EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

This assessment aims at taking stock of the different cash delivery mechanisms available for transferring cash to vulnerable populations inside Libya, with specific focus on refugees, migrants and asylum seekers. Conducted by ACTED, IRC and MC, the assessment aims to fill the information gap related to opportunities and risks associated with different mechanisms of cash delivery. This effort contributes to a broader feasibility study, coordinated by the Libya Cash and Markets Working Group, that is intended to identify potential opportunities,assess the appropriateness of cash transfer programmes (CTPs) in country and identify potential opportunities,to implement such programmes. To fill the information gap related to opportunities and risks associated with cash delivery modalities in Libya, and to improve the effectiveness of the CTPs supporting migrants, refugees and asylum seekers, ACTED, IRC, and MC conducted a rapid cash delivery mechanism assessment in the country.

Through a combination of desk review, key informant interviews and focus group discussions, the assessment team identified and evaluated a number of different cash delivery options.The assessment focused on the main urban hubs: Tripoli, Misrata,Sabha and Benghazi. Those locations remain the principal hosting areas for settled migrants, refugees and asylum seekers.

The humanitarian community in Yemen is greatly alarmed at the decision by the Saudi-led Coalition (SLC) to closure all of Yemeni airports, seaports and land crossings which is preventing critical humanitarian aid deliveries and commercial supplies from reaching the country and the movement of aid workers in and out of Yemen.

The humanitarian situation in Yemen is extremely fragile and any disruption in the pipeline of critical supplies such as food, fuel and medicines has the potential to bring millions of people closer to starvation and death.

There are over 20 million people in need of humanitarian assistance; seven million of them, are facing famine-like conditions and rely completely on food aid to survive. In six weeks, the food supplies to feed them will be exhausted. Over 2.2 million children are malnourished, of those, 385,000 children suffer from severe malnutrition and require therapeutic treatment to stay alive. Due to limited funding, humanitarian agencies are only able to target one third of the population (7 million) and some two thirds of the population rely on the commercial supplies which are imported, therefore, the continued availability of commodities in the markets is essential to prevent a deterioration of food insecurity. Any food shortage will result in a further increase of food prices beyond the purchasing power of the average Yemeni. The closure has started to impact the daily life of Yemenis with the price of fuel spiking 60 per cent overnight and the price of cooking gas doubling.

The current stock of vaccines in country will only last one month. If it is not replenished, outbreaks of communicable diseases such as polio and measles are to be expected with fatal consequences, particularly for children under five years of age and those already suffering from malnutrition. The people of Yemen are already living with the catastrophic consequences of an armed conflict - lasting for over two and a half years - that has destroyed much of its vital infrastructure and brought the provision of basic services to the brink of collapse. Any further shocks to imports of food and fuel may reverse recent success in mitigating the threat of famine and the spread of cholera. The continued closure of Yemen’s borders will only bring additional hardship and deprivation with deadly consequences to an entire population suffering from a conflict that it is not of their own making.

The humanitarian community in Yemen calls for the immediate opening of all air and seaports to ensure food, fuel and medicines can enter the country. We ask the Saudi-led Coalition to facilitate unhindered access of aid workers to people in need, in compliance with international law, by ensuring the resumption of all humanitarian flights.

We reiterate that humanitarian aid is not the solution to Yemen’s humanitarian catastrophe. Only a peace process will halt the horrendous suffering of millions of innocent civilians.

For further information, please call:

Liny Suharlim, ACTED Country Director | Tel: +967 71 110 5434 I Email: liny.suharlim@acted.org
George Khoury, Head UN-OCHA Yemen | Tel: +967 712 222 207 | E-mail: khouryg@un.org

Agency sign on by:

1. ACF

2. ACTED

3. ADRA

4. CARE

5. DRC

6. Handicap International

7. International Rescue Committee

8. MdM

9. NRC

10. Oxfam

11. PU-AMI

12. Relief International

13. Saferworld

14. Save The Children

15. ZOA

16. Mercy Corps

17. Islamic Relief

18. INTERSOS

19. International Training and Development Center

20. Search for Common Ground

21. Islamic Help

22. Human Appeal

23. United Nations

The humanitarian community in Yemen is outraged by the continued blockade by the Saudi-led coalition of humanitarian and commercial supplies desperately needed for the survival of the Yemeni population.

Now in its eleventh day, the blockade on almost all of Yemen’s seaports, airports and land crossings prevents the entry of food, fuel, medicines and supplies, exposing millions of people to disease, starvation and death. While the reopening of Aden port and airport is a positive development, it is insufficient to cover the needs of the entire Yemeni population.

Ongoing obstruction by the Saudi-led coalition to the delivery of critical supplies is a measure which may amount to collective punishment of millions of Yemeni people. It exacerbates the world’s worst humanitarian crisis where almost three years of war have left over twenty million people in need of assistance, seven million of them on the brink of famine.

The humanitarian community in Yemen calls on the Saudi-led coalition to immediately reopen all Yemeni ports to commercial and humanitarian cargo, without which millions of people are at risk of starvation and death. Humanitarian flights to Sana’a must be allowed to resume immediately to ensure the movement of aid workers and the transport of relief cargo.

We further call on all parties to the conflict to uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law, including the principle of proportionality in the conduct of hostilities and allowing access for humanitarian relief to civilians in need.

Finally, we appeal to States who have influence over the parties to the conflict to step up their engagement to bring about a political solution to the crisis. The suffering of the Yemeni people must stop.

La communauté humanitaire au Yémen s’insurge du maintien du blocus, par la coalition menée par l’Arabie Saoudite, du fret humanitaire et commercial pourtant essentiels à la survie de la population yéménite.

Aujourd'hui, après 12 jours, le blocus de la quasi-totalité des ports maritimes, des aéroports et des accès terrestres au Yémen entrave l’approvisionnement en nourriture, en carburant, en médicaments et autres marchandises, exposant des millions de personnes aux maladies, à la faim et aggravant les risques de mortalité. Si la réouverture du port et de l'aéroport d'Aden est une avancée positive, elle ne permet néanmoins pas de couvrir les besoins de l'ensemble de la population yéménite.

L’entrave continue par la coalition à l’approvisionnement des denrées essentielles est une mesure qui correspond à une punition collective subie par des millions de yéménites. Après près de trois années de guerre, ce blocus vient aggraver ce qui est déjà la pire crise humanitaire au monde, avec plus de 20 millions de personnes ayant besoin d’une aide humanitaire et sept millions de personnes au bord de la famine.

La communauté humanitaire au Yémen appelle la coalition menée par l'Arabie Saoudite à la réouverture immédiate de tous les points d’entrée du pays au fret humanitaire et commercial, sans quoi ce sont des millions de personnes qui font face aux risques de famine et de mort. Les vols humanitaires pour Sana’a doivent être autorisés à reprendre immédiatement pour permettre l’acheminement des travailleurs humanitaires et de l’aide.

Nous appelons toutes les parties au conflit à respecter leurs obligations en vertu du droit international humanitaire, y compris le principe de proportionnalité dans la conduite des hostilités, et de permettre l’accès de l’aide humanitaire pour les civils dans le besoin.

Enfin, nous appelons les États qui ont une influence sur les parties au conflit à s’engager davantage en vue de trouver une solution politique à la crise. La souffrance du peuple yéménite doit cesser.

Seventeen aid agencies working in Yemen are urging for the complete and unconditional opening of Hudaydah port to allow for the uninterrupted flow of food and fuel. A thirty-day concession period enabling the delivery of commercial supplies has brought only brief reprieve within the context of a sustained blockade on Yemen’s Red Sea Ports. Parties to Yemen’s conflict have a responsibility to minimise the impact of war on civilians in Yemen by mitigating all factors that exacerbate death and suffering, as over 8 million people are already on the verge of starvation.

Thirty days is an insufficient period in which to halt and reverse the damage done to Yemen’s food markets during November and December. Both humanitarian and commercial cargo has been discharged at Yemen’s Red Sea Ports since the Saudi-led Coalition announced a temporary opening of the ports to commercial vessels on 20 December. However, uncertainty for shipping companies, importers and vendors about what will happen beyond this period is serving to sustain inflation that makes food unaffordable for most Yemeni people. While there has been a welcome increase in food imports during the concession period, less than 25 percent of the fuel typically expected to come through the Red Sea ports is currently coming into Yemen. Prices of key commodities have barely reduced since the blockade was first imposed, compounding overwhelming food insecurity across the country.

The flow of supplies getting into Yemen must be extended and improved to shift the circumstances driving widespread hunger, disease and suffering across the country. Shane Stevenson, Oxfam’s Country Director in Yemen, said: “If Al-Hudaydah port is shut down again, millions of Yemenis will suffer without the food, fuel and clean water they need to survive. All parties to this seemingly never-ending war are playing with fire and need to stop callously jeopardising people's lives.”

The blockade on all of Yemen’s entry points in November 2017 by the Saudi-led coalition led to dramatic food and fuel shortages, and related price increases that have deprived people of access to clean water, food and health care. More than one million suspected cases of cholera have been identified in Yemen, and hundreds are now affected by diphtheria. A continued blockade, or lack of action to ensure sustained certainty of imports, will push Yemen over the edge with irreversible consequences.

Tamer Kirolos, Save the Children’s Country Director in Yemen, said: "Millions of Yemenis are in urgent need of food, medicines and fuel which can be shipped through Hudaydah port if the SLC blockade is fully lifted and the port works at its full capacity. The entire country is struggling for survival and children are, as always, the worst affected. There is no viable alternative to a fully functioning and accessible Hudaydah Port. Plans or deals by any party to the conflict that ignore this fact will only deepen the misery of the Yemeni people and hinder the work of the humanitarian community to save lives and alleviate suffering.”

The reported impending delivery of new cranes to Hudaydah is a welcome sign of goodwill, and a positive step to increasing capacity at Yemen’s most vital port. To continue this progress, the undersigned agencies now call on the Coalition to extend this further, by opening Hudaydah Port without conditions or timeframes that impinge on the flow of critical commercial supplies. We reiterate how critical Yemen’s Red Sea ports are to ensuring the flow of supplies is as quick, costeffective and secure as possible; no other ports have the capacity to replace the function of Hudaydah. We call on the international community to speak up and take responsibility for ensuring people in Yemen can access enough food to survive. It is beyond time to apply all diplomatic pressure to push the parties to make the humane choices needed to end this conflict.

Agency sign on by:

• ACTED • Action Against Hunger • CARE International • Danish Refugee Council • Global Communities • International Rescue Committee • INTERSOS • Medecins du Monde • Mercy Corps • Norwegian Refugee Council • Oxfam • Relief International • Save the Children • Search for Common Ground • Vision Hope International • War Child UK • ZOA

The Saudi-led Coalition's newly launched Yemen Comprehensive Humanitarian Operation (YCHO) plan pledges a welcome injection of funding to Yemen's 2018 Humanitarian Response Plan, for which $2.96 billion is urgently needed to help tackle the world's biggest humanitarian crisis.

While initiatives to address Yemen's critical needs in line with humanitarian principles are very welcome, the YCHO has been developed without consultation with the majority of operational aid agencies on the ground in Yemen, many of whom have been responding to critical humanitarian needs across Yemen throughout the three-year deterioration. International non-government organisations are now waiting for more information on the plan's proposed approaches, including humanitarian corridors and development of port infrastructure. We remain concerned that the blockade on Red Sea ports has still not been fully lifted and about the insufficient volume of fuel reaching these, which has led to an increase in the price of basic goods across the country. As a result, we are seeing families pushed into preventable disease and starvation because they cannot afford to buy food and clean water.

Hodeidah port handles the majority of the country's imports and cannot be substituted. It is vital that the warring parties commit to keep Hodeidah port fully open and functioning, including unfettered access for both humanitarian and commercial supplies. Actions from all parties to Yemen's conflict that hinder the flow of critical supplies create undue suffering for civilians and are highly counterproductive to addressing humanitarian needs. Yemen's current crisis is entirely man-made and requires more than humanitarian action to be undone. Across Yemen, continued fighting and air bombardment is destroying vital infrastructure and creating unacceptable civilian casualties, with hundreds of people killed in December alone. The collapse of the economy, household incomes and basic services like healthcare and schools as a result of the conflict is having a devastating effect on children — every day, dozens of young children are dying from hunger and disease, and 75% of Yemeni children are out of school.

INGO's in Yemen welcome humanitarian initiatives but call on parties to the conflict to look beyond measures that focus solely on the current crisis, and address the ongoing violence that is driving it. There is no military solution to the conflict in Yemen, and no amount of money that can prevent its impact on civilians. The only way to reverse this crisis is for all sides to return to negotiations and reach a comprehensive peace deal.

Action Against Hunger ACTED
ADRA International Rescue Committee
INTERSOS
Mercy Corps
Norwegian Refugee Council
Oxfam
Relief International
Save the Children
Solidarites International
ZOA

We, the 61 undersigned National and International Non-Government Organizations (NGOs), members of Agency Coordinating Body for Afghan Relief and Development (ACBAR), condemn in the strongest terms the atrocious attack on NGO offices in Jalalabad (Nangarhar) on Wednesday 24 January. It has been reported that there is a loss of at least 7 lives, more than 31 people injured, including five children. We would like to pass our condolences to the families of the victims of this atrocious attack.

NGOs in Afghanistan are often the first line of response for those in need. In 2017, through the support of NGOs alongside other humanitarian actors, well over 3.4 million people across Afghanistan received food, water, shelter and other life-saving assistance to meet their most basic needs.

“It is of the upmost importance that NGOs are able to act in circumstances of extreme humanitarian need, including in situations of armed conflict, with the assurance that their personnel, their property, and their activities will not be directly or indirectly attacked”, states Fiona Gall, director of ACBAR. Such an atrocious attack is a clear violation of International Humanitarian Law. We therefore demand a rapid, independent and transparent investigation into how and why this incident occurred.

This is not an isolated incident. Attacks on humanitarian workers are a common occurrence in Afghanistan. Over the last year, there have been 156 attacks on aid workers committed by actors involved in the current conflict. This includes 17 aid workers who have been killed as they attempted to provide life-saving humanitarian assistance including food, safe drinking water and healthcare to those most in need.

Attacks on humanitarian actors are attacks on the people we are trying to serve. Ultimately, any attack, intimidation, violence or threat against aid workers will result in delays in aid implementation or even the withdrawal of aid altogether - negatively impacting the welfare of the most vulnerable people of Afghanistan.

The provision of life-saving humanitarian assistance is a neutral act, protected under International Humanitarian Law. We call on all parties to the Afghan conflict to respect the neutrality of NGOs, their staff and their facilities, as well as to respect International Humanitarian Law, which provides protection to aid workers and civilians.

“Across the world, the number of violent attacks against aid workers is increasing. It is taking place in a context of “normalization” of the use of violence against civilians and aid workers in conflicts settings. It is an overall erosion of respect humanity and humanitarian work”, says Kinga Komorowska (Country Director, Action Against Hunger).

Despite the United Nations Security Resolution 2175 (2014) condemning all attacks on aid workers, a culture of impunity continues to exist. Following discussions at the World Humanitarian Summit in 2016, as NGOs operating in Afghanistan, we re-emphasise the need for all actors to respect International Humanitarian Law and to condemn all attacks on aid workers and civilians. As a concrete commitment to the protection of all aid workers, we call upon the international system to explore legal and judicial mechanisms to ensure protection of our staff from violence, as well as accountability after violence has been perpetrated, with the introduction of a Special Representative for Strengthening the Protection of Aid Workers.

Concrete action is needed to ensure protection of all aid-workers as we, the NGO-community in Afghanistan continue in our work to support those most in need in Afghanistan

Signatories:

AAA - Action Aid Afghanistan
AABRAR - Afghan Amputee Bicyclists For Rehabilitation And Recreation
AADRO - Afghan Australian Development and Rehabilitation Organization
ACF - Action Against Hunger
ACKU - Afghanistan Center at Kabul University
ACTED - Agence d'aide a la Cooperation Technique et au Development
ADA - Afghanistan Development Association
ADRA - Adventist Development and Relief Agency International
AfghanAid - Afghanaid
AFRANE - Amitie Franco-Afghane
AHDAA - Agency For Humanitarian and Development Assistance For Afghanistan
AHDS - Afghan Health and Development Services
ASAARO - Afghan Social And Agriculture Affairs Rehabilitation Organization
AWRC - Afghan Women's Resource Center
CARE - Cooperative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere
CHA - Coordination of Humanitarian Assistance
CoAR - Coordination of Afghan Relief
Cordaid - Catholic Organization for Relief and Development Aid
CWW - Concern World Wide
DACAAR - Danish Committee for Aid to Afghan Refugees
DAO - Development and Ability Organization
DCA - Dutch Committee for Afghanistan
DRC - Danish Refugee Council
FRDO - Female Rehabilitation And Development Organization
GERES - Group for the Environment, Renewable Energy and Solidarity
GNI - Good Neighbours International
GWO - Green Way Organization
HI - Handicap International
HIHAO- Hand In Hand Afghanistan Organization
IMC - International Medical Corps
INTERSOS - Intersos
IRC - International Rescue Committee
JUH - The Johanniter-Unfall-Hilfe
JVC - Japan International Volunteer Center
LC - La Chaine de Espoir
MADERA - Mission d' Aid au Development des Economies Rurales Programme Afghanistan
MCA - Mercy Corps Afghanistan
MEDAIR - MEDAIR
NAC - Norwegian Afghanistan Committee
OXFAM - Oxfam PARSA - Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation and Support for Afghanistan
PIN - People In Need
PU-AMI - Première Urgence - Aide Medicale Internationale
RI - Relief International
RRAA - Rural Rehabilitation Association for Afghanistan
SCA - Swedish Committee for Afghanistan
SCI - Save the Children
SDO - Sanayee Development Organization
SERVE - Serving Emergency Relief and Vocational Enterprises
SI - Solidarity International
SVA - Shanti Volunteer Association
TACT - Today's Afghanistan Conciliation Trust
TCOW - The Children Of War
TdH - Terre Des Hommes
TEO - Tashabos Educational Organization
THRA - Training Human Rights Association for Afghan Women
THT - The HALO Trust
WCC - War Child Canada
WF - Womanity Foundation
WHH - Deutsche Welthunger

Notes to Editor:

1. All further enquiries to be directed to Fiona Gall, Director of ACBAR, phone: +93706602570, email: director@acbar.org Or Aynur Tekin, Advocacy Manager of ACBAR, phone: +93729129640, email: advocacymanager@acbar.org

3 April 2018, Geneva

This statement is made on behalf of 22 international NGOs current working in Yemen.

INGOs are delivering life-saving humanitarian assistance to millions of vulnerable Yemenis, despite the complex and serious nature of the security situation and sustained bureaucratic access constraints.

For the record, we would like to formally acknowledge the dedication and commitment of all national, international and UN humanitarian aid workers in Yemen. Delivering humanitarian assistance in Yemen is neither safe nor simple, particularly for the thousands of Yemeni staff whose work to deliver shows fortitude and courage.

The reality is that despite these gallant efforts, the humanitarian response is still failing to meet the basic needs of the 22 million Yemenis requiring assistance and protection. Yemeni people are dying of preventable illnesses, and the number on the brink of famine continues to rise.

As INGOs we are grateful for the financial commitments made by member states here today, but more is needed to tackle a humanitarian catastrophe of the scale we see in Yemen. What we need is a marked increase in engagement from the international community in the complexities of this conflict in order to reduce the suffering of the Yemeni people.

Therefore, today, INGOs are inviting donors and high-level Ministerial visits to Yemen, to enable you to ground your engagement and approach to supporting the country.

• By being in Yemen you will better understand the short term but also the longer term needs of the Yemeni people, delve into the narrative and stories behind the figures cited in the HNO today. To understand the needs of the two million people that have fled their homes, the plight of the unpaid health worker, the frustration of the teachers with a classroom of hungry children, and the fear the conflict brings to daily life.

• By being in Yemen you will better understand the grounded realities of delivering humanitarian aid and to be better placed to help resolve the daily impediments in delivering that support; to experience the frustration that comes from knowing that people are suffering because we are being prevented from reaching them - that more people could be helped if administration processes were fast tracked and security improved.

• By being in Yemen you will better understand the modalities of the humanitarian response and the need for increased funding for livelihoods, community resilience building, and kick start the process of early recovery in parts of the country where there is some stability.

• By being in Yemen you will better understand the devastation created by the failure of authorities to pay public servants for nearly two years. We need you to take responsibility for finding modalities to address this, and ensure hospitals, schools and water networks are operational.

• By being in Yemen you will better understand that restrictions in imports and unstable supply chains lead to critical shortages, and to see the impact of inflated prices across basic commodities such as food, fuel and medicines.

• By being in Yemen you will better understand that the future of the country is at risk as close to 2 million children are denied access to education.

• Finally, by being in Yemen you will foster and strengthen engagement with all important stakeholders. We need leadership from the international community that doesn’t just passively support a peace process but takes an active role in driving it forward.

• Despite the generosity of member states and the gallant efforts of the humanitarian response, the plight of the Yemeni people continues to deteriorate. We are all fearful that another year will pass, no progress will be made, and more people will suffer and die.

Ce document a pour objectif d’identifier les éléments communs aux projets RRM qui seront mis en œuvre courant 2017 par ACTED, DRC et IRC dans la région de Diffa.

L’objectif

Le RRM a comme objectif l’amélioration des conditions de vie des populations qui ont été affectées par un mouvement de population (déplacement ou retour) suite à un choc (conflit armé, épidémie, ou catastrophe naturelle). Il adressera entre autres :

• les vulnérabilités les plus aiguës ;

• les zones en complexité d’accès (physique, sécuritaire) ;

• les zones caractérisées par le manque d’acteurs.

Les cibles assistées

Les personnes ciblées dans le cadre du RRM sont les populations affectées par un choc récent ou accessible récemment (moins de 3 mois). Le ciblage en vue de l’assistance se fera sur base de vulnérabilité définie d’après les résultats de l’évaluation multisectorielle – MSA et non du statut.

Le Mécanisme de Réponse Rapide (RRM) a pour objectif l’amélioration des conditions de vie des populations qui ont été affectées par un mouvement de population (déplacement ou retour) suite à un choc (conflit armé, épidémie, ou catastrophe naturelle). Les activités du RRM sont (1) le pré-positionnement de fonds, de stocks et de ressources humaines, (2) la veille humanitaire et Evaluations multisectorielles (MSA), (3) Intervention multisectorielle : Abris/NFI, WASH, Sécurité alimentaire et Protection. Le RRM est financé au Niger par ECHO. Les partenaires de mise en œuvre du RRM à Diffa sont: ACTED, DRC, IRC avec la participation du PAM et l’appui de UNICEF et OCHA.

INTRODUCTION

La mission inter-agences à Ménaka a été motivée par la nécessité d’avoir une lecture globale et consensuelle de la situation humanitaire après la création de la nouvelle région de Ménaka, et une réponse adéquate aux besoins multisectoriels et croissants des populations cibles. La mission s’est déroulée du 22 au 28 novembre 2016, avec la participation de représentants d’OCHA, de la FAO, du PAM, de l’UNICEF, de l’UNHCR, du PNUD et de l’OMS.

Objectifs :

• Confirmer le nombre de personnes et ménages déplacés, retournés et rapatriés volontaires dans la région en indiquant leurs localisations actuelles ;

• Evaluer les besoins humanitaires prioritaires et urgents des populations vulnérables parmi les populations hôtes, déplacées, retournées et rapatriées en termes de protection, assistance alimentaire et nutritionnelle, santé, abris, éducation, WASH, etc ;

• Déterminer les zones prioritaires à envisager dans la région dans le cadre d’une réponse humanitaire, de résilience et de cohésion sociale ;

• S’enquérir des conditions d’accès des populations aux services sociaux de base et au marché et faire un état des lieux des infrastructures sociales de base dans la zone ;

• Constater le degré de coexistence communautaire et de cohabitation pacifique entre les communautés, particulièrement entre les retournés/rapatriés et les communautés hôtes ;

• Organiser des rencontres bilatérales entre les Agences et leurs partenaires d’exécution, ainsi qu’avec les bénéficiaires.

Résultats attendus :

 Le nombre de déplacés, rapatriés, retournés spontanés, leur localisation par commune dans la région de Ménaka sont estimés ;

• Les besoins humanitaires prioritaires sont connus par secteur sur base de la vulnérabilité au sein de la population hôte, déplacée, retournée et rapatriée ;

• Les conditions d’accès des populations aux services sociaux de base et au marché sont connues ;

• Les données sur les élèves et les enseignants dans les écoles, ainsi que leurs contraintes de fonctionnement sont connues ;

• Les besoins en biens domestiques et les conditions d’approvisionnement en eau dans le chef-lieu de région et les localités rurales sont connus ;

• Les zones de tensions et/ou sources de conflits inter et intracommunautaires sont identifiées ;

• Les agences font le suivi de leurs activités en rencontrant leurs ONG partenaires et leurs bénéficiaires.

Méthodologie :

Outre l’exploitation d’outils d’évaluation multisectorielle synthétique, à travers des interviews individuelles, il a été procédé à des groupes de discussion, des rencontres avec les autorités locales, les délégués de la société civile (femmes, jeunes et leaders communautaires), les ONG humanitaires, services étatiques et techniques déconcentrés, ainsi qu’avec des rapatriés, déplacés internes et populations hôtes présentes dans la région. Au total, quinze rencontres se sont déroulées sous forme de groupes de discussion à Ménaka ou en plénière dans la localité d’Andéramboukane, avec la participation de cent quarante personnes.
Six visites et observations directes ont par ailleurs été réalisées sur les infrastructures (école, cantine scolaire, centre de santé, champs, pâturages, points d’eau).
Le présent rapport de mission, produit par les membres de la mission et détaillant les résultats de l’évaluation, est soumis à l’appréciation du GIAC (Groupe inter-agences de coordination) régional avec des recommandations et points d’actions, mais aussi aux clusters et à l’Equipe Humanitaire Pays au niveau national.

11 June 2018 - INGOs in Yemen today warned that any further escalation of violence around the port city Hodeidah could have catastrophic consequences. Humanitarian organizations fear an imminent attack on the city given developments on the ground over recent weeks.

If an attack does take place, it is likely to have a catastrophic impact on the civilian population as large parts of the Yemeni population will be at risk of displacement, disease and worsening food insecurity, including possible famine. Food imports have already reached the lowest levels since the conflict started and the price of basic commodities has risen by a third. Seventeen million people in Yemen are already food insecure, and Hodeidah governorate is already in crisis.[1] People’s coping mechanisms are exhausted.

We are gravely concerned that in the absence of commercial imports in case of an attack on the port for any length of time, parts of the population could experience famine.[2] As the UN Humanitarian Coordinator Lise Grande said “as many as 250,000 people may lose everything— even their lives,”[3] if there is a military attack on Hodeidah port.

In order to prevent thousands of civilian casualties, mass displacement, and possible famine, as well as the breakdown of current peace efforts of UN Special Envoy Martin Griffiths, we urge all parties to the conflict to refrain from any further military activities in and around Hodeidah city and the ports of Hodeidah and Saleef. Both ports provide the lifeline to around two thirds of the Yemeni population.

We call on all parties to the conflict to immediately cease violence, keep the ports of Hodeidah and Saleef open and fully functional, and uphold their obligations under International Humanitarian Law to protect the civilian population from the worst impacts of the violence.

Signatories:

Action contra la Faim

ACTED

Adra

Care International

Danish Refugee Council

Global Communities

Handicap International

International Medical Corps

Intersos

International Rescue Committee

Islamic Relief

Mercy Corps

Medecins du Monde

NRC

Oxfam

Première Urgence – Aide Médicale Internationale

Relief International

Save the Children

Solidarités International

War Child UK

ZOA

[1] Yemen IPC Analysis, March-July 2017, https://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/yemen-ipc-analysis-summary-findings-acute-food-insecurity-current-situation-overview-0

[2] According to latest FewsNet statement from May 2018 https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/Yemen%20-%20Key%20Message%20Update_%20Thu%2C%202018-05-31.pdf

[3] Reuters, “U.N. says assault on Yemeni port could cost 250,000 civilian lives”, 8 June 2018, https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-yemen-security/u-n-says-assault-on-yemens-hodeidah-port-could-cost-250000-lives-idUKKCN1J40ZI?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews

June 14, 2018 - International aid groups working in Yemen today expressed outrage at the loss of human life that has resulted from a military assault on Hodeidah city and its port and accused the attackers of a total disregard for human suffering. The consequences of this attack will be nothing but catastrophic for the people of Hodeidah, as well as for the rest of the population across the country who rely on Hodeidah’s port for food, fuel and commercial goods, including life-saving supplies of medicines. Two-thirds of Yemen’s population are directly served by the port.

The current military intervention in Hodeidah is leaving hundreds of thousands of women, men and children stranded without any support or access to humanitarian aid. We are extremely worried about not being able to reach people in need as the warring parties advance, leaving civilians caught in the middle. We reiterate in the strongest possible terms that there is no military solution to this conflict. The only solution is to return to a viable peace process.

We also call on the international community to exert pressure on the warring parties to immediately halt the violence and return to meaningful dialogue.

Signatories:

CARE International

International Rescue Committee

Mercy Corps

Danish Refugee Council

Oxfam

International Training and Development Center

Global Communities

Save the Children

ZOA

Norwegian Refugee Council

SAFERWORLD

ACTED

Relief International

ADRA: Adventist Development and Relief Agency International

Action Against Hunger

Medecins Du Monde

INTERSOS

NGOs call for comprehensive response to Drought in Afghanistan:

4th July 2018, Kabul, Afghanistan

Afghanistan remains one of the worst funded of the large crises around the world. Millions of people are in need of humanitarian assistance, mostly due to conflict, rapid-onset natural disasters and situations of protracted displacement. So far this year only 29% of the Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) is funded; but on top of the initial response plan, a drought is further escalating needs.

Below average precipitation since October 2017, has destroyed and degraded agriculture and livelihoods, significantly increasing the number of people in need. For example, in Kandiwal, a village of 300 families in Ghor province, only 15 families had cultivated their crop this year. At least 40 families from there had already moved to Herat, joining at least 2,000 drought-displaced families. In the North and NorthEastern regions, only 68% of rain-fed land cultivated last year was cultivated this year and the price of goats is almost two times less compared to the previous year. Approximately 30% of the population of Chakhansoor district, Nimroz, have abandoned their villages because they were unable to meet their basic needs, moving towards the already overpopulated provincial capital of Zaranj, across the border into Iran, or towards Europe, where they face increased protection risks.

The situation for those who have already been displaced by drought and conflict is dire. Many lack access to safe drinking water, shelter or adequate sanitation facilities and diseases such as diarrhoea, as well as malnutrition, are widespread among drought-induced IDPs. Greater leadership from the clusters, particularly at a field level, is required to address this situation.

Whilst resource mobilisation to address these immediate needs has started, the current levels of funding are likely to be insufficient to meet growing needs – especially if more people displace. As such, in addition to providing necessary emergency assistance to IDPs, the aid community must structure the response in a way that ensures both the immediate and longer-term needs of drought-affected communities in their areas of origin are equally addressed. Thereby providing drought-affected communities in their areas of origin with equal access to assistance and helping prevent further forced displacement.

In addition to emergency assistance, resources are required for early recovery and resilience to provide sustainable livelihoods for communities in their areas of origin. The current drought is likely to cause a protracted crisis. The negative impact of the drought on harvests will deprive many families of income and sustenance until the next harvest season and potentially beyond as many families, who have not cultivated this season, will lack seeds to plant for the next harvest – effectively creating a vicious cycle of deprivation for the years to come. Without this investment, the situation for drought affected communities is likely to become more protracted, negatively impacting future harvests, discouraging those already displaced from returning and may cause a further drift into urban centres and provincial capitals increasing the strain on resources on local communities as well as displaced households.

Currently linkages between the mobilised resources for emergency response and longer-term resilience, early recovery and development interventions are severely lacking. Humanitarian and Development donors must work together to strengthen these links and ensure adequate resources for long-term support in response to the drought. In particular, development actors must be engaged from the very beginning of the response to ensure that their investments in agricultural and community-based development projects continue and receive extra-attention to ensure they are sensitive to the impact of the drought. In addition, given the protracted nature of this crisis, the need to promote early-recovery and resilience should be reflected in Humanitarian programme cycle planning and annual updates to the 2018-2021 HRP.

The response must be guided by the principle of ‘Do No Harm’. Emergency assistance to droughtinduced IDPs should be a last resort. Without the additional assistance to drought-affected communities in their areas of origin – humanitarian assistance to IDPs risks becoming a pull factor and encouraging further displacement. This displacement has already caused additional protection concerns linked with the inability to access safe shelter, the lack of safe water, the absence of adequate sanitation facilities. In addition, several incidents of violence and increased tensions between host communities and IDPs have occurred in cities such as Qal-e-Naw, Badghis and Injil, Herat. It is therefore important to involve both host communities and IDPs, from the beginning of any response and where necessary allocate a proportion of resources to target particularly vulnerable host families.

Drought-induced displacement has also increased the protection issues faced by those who have remained in their villages. In Nimroz, up to 30% of males have left their villages to find work in Zaranj or Iran. Without a male family member to act as their Mahram (Guardian), many women and children have decreased mobility in their day to day lives due to existing cultural norms that do not allow for women and children to travel without a male companion, which means that in some cases, they are unable to access medical treatment should they need it. A targeted response in areas affected by drought is required in order to minimise the risk of creating a ‘pull factor’ for displacement, decrease further strain on local communities in urban centres as well as the IDPs themselves, and support those potentially unable to leave drought stricken areas.

Finally, an enabling operating environment is required in order to respond effectively to the immediate and long-term needs of drought-affected communities. Humanitarian access continues to be an issue in many provinces of Afghanistan. All actors, including Non-State Armed Groups (NSAGs), must facilitate safe and unhindered access to communities affected by the drought. In addition, NGOs currently face a number of bureaucratic constraints in the implementation of their response to ongoing needs in Afghanistan resulting from conflict, displacement and natural disasters. In particular, the complexity of the current MOU process leads to significant delays in the implementation of current programmes. Given the critical situation, humanitarian actors should be exempt from this process in adherence to article 23 of the NGO law, to operate in lieu of a MOU when a humanitarian crisis such as drought requires immediate, independent, and effective response.

RECOMMENDATIONS:

1. Humanitarian and Development actors must work together to produce a comprehensive, protectionsensitive response strategy to the drought, in both areas of displacement and origin, to respond to the emergency and to support early return and recovery, as well as resilience-building, to be integrated into the multi-year HRP update this year. Donor resources must be made available accordingly

2. Protection risks must be adequately analysed and responded to, through both host and displaced community participation, to prevent recourse into harmful coping strategies, including resorting to irregular immigration into Iran and beyond

3. Cluster Lead Agencies must demonstrate greater leadership, particularly at a field level, to take prompt action by better coordinating responses and more clearly understanding needs, and effectively dealing with potential obstruction from local and national stakeholders.

For more information please contact Anthony Neal, ACF Advocacy Expert - Afghanistan, advocacy@af-actionagainsthunger.org

As the UN Security Council meets in New York to mark one year since nearly 700,000 Rohingya refugees fled to neighboring Bangladesh, International Non-Governmental Organisations (INGOs) working in Myanmar say 600,000 Rohingya still left in Myanmar face daily discrimination and human rights abuses, making conditions unsafe for refugees to return. INGOs urge the Security Council to use the one-year anniversary as an opportunity to step up pressure on the government of Myanmar to take action on three critical areas: addressing the root causes of the crisis in Rakhine State; ensuring accountability for human rights violations and improving humanitarian access.

Discriminatory policies mean that Rohingya communities in Rakhine State continue to lack citizenship and face restrictions on their freedom of movement, impeding their ability to go to school, seek medical care, find jobs or visit friends and family. 128,000 Rohingya and other Muslim communities remain trapped in closed camps in central Rakhine for the sixth year since the intercommunal violence of 2012. Although some steps have been taken to relocate camp residents to new sites, the displaced communities have not been adequately consulted, are unable to return to their original homes, or another location of their choice, and continue to lack freedom of movement, access to jobs and services, thus further entrenching their confinement and segregation.

At the same time, a full and independent international investigation into human rights violations – sexual violence, killings, beatings and destruction of homes and properties – that caused refugees to flee has not happened and the perpetrators who facilitated these abuses have not been brought to justice. The rights violations committed in Rakhine State are part of a pattern of ongoing military abuses against ethnic minorities throughout Myanmar, including in Kachin State, Shan State and the southeast of the country.

Humanitarian organizations working throughout Rakhine State continue to face serious restrictions on their access to affected communities and bureaucratic and administrative barriers hamper their ability to carry out their daily work. In northern Rakhine, from where the majority of refugees in Bangladesh fled, full humanitarian access for most organizations has not been restored more than one year since restrictions were first put in place. Although a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between UNHCR, UNDP and the Government of Myanmar in June with a view to enabling both agencies to resume operations in northern Rakhine, they still await full, unfettered access, and have not yet been able to begin the work of supporting affected communities and monitoring conditions.

The recommendations of the Kofi Annan-led Advisory Commission on Rakhine, published one year ago, provide the best roadmap for addressing the root causes of the crisis in Rakhine State, improving the lives of all communities and creating the conditions for an inclusive, fair and prosperous society for all the people in Rakhine. INGOs welcome the progress made by the Government of Myanmar in implementing some of the recommendations, including those related to improving development and infrastructure, such as building new roads, schools, and hospitals, but conclude that not enough progress has been made in addressing structural human rights issues or in creating an environment where all communities can benefit from these developments without discrimination. Without citizenship rights and freedom of movement, Rohingya communities in Rakhine State cannot equally benefit from improved development and refugees in Bangladesh will not feel safe to return.

INGOs call on the UN Security Council to set time-bound and measurable targets for the Government of Myanmar to make meaningful progress in all three of these areas and to hold regular public meetings on the crisis.

Specifically, the Security Council should call on the Government of Myanmar to implement the recommendations of the Advisory Commission in their entirety, including addressing structural problems of discrimination, restrictions on movement and denial of citizenship faced by Rohingya communities. Implementation of the Advisory Commission recommendations also requires listening to the perspectives of all ethnic groups in Rakhine in an effort to break down the divisions that have pitted communities against each other.

Second, the Security Council should request the government of Myanmar to grant full and unfettered access for humanitarian organizations to all parts of Rakhine State as well as full access for independent media and journalists.

And finally, it should step up efforts with the government of Myanmar to allow independent human rights investigators full and unimpeded access to investigate human rights abuses, gather untampered evidence and refer cases to an international tribunal. The Security Council must send a strong message to the Government of Myanmar to end impunity and prevent future violations.

Unless these measures are implemented, the international community risks perpetuating impunity and cementing segregation in Rakhine State for decades to come.

ACTED
Action Aid Myanmar Action Contre La Faim
Care International
Christian Aid
Consortium of Dutch NGOs
Danish Refugee Council
International Commission of Jurists
International Rescue Committee
Malteser International
Medecins du Monde
Mercy Corps
Norwegian Refugee Council
Oxfam International
People in Need
Plan International
Save the Children International
Solidarites International
Welthungerhilfe
World Vision International

With the crisis entering its ninth year and showing no signs of abating despite recent efforts, 10.7 million people continue to be in urgent need of life-saving assistance across north-east Nigeria, far-north Cameroon, Western Chad and south-east Niger. Nearly 2.4 million people are displaced with fresh waves of violence and human rights abuses resulting in thousands arriving into congested sites on a weekly basis. Destruction of infrastructure and limited access to basic services due to insecurity have resulted in people having limited or no access to food, water, shelter, health, education and protection leaving them dependent on aid and in need of assistance to rebuild their communities and their ability to provide for their families.

Political attention must remain focused on the ongoing crisis in the Lake Chad Basin. Despite efforts to date, the level of acute emergency needs continues to exceed available resources. Renewed support is needed to empower affected communities as agents of their own change and build on existing coping mechanisms. In order to bend the vulnerability curve and bring communities on to the path of sustainable development, community led resilience and development-orientated activities need to be scaled up in parallel to urgent life-saving assistance.

Humanitarian organisations operating in Yemen strongly support and welcome the consultation meeting in Geneva as a first step being taken by parties to the conflict towards a political resolution.

As INGOs working in Yemen, every day we witness the devastating impact of the conflict on the lives of ordinary people, and the deteriorating humanitarian situation.

Save the Children's Yemen Country Director Tamer Kirolos said it was time to put an end to the suffering of millions of Yemeni children and their families.

“For close to four years, the children of Yemen have been subjected to violations of their rights from all parties to this conflict. It’s time to put aside strategic and political ambition and consider the future of this country – the children whose lives have until this point been so recklessly treated."

Liny Suharlim, Country Director of ACTED said the international community must do its all to ensure the people of Yemen were protected from further violence and hardship.

“Conditions in Yemen are dire with more than two million people displaced from their homes, and more than eight million not knowing where their next meal will come from. Meanwhile, we remain fearful of another wave of cholera sweeping through the population with devastating effects. The humanitarian assistance we provide is a critical stopgap within a catastrophe that will only be curbed with the implementation of an inclusive and just political solution.”

A commitment from parties to the conflict to engage in an inclusive political process is now absolutely critical. The voices of women, youth and civil society are indispensable to have the needs of all parts of Yemeni society addressed. Peace in Yemen is the only way forward.

INGOs working in Yemen are extremely worried about the new escalation of fighting in Hodeidah and the closure of key routes between Hodeidah city and the north and east of the country. The humanitarian catastrophe that has been unfolding in al-Durayhimi and the south of Hodeidah governorate will likely spread to the rest of the governorate and trigger another wave of internally displaced persons. Nearly 470,000 people have already fled Hodeidah since June, fearing for their lives amidst airstrikes and fighting on the ground.
Audrey Crawford, DRC’s Country Director in Yemen says: “We are equally worried about the likely closure of the port of Hodeidah, through which 70% of supplies are shipped. With rates of malnutrition and disease running high, the port is a vital lifeline for millions of Yemenis who are dependent on aid.” “Given the currency crisis and rapid increase of prices even for the most basic food supplies, the closure of the port, as well as transport routes from Hodeidah to other parts of the country, would have a devastating impact on the 17.8 million people in Yemen who are food insecure,” states Ephraim Palmero, Country Director of ADRA in Yemen. “This could lead to widespread famine.” We urge all parties to the conflict to immediately stop the fighting in and around Hodeidah, and convene for consultations under the guidance of UNSE Martin Griffiths. There is no military solution to this war; the first step towards finding a political solution to the conflict must be taken now to protect the people of Yemen. Fighting and violence have devastating humanitarian consequences: displacement, disease, hunger and death, with children being amongst the most vulnerable to all of these. The people of Yemen cannot wait any longer for peace.

ENDS