Juba, 26th April 2014

The undersigned non-governmental organisations (NG0s) express deep concern at the serious escalation in violence in South Sudan, which has resulted in the deaths of hundreds of civilians and is exacerbating an already profound humanitarian crisis. We strongly condemn all attacks that have taken place against civilians during this conflict, most recently at the UN peacekeeping base in Bor on 17th April and in the town of Bentiu on 15th-18th April. Civilians have been targeted on the basis of their ethnicity, others indiscriminately killed, and many subjected to unspeakable grave human rights abuses including rape.

Widespread violence against civilians has reportedly been committed since December 2013, but recent events display a serious deepening of the conflict and callous disregard for civilian life and international humanitarian law. So far an estimated 1 million people have been forced from their homes; of these over 90,000 people are sheltering in the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) bases across the country. Thousands of people have fled to the UN peacekeeping base in Bentiu for fear of reprisal attacks in the past week. Many areas outside the main towns remain inaccessible due to security conditions, and it is feared that the number of people affected by the violence and in need of humanitarian assistance could be significantly higher. It is estimated that 3.2 million are at risk of extreme food insecurity, a number that will only rise in coming months. NGOs call on all armed actors to uphold their responsibilities under international humanitarian and human rights law, refrain from targeting civilians, respect the sanctity of civilian spaces, and permit immediate and unconditional humanitarian access to civilians in areas they control.

The most basic needs of civilians in this conflict are growing by the hour. Already strained living conditions for those displaced inside UNMISS bases and outside in remote locations will deteriorate further if more civilians are subjected to violence and forced to flee. UNMISS peacekeepers play a critical role in saving lives. They must be reinforced with immediate and adequate peacekeeping capacities, and existing funding shortfalls need to be addressed. They must be also allowed to take robust action to provide protection to civilians in need. The humanitarian community needs all the support it can get to reduce needless suffering. The international community must rise to the challenge by increasing funding for the humanitarian response and urging all parties to the conflict to immediately stop violence against civilians and allow the safe and unimpeded delivery of humanitarian assistance to those in dire need.

But this conflict will not end through these efforts alone. All parties to the conflict must immediately commit to respecting the cessation of hostilities agreement without exception, resume genuine talks in Addis Ababa and work towards a negotiated, inclusive political settlement.

The NGO community in South Sudan remains steadfast in its commitment to providing humanitarian assistance, wherever needed, in an impartial, neutral and independent manner. The people of South Sudan more than ever deserve our concerted attention and efforts; inaction is not an option.

International NGOs and South Sudanese civil society signatories:

Acted
ACORD
Adeso
Africa Educational Trust
Amref Health Africa
Baptist Relief Agency (BARA)
Better World Campaign
Care International
Caritas Switzerland and Luxembourg
CESVI
Christian Aid
COFAS
Concern Worldwide
Cordaid
COSV
Danish Church Aid
Food for the Hungry
Finn Church Aid
Health Net TPO
InterNews
International Medical Corps
International Rescue Committee
INTERSOS
Johanniter International
Kissito Healthcare International
Lutheran World Federation
Malteser International
Mercy Corps
Mentor initiative
Mine Action Group (MAG)
National Relief and Development Corps (NRDC)
Non Violent Peace Force
Norwegian Refugee Council
Oxfam
Pact
PAH
Plan International
People in Need
Relief International
Red R
Rural Action Against Hunger
Sign of Hope
SNV
Sudan Evangelical Mission
Tearfund
Terres Des Hommes
Theso
Troicaire
World Relief
World Vision
Windle Trust International

Juba, 12 May 2014 – On 20 May 2014, the international community will convene in Oslo, Norway, to discuss how to address the humanitarian crisis in South Sudan. In just under five months since fighting erupted, the situation in South Sudan has deteriorated severely, causing 1.3 million people to flee from their homes, including an estimated 300,000 to neighboring countries. Over 4 million people, including over 2.5 million children, are extremely vulnerable to food insecurity, as people have been displaced from their sources of survival. This crisis is worsening on a daily basis. Humanitarian actors have warned that by the end of this year half of all South Sudanese citizens could experience forced displacement (within the country or as a refugee), severe food insecurity, and/or threats to their protection. The undersigned non-governmental organizations (NGOs) call on the UN member states and others to urgently focus on clear and immediate actions to provide assistance to the people of South Sudan and to rally national, regional and international support to this end. Furthermore, an inclusive and viable political framework for ending conflict is critical. As such, we call for the following seven steps in order to provide coherent assistance to the people of South Sudan.

1) Timely funding of the humanitarian response is critical to saving countless lives, preventing further suffering in the coming months, and supporting resilience to further shocks. Despite some generous contributions, the overall donor response to the humanitarian crisis has been disappointing. The UN humanitarian appeal for South Sudan for January-June 2014 remains sixty-one per cent unfunded. Based on Gross National Income, traditional donors have yet to contribute close to a quarter of their fair share to the emergency response in South Sudan. Aid transparency is an important part of a well coordinated and cost effective response. All donors, traditional and non-traditional, are encouraged to give aid that is proportional to the size of their economy and to fully disclose such donations.

Enabling the delivery of large-scale humanitarian assistance will have a clear and tangible benefit in the immediate term, allowing supplies to be pre-positioned and delivered to affected populations. It will ensure that an already beleaguered population has access to life-saving water, sanitation, healthcare, shelter services and essential items, and to reinforce protection of the most vulnerable, particularly women and children. The Oslo conference presents an opportunity for donors to demonstrate their resolute commitment to addressing the humanitarian needs of the South Sudanese people, by generously contributing and rapidly disbursing funds to the humanitarian appeal and ensuring that all sectors are adequately funded.

2) Protection of and respect for humanitarian staff, installations and operations is vital to allow the delivery of this assistance. Aid workers have been killed and thousands of national staff are unable to work in many areas due to fear of being targeted, and this is significantly undermining the humanitarian response. Aid workers must be free to deliver assistance wherever it is needed, without fear of attack or restrictions placed upon them by parties to the conflict.

In addition to these difficulties, access to people in need and the ability to scale up the humanitarian response are further constrained by the imposition of targeted bureaucratic impediments, including difficulties in obtaining flight clearances and tax exemptions, and the stop-and-search of humanitarian convoys. For example, customs clearances are taking an average of five weeks to obtain.

Donor governments must continue to urge all parties to the conflict to ensure the protection of humanitarian personnel and installations, enable the safe and unfettered movement of such personnel, equipment and supplies, and ease bureaucratic procedures to allow rapid delivery of assistance.

3) In South Sudan political and financial support to the Government of South Sudan has, until now, been generally quite high, but support to the humanitarian needs of the people has sometimes wavered. Whilst recognizing the importance of building national institutions, the recent crisis has highlighted that a focus on ‘state building’ can come at the expense of supporting sustainable peace and development that all South Sudanese can benefit from. At this time, given the humanitarian impacts of the recent crisis, there is an imperative to protect the lives and security of all communities in South Sudan without delay.

In the midst of the conflict, humanitarian partners on the ground have seen many positive examples of community commitments to non-violence and mutual support. In states currently less affected by the conflict, local authorities and leaders are working to protect their communities from slipping into crisis. In those states most affected by violence, NGOs and civil society organizations work tirelessly to provide health, education and other community services to the most vulnerable. While there are, and should be, serious questions about providing support to the parties to the conflict, help for the people of South Sudan should never be something that is up for debate. Because of the recent crisis, some donors have already reoriented their approach to direct funding for state building for certain purposes in South Sudan, and suspended some institutional support packages. We therefore recommend that suspended assistance to the Government of South Sudan for building state institutions should be re-programmed to national community services providers who offer the clearest way to support the people of South Sudan.

4) Providing financial assistance cannot be an excuse for inaction or inertia at the political level. The people of South Sudan require a viable, inclusive and transparent mediation and political process.The 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), despite its successes, failed to address some of the fundamental drivers of conflict and societal divisions that are being manipulated by political and military leaders. The CPA also sacrificed inclusivity in order to ensure agreement on key political and security goals. A much-needed reconciliation process was also insufficiently supported. We welcome the signing of an initial peace agreement on 9th May, that includes commitments to an immediate truce, cooperation with the IGAD Monitoring and Verification teams, and commitment to an inclusive dialogue. However, we are deeply concerned about the reports of violations of the ceasefire within hours of the signing of the agreement. The peace effort must offer tangible and immediate outcomes to enable affected populations to seek safety, access assistance and recover livelihoods. Even if peace is achieved, the crisis has created severe humanitarian needs that will require addressing well into next year.

5) In addition to an inclusive mediation and political process to address this crisis, other measures need to be taken to immediately protect the people of South Sudan. The upcoming renewal of the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) mandate - which current circumstances dictate be brought forward without delay - provides an opportunity to increase emphasis on the protection of civilians, and to provide greater clarity and resourcing for the UNMISS. A significant re-orientation of the UNMISS mandate and implementation framework is needed to enhance the credibility and acceptance of the mission amongst the population and to ensure UNMISS has the requisite tools to take preemptive action against threats to civilians, including those residing outside UNMISS bases. It further provides a platform from which to promote renewed respect of the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) by all parties.

6) UNMISS alone cannot protect the people of South Sudan in the face of the extraordinary violence being levied against them by the multiple armed groups in South Sudan. Engaging with clear and direct drivers of the conflict is imperative. There are reportedly one million small arms in South Sudan and they are widely available to all. Tougher domestic and international measures must be explored to curb the sale, transit and flow of arms to South Sudan.

7) Finally, but importantly, accountability for the violence should be a critical component in any eventual political settlement and peace effort. Building towards justice and reconciliation in South Sudan should be the genuine aim of the international community, requiring sustained diplomatic efforts and political will.

Signed by the following Non Governmental Organisations (NGO):

1. ACTED
2. ACORD
3. Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA)
4. African Educational Trust (AET)
5. Association for Aid and Relief (AAR-Japan)
6. BRAC
7. CAFOD
8. Catholic Relief Services (CRS)
9. Care
10. Caritas Switzerland/Luxembourg
11. Christian Aid
12. Concern Worldwide
13. Cordaid
14. Coordinamento delle Organizzazioni per il Servizio Volontario (COSV)
15. Danish Church Aid (DCA)
16. Danish Refugee Council (DRC)
17. Farm Africa
18. Finn Church Aid
19. Food for the Hungry
20. Handicap International
21. Health NET TPO
22. HELP (Hilfe zue Selbsthifle e.v)
23. IBIS, Education for Development
24. ICCO
25. International Aid Services (IAS)
26. International Medical Corps (IMC)
27. International Rescue Committee (IRC)
28. Islamic Relief
29. INTERSOS
30. Islamic Relief
31. Joint Aid Management (JAM)
32. Light for the World
33. Lutheran World Federation (LWF)
34. Mercy Corps
35. Mentor Initiative
36. Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF)
37. Non Violent Peace Force
38. Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC)
39. Norwegian Church Aid (NCA)
40. Oxfam
41. Pact
42. PAX Netherlands
43. Peace Winds Japan
44. People in Need (PIN)
45. Plan International
46. Population Services International (PSI)
47. RedR
48. Relief International
49. Save the Children
50. Sign of Hope (Hoffnungszeichen)
51. SNV Netherlands Development Organisation
52. Tearfund
53. Terre des Hommes
54. War Child Holland
55. War Child Canada
56. Welthungerhilfe (German Agro Action)
57. Windle Trust
58. Women for Women International
59. World Relief
60. World Vision

Humanitarian and human rights agencies urge governments to resettle 5% refugees from Syria by end 2015

Over 30 international organisations are calling on governments meeting in Geneva tomorrow to commit to offering sanctuary to at least 5 per cent of the most vulnerable refugees from Syria currently in neighbouring countries - 180,000 people - by the end of 2015.

The governments convened by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) will be making pledges to resettle or provide other forms of humanitarian admission to Syrian refugees. Up to 3.59 million people are projected to have fled the conflict into countries neighbouring Syria by the end of this year. To date the international community has pledged to resettle less than 2 per cent of this number over an unclear timeframe.

Syria’s neighbouring countries have shown incredible generosity over the last three and a half years, but the strain of the crisis is weighing heavily on infrastructure and public services. Turkey and Lebanon each host more than 1 million registered refugees. One in every four residents in Lebanon is a refugee from Syria. Jordan hosts more than 618,000 and Iraq hosts 225,000 (on top of millions of internally displaced Iraqis). With diminishing resources, refugees and host communities are paying the price, as well as those still trying to flee the conflict in Syria as neighbouring countries restrict and effectively close their borders.

“The situation for the most vulnerable refugees from Syria is becoming increasingly desperate. Some – including sick children, who without treatment, could die - are simply unable to survive in the region. Providing humanitarian aid alone is no longer an option: it’s time for wealthy governments to step up and extend a lifeline to 5 per cent of the refugee population by the end of 2015,” said Justin Forsyth, CEO of Save the Children.

“This is one of the worst refugee crises since World War II, displacing millions of civilians, mostly women and children,” said Winnie Byanyima, Executive Director of Oxfam International. “We’re counting on governments in Geneva to move quickly to demonstrate the kind of international solidarity that is desperately needed to transform the lives of the most vulnerable refugees.”

While 5 per cent is only a small fraction of the total number of refugees, it would mean the hope of a better future and safety for at least 180,000 people by the end of next year, including survivors of torture, those with significant medical needs, children and women at risk – as identified by the UN refugee agency. Accepting the most vulnerable cases for resettlement or humanitarian admission also relieves Syria’s neighbouring countries from the short term costs of treating, supporting or protecting them.

Resettlement pledge

“With the collapse in the international solidarity, Syria’s neighbours are now increasing their border restrictions. Desperate Syrian civilians are unable to escape the war. Wealthy countries need to scale up their resettlement pledges and at the same time increase the support to the region so that borders are kept open,” said Secretary General of the Norwegian Refugee Council Jan Egeland.

“Just because we happen to share no border with Syria, this does not free any of us from responsibility”.

The coalition of NGOs are also calling on states that have not traditionally participated in refugee resettlement, such as countries in the Gulf and Latin America, to join other states by pledging resettlement and humanitarian admission places. Beyond this, governments can also do much more through innovative ways to help refugees from Syria in 2015, such as through making available work permits and university places, while offering them full protections in line with the 1951 Refugee Convention.

Notes to editors

The full brief adopted by the organisations listed below is available: Resettlement of Refugees from Syria: Increased commitments needed from international community in Geneva

ABAAD (Liban)

ACTED

ACTIONAID

ACTION CONTRE LA FAIM

AMEL (Liban)

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL

ASSOCIATION EUROPÉENNE POUR LA DÉFENSE DES DROITS DE L’HOMME

CONSEIL BRITANNIQUE POUR LES RÉFUGIÉS

CARE INTERNATIONAL

CARITAS

CENTRE FOR REFUGEE SOLIDARITY

CHILDRENPLUS

CIVIL SOCIETY IN PENETENTIARY SYSTEMS (Turquie)

CONSEIL DANOIS POUR LES RÉFUGIÉS

RÉSEAU EURO-MÉDITERRANÉEN DES DROITS DE L’HOMME

CONSEIL EUROPÉEN SUR LES RÉFUGIÉS ET LES EXILÉS

FRONTIERS RUWAD (Liban)

HANDICAP INTERNATIONAL

HUMAN RIGHTS ASSOCIATION (Turquie)

THE INTERNATIONAL RESCUE COMMITTEE

ISLAMIC RELIEF

JREDS (Jordanie)

CENTRE LIBANAIS DES DROITS HUMAINS

LIGUE DES DROITS DE L'HOMME

MÉDECINS DU MONDE

MEDAIR

MUSLIM AID

CONSEIL NORVÉGIEN POUR LES RÉFUGIÉS

OXFAM

PREMIERE URGENCE- AIDE MÉDICALE INTERNATIONALE

QATAR RED CRESCENT

SAVE THE CHILDREN

SAWA FOR DEVELOPMENT AND AID (Liban)

SUPPORT TO LIFE (Turquie)

SYRIA INGO REGIONAL FORUM

UN PONTE PER

Contact information

Lebanon: Joelle Bassoul, Syria Response Media Advisor, Oxfam, jbassoul@oxfam.org.uk, +961-71525218

Jordan: Karl Schembri, Regional Media Manager, Save the Children, karl.schembri@savethechildren.org, +962 (0) 7902 20159

US: Oliver Money, Media Relations, International Rescue Committee, oliver.money@rescue.org, +1-646 318 7307

UK: Sara Hashash, MENA Press Officer, Amnesty International, Sara.hashash@amnesty.org, + 44 (0) 20 7413 5511

Background

Five years into a conflict that has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives, conditions confronting civilians in Syria continue to deteriorate, particularly for children and youth. Warring parties continue to violate UN Security Council resolutions and international humanitarian law by deliberately and wantonly attacking civilians and civilian infrastructure, including homes, markets, schools and hospitals leaving a deadly legacy of Unexploded Ordnance.

Widespread loss of documentation further challenges civilians’ freedom to move inside Syria, hindering their ability to reach safe areas, access assistance, and ultimately seek asylum. Meanwhile, as needs increase, the availability of basic protection and services such as health, education and livelihoods for the almost 4.6 million Syrians sheltering in neighbouring countries is diminishing. Access to legal stay and legal employment is limited, and poverty rates are rising to unprecedented levels. More and more refugees are exhausting their financial reserves and sinking deeper into debt, forcing them to accept exploitative work, driving impoverished parents to send their children into exploitative child labour, forcing desperate women and girls into survival sex and early marriage, and leading men, women and children to return to Syria, or try to reach Europe and third countries through informal channels, at great risk to their lives.

As Syrian, national and international non-governmental organisations providing humanitarian assistance to those affected by the Syria crisis, we have since 2011 repeatedly stressed that only a political solution and an end to the conflict can spare Syrian civilians further violence, trauma and misery. The Vienna process launched in October 2015 may yield such an outcome, but the urgent humanitarian, protection, health, educational and livelihoods needs of Syrians cannot be put on hold while national, regional and international leaders work to overcome their differences. A whole generation risks losing its future: six million children affected by the conflict are in need of urgent humanitarian assistance. More than half of children living as refugees in countries neighbouring Syria are not in school. In addition 30 per cent of refugees have specific needs with one in five affected by physical, sensory or intellectual impairment, requiring immediate and long term effort for all to access services.Moreover, present and future stability in the Syria region depends on the development community’s ability to positively engage, equip, and empower a critical generation of youth who will someday rebuild their communities/society/economy.

To ensure the needs of Syrians living under daily conflict are met it is absolutely vital that the UN Humanitarian Response Plan for Syria and that the 3RP Regional Refugee & Resilience Plan 2016-2017 are fully funded throughout all sectors and for all host countries.

We ask that the international community be bold in its ambitions and commit to providing ‘compacts’ which strive to improve protection, educational and economic opportunities for Syrians. It is against this backdrop that we collectively submit the following recommendations to national governments and other stakeholders.

Millions of people caught up in a humanitarian crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo risk rising levels of hunger, death and disease due to a lack of aid funding, a coalition of humanitarian organisations warned ahead of a conference in Geneva today.

The appeal aims to raise $1.7 billion to help over 10 million people in desperate need across the country, to date only 12 per cent has been funded. Last year's appeal for a smaller amount was poorly funded, forcing many agencies to cut back or discontinue providing clean water, food and safety for people forced to flee their homes due to violent conflict.

Jose Barahona, Oxfam's Country Director in DRC, said:

"The lack of funding forces us to make choices we shouldn't have to make.
We have had to limit our work to specific areas and we can only help a fraction of the people who desperately need it. In November 2017, in the conflict-ridden Kasaï provinces, we had to half food rations to 90,000 people – last month we had to restrict the rations even further with over a quarter of people receiving no food at all.

"Governments and international donors should learn from the past. Without sufficient aid, many Congolese people will not get the help they desperately need."

A number of factors, including violent conflicts and chronic poverty, have left an estimated 13 million people in urgent need of humanitarian assistance - 5.6 million more than 2017.

In 2017, only 1.7 million people out of the 4.6 million in need of clean water and sanitation received help, leaving people drinking filthy water, defecating in the open and facing high risks of contracting water-borne diseases. Of the 4.1 million people who were acutely malnourished only 521,600 received treatment. Today 7.7 million people are suffering from acute hunger.

In the Kasaï provinces only 39 per cent of people needing aid received help between October 2017 and the end of January 2018. In Ituri, a province that borders Uganda, thousands of people are being forced from their homes by violence. Since December 2017, over 100 people have been killed as villages, schools and health centres have been burned.

The poor condition of roads means that in a country as big as Western Europe there is a huge delay and increased costs to reach areas in need.
Insufficient funding for logistics and security limit the ability to deploy quickly. The UN's fleet of helicopters, which are the often the only means to transport aid to some areas, may be cut due to decreased funding.

Anne-Marie Connor, World Vision's DRC country director, said:

"More than 60 per cent of those in need of humanitarian assistance in the DRC are children: 7.9 million girls and boys under the age of 18 are in dire need of support to survive and to thrive. Urgent funding is needed to protect children affected by the crisis and to build long-term resilience in their communities."

Malek Akchour, Danish Refugee Council's DRC country director, said:

"DRC has one of the highest percentages of children out of school, which is in many areas often due to insecurity. In addition to contributing to children's education and development, schools provide a protective environment that reduces the risk of exploitation and abuse. Assisting schooling efforts and promoting children's protection and development should be a key donor priority."

Ciaran Lavery, ACTED's DRC country director, said:

"Given the dramatic decline in conditions impacting the lives of so many, we must galvanize the support of the international community to deliver urgently needed humanitarian assistance across the DRC."

Bernard Balibuno, CAFOD's DRC country representative, said:

"It is critical that we act now. Governments and international donors need to urgently support the funding gap. Without aid many vulnerable people will not survive. Every day, families face the horrors of conflict and violence, they have lost everything; their homes have been looted and burnt to the ground, along with clinics and schools."

Emmanuelle Henderyckx, Caritas Belgium's DRC country director, said:

"Week after week, through humanitarian alerts from our Caritas network, we continue to see an increase in the needs of the Congolese population which we can only meet partially due to a critical lack of funds. In the Kasaï region: houses and fields have been burned down, insecurity remains, and multiple harvests have been missed. Funding is needed to help these communities to get back on their feet. We need the support of our humanitarian donors to strengthen the resilience of these communities'"

Jean-Philippe Marcoux, Mercy Corps DRC country director, said:

"Over the last year, the situation in DRC has worsened. We have witnessed a gradual and continuous escalation of conflict, which is why Mercy Corps has doubled our humanitarian response and set up the Kivu Crisis Response program for displaced Congolese. This is only part of our role in DRC. We also focus on addressing the root causes of what is causing the conflict, grievances, and the lack of access to services and economic opportunities in a country where two thirds of the population is under 25."

Edwin de Boevé, Director of Dynamo International, said:

"The humanitarian crisis in the DRC is pushing more and more families to migrate to cities. Without support and away from their usual livelihoods, most of those families break up and many children end up on the streets.
It is essential to support programs for the benefit of children on the street."

//ends//

Notes for editors:

UN Humanitarian Appeal in 2017 was $812 million.

At the end of 2017 Congo had 12 per cent of all the acute malnutrition cases in the world.

Signatories: Oxfam, World Vision, Save the Children, ACF, NRC, DRC, ACTED,
Concern, CAFOD, Caritas International Be, Mercy Corps, Zoa, War Child Holland and UK, PUI, Norwegian Church Aid, 11.11.11, Trocaire, Dynamo International, Albihar Fundacion and Sapi.

Christina Corbett | Press Officer +44 (0) 7557 483758 Skype: christinacorbett | Twitter: cjcorbett1

Oxfam works with others to overcome poverty and suffering.

Oxfam GB is a member of Oxfam International and a company limited by guarantee registered in England No. 612172.
Registered office: Oxfam House, John Smith Drive, Cowley, Oxford, OX4 2JY.
A registered charity in England and Wales (no 202918) and Scotland (SC 039042)

Des millions de personnes touchées par la crise humanitaire en République Démocratique du Congo (RDC) sont exposées à une aggravation de la faim et à une augmentation des maladies et des décès en raison d’un manque crucial de financement de la réponse humanitaire, alerte une coalition réunissant 20 ONG internationales à l’occasion de la conférence des bailleurs se réunissant ce jour à Genève.

Cet appel vise à mobiliser 1,7 milliard de dollars pour pouvoir venir en aide à plus de 10 millions de personnes qui ont urgemment besoin d’une assistance à travers le pays. A ce jour, seul 12% de ce montant est financé. L’année dernière, les financements demandés n’avaient pas été atteints, contraignant de nombreuses agences humanitaires à réduire ou interrompre leurs interventions pour apporter de l’eau potable et des vivres et assurer la sécurité aux personnes vulnérables contraintes de fuir leur foyer à cause de violents conflits.

D’après Jose Barahona, le directeur pays d’Oxfam en RDC :

« Le manque de financement nous force à faire des choix que nous ne devrions pas avoir à faire. Nous avons dû limiter notre intervention à quelques zones spécifiques et aider seulement une fraction des personnes qui ont besoin d’un soutien vital. En novembre 2017, dans les provinces du Kasaï dévastées par le conflit, nous avons dû diminuer de moitié les rations alimentaires distribuées à 90 000 personnes. Le mois dernier, nous avons dû réduire encore ces rations et plus d’un quart des personnes que nous devions aider n’ont pas reçu de nourriture du tout. Les gouvernements et les donateurs internationaux devraient en tirer des leçons. Sans financement suffisant, beaucoup de Congolais.e.s ne recevront pas l’aide dont ils ont crucialement besoin.»

A cause, notamment, des violents conflits qui sévissent et de la pauvreté chronique, environ 13 millions de personnes ont besoin d’une aide humanitaire urgente, soit 5,6 millions de plus qu’en 2017.

En 2017, seul 1,7 million sur les 4,6 millions de personnes ayant besoin d’un accès à l’eau potable et à des infrastructures sanitaires ont pu en bénéficier. Les autres n’ont pas eu d’autre choix que de boire de l’eau souillée et de déféquer à l’air libre, s’exposant à un risque accru de contracter des maladies.

Parmi les 4,1 millions de personnes souffrant de la malnutrition, seules 521 600 personnes ont été prises en charge. Aujourd’hui, 7,7 millions de Congolais.e.s sont confronté.e.s à des souffrances extrêmes liées à la faim.

Dans les provinces du Kasaï, seuls 39% des personnes dans le besoin ont pu bénéficier d’une aide entre octobre 2017 et fin janvier 2018. A Ituri, province limitrophe de l’Ouganda, des milliers de personnes ont été forcées de fuir leur foyer à cause des violences. Depuis décembre 2017, plus de 100 personnes ont été tuées. Des villages, des écoles et des centres de santé ont été brulés.

L’état désastreux des routes dans un pays grand comme quasiment quatre fois la France entraine d’importants retards et une augmentation des coûts pour atteindre les régions reculées. Le financement insuffisant de la logistique et de la sécurité limite notre capacité à nous déployer rapidement. Les hélicoptères des Nations Unies, qui sont souvent l’unique moyen pour acheminer l’aide jusqu’à certaines zones, ne vont probablement plus pouvoir se déployer, faute de ressources suffisantes.

Pour Anne-Marie Connor, directrice pays de Vision du Monde (RDC) :

« Plus de 60% de ceux qui ont besoin d’aide humanitaire en RDC sont des enfants. 7,9 millions de filles et de garçons ont grand besoin d’assistance pour survivre et grandir. Un financement urgent est indispensable pour protéger les enfants affectés par la crise et leur permettre de construire une résilience sur du long terme au sein de leurs communautés. »

Pour Malek Akchour, directeur pays de Danish Refugee Council (RDC) :

« La RDC a un des plus hauts pourcentages d’enfants déscolarisés, souvent en raison de l’insécurité. En plus de contribuer à l’éducation et au développement, les écoles sont un environnement protecteur qui réduit les risques d’exploitation et d’abus. Contribuer à la scolarisation ainsi qu’à la protection et au développement des enfants devrait être une priorité pour les donateurs.»

Pour Ciaran Lavery, directeur pays d’ACTED (RDC) :

« Vu la détérioration dramatique des conditions de vie d’un aussi grand nombre, nous devons absolument galvaniser le soutien de la communauté internationale pour être en mesure de fournir l’aide nécessaire de toute urgence en RDC. »

Pour Bernard Balibuno, représentant pays de CAFOD (RDC) :

« Il est essentiel que nous agissions maintenant. Les gouvernements et bailleurs internationaux doivent combler ce manque de financement. Sans cela, beaucoup de personnes vulnérables ne survivront pas. Tous les jours des familles entières font face à l’horreur des conflits et de la violence. Ces familles ont tout perdu, leurs maisons ont été pillées et brûlées, de même que les cliniques et les écoles. »

Pour Emmanuelle Henderyckx, directrice pays de Caritas Belgique (RDC) :

« Semaine après semaine, nous continuons de constater une augmentation des besoins de la population congolaise à travers les alertes de notre réseau. Nous ne pouvons y répondre que partiellement à cause du manque critique de financement. Dans la région du Kasaï, les maisons et les champs ont été réduits en cendres, l’insécurité persiste et de nombreuses récoltes ont été perdues. Des financements sont nécessaires pour aider ces communautés à se relever. Nous avons besoin du soutien des donateurs pour renforcer la résilience de ces communautés. »

Pour Jean-Philippe Marcoux, directeur pays de Mercy Corps (RDC) :

« Au cours de l’année dernière, la situation en RDC s’est empirée. Nous avons été témoins d’une escalade progressive et continue des conflits. C’est pourquoi Mercy Corps a doublé sa réponse humanitaire et mis en place son programme de réponse pour les populations déplacées du Kivu. Ce n’est qu’une partie de notre implication en RDC. Nous travaillons également sur les causes profondes des conflits, le manque d’accès aux services et aux opportunités économiques dans un pays où les deux tiers de la population ont moins de 25 ans. »

Pour Edwin de Boevé, directeur pays de Dynamo International :

« La crise humanitaire en RDC pousse de plus en plus de familles à migrer vers les villes. Sans soutien et loin de leur cadre de vie habituel, beaucoup de familles explosent et de nombreux enfants finissent dans les rues. Les programmes de soutien aux enfants des rues sont essentiels. »

Note aux rédactions :

L’appel humanitaire de 2017 s’élevait à 812 millions de dollars.

Fin 2017, le Congo concentrait, à lui seul, 12% des cas de malnutrition dans le monde.

Signataires : Oxfam, World Vision, Save the Children, ACF, NRC, DRC, ACTED, Concern, CAFOD, Caritas International Be, Mercy Corps, Zoa, War Child Hollande et Royaume-Uni, PUI, Norwegian Church Aid, 11.11.11, Trocaire, Dynamo International, Albihar Fundacion et Sapi.

Contacts presse

Oxfam France, Claire Le Privé

cleprive@oxfamfrance.org - 06 51 15 54 38

Twitter @claire_le_prive

PUI, Jérôme Poirié

jpoirie@premiere-urgence.org - 07 83 42 57 19

ACF, Mathieu Fortoul

01 70 84 72 29 - mfortoul@actioncontrelafaim.org

More than 120 humanitarian organizations and United Nations agencies issued a joint appeal today urging the world to raise their voices and call for an end to the Syria crisis and to the suffering endured by millions of civilians. The appeal also outlines a series of immediate, practical steps that can improve humanitarian access and the delivery of aid to those in need inside Syria. You are invited to “sign” the appeal simply by liking, sharing, and retweeting it.

Three years ago, the leaders of UN humanitarian agencies issued an urgent appeal to those who could end the conflict in Syria. They called for every effort to save the Syrian people. “Enough”, they said, of the suffering and bloodshed.

That was three years ago.

Now, the war is approaching its sixth brutal year. The bloodshed continues. The suffering deepens.

So today, we – leaders of humanitarian organisations and UN agencies - appeal not only to governments but to each of you - citizens around the world – to add your voices in urging an end to the carnage. To urge that all parties reach agreement on a ceasefire and a path to peace.

More than ever before, the world needs to hear a collective public voice calling for an end to this outrage. Because this conflict and its consequences touch us all.

It touches those in Syria who have lost loved ones and livelihoods, who have been uprooted from their homes, or who live in desperation under siege. Today, some 13.5 million people inside Syria need humanitarian assistance. That is not simply a statistic. These are 13.5 million individual human beings whose lives and futures are in jeopardy.

It touches the families who, with few options for a better future, set out on perilous journeys to foreign lands in search of refuge. The war has seen 4.6 million people flee to neighbouring countries and beyond.

It touches a generation of children and young people who – deprived of education and traumatized by the horrors they have experienced – increasingly see their future shaped only by violence.

It touches those far beyond Syria who have seen the violent repercussions of the crisis reach the streets, offices and restaurants closer to their homes.

And it touches all those around the world whose economic wellbeing is affected, in ways visible and invisible, by the conflict.

Those with the ability to stop the suffering can - and therefore should - take action now. Until there is a diplomatic solution to the fighting, such action should include:

• Unimpeded and sustained access for humanitarian organizations to bring immediate relief to all those in need inside Syria

• Humanitarian pauses and unconditional, monitored ceasefires to allow food and other urgent assistance to be delivered to civilians, vaccinations and other health campaigns, and for children to return to school

• A cessation of attacks on civilian infrastructure – so that schools and hospitals and water supplies are kept safe

• Freedom of movement for all civilians and the immediate lifting of all sieges by all parties

These are practical actions. There is no practical reason they could not be implemented if there is the will to do so.

In the name of our shared humanity… for the sake of the millions of innocents who have already suffered so much… and for the millions more whose lives and futures hang in the balance, we call for action now.

Now.

###

21 January 2016

Sir Fazle Hasan Abed, Chairperson, BRAC, Bangladesh
Zairulshahfuddin bin Zainal Abidin, Country Director, Islamic Relief Malaysia
Ryoko Akamatsu, Chairperson, Japan Committee for UNICEF
Anne-Birgitte Albrectsen, CEO, Plan International
Richard Allen, CEO, Mentor Initiative
Dr. Haytham Alhamwi, Director, Rethink Rebuild
Steen M. Andersen, Executive Director, Danish Committee for UNICEF
Barry Andrews, CEO, GOAL Ireland
Nancy A. Aossey, President and CEO, International Medical Corp
Bernt G. Apeland, Executive Director, Norwegian Committee for UNICEF
Dr. Mohamed Ashmawey, CEO, Islamic Relief Worldwide
Elhadj As Sy, Secretary General, CEO, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
Lina Sergie Attar, co-founder and CEO, Karam Foundation
Carmelo Angulo Barturen, President, Spanish Committee for UNICEF
Gudrun Berger, Executive Director, Austrian Committee for UNICEF
Tomaž Bergoč, Executive Director, Slovenian Foundation for UNICEF
David Bull, Executive Director, United Kingdom Committee for UNICEF
Marie-Pierre Caley, CEO, ACTED
Adriano Campolina, Chief Executive, Actionaid
CARE Netherlands
Tineke Ceelen, Director, Stichting Vluchteling, Netherlands
Margaret Chan, Director-General, World Health Organization
Jonny Cline, Executive Director, The Israeli Fund for UNICEF
Sarah Costa, Executive Director, Women’s Refugee Commission
Ertharin Cousin, Executive Director, World Food Programme
Emese Danks, Executive Director, UNICEF Hungarian Committee Foundation
Maryanne Diamond, Chair, International Disability Alliance
Hisham Dirani, CEO, BINAA Organization for Development
Edukans, Netherlands
Jan Egeland, Secretary-General, Norwegian Refugee Council
Patricia Erb, President and CEO, Save the Children Canada
Sanem Bilgin Erkurt, Executive Director, Turkish National Committee for UNICEF
Pierre Ferrari, President and CEO, Heifer International
Amy Fong, Chief Executive, Save the Children Hong Kong
Justin Forsyth, CEO, Save the Children UK
Michel Gabaudan, President, Refugees International
Meg Gardinier, Secretary General, ChildFund Alliance
Global Call to Action against Poverty
Mark Goldring, Chief Executive, Oxfam Great Britain
Pavla Gomba, Executive Director, Czech Committee for UNICEF
Filippo Grandi, UN High Commissioner for Refugees
Madalena Grilo, Executive Director, Portuguese Committee for UNICEF
Noreen Gumbo, Head of Humanitarian Programmes, Trócaire
Handicap International, Belgium
Abdullah Hanoun, CEO, Syrian Community of the South West UK
Heather Hayden, Chief Executive Officer, Save the Children New Zealand
Dr. Dirk Hegmanns, Regional Director Turkey/Syria/Iraq, Deutsche Welthungerhilfe
Anne-Marie Helland, General Secretary, Norwegian Church Aid
Anne Hery, Director for Advocacy and Institutional Relations, Handicap International
International Organization for Migration, Netherlands
W. Douglas Jackson, President and CEO, PROJECT C.U.R.E.
Wolfgang Jamann, Secretary General, Care International
Kevin Jenkins, President and CEO, World Vision International
Bergsteinn Jónsson, Executive Director, Icelandic National Committee for UNICEF
Benoit Van Keirsbilck, Director, DEI-Belgique
Thomas G. Kemper, General Secretary, General Board of Global Ministries, United Methodist Church
Neal Keny-Guyer, Chief Executive Officer, Mercy Corps
Kerk in Actie, Netherlands Marja-Riitta Ketola, Executive Director, Finnish Committee for UNICEF
Peter Klansoe, Regional Director, Danish Refugee Council, Middle East North Africa region
Pim Kraan, Director, Save the Children Netherlands
Marek Krupiński, Executive Director, Polish National Committee for UNICEF
Dr. Hans Kuenzle, Chair, Swiss Committee for UNICEF
Anthony Lake, Executive Director, UNICEF
Jane Lau, Chief Executive, Hong Kong Committee for UNICEF
Lavinia Limón, President and CEO, U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants
Jonas Keiding Lindholm, CEO Save the Children Denmark
Rosa G. Lizarde, Global Director, Feminist Task Force
Olivier Longue, CEO, Accion Contra el Hambre
John Lyon, President, World Hope International
Sébastien Lyon, Executive Director, French Committee for UNICEF
Dominic MacSorley, Chief Executive Officer, Concern Worldwide
Dirk Van Maele, Director, Plan België
Cécil Van Maelsaeke, Director, Tearfund, Belgium
Vivien Maidaborn, Executive Director, The New Zealand National Committee for UNICEF
Blanca Palau Mallol, President, Andorran Committee for UNICEF
Rev. John L. McCullough, President and CEO, Church World Service
Carolyn Miles, President and CEO, Save the Children USA
David Miliband, President and CEO, International Rescue Committee
Mr. Juraj Mišura, President, Slovak Committee for UNICEF
James Mitchum, Chief Executive Officer, Heart to Heart International
David Morley, President and CEO, Canadian UNICEF Committee
John Nduna, General Secretary, ACT Alliance Stephen
O’Brien, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Babatunde Osotimehin, Executive Director, United Nations Population Fund
Ignacio Packer, Secretary-General, Terre des Hommes International Federation
People in Need
Dato Dr Ahmad Faizal Perdaus, President, Mercy Malaysia
Plan, Norway
Peter Power, Executive Director, UNICEF Ireland
Sarina Prabasi, Chief Executive Officer, WaterAid America
Chris Proulx, President and CEO, LINGOS, United States
Dr. Jihad Qaddour, President, Syria Relief and Development
Red Cross, Netherlands
Curtis N. Rhodes Jr., International Director, Questscope
Michel Roy, Secretary General, Caritas International
Paolo Rozera, Executive Director, Italian Committee for UNICEF
Dr. Tessie San Martin, President and CEO, Plan International USA
Christian Schneider, Executive Director, German Committee for UNICEF
Rev. Thomas H. Smolich, S.J. International Director, Jesuit Refugee Service
Janti Soeripto, Interim CEO, Save the Children, International
SOS Kinderdorpen, Netherlands
Caryl M. Stern, President and CEO, United States Fund for UNICEF
Marie Soueid, Policy Counsel, Center for Victims of Torture
John Stewart, President, Australian Committee for UNICEF
Limited Odd Swarting, Chair, Swedish Committee for UNICEF
William L. Swing, Director General, International Organization for Migration
Florence Syevuo, Global Call to Action against Poverty, Kenya
Daigo Takagi, Association for Aid and Relief, Japan
Tearfund, UK
Terre des Hommes International Federation
Constantine M. Triantafilou, Executive Director and CEO, International Orthodox Christian Charities
Rev Dr Olav Fykse Tveit, General Secretary, World Council of Churches
Monique van ‘t Hek, Director, Plan Nederland
Dr. William Vendley, Secretary General, Religions for Peace
Pierre Verbeeren, Director, Medecins du Monde, Belgium
Damien Vincent, Executive Director, Belgium Committee for UNICEF
Sandra Visscher, Executive Director, Luxembourg Committee for UNICEF
Vrouwen tegen Uitzetting, Netherlands
Tove Wang, CEO, Save the Children Norway
David A. Weiss, President and CEO, Global Communities
Kathrin Wieland, CEO, Save the Children Germany
Jan Bouke Wijbrandi, Executive Director, Dutch Committee for UNICEF
Nancy E. Wilson, President and Chief Executive Officer, Relief International
Carolyn Woo, President and CEO, Catholic Relief Services
Daniel Wordsworth, President and CEO, American Refugee Committee
Samuel A. Worthington, CEO, InterAction
Leila Zerrougui, UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict
Mohammad Zia-ur-Rehman, Chief Executive, AwazCDS and Pakistan Development Alliance

###

About UNICEF

UNICEF promotes the rights and well-being of every child, in everything we do. Together with our partners, we work in 190 countries and territories to translate that commitment into practical action, focusing special effort on reaching the most vulnerable and excluded children, to the benefit of all children, everywhere. For more information about UNICEF and its work, visit: www.unicef.org

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For more information contact: Najwa Mekki, UNICEF New York, nmekki@unicef.org +1 917 209 1804

61 NGOs warn of worsening crisis in Myanmar; call for refugees’ engagement on safe, voluntary returns

21 August 2019

Two years after mass atrocities in Myanmar forced more than 740,000 people to flee for their lives, the Government and the people of Bangladesh continue to generously host nearly 1 million Rohingya refugees. While UN agencies and over 130 local, national, and international NGOs have supported the Government of Bangladesh to provide life-sustaining assistance, refugees require much more than basic support for survival; they need their rights, security and dignity. Many long to return but fear further violence and persecution back home.

Refugees report feeling fearful and anxious following recent reports about possible expedited repatriation to Myanmar in the current conditions which do not guarantee their safety and rights. Current levels of engagement do not afford them their right to make informed decisions about their future, including voluntary return.

Worsening Conditions in Rakhine State (Myanmar)

Discriminatory policies in Myanmar mean that Rohingya communities in Rakhine State continue to face severe movement restrictions, as well as limited access to education, healthcare, and livelihoods opportunities. Some 128,000 displaced Rohingya and other Muslim communities have remained trapped in confined camps in central Rakhine State since 2012, unable to return home.

Since April 2017, the Government of Myanmar has taken initial steps towards the “closure” of some of these camps for internally displaced people in Rakhine State. New structures have been built on or next to existing sites, but there has been no meaningful progress on freedom of movement or human rights. Consultation with displaced communities is limited, and they remain unable to return to their original communities or another location of choice. Achieving durable solutions requires that the Myanmar government address the fundamental issues of equal rights and ensure that all communities in Rakhine State can live in safety, access basic services and pursue livelihoods opportunities.

The conditions in Myanmar are not conducive to the Rohingya refugees’ return at this time. As a recent report by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute found, not only have preparations for return been minimal, but authorities continue to raze Rohingya villages to make room for military bases and potential repatriation camps. The recent upsurge in violence has worsened the already precarious humanitarian situation in central and northern Rakhine State.

Striving for Dignity in Cox’s Bazar (Bangladesh)

For the past two years, Rohingya refugees have remained dependent on humanitarian aid in the camps in Cox’s Bazar. The collective efforts of the humanitarian community under the leadership of the Government of Bangladesh have improved camp conditions, strengthened monsoon preparedness and helped prevent disease outbreaks.

Yet, living conditions in the camps remain dire, with growing concerns about safety and security. Gender-based violence and restricted freedom of movement increase the risks faced by refugee women and girls. Persons with disabilities and serious medical conditions experience barriers in accessing essential services. With shrinking funds1 and continued restrictions on refugees’ access to education and livelihoods, the crisis is likely to worsen.

The Government of Bangladesh and generous residents of Teknaf and Ukhiya Upazilas in Cox’s Bazar were the first responders when refugees arrived in Bangladesh in August 2017. Today, some 500,000 Bangladeshis living near the camps continue to bear the socio-economic and environmental impact of the influx, amidst growing tensions with refugees over limited resources and services.

The international community must respond and stand beside Bangladesh to deliver a well-funded response that will improve living conditions and allow refugees and host communities to live in dignity.

NGOs in Bangladesh and Myanmar committed to providing assistance, but call for critical action by all parties.

In response to the current crisis, we, the undersigned national and international organizations in Bangladesh and Myanmar, remain committed to providing assistance and protecting the rights of refugees, stateless, internally displaced persons and host communities until appropriate solutions to their displacement within and outside Myanmar are identified, including safe and voluntary repatriation. We urge all parties to:

• Ensure meaningful participation of Rohingya in decision making processes about their future: In light of ongoing discussions to expedite returns, the Rohingya must be meaningfully engaged by the Governments of Myanmar and Bangladesh in any discussions and decision making about their future (including their safe and voluntary return) through an inclusive process involving children, youth, women, elderly and persons with disabilities.

• Respect Rohingya’s human rights in Myanmar: We call on the Government of Myanmar to address the root causes of the crisis in Rakhine State by implementing the Rakhine Advisory Commission recommendations and create the conditions necessary to end Rohingya’s displacement while respecting each refugee’s right to make a free, informed decision about their return. This must also reflect calls by Rohingya communities for justice and accountability, citizenship, protection of civilians, freedom of movement, as well as non-discrimination and sustained access for humanitarian organizations, independent journalists and media in Rakhine State, in line with international standards. We urge the international community to support these efforts, by condemning past and ongoing violence in Myanmar and call on the Government of Myanmar to ensure full respect for human rights.

• Support Rohingya’s inclusive access to education, livelihoods and protection: We call for the creation of an enabling environment for Rohingya on both sides of the border to access rights and services, such as education, skills training and livelihoods. We urge both governments to reduce the vulnerability of Rohingya and host communities by strengthening protection systems and access to justice for all. We appeal to the international community to fully fund the 2019 Joint Response Plan for the Rohingya Humanitarian Crisis and the 2019 Myanmar Humanitarian Response Plan to ensure uninterrupted, life-sustaining services to IDPs, refugees and host communities.

• Identify medium/long-term solutions: We call on the international community to identify appropriate solutions to the Rohingya’s displacement within and outside Myanmar while continuing to support the Government of Bangladesh, progressively implementing the commitments of the Global Compact on Refugees on self-reliance and responsibility-sharing and pursuing a regional solutions approach to address the needs of displaced and host communities.

• 1 Funding commitments for the response remain insufficient—with only 34% of the joint 2019 humanitarian appeal worth USD 920 million covered.

Port au Prince, November 21, 2019 – Humanitarian organisations in Haiti express their concern over the scale of the food crisis that has been confirmed by the publication of the results of the Integrated Framework of Classification of Food Security (IPC)* by the National Coordination of Food Security (CNSA) and the Ministry of Agriculture. Currently, 35% of the Haitian population needs emergency food assistance (3.67 million people). If no action is taken immediately, 4.10 million people will be affected by March to June 2020, or 40% of the Haitian population.

Rising commodity prices, the depreciation of the Haitian Gourde relative to the US Dollar, the ongoing drought, socio-political unrest and deteriorating security conditions have all greatly reduced access to food for the poorest households. They are forced to adopt negative survival strategies that are eroding their livelihoods.

Some areas are experiencing unprecedented levels of food insecurity, while humanitarian organisations and other actors are facing increasing access difficulties due to the deterioration of the security context. In the metropolitan area of Port au Prince, the proportion of the population in an emergency food crisis varies between 15 and 50%. In rural areas, the 2018 drought, which lasted until the first half of the year 2019, led to a decline in agricultural production of about 12% in many parts of the country. Rural areas in the departments of the North West, Artibonite, Nippes and Grand’Anse are among the most affected, and have the highest percentage of people in need of immediate assistance.

The absence of a major response during the next farming periods would have dramatic consequences for the food security of Haitian households. For the projected period, from March to June 2020, 12% of the population will be in a situation of food emergency (1.2 million people) and 28% in situation of food crisis (2.8) million people, representing 40% of the total population.

Based on the recommendations of the National Coordination of Food Security (CNSA), humanitarian organisations are launching an appeal to meet the identified needs in order to urgently ensure access to food for the most affected populations in the most appropriate form by prioritizing the acquisition of local products to avoid aggravating the economic crisis; and take immediate action for the prevention and care of people suffering from acute malnutrition, especially children. This immediate assistance must imperatively be accompanied by the reconstruction and development of the livelihoods of these populations, as well as the strengthening of the surveillance and early warning system for food and nutritional security in order to better anticipate future crises.

Contact – Port au Prince :

Harmel Cazeau / Coordinator (Coordination National de la Sécurité Alimentaire) – hcazeau06@gmail.com

Marion Mouton / Country Director (ACTED) – marion.mouton@acted.org

*The use of the Integrated Phase Classification (IPC) is a landmark in the fight against food insecurity. Widely accepted by the international community, IPC describes the severity of food emergencies. For more information: https://reliefweb.int/node/3373483/

Port au Prince, le 21 novembre 2019 – Les organisations humanitaires en Haïti expriment leur préoccupation face à l’ampleur de la crise alimentaire confirmée par la publication des résultats du Cadre Intégré de Classification de la Sécurité Alimentaire (IPC)[1] par la Coordination Nationale de la Sécurité Alimentaire (CNSA) et le Ministère de l’Agriculture. Actuellement, 35% de la population haïtienne a besoin d’une assistance alimentaire de toute urgence, soit 3.67 millions de personnes. Si aucune mesure n’est prise dans l’immédiat, ce sont 4.10 millions de personnes qui seront concernées d’ici mars à juin 2020, soit 40% de la population haïtienne.

La hausse des prix des denrées de base, la dépréciation de la gourde par rapport au dollar, et le phénomène de sècheresse, associés aux troubles socio-politiques et à la dégradation des conditions de sécurité, ont largement réduit l’accès à la nourriture des ménages les plus pauvres. Ces derniers sont contraints d’adopter des stratégies de survie négatives provoquant l’érosion de leurs moyens d’existence.

Certaines zones enregistrent des niveaux d’insécurité alimentaire jamais atteints, alors que les organisations humanitaires et les autres acteurs rencontrent de plus en plus de difficultés d’accès en raison du contexte sécuritaire dégradé. Dans l’aire métropolitaine de Port au Prince, le taux de population se trouvant en situation d’urgence et de crise alimentaire varie entre 15 et 50%. Dans les zones rurales, la sécheresse de 2018, qui s’est prolongée jusqu’au premier semestre de l’année 2019, a engendré dans de nombreuses parties du pays une baisse de la production agricole d’environ 12%. Les milieux ruraux des départements du Nord-Ouest, de l’Artibonite, des Nippes et de la Grand’Anse sont parmi les plus touchés, et comptent le plus fort pourcentage de personnes ayant besoin d’assistance immédiate.

L’absence d’une réponse d’envergure en amont et pendant les prochaines campagnes agricoles aurait des conséquences dramatiques sur la sécurité alimentaire des ménages haïtiens. Pour la période projetée, allant de mars à juin 2020, 12 % de la population analysée est en situation d’urgence alimentaire, soit 1.2 millions de personnes, et 28 % en situation de crise alimentaire, soit plus de 2.8 millions de personnes, représentant 40 % de la population totale.

Se basant sur les recommandations de la CNSA, les organisations humanitaires lancent un appel pour mobiliser et obtenir des moyens à la hauteur des besoins recensés afin de garantir, de manière urgente, l’accès à l’alimentation pour les populations les plus touchées sous la forme la plus appropriée en priorisant l’acquisition des produits locaux pour éviter d’aggraver la crise économique ; et de prendre des actions immédiates pour la prévention et la prise en charge des personnes en situation de malnutrition aigüe, particulièrement les enfants. Cette assistance immédiate doit s’accompagner impérativement de la reconstruction et du développement des moyens d’existence de ces populations, ainsi que du renforcement du système de surveillance et d’alerte précoce en matière de sécurité alimentaire et nutritionnelle afin de mieux anticiper les crises futures.

Contact – Port au Prince :

Harmel Cazeau / Coordonnateur (Coordination National de la Sécurité Alimentaire) – hcazeau06@gmail.com

Marion Mouton / Directrice Pays (ACTED) – marion.mouton@acted.org

[1] L’IPC est un ensemble d’outils et de procédures permettant de classer la gravité et les caractéristiques des crises alimentaires et nutritionnelles aiguës ainsi que l’insécurité alimentaire chronique et persistante sur la base des normes internationales. Pour plus d’informations : http://www.ipcinfo.org/ipcinfo-website/ipc-alerts/issue-14/en/