have been distributed to vulnerable women and girls affected by the disaster.

• UNFPA hosted the Community of Practice (CoP) on gender based violence (GBV) meeting on 21 September. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the reporting tools for GBV in the camps. The tools cover individual case incident and general case incident reports. The tools will support the documentation of GBV cases in the camps for follow up and provision of comprehensive supports for the survivors as well as for regular reporting to the Ministry of Social Welfare, Gender and Children’s Affairs and to the Office of National Security. Piloting of the tools will start on 25 September in all camps by a team comprised of UNFPA, Save the Children and IRC.

German Leprosy and TB Relief Association

300 households benefited from the donation of:

• Medical items: Paracetamol, Ibuprofen, Amoxcillin, Metronidazol, Oral Rehydration Salt Solution, Tetracycline and cough syrup (for children)

• Hygiene kits including Bathing soap, Laundry soap, Hand sanitizer and Bathing towel

• Food items: Sardine, Garie (local food made from cassava), Sugar, Milk and Salt;

• Household items: Spoon, Rubber bowl (set) Water Mug (2 ltrs), Bucket, and Foam mattress. These items were donated in the presence of ONS representatives, the Deputy Minister of Health Mrs. Zulainatu Cooper and local authorities.

This weekly bulletin focuses on selected acute public health emergencies occurring in the WHO African Region. The WHO Health Emergencies Programme is currently monitoring 46 events in the region. This week’s edition covers key ongoing events, including:

• Cholera in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
• Cholera in Nigeria
• Lassa fever in Nigeria
• Yellow fever in Nigeria
• Measles in Uganda
• Floods/mudslide in Sierra Leone

• Humanitarian crisis in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
For each of these events, a brief description followed by public health measures implemented and an interpretation of the situation is provided.

A table is provided at the end of the bulletin with information on all new and ongoing public health events currently being monitored in the region, as well as events that have recently been closed.
Major challenges include:

• The high proportion of events occurring in countries such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Nigeria underscores the need to strengthen country’s capacities and preparedness, and to continue to build capacity in these areas under the Country Business Model.

• Access to potable water has remained an important underlying factor for multiple health emergencies in the African region. The multiple water-related health emergencies necessitate closer multisectoral work and political commitment redundant.

Highlight

• With support of the National Disaster Management Department and Sierra Leone Red Cross Society, WFP provided a household food ration to fire-affected households in Kelleh town community in Freetown.

• A theoretical Training of Trainers workshop on Community-based Participatory Planning (CBPP) was held in Port Loko as part of the broader Three Pronged Approach (3PA) to resilience building.

• WFP completed the second food distribution for asset creation activities in 17 communities in Peje, Soro Gbema and YKK chiefdoms in Pujehun district.

Operational Updates

• With logistical support of the National Disaster Management Department of the Office of National Security and the Sierra Leone Red Cross Society, WFP provided a one-month household food ration to over 500 fire-affected victims belonging to 112 households in Kelleh town community in Freetown. Community leaders facilitated food distribution through mobilisation and organisation of households affected by the fire.

• A theoretical training of trainers workshop on Community-based Participatory Planning (CBPP) was held in Port Loko as part of the broader Three Pronged Approach (3PA) to resilience building. WFP Sierra Leone is the first English speaking coastal West African country to be trained in this important approach, providing opportunities for learning and contextualisation and refinement of the CBPP tools and roll-out in other districts of Sierra Leone. Participants included government counterparts from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food Security, the district council, representatives from UNICEF, FAO, IFAD, NGO counterparts and development partners from the World Bank and JICA.

• WFP completed the second food distribution for asset creation activities in 17 communities in Peje, Soro Gbema and YKK chiefdoms in Pujehun district. Participants received 18-day food ration for undertaking Inland Valley Swamp rehabilitation/development, tree crop rehabilitation and feeder road rehabilitation.

Shared in Blog, Emergency Relief on September 28, 2017
by Jessica Hubacher

In the wake of the August mudslides in Sierra Leone that displaced an estimated 10,000 people, Rise Against Hunger has been working to provide aid to those left in need in our ongoing crisis relief efforts.

In addition to displacing thousands from their homes, the mudslides have resulted in more than 1,000 fatalities, leaving families devastated in the aftermath. Aminata, a beneficiary in an affected area of Freetown, Sierra Leone, shares her story:

On Sunday, my child and I went to braid my sister’s hair in Kanigo. As it got later, my sister asked me to spend the night at her apartment because of the time and how dark it had gotten. Later that very night, my uncle called and told me that our whole house was surrounded by water. My sister and I went together at 6:00 a.m. only to find them still surrounded by water. I later called my husband, who is a bike rider, to tell him because we were too far away. He came later. During this time, I saw my uncle and aunty fighting for a way to escape from the water. We were just looking at each other crying holding our hands close to our chests. My husband tried to go into the water to save them but it was rather too late. A heavy storm with speed destroyed the whole house and my family were waving their last goodbyes while fighting for their lives. As the water was dragging them away with their hands up fighting for life, I collapsed. I later regained consciousness but I realized that all them were gone.

My husband and other guys were trying to save others and he nearly drowned. We were later taken to the Chief by the Office of National Security people and some soldiers. They and other organizations were here to help. Caritas Freetown has been a great help to us since this great problem befell us.

Responding to the needs of individuals like Aminata, Rise Against Hunger, in partnership with Airlink and P4H, airlifted 66,500 meals to the affected area. The meals were then distributed to more than 300 families in Freetown and nearby communities by on-the-ground partner Caritas Freetown.

To provide needed aid to communities like Freetown facing the devastation of natural disasters, we need the help of hunger champions like you. We ask that you consider donating to our Global Emergency Relief Fund or hosting a Meal Packaging Event to replenish our stock of ready-to-ship meals.

Thank you for supporting people around the globe in times of great need.

MAIN FINDINGS DURING AUGUST 2017

1,477 Incoming individuals recorded at Mali FMPs *

4,735 Outgoing individuals recorded at Mali FMPs *

9 active FMPs in Mali

Assessment type : 7/7 days

• Migrants recorded at Bamako, Sevare, Wabaria, and Inhalid, which are transit points, are not included in this total as those migrants will only be transiting through those FMP and will be counted when identified on entry or exit FMP

Since June 2016, IOM has been tracking the movement of migrants in Mali. Migrants, mostly from sub-Saharan countries and West Africa in particular, travel long distances often facing harsh conditions and spending significant amounts of money to reach their final destination.

The vast majority of recorded migrants at flow monitoring points (FMPs) were young men (direct observation). Among the migrants, several persons under the age of 18 were identified. Some travel accompanied by adult legal guardians while others travel alone (unaccompanied and separated children).

86% of identified migrants at the flow monitoring points were citizens of the following five countries: Guinea, Mali, Gambia, Senegal and Côte d'Ivoire.

The majority of the migrants surveyed indicated their intention to travel to Algeria and Libya while 37% said they want to go to Europe, mainly to Spain and Italy.

Due to the increasing number of police checks in Burkina Faso and Niger, the number of migrants observed in Benena has decreased significantly since the beginning of the year.

At the beginning of August, three new flow monitoring points were established in Bamako, Heremakono and Inhalid

Key Findings

• Most of the migrants are men (95%).

• 7% of migrants recorded at flow monitoring points are minors.

• 46,450 migrants were counted at flow monitoring points, representing an average of 127 migrants per day.

• The majority of the migrants surveyed indicate their intention to travel to Algeria and Libya while 41% say they want to go to Europe, mainly Spain and Italy.

• Algeria, Mauritania, Burkina Faso and Niger are major transit points after Mali.

• Guineans, Gambians, Senegalese, and Ivorians rank first among non-Malian migrants transiting Mali to West African countries, North Africa and Europe.

• The vast majority of identified migrants arrived in Mali in transit buses. However, migrants departing from Gao are mainly using trucks while those identified at other flow monitoring points are mostly using buses.

Members of PREGEC met in Conakry to discuss the progress of this year’s agro-pastoral campaign, the agricultural outlook and the food situation. In preparation for the campaign, governments and their partners made significant strides in helping farmers and pastoralists obtain agricultural inputs (seeds, fertilisers and pesticides) and veterinary materials (vaccines). In addition, food and humanitarian assistance measures have been implemented for vulnerable populations.

The Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET) monitors trends in staple food prices in countries vulnerable to food insecurity. For each FEWS NET country and region, the Price Bulletin provides a set of charts showing monthly prices in the current marketing year in selected urban centers and allowing users to compare current trends with both five-year average prices, indicative of seasonal trends, and prices in the previous year.

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.

Le Réseau de systèmes d’alerte précoce contre la famine (FEWS NET) surveille les tendances des prix des aliments de base dans les pays vulnérables à l'insécurité alimentaire. Pour chaque pays et chaque région couvert par FEWS NET, le Bulletin des prix fournit un ensemble de graphiques indiquant les prix mensuels de l’année commerciale en cours pour certains centres urbains, et permettant à l’utilisateur de comparer les tendances actuelles à la fois aux moyennes quinquennales, qui indiquent les tendances saisonnières, et aux prix de l'année précédente.

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.

A review of recent humanitarian interventions that support local markets in emergency contexts revealed a limited scope and breadth of this type of activity. While many agencies show good creativity and understanding of market systems in emergencies, most activities are in the form of small grants to traders, to help them recover and to facilitate access to markets for disaster-affected communities. Such support includes small and large, formal and informal traders, but does not often go beyond grants, although sometimes trainings and other “soft support” are provided. The limited scope of market support activities is probably linked to the focused scope of many emergency market analyses or response analysis efforts that may not study all market actors or adequately consider market support activities, due to time constraints or simply humanitarians’ comfort level.
Another likely barrier to scale and quality of market support activities is a lack of clarity across agencies of good practices. More evidence-building is suggested to contribute to the collective understanding of good market support practices.

Highlights

• Cereal production is expected to be overall average to above average in West Africa

• Seasonal decline in agricultural commodity prices is expected from October onwards

• Normal fodder and surface water availability has stabilized the pastoral situation throughout the Sahel

Agricultural Cereal Production Outlook looks promising

Agricultural outputs 2017-18 expected to be overall aver-age to above average in the region. Cereal production could reach between 66 and 73 million tons according to the latest PREGEC assumptions. This is a downward cor-rection of variation of -1.4% to + 8% compared to last year and + 9 to 20% in comparison to the 5 year average. Root and tuber crops production figures are estimated to be between 166 and 171 million tons, a variation of 0.05% to 3% compared to last year and increases of 3-9% compared to the 5-year average (2012/16). An overall increase com-pared to the average is also expected for legume crops including cowpea and groundnut. Revised production esti-mates are expected for November 2017, which we will be presented at the next PREGEC in Bamako in Mali. (Source: PREGEC)

This weekly bulletin focuses on selected acute public health emergencies occurring in the WHO African Region. The WHO Health Emergencies Programme is currently monitoring 49 events in the region. This week, one new event has been reported: measles in Liberia. This week’s edition also covers key ongoing events, including:

• Plague in Madagascar
  
• Malaria in Cabo Verde
  
• Cholera in Tanzania
  
• Cholera in Chad
  
• Humanitarian crisis in Cameroon
  

• Humanitarian crisis in South Sudan

• For each of these events, a brief description followed by public health measures implemented and an interpretation of the situation is provided.

• A table is provided at the end of the bulletin with information on all new and ongoing public health events currently being monitored in the region, as well as events that have recently been closed.

Major challenges include:

• The cholera outbreak in Chad, characterized by a high case fatality rate, calls for urgent multisectoral interventions.

_ The ongoing outbreak of plague in Madagascar, especially the pneumonic form, involving urban centres, remains a concern and requires urgent attention.

After spending 7 days at the sea port of Sierra Leone and providing free medical services to thousands of local people, Hospital Ship of Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy, Ark Peace, has left the shores of Freetown on 26th September for Gabon where such services would be offered again.

Over 100 people, including the Chinese Ambassador H.E. Wu Peng, Deputy Chief of Defence Staff of SLAF Maj. General M.M Keita, representatives of Chinese Communities in Sierra Leone held a farewell ceremony to the Chinese Hospital Ship at the port. Rear Admiral General Guan Bailin and other staffs of the ship shook hands and said goodbye to everyone at present.

During the visit, the hospital ship provided free medical services for 8,177 people and operated 51 surgeries in Sierra Leone. Many activities and exchanges including providing free medical services to survivors in the mudslide resettlement camp, first aid technique training, nursing skills demonstration, environmental health disinfection, artistic performance and so on were also carried out.

H.E. President Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma, Honourable Vice President Victor Bockarie Foh, Ministers and many other senior officers visited the Hospital Ship.