Photo: OCHA / Yasmina Guerda NIGERIA NORTH-EAST: HUMANITARIAN SITUATION UPDATE 1-31 MARCH 2017

Transcription

1 Photo: OCHA / Yasmina Guerda NIGERIA NORTH-EAST: HUMANITARIAN SITUATION UPDATE 1-31 MARCH 2017 \

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4 Now in its ninth year, the crisis in north-east Nigeria remains one of the most severe in the world. In the three worst-affected states of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe, 1.7 million persons are internally displaced and human rights violations continue to be reported daily. The food security and nutrition situation remains concerning as conflict continues to limit the amount of land under cultivation and with the lean season underway the situation is set to worsen. The number of estimated to be facing critical and crisis food and nutrition insecurity levels (IPC 3 and 4) is projected at up to 3 million until the end of August. Following recent assessments, partners are carrying out a re-targeting exercise in Borno and Yobe to ensure that the most vulnerable receive food assistance. Large-scale displacements continue to take place weekly: in the past seven months, since hostilities intensified in the northeast, over 130,000 have been displaced, sometimes for the second or third time. In May alone, 21,207 arrived in various locations. Bama, Ngala, Gwoza, Dikwa and Biu in Borno State recorded the highest numbers of new arrivals. These movements present major humanitarian challenges as resources are often already overstretched in the locations in which these civilians arrive. Given that military operations have been announced to continue throughout the 2018 rainy season, these displacement trends are likely to continue until at least the end of August. To cope, a contingency response plan for expected high levels of displacement due to military operations was developed. The plan aims to ensure the provision of life-saving assistance for about 115,000 IDPs expected to move from hard-to-reach areas and is based on an analysis of response capacities and gaps in key towns of the following local government areas (LGAs): Mobbar, Kukawa, Monguno, Ngala, Kala/Balge, Dikwa, Bama, and Gwoza. The sectors highlighted that $41.7 million is urgently needed to ensure sufficient preparedness and response activities and enable life-saving assistance for these new arrivals, including shelter and non-food items (NFIs), health care, food, water and sanitation, protection and nutrition. Furthermore, resource mobilisation efforts for the Rainy Season Contingency Plan are ongoing: $33.6 million is urgently required to ensure the adequate delivery of assistance to 463,000 in the locations that are most vulnerable to extreme weather, such as Rann, Baga, Damasak and other locations. In the meantime, the pre-positioning of life-saving items such as food, seeds, medicines, emergency shelter, non-food items and hygiene kits has started. To ensure a strong aid worker presence in the deep field and enhance the effectiveness of the response, five humanitarian hubs with safe accommodation and reliable Internet connectivity are operational in Maiduguri, Gwoza, Bama, Ngala and Dikwa. Another four are underway in Banki, Damasak, Monguno and Rann. The north-east is currently facing several cholera outbreaks. Following the declaration of cholera outbreaks in Borno State (Kukawa LGA) in February and in Yobe State (Bade, Karasuwa, Yusufari, Bursari and Jakusko LGAs) in March, a third outbreak was declared in Adamawa State (Mubi North and Mubi South LGAs) in May. However, thanks to a timely response in collaboration with the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) sector and the State authorities, the outbreaks are under control. Surveillance, active case search and hygiene promotion are ongoing along with the chlorination of water sources and the dissemination of awareness-raising materials. From an early recovery perspective, on 7 and 8 May, the first ever Lake Chad Basin Governors Forum for Regional Cooperation on Stabilisation, Peacebuilding and Sustainable Development was held in Maiduguri. The aim was to promote continuous dialogue and to strengthen coordination and collaboration on cross-border initiatives at the sub-national level around the Lake Chad Basin. In preparation for the 2019 Humanitarian Needs Overview, data collection for a multi-sector needs assessment will be launched mid-june in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe. Data analysis is expected to start in July. Overall, despite the generosity of donors, the humanitarian response in north-east Nigeria is hampered by the lack of for the 2018 Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP). As of 31 May, $416.4 million (39.7 per cent) of the needed funds have been received, according to the levels reported on the Financial Tracking Service (FTS). For the response to be sustainable and to avoid interruption in life-saving services, it is crucial that additional is urgently received across all sectors. 4

5 Since January, over 2.8 million have been supported with food security interventions as part of the 2018 HRP, two thirds of whom were supported with food and the remainder with agricultural and livelihoods assistance. The Government also continued to provide assistance in the form of cereals and condiments, in selected locations. In anticipation of the road to Rann (Kala/Balge LGA) being cut off for several months due to rainy season-related flooding, partners have started distributing double rations. Following recent assessments, partners are carrying out a re-targeting exercise in Borno and Yobe to ensure that the most vulnerable receive food assistance. In May, retargeting was completed in Jakusko, Yobe State. To avoid duplication, coordination efforts have intensified for the upcoming scale-up in agricultural inputs distributions. In addition, mine risk education sessions were delivered to partners working in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe to ensure safe programme implementation, especially for farming and livestock activities. As part of the Farmer Field School (FFS) programme, 25 agricultural extension officers from state organisations and local NGOs were trained to strengthen the resilience of farming and pastoralist households in north-east Nigeria s three most conflict-affected states. Each trainee is to establish two FFSs in their respective locations. From a protection perspective, 300 fuel-efficient cookstoves were distributed to vulnerable households in Bakasi IDP camp, in Maiduguri. The stoves were locally produced in the recently-established production centres, in collaboration with the Borno State Ministry of Environment. More stoves will be available for distribution in June. Due to recent food security-related protection risks in Dikwa, partners are scaling up the distribution of fuel-efficient stoves as well as advocacy with the military to increase the frequency of military escorts and expand the security perimeter for firewood collection. As the lean season typically begins in July, it is anticipated that most households will resort to purchasing their food in markets, increasing demand and resulting in a rise in prices and reducing households purchasing power. It is expected that food prices will remain above average until main harvests start in October. In addition, an atypical increase in demand for food in Nigerian markets from neighbouring countries (Niger, Chad and Cameroon) is also expected due to prolonged dry spells in these countries during the recent growing season. Given recent challenges in livelihoods outreach, especially for the distribution of fertiliser in some areas of Borno, the sector will continue its efforts to engage the Government and facilitate security clearance processes for the delivery of fertiliser in time for the rainy season. In addition, a seed fair is planned in Nangere LGA, in Yobe, in June where beneficiaries and seed producers will be brought together; 630 households will be given fertiliser and vouchers to purchase their preferred seeds from a seed multiplication programme launched in Re-targeting for food assistance will continue in June with Dikwa, Gwoza, Pulka, Kukawa, Nguru, Bade, Damaturu and Yusufari. To build the capacity of partners on livestock livelihoods in emergencies, a training on livestock emergency guidelines and standards will be rolled out in August. The results of the fifth round of the Nutrition and Food Security Surveillance quarterly survey in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states are expected to be issued by the end of June. Jointly conducted by the National Bureau of Statistics, the Federal Ministry of Health and humanitarian partners, the survey is meant to provide a better understanding of the relationship between nutrition and food security at household level. In addition, the Joint Approach for Nutrition and Food Security Assessment (JANFSA) will startin September with results expected by end November. To monitor food security trends in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe, an eighth round of mobile Vulnerability Analysis and Mapping (mvam) live calls will be carried out on some 1,200 families. This is set to start on 2 July and to last a month. 5

6 Since January, the Protection sector has reached a total of 331,322 vulnerable with critical interventions in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe. In May alone, 194,415 children, women and men were supported, primarily in Bama, Ngala, Mafa and the outskirts of Maiduguri. This represents a major scale-up compared to the first quarter of the year and was possible thanks to the deployment of additional personnel in the field. Specifically, 118,917 individuals were given assistance to acquire legal documentation (national identity cards, birth certificates and letters of administration); 37,861 were reached with protection-related sensitisation messages to raise awareness in communities; 23,724 received protectionrelated items such as solar lanterns, hygiene kits, dignity kits and energy-efficient cooking stoves; finally, 3,320 were supported with legal representation and counselling, especially for access to housing, land and property assistance. Furthermore, 27 traditional leaders in Borno were trained on record-keeping and documentation to address housing, land and property disputes that may arise in areas where displaced are returning. The sector participated in an inter-sector assessment mission to Bama and identified critical gaps in basic services, including food shortages, lack of adequate medical care and ambulance services, insufficient shelter, poor WASH facilities, lack of safe drinking water, insufficient NFIs. Due to the lack of sources of livelihoods, some returnees are concerned that homeowners may return unexpectedly to either reclaim their houses or charge rental fees and that their inability to pay may lead to secondary displacements and forced evictions. The lack of services has also enabled serious child protection issues, including a high rate of child labour. Attempting to address some of these needs in Bama, the sector was able to reach over 6,000 persons in May. Displacements continue to pose grave protection risks for vulnerable : in May, 2,763 internally displaced families (8,878 individuals) arrived in various locations of Borno State; in addition, 2,709 refugee returnees (782 households) were registered in Borno. Cases of refoulement continue to raise concerns: about 30 Nigerian families from Kanama in Yobe State, who had sought asylum in Niger were forcibly returned to Nigeria. The Protection sector continued its advocacy in both countries in order to uphold the rights of asylum-seekers. Two protection clinics are to be established in Gamboru and in Banki to identify protection issues/cases and facilitate referrals. Against the backdrop of intense and extended military operations, the sector is working to enhance its protection monitoring in all locations, in particular along the Maiduguri-Monguno axis where large-scale displacements are expected. Thanks to newly received, 2,975 protection-related NFI kits have been distributed in priority locations (2,000 in Pulka 975 in Tungunshe) and the sector will target Ngala, Dikwa and Monguno next. The sector with the support of child protection, genderbased violence, and housing, land and property actors is also planning to deliver a human rights training for Government human rights desk officers. Protection trainings are also scheduled for local authorities in Bama and in the Muna Corridor in the outskirts of Maiduguri. Regarding housing, land and property, focal points will be established in July in Damasak, Dikwa and Monguno LGAs to monitor secondary displacement and (risks of) forced evictions. Having finalised the contingency plan for the rainy season, partners will now be focusing on its operationalisation. High-level advocacy for the protection of internally displaced persons will also continue. To mark the 20 th anniversary of the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement, various activities will be planned in collaboration with Government counterparts with the aim of improving the assistance provided to IDPs, and supporting legal reform and policy development for the rights of IDPs in Nigeria. 6

7 In May, 39,360 persons were reached with GBV-related services: 10,659 received specialised support including case management, psycho-social support (PSS), medical, as well as safety and security services; 4,864 women and girls received material support such as dignity kits; 1,116 women and girls benefitted from access to women- and girl-friendly spaces; 30,133 individuals were sensitised on gender-based protection principles and engaged in community activities in relation to GBV prevention; and 1,343 individuals were trained in different skills for socio-economic empowerment. In addition, 320 responders benefitted from capacitybuilding initiatives on various components of GBV and prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse (PSEA). In May, a strong emphasis was placed on local coordination with the creation of a forum in Mubi, a meeting held in Dikwa to address the arrival and departure of several partners, and a meeting held in Rann to mitigate the protection risks posed by the rainy season. In addition, a partner mapping exercise for Borno, Adamawa and Yobe was launched to course-correct any duplication of efforts and bridge any gaps. The sub-sector is also working to strengthen its activities in response to new arrivals and its support packages in transit facilities. The GBV service mapping is expected to be finalised by July. The sub-sector also intends to finalise and disseminate an operational strategy and guidelines for improved service provision in transit facilities specifically. In addition, the roll-out of SOPs for PSEA inter-agency community-based complaints mechanisms is to begin in July. The sub-sector continues to push for the mainstreaming of international GBV guidelines across all sectors of the response. Nine sector representatives attended a regional training in Nairobi, Kenya, in April and the monitoring of sector-specific action plans is a priority. In an attempt to improve data collection and analysis by partners of the sub-sector, a capacity-building initiative on the GBV Information Management System (GBVIMS) is to be launched in the third quarter of Behind the numbers: response and constraints In 2018, 270,172 children and caregivers have been supported with critical child protection (CP) services in the conflict-affected states of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe. This achievement represents 48 per cent of the HRP target for the year. In May alone, 34,591 children, adolescents and caregivers were assisted compared to 30,339 in April. Out of the beneficiaries supported in May, 32,566 benefitted from PSS and 1,784 children received integrated case management support including family reunification and alternative care support for 74 children. In addition, 241 children formerly associated with armed forces and groups or returned from administrative custody received socioeconomic reintegration services. Verification exercises for children associated with the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) in Borno State continued. In May, five multi-agency verification missions were carried out and 196 boys were interviewed in Maiduguri and Jere LGA to assess their level of association with the CJTF. In May, the sub-sector grew by three new partners who started implementing child protection activities in the northeast, mainly in Borno State. This will enable a significant scale-up in the provision of quality CP services. The Nigeria CP sub-sector continues to contribute to review of global Minimum Standards for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action, in particular Standards 9, 10, 11, 15 and 17. This work is expected to be completed in August

8 An inter-sector contingency plan for the rainy season and the displacements anticipated to occur following military operations has been prepared, with key priority areas identified and partner mapping. Emergency conditions are expected to be exacerbated by these two factors through September 2018 for the majority of locations. However, in Rann (Kala/Balge LGA), limited humanitarian access as a result of flooding is expected to last through December due to the nature of the terrain. Health sector preparedness activities are underway including the pre-positioning of medicines, medical kits and supplies in high flood risk areas to mitigate the impact on health service delivery, and facilitate the prevention and control of water-borne diseases. In parallel, the sector continues to advocate with its partners for a scale-up of health services where the high numbers of new arrivals are stretching the available capacity. However, it should be noted that, with current resources, both the State Government s and sector partners abilities to adequately respond to increased needs are already insufficient and this will continue to be the case unless additional funds are mobilised. Following the declaration of cholera outbreaks in Borno State (Kukawa LGA) in February, and in Yobe State (Bade, Karasuwa, Yusufari, Bursari and Jakusko LGAs) in March, a third outbreak was declared in Adamawa State (Mubi North and Mubi South LGAs) in May. However, thanks to a timely response in collaboration with the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene sector and the State authorities, the outbreak is under control and the number of cases declined sharply from the initial 113 per week to 44 cases weekly as of the end of May. In Borno, efforts are ongoing as 14 new suspected cholera cases were reported during the last week of May. Two cholera treatment centres have been established in Kukawa LGA. As for the outbreak in Yobe, the situation has stabilised and no new cases were reported in the last three weeks of May. Surveillance, active case search and hygiene promotion are ongoing along with the chlorination of water sources and the dissemination of awareness-raising materials. Overall, in 2018, malaria (over 374,480 cases) continues to be highest cause of morbidity and mortality in Borno State, followed by acute respiratory infections (169,130), acute watery diarrhoea (73,040) and severe acute malnutrition (61,800). The sector will continue to prioritise the implementation of its contingency plan for the rainy season and military operations-related displacements. In addition to providing essential health care services to reduce the risk of morbidity and mortality, partners will aim to enhance disease surveillance and carry out risk assessments for a robust response to outbreaks during the rainy season. Participatory monitoring approaches will be promoted through engagement with community leaders and other community structures. In addition, the use of the Surveillance System for Attacks on Health Care (SSA) is to start in north-east Nigeria. The system is a consolidated and publicly accessible database designed to enable a standardised and systematic reporting of attacks on health care facilities, staff and assets (such as ambulances) worldwide. Following a workshop which took place at the end of May, a country action plan was developed. 8

9 Collectively, in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states, nutrition partners have managed to reach at least 37,896 children under the age of five suffering from severe acute malnutrition (SAM) without medical complications through 782 out-patient therapeutic programmes (OTP). The number could be higher as 58 therapeutic sites did not report their activities for the month of May. In addition, at 1,259 children were treated for SAM with medical complications in 26 in-patient stabilisation centres (SCs). Support for the management of moderate acute malnutrition (MAM) reached 13,433 children aged between 24 and 59 months. To optimise the referral system from OTPs to SCs, the Nutrition sector has mapped all hospitals providing treatment for SAM with medical complications with their geo coordinates and contact persons listed. All responders who come across severely malnourished children with medical complications will be able to use this map for referral and follow-up so children receive services in a location that is convenient to them. This effort has led to an increase in admission in SCs. In terms of prevention, partners managed to reach 144,616 children under the age of five and 71,582 pregnant and breastfeeding women with blanket supplementary feeding. Counselling and information sessions on infant and young child feeding for mothers reached 66,180 new mothers through one-on-one and group sessions. Micro-nutrient powder supplementation was provided to 26,177 at-risk children under the age of two. To improve coordination, an orientation session was carried out with support from the Global Nutrition Cluster to help partners understand humanitarian principles, as well as the importance of coordination and partnership. A total of 36 participants took part (27 in Maiduguri and 9 in Abuja), from Government entities, UN agencies, as well as international and national NGOs. With the majority of the carry-over from 2017 coming to an end, is a challenge. The number of sites reporting activities for out-patient treatment declined from 825 in April to 782 in May due to gaps. A capacity mapping exercise was carried out to enable LGA profiling on specific needs as well as scale-up plans and associated requirements. The capacity mapping has also enabled the development of a transition plan to ensure that there are no gaps in areas where partners can no longer support due to issues. The information has also been used to advocate for additional so critical lifesaving activities can continue. However, in some locations, nutrition partners have been able to continue to scale up with five new OTP sites established in May in Borno State: two in Damboa, one in Dikwa, and two in Ngala. Partners are mobilising resources to establish nutrition services in Bama town, outside of the IDP camp, given the high numbers of returns to the town since the Maiduguri- Banki road reopened in April. In addition, plans are ongoing to establish SCs in Nganzai and Magumeri. Partners have reaffirmed their commitment and interest in adopting a universal comprehensive tool for screening new arrivals. Various technical working groups are finalising this tool which will be incorporated in the multi-sectoral new arrivals tool to improve reception management. To further improve coordination, an action plan will be developed following a sector coordination performance survey which was carried out with the support of the Global Nutrition Cluster in May. The survey evaluated the sector s six core functions and a preliminary report has been shared. The action plan will propose ways to bridge gaps in areas rated as weak or in need of improvement, and progress will be on a quarterly basis. The results of the fifth round of the Nutrition and Food Security Surveillance quarterly survey in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states are expected to be issued by the end of June. The survey is critical to inform proper prioritisation of areas with high acute malnutrition rates ahead of the lean season. 9

10 In May, 4,276 families received emergency shelter solutions and 2,032 households were assisted with reinforced and transitional shelter solutions, especially in Kaga, Jere, Ngala, Mafa and Kala/Balge LGAs. This brings the total number of families assisted with shelter since January to 14,952 (approximately 89,700 individuals). In parallel, 6,568 households received non-food items (NFIs) in May, including core relief items through the rapid response mechanism, and standard and improved NFI kits. In 2018, a total of 27,601 families (about 165,600 individuals) have benefitted from NFI distributions. The month of May saw a sharp increase in shelter and NFI needs due to the high number of new arrivals in various locations of Borno State, as well as major rain and wind storms that are destroying shelters and NFIs periodically across the north-east. The sector has launched a series of assessments in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states to capture the scale of the damages caused by the storms. In May, about 522 shelters were destroyed in Arabic School IDP camp in Ngala and had to be moved to a communal building within the camp until shelters are repaired or rebuilt by partners. Currently, there are hundreds of women, children and men staying at the reception centre for longer than initially planned due to a critical lack of shelters. In Damboa, shelter maintenance committees continue to carry out repairs of partially damaged shelters in Abori, Central Primary School, General Hospital and Hausari Primary School IDP camps. The sector s Shelter Technical Working Group is reviewing and finalising improved and harmonised emergency and transitional shelters designs based on lessons learnt, best practices and local solutions. Currently, the sector is prioritising several locations that are expected to pose access challenges during the rainy season, namely Rann, Gajigana and Gajiram. The sector is actively advocating with its partners to ensure that shelter materials and NFIs are prepositioned in a strategic fashion according to extreme weather and flood risk analysis. In addition, the sector has emphasised the need to urgently fund shelter repair and reinforcement kits, specifically in its recent resource mobilisation and advocacy efforts. Preparations are underway for the reinforcement of 1,000 shelters at the International School IDP camp in Ngala and repairs will start in June on 1,500 shelters in Damboa s host community. The sector is also working hand-in-hand with the Education sector to produce a map of school facilities where IDPs are currently being sheltered so those families can be added to the list of awaiting an adequate shelter solution, and so schools can go back to fulfilling their educational purpose. The sector s shelter technical working group continues to review current shelter solutions, designs and approaches, and is looking to make them more adapted to local weather conditions, with tailored and localized characteristics. The ability and ease for beneficiaries to maintain their own shelters is a new element that will be taken into account and included in the design revisions. The sector is supporting the development of guidelines and recommendations on housing, land and property. A workshop will be organised in the coming weeks to ensure that partners are well prepared to address housing, land and property issues linked to the massive internal displacement that has characterised the north-east of Nigeria since conflict started. 10

11 Population movements across the north-east continue to pose major issues for the response. The movements are mainly the result of ongoing military operations and hostilities, as well as other push and pull factors. In May, 21,207 arrived in various locations, further stretching the resources on the ground. The highest numbers of arrivals were recorded in Bama (3,461), Ngala (3,384), Gwoza (3,047), Dikwa (1,480) and Biu (1,266) LGAs. For an adequate response to these continuous new arrivals, the sector is closely monitoring the reception given to the women, children and men who often arrive in dire need of life-saving assistance. Six reception centres are to be established in Borno State. Two have been completed in Pulka and Mafa, and a third one in Monguno is almost completed. Three more are planned in Bama, Dikwa, and Ngala. The main challenge is ensuring a presence of humanitarian service providers in each of the reception centres. The sector is in ongoing discussions with the various sectors of the response to help identify relevant and suitable emergency service providers. As part of the contingency plan and preparedness for the rainy season, drainage construction activities were carried out in various LGAs to reduce the risk of floods in the living areas of the camps. Drainage construction was successfully completed in Dikwa and Maiduguri. Some challenges were faced in Dikwa as community members were concerned that the drainage construction would damage their land and were therefore opposed to the works; however, this challenge was overcome through dialogue with the community leaders. A drainage assessment was also performed in Damboa to design a low-cost drainage mitigation project which is to rely heavily on community participation. Camp management support continues to be provided widely by partners in 142 sites (four in Yobe, 18 in Adamawa and 120 in Borno) hosting 679,481. Communitybased site governance structures are being improved following the establishment of site management committees and committees for persons with specific needs in all the sites with a population higher than 500 households. From a protection perspective, three site planning and GBV workshops targeting more than 30 CCCM and shelter practitioners working across the north-east were carried out in May. In addition, capacity-building and on-the-job trainings on CCCM principled approaches continued during the reporting period, in particular in Jere and Mafa LGAs. The sector also continued to monitor the operationalisation of a fire prevention strategy. In Rann, Kala/Balge LGA, a thorough fire sensitisation campaign was completed and awareness-raising materials were distributed through newly-recruited community outreach workers. Fire station materials were deployed to IDP sites around Maiduguri. Finally, in May, 22,725 additional women, children and men were biometrically registered in Dikwa, Gwoza, Mubi North and Ngala. To date, over 1.6 million individuals have been registered since the beginning of the exercise in In June, through roving teams, the sector will continue to monitor sites that are not covered by permanent site facilitation teams. This will help respond to the potential damages caused by heavy wind and rain storms. A CCCM training is planned for all sector partners in Adamawa State so they can gain a better understanding of the roles and responsibilities and carry out their activities more effectively. As part of the overall GBV mainstreaming global guidelines, the sector is also prioritising the integration of GBV awareness and mitigation strategies in all CCCM-related activities, including a review of the distances in accessing basic services within IDP camps. A two-way complaints and response mechanism has been put in place by CCCM teams in order to receive feedback on the views and preferences of the community regarding the various interventions and services provided by all partners in the sites and respond to the urgent needs of the community. This is done through face-to-face sessions, focus group discussions, suggestion boxes and other means. In June, biometric registrations are expected to start in Nganzai, Borno State. 11

12 After three weeks of break, primary and junior secondary schools resumed classes in May, explaining the higher numbers in achievements on all indicators in May compared to April when school was off for a large part of the month. Training of teachers in May was intensified and reached 944 teachers (of whom 385 were women) and 87 facilitators from the three states of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa. The training focuses on pedagogical and psycho-social support skills to help both teachers and learners, as they have consistently been targets of non-state armed groups since conflict started. Education sector partners are also using the services of qualified facilitators who teach in non-formal learning centres such as Tsangaya (Islamic) schools. Additionally, 292 members (including 91 women) of the school-based management committees (SBMCs) were trained in May, which boosted their capacity to support the adequate running of schools. During the reporting period, almost 8,000 additional children were enrolled in formal and non-formal schools, indicating that the sensitisation carried out with parents by education partners and SBMCs is fruitful. In addition, in May, another 101 temporal learning spaces (TLSs) were completed. New TLSs are now equipped with basic teaching materials (blackboards and mats for children to sit on). In May, the sector continued to advocate and work towards the endorsement and implementation by Nigeria of the Safe Schools Declaration (SSD). The document provides Governments with the opportunity to express broad political support for the protection and continuation of education in armed conflict. The legal review process is ongoing with high-level representatives of the Nigerian Government as well as international stakeholders. An annual training for Education sector partners based in Abuja with activities in the north-east was delivered to build their capacity to implement the Inter-Agency Network for Education in Emergencies minimum standards. The standards cover preparedness, response, recovery, access, quality and accountability in education service provision. Key recommendations have been made for the implementation of the SSD action plan. The process is to involve various stakeholders including the State Ministries of Education, the Nigerian military, the Presidential Committee on the North-East Initiative, the Nigerian Bar Association, the National Commission for Human Rights, academia and sector members. The sector is advocating for the mobilisation of resources so that adequate water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services and facilities can be installed in all educational facilities. Despite a strong collaboration with the WASH sector and efforts made in the past year, many learning centres remain without any WASH services. Coursecorrecting this situation is particularly urgent as the rainy season has started, increasing the risk of water-borne communicable diseases such as cholera and hepatitis E being spread in schools as a result of open defecation and other unsafe hygiene practices. The sector is also focusing on monitoring the existing education projects in the field so gaps can be identified and addressed. For example, a recent mission to Damboa and Jere LGAs revealed that education needs remain very high. There is an overall lack of learning spaces as most educational facilities in the north-east were destroyed by non-state armed groups. Lack of learning spaces due to the destruction of schools by insurgents continues to impede access to education. Another critical barrier in access to education are the high unofficial levies and fees requested by schools, which most conflict-affected parents are unable to pay. In addition, teacher absenteeism and unavailability remains a challenge across all LGAs; this is due to insecurity, a lack of adequate accommodation solutions, and an overall lack of incentives to keep teachers performing their duties in the LGAs. The sector is mobilising its partners and the State Universal Basic Education Board to bridge these gaps and find ways to overcome these challenges. Given the low levels of for the sector, advocacy is ongoing to urgently mobilise additional resources to support education initiatives in north-east Nigeria. 12

13 Since the beginning of the year, the sector has reached close to a million women, children and men with safe water and sanitation facilities across Borno, Adamawa and Yobe. WASH activities are critical in containing water-borne disease transmission and with the approach of the rainy season, preparedness activities have been intensifying in all three states. Following the declaration of cholera outbreaks in Borno State (Kukawa LGA) in February, and in Yobe State (Bade, Karasuwa, Yusufari, Bursari and Jakusko LGAs) in March, a third outbreak was declared in Adamawa State (Mubi North and Mubi South LGAs) in May. Informed by lessons learnt during the 2017 cholera outbreak in Borno (August- December), WASH partners could swiftly mobilise and scale up the response where needed, all the while continuing to implement prevention activities. Efforts included ensuring that: - affected have access to clean water through water trucking, chlorination, the use of purification tablets, monitoring of water quality; - adequate information is shared with at-risk families on good hygiene practices through face-to-face sessions, posters, public announcements using megaphones, radio broadcasts, and other means; - hand washing points are made available at convenient and strategic locations in the affected communities, both in camps and towns; - disinfection of households and latrines, with a special focus on households with reported cholera cases, areas of open defecation, and waste disposal areas; - distribution of WASH kits, which include water purification tablets, soap and other hygiene items, to patients discharged from the various cholera treatment centres. In parallel, in an attempt to address the rise in humanitarian needs caused by hostilities-related displacement and as part of a multi-sectoral effort, the WASH sector drafted an action plan. Implementation has started in Dikwa, Borno State, at the new arrivals screening area and at the 20 Housing IDP camp. Planned activities include the desludging of filled latrines, the construction and maintenance of dozens of new latrines and showers, and jerry can distributions for 833 households. In continuing efforts to tackle the chronic water shortages in Pulka, Borno State, and thanks to effective civil-military coordination (CMCoord), water trucking from Gwoza kicked off in May: an average of 52,353 litres have been trucked daily to Pulka, increasing the provision of safe drinking water to 151,633 litres daily. With the rainy season starting, the three ongoing cholera outbreaks and the high numbers of new arrivals in various locations, the sector is facing many competing priorities. Hand-in-hand with the Health sector, WASH actors are prioritising efforts to contain the new cholera outbreak in Adamawa which stands at 738 cases with 15 related deaths as of 31 May. Given the expected additional influx of displaced persons as the result of military operations, the sector will continue to work towards addressing the water scarcity issue in Pulka. Partners will also focus on implementing the multi-sector rainy season contingency plan, especially in areas that are likely to be significantly affected by floods such as Rann, Baga, Damasak, and other locations. The sector continues to review its Emergency Technical Guidelines. The final document is expected to be finalised by July

14 In May, the Logistics sector facilitated the storage of 2,750 m 3 (1,133 metric tons) of humanitarian relief items at the four common storage sites in Maiduguri, Monguno, Banki and Ngala on behalf of 19 organisations. During the month, the sector processed 424 humanitarian cargo movement requests on behalf of 20 organisations, through 1,544 trucks, out of which 1,084 required the arrangement of a military escort as a last resort. Between 1,300 and 1,600 humanitarian road cargo movement requests are processed by the Logistics sector every month which includes the consolidation of all requests, coordination of military escort when necessary, convoy arrangements, as well as issuance of a weekly dispatch plan, shared with the humanitarian logistics community and military commanders across Borno State. Five trainings were held in Maiduguri with 79 participants from 16 organisations: - two GPS trainings were delivered to the Displacement Management Systems / Shelter and NFIs sector. - one practical training on how to set up a mobile storage unit (MSU) was delivered to various partners - and two trainings were provided to two international NGOs who manage common storage sites in Damasak, Dikwa and Bama on behalf of the Logistics sector on the Relief Item Tracking Application (RITA). Various field missions were carried out in Borno State to set up two MSUs in Damasak, to set up three MSUs and one office in Dikwa, to monitor the progress made on the construction of the helipad in Rann, and to assess the possibility of relocating the four MSUs in Banki from the military compound to a new site next to the humanitarian hub. In May, the UN Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) transported 5,179 passengers and 8,688 kgs of cargo. The common storage site in Rann, which was expected to be opened by mid-june, is experiencing some operational delays in construction due contractor-related issues. Given that the rainy season has started, and that Rann tends to become inaccessible by road for months due to flooding, the ability to preposition items in the town is critical for the continuous provision of life-saving aid. The site is now expected to be operational by the end of June. Another major priority over the next month continues to be the completion of the construction of the other three common storage sites in Damasak, Bama and Dikwa, also critical to preposition life-saving items ahead of the rainy season. The Logistics sector is exploring alternative transport options for moving cargo between Ngala and Rann during the rainy season. The sector is still working on the possibility of having five canoes (50 feet long, 8 feet wide) built in the coming weeks. The Logistics sector is also planning to support in building the geographic information system (GIS) mapping capacity of the Presidential Committee on the North-East Initiative (PCNI). 14

15 In May, a total of 1,577 beneficiaries were reached with programmes within the HRP: 837 benefitted from cash-forwork activities and 740 received livelihoods skills training. Water reservoirs were built in Gwoza for dry season farming through the cash-for-work programme. Each participant received 20,000 Nigerian nairas (approximately $55) through a direct cash transfer for the month. The livelihoods skills trainees were taught about individual business management (book keeping, business plan tracking, account balancing, etc.) and received mentoring assistance. Among the challenges faced by partners was the lack of basic commodities at local markets as movement and importation of basic commodities to the smaller LGA markets is determined by the security conditions which can sometimes be volatile. In addition, the difficulty in accessing by road LGAs with high number of returns has hampered partners ability to carry out regular monitoring visits to the livelihoods centres and cooperatives that were established in For cash-for-work activities, the absence of a cash transfer service provider was overcome as organisations used direct cash payments to beneficiaries. An additional 30,118 were reached through non-hrp programmes across Borno, Adamawa and Yobe. On 7 and 8 May, the first ever Lake Chad Basin Governors Forum for Regional Cooperation on Stabilisation, Peacebuilding and Sustainable Development was held in Maiduguri. The aim was to promote continuous dialogue and to strengthen coordination and collaboration on crossborder initiatives at the sub-national level around the Lake Chad Basin. This was an opportunity for the sector to carryout high-level advocacy on the following: - there is an inherent tension between the continued need for security and the limitations imposed on agricultural activity as well as market and road closures, which hamper early recovery; - the lack of infrastructure, including electricity provision, is also posing major challenges. Some key Early Recovery and Livelihoods sector recommendations for Government, partners and donors included: significant investments in basic education, vocational trainings, job creation (in particular for youth, women, victims of conflict and vigilante groups), investments in infrastructure (road networks, electricity, drainage and irrigation systems which all have wide-ranging economic impacts), support packages for conflict-affected widows and orphans. Sector partners will continue to implement the following non-agricultural livelihoods-related activities in Borno and Adamawa: financial literacy and business development trainings, cooperative formation and management trainings; business start-up kits. Cash-for-work and skills training programmes will also continue. Outside of the HRP, other livelihoods-related activities include: the disbursement of 250 cash grants for incomegenerating activities; the development of business plans; and the identification and selection of business professionals to support business plan assessments. There is a significant number of displaced youth who are lacking technical and vocational skills to appropriately use their acquired entrepreneurship and business management skills. As such, partners are encouraged to incorporate technical and vocational education and training activities targeting youth to increase their skills levels. In addition, women in rural communities have limited or no access to financial institutions to save and access loans. Projects that provide women with access to finance through village savings and loan association (VSLA) are recommended to address this gap. Some partners have begun to implement such projects. 15

16 Taking into consideration the connectivity needs in remote locations in north-east Nigeria, the Humanitarian Hubs Task Force agreed to extend the opening timings of the hubs. Users can now access ETS Internet services from 09:00 to 12:00 and from to 17:00. In average, 65 humanitarians are using Internet services on daily basis in Maiduguri and 30 at the hubs locations (Bama, Dikwa, Gwoza, Ngala and Monguno). Over 63 different organizations have used ETS services in In May, the ETS obtained nine high frequency (HF) and 18 very high frequency (VHF) radio licenses from the Nigerian Ministry of Communications Technology. This will allow the sector to move forward with the long-planned full set-up of the digital mobile radio (DMR) network for north-east Nigeria. Finally, during the reporting period, the ETS team carried out missions to the Ngala and Monguno hubs for maintenance works to ensure the full operability of the Internet connectivity and security telecommunications services deployed there. To address the Internet connectivity challenges in northeast Nigeria, the ETS is looking to find suitable solutions for remote locations and organised a meeting between partners on the ground and the ETS International Internet Service Provider. In preparation of the coming rainy season, the Emergency Telecommunications sector (ETS) moved all ETS equipment in Gwoza, Bama and Dikwa to solid prefabricated structures. It was previously kept in tents. During the first week of June, the ETS will deploy vital Internet connectivity and security telecommunications services at the humanitarian hub in Banki, which is on the brink of becoming fully operational. The ETS intends to install an additional satellite terminal at the humanitarian hub in Maiduguri in order to increase the current capacity given the high demand. This will also serve as a back-up Internet solution for the humanitarians residing in the camp. As part of the overall contingency plan of the response in north-east Nigeria, the sector is planning an emergency preparedness mission in July to Abuja and Maiduguri in order to build local capacity with strong ICT emergency response capabilities. The preparedness will facilitate a faster, better coordinated and more cost-effective emergency response.. The ETS will engage with partners on the ground, including UN agencies and NGOs, as well as with Government entities involved in emergency response activities. The delay in the recruitment of radio operators by the United Nations remains a challenge as the communications centres (COMCENs) deployed by the ETS in the field hubs in Ngala, Bama, Damasak, Dikwa, Gwoza and Monguno cannot be operational unless staffed. In 2018, the ETS requires $5.5 million to carry out its work plan. However, to date, the sector is only 29 per cent funded and this translates into serious challenges in the rollout of planned activities. Advocacy is ongoing to mobilise additional resources. 16

17 Response and constraints Inter-sector coordination: In May, a contingency plan for expected high levels of displacement related to the military operation Last Hold (which coincides with the rainy season) was developed. The plan aims to ensure the provision of lifesaving assistance for about 115,000 IDPs expected to move from hard-to-reach areas and is based on an analysis of response capacities and gaps in key locations: Damasak (Mobbar LGA), Baga (Kukawa LGA), Monguno (Monguno LGA), Ngala (Ngala LGA), Rann (Kala/Balge LGA), Dikwa (Dikwa LGA), Banki (Bama LGA), and Pulka and Gwoza (Gwoza LGA). The sectors highlighted that $41.7 million is urgently needed to ensure sufficient preparedness and response activities and enable life-saving assistance for these new arrivals. Furthermore, resource mobilisation efforts for the Rainy Season Contingency Plan are ongoing: $33.6 million is urgently required to ensure the adequate delivery of assistance to 463,000 individuals in the locations that are most vulnerable to extreme weather. Local coordination: On 22 May, an inter-sector mission was carried out in Dikwa to assess the humanitarian needs of the 1,500 newly arrived persons at the security screening and to develop a joint action plan to enable effective and rapid support for the most vulnerable. Rapid response: In May, the mechanism continued to scale up in Pulka to ensure the delivery of life-saving WASH services, including water trucking from Gwoza an extreme measure that was required given the continuous influx of displaced families. Cash-based interventions: The Cash working group in Nigeria initiated discussions among donors, Government stakeholders, private sector and humanitarian partners on Linking humanitarian cash transfer with national social protection. In 2015, the Federal Government of Nigeria and the World Bank launched a social protection programme targeting 1 million poor households per year with unconditional cash transfers for poverty reduction in the 36 states of Nigeria. In parallel, since 2016, the humanitarian community has implemented cash-based transfers in the north-east: as of March 2018, 24 humanitarian partners had disbursed $16.2 million to 212,395 families across 37 LGAs in Adamawa, Yobe and Borno. In line with the global commitments of the Grand Bargain, linking the two schemes will help review how both programmes interact to strengthen the resilience of the beneficiaries and contribute to the humanitarian development nexus. Humanitarian hubs: Five humanitarian hubs are operational in Maiduguri, Gwoza, Bama, Ngala and Dikwa. The average occupancy rate in 2018 is 64 per cent for Maiduguri (59/92 available beds) and 37 per cent for the field hubs (22/60 available beds). Access and civil-military coordination (CMCoord): The humanitarian access situation remains unchanged. Ongoing hostilities and military operations have led to some road closures which has slightly delayed the delivery of aid. The humanitarian community is engaging on a regular basis with the Nigerian armed forces to de-conflict movements and to ensure that life-saving aid reaches in need. Inter-sector coordination: In June, the sectors will continue joint resource mobilisation efforts for the rainy season contingency plan and the plan to address needs arising from extended military operations. The sectors will work with partners to operationalise the plans as displacement and vulnerabilities due the rainy season continue to increase. In preparation for the 2019 Humanitarian Needs Overview, data collection for a multi-sector needs assessment will be launched mid-june in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe. Local coordination: The mechanism will continue to support local coordination in particular to address the needs of newly displaced families in the different hot-spot locations, including Dikwa, Monguno, and Rann. Humanitarian hubs: Four additional deep field hubs are in the works. The Banki and Monguno hubs are completed and pending security authorisations; in Damasak, bunker, drainage, gazebo and toilet constructions are ongoing and should be finalised by mid-june; and in Rann, the hub is approximately 50 per cent completed and a temporary tent accommodation with six cubicles will be set up for humanitarian workers who may have to overnight unexpectedly due to extreme weather. Access and CMCoord: Discussions for the dissemination and implementation of the CMCoord Guidance have commenced and a training for military and humanitarian actors is being prepared. 17

18 The 2018 Humanitarian Response Plan To alleviate the suffering of 6.1 million in dire need of life-saving aid across north-east Nigeria, the United Nations and its partners appealed for $1.05 billion for 176 projects to be implemented by 60 humanitarian organisations in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states. It is the sixth largest single-country appeal globally. As of 31 May, $416.4 million (39.7 per cent) of the needed funds have been received, according to the levels reported on the Financial Tracking Service (FTS). This includes an estimated $185 million carry-over from 2017 reported on FTS. The Nigeria Humanitarian Fund Since its operationalisation in May 2017, the Nigeria Humanitarian Fund (NHF), one of the world s 18 country-based pooled funds, has raised $49 million, including $5.7 million raised in In May specifically, Iceland pledged $246,354 and Canada contributed $78,555. The target is to raise $100 million through the NHF by the end of Through two standard allocations in 2017, the NHF disbursed a total of $23.9 million to fund 37 projects. The 2017 NHF Annual Report was issued in May. In 2018, a first reserve allocation of $9 million was launched for 15 life-saving projects spanning seven sectors (Shelter/NFIs, Logistics, WASH, DMS (CCCM), Health, Protection and Nutrition) in January. In May, the NHF completed a second reserve allocation of $2 million to reduce cholera-related mortality and morbidity, and to address critical WASH needs in Yobe State. The NHF team carried out one field monitoring mission to a child protection project in Dikwa and financial spot-checks were carried out for two national NGO partners. 18