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West and Central Africa: Weekly Regional Humanitarian Snapshot (18 – 24 February 2020)

Pays
Mali
+ 3
Sources
OCHA
Date de publication

BURKINA FASO

SPIKE IN DISPLACEMENT

Since December 2019, the number of internally displaced persons in the country has seen a 36 per cent increase. According to UNHCR, violence has been forcing an average of 4,000 people a day to flee their homes since the beginning of the year. An estimated 150,000 newly displaced people have been recorded in the first three weeks of February alone, bringing the total number to 765,517 IDPs.

CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC

23 PEOPLE KILLED IN BIRAO CLASHES

On 16 February, armed men stormed Birao town, in north-eastern Central African Republic, leading to clashes between different armed groups, killing 23 people and wounding 22 others. Over 3,000 people fled their homes along the Boura-Birao road for safety. This incident triggered inter-communal clashes among displaced communities in the area and led to the suspension of some aid operations. On 18 February, the United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator for CAR visited Birao to meet with people affected by the recent violence and to further assess the situation on the ground. In total, 12,498 IDPs have been registered in all three sites of Birao town, and numbers continue to increase, stretching response capacities.

SAHEL REGION

ECOWAS ADDRESSES DETERIORATING FOOD SECURITY

ECOWAS, in collaboration with technical and financial partners, led a high-level two-day meeting from 17 to 18 February in Niamey, aiming at discussing sustainable solutions to the food and nutritional crisis in the Sahel and West Africa. According to the “Cadre harmonisé”, around 8.54 million people are facing food insecurity at “crisis” levels within the region. Experts estimate that the current figure could reach 12.6 million people during the upcoming lean season, if appropriate measures are not taken immediately.

MALI

30 CIVILIANS KILLED IN MOPTI

On 14 February, unidentified armed assailants attacked the village of Ogossagou, in the Bankass circle of central Mopti region. The attack claimed the lives of 30 civilians and left several injured. An unknown number of people are missing. Many houses and food stocks were also torched. Following the attack, a humanitarian assessment was carried out on 15 February, identifying protection, food, non-food items, shelter and health as urgent needs. Multisectoral assistance is being provided by humanitarian partners, including emergency food, water and sanitation, health, and the deployment of a mobile clinic on site. On 23 March 2019, 160 civilians were killed in the same village during an attack by unidentified armed men.

NIGERIA

THOUSANDS NEWLY DISPLACED IN BORNO

Multiplying attacks by non-state armed groups continue to trigger new displacements, particularly along the Maiduguri-Damaturu road, in north-east Nigeria. Influxes have been recorded almost every day in camps and communities in the Borno State capital of Maiduguri, where resources and facilities are stretched to capacity. Over the last two weeks alone, a recent spike in violence forced close to 700 households to flee their homes in Konduga LGA, 35 km south-west of Maiduguri. On 17 February, some displaced families were offered shelter at the Stadium camp, where they also received food and essential items. Humanitarian partners expect more displaced families to arrive, despite the lack of hosting capacity in town. OCHA is stepping up advocacy efforts to emphasize the necessity of establishing new camps and discourage the unilateral movement of displaced communities by authorities to congested camps in the capital. In Borno state, one out of every two camps is congested.

UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs: To learn more about OCHA's activities, please visit https://www.unocha.org/.