Skip to main content

West and Central Africa: Weekly Regional Humanitarian Snapshot (12 - 18 October 2021)

Countries
Cameroon
+ 3 more
Sources
OCHA
Publication date

CAMEROON

7 VILLAGERS KILLED IN ATTACK

On 6 October, armed men stormed the village of Assighassia in Mayo-Tsanaga division, in the Far North region, killing seven people, injuring two and looting shops and houses. Since July 2021, the security situation in the Mayo-Tsanaga division has been deteriorating due to non-state armed group (NSAG) operations along the border with Nigeria and in the Lake Chad area. In September 2021, insecurity led to the desertion of many villages, causing the displacement of more than 3,475 people in the Mayo-Tsanaga division.

NIGER

OVER 2,000 PEOPLE NEWLY DISPLACED IN TILLABERI REGION

A recent spate of armed attacks and alleged non-state armed group (NSAG) incursions has caused new populations displacements along the border with Burkina Faso and Mali. Over the past weeks, local authorities reported that over 2,000 people fled the village of Boni, in Torodi area, Tillabéri region. Along the Malian border, another 367 people fled their villages and found refuge in Téra town, while others settled in Abala town. Tillabéri region already hosts 99,873 IDPs.

NIGERIA

CHOLERA SPREADS FURTHER INTO BORNO STATE

Health organizations have confirmed the spread of cholera cases in Bama LGA, Borno State, where newly displaced people have been arriving since May. Some of the new arrivals are coming from remote locations where there is no access to healthcare services. Initial cases of acute watery diarrhoea (AWD) were reported on 7 October, with 11 cases testing positive for cholera. Health organizations are working to mobilise cholera treatment kits and expand the cholera treatment centre (CTC) as more AWD cases are reported. The spread of cholera to hard-toreach locations with weak health systems is particularly concerning.

DR CONGO

EBOLA VACCINATION ROLLOUT IN BENI

As of 18 October, five confirmed cases of Ebola, including three deaths, have been recorded in North-Kivu province. To curb the spread of the disease, the World Health Organization (WHO) has dispatched a first batch of 200 vaccine doses and infection prevention and control materials to Beni health zone. The vaccination campaign was launched on 13 October, reaching 135 people among high-risk contacts so far. Community mistrust and resistance to decontamination activities remain a challenge in some health zones. The new Ebola epidemic was declared in North Kivu province by the Congolese government on 8 October.

REGIONAL

LOW COVID-19 VACCINATION RATES ACROSS WEST AND CENTRAL AFRICA

As of 19 October, WHO reported 909,203 confirmed cases of COVID19, including 14,043 deaths, in the West and Central Africa region. Through the COVAX initiative and other channels, vaccination campaigns intensified across the region, but vaccination rates remain low at 1 per cent in Burkina Faso, 0.9 per cent in Niger and 0.2 in Chad, as opposed to close to 30 per cent in Cabo Verde.

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