West and Central Africa: Weekly Regional Humanitarian Snapshot (13 - 19 February 2018)

CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC

GUNMEN ATTACK AID WORKERS

Unknown gunmen on 12 February ambushed three aid workers travelling in a vehicle in the northern Batangafo town, but released them hours later unharmed. Their vehicle was also recovered. Attacks against aid workers are frequent in the country where insecurity has significantly worsened over the past two years. Violence has forced hundreds of thousands more civilians to flee their homes and subjected them to extreme deprivation and hardship.

AID OPERATIONS RESUME IN CAMP AFTER THREATS

Aid organisations working at an IDP camp in the central Bria town have resumed operations. They suspended their activities on 30 January following repeated threats by armed groups that have also been blamed for abuse and violations against the displaced. UN peacekeepers have ramped up security around the displacement site.

CHAD

$544 MILLION REQUIRED FOR AID RESPONSE

Aid organisations and the Government on 9 February appealed for US$544 million to assist 1.9 million people in 2018. Around one in three people in Chad needs humanitarian assistance. Food insecurity and malnutrition, forced displacement and health emergencies linked to inadequate provision of basic service are the main causes of humanitarian needs. Around 890,000 people are projected to suffer severe food insecurity in the May – September lean season, while acute malnutrition has surpassed the emergency threshold in many regions. The humanitarian community will focus on providing life-saving assistance, reducing vulnerability and supporting civilian protection.

DR CONGO

VIOLENCE DISPLACES 30,000 IN ITURI

Around 30,000 people have been uprooted by intercommunity violence and fled to Bunia, the capital of the eastern Ituri province. The clashes between Hema and Lendu communities broke out in December.
Some 20,000 have found shelter within Bunia’s main hospital, while an estimated 10,000 are residing with host families. Provincial authorities have identified a new site to shelter the newly displaced, however, the site is not yet operational. Aid organisations are supporting the authorities in setting up the new site and providing the displaced with meals, medical aid and water and sanitation services. The violence has also forced close to 40,000 people to flee across the border into Uganda. UNICEF has voiced concern about the fate of some 46,000 children who have either been displaced or fled across the border.

MALI

$263 MILLION NEEDED FOR RELIEF OPERATIONS

Humanitarian organisations on 14 February requested US$263 million to assist around 1.6 million people in 2018. More than half of the amount ($150 million) is for food security and nutrition response. The plan targets 38 per cent of the 4.1 million people in need, 200,000 more compared to 2017. UN Humanitarian Coordinator Mbaranga Gasarabwe underscored the need to strengthen the humanitarian-development nexus and further involve development partners in reducing the vulnerabilities and risks underlying humanitarian needs.