Revision Niger 2005 Flash Appeal (Word)

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1

Table I. Summary of Requirements – By Appealing Organisation and By Sector 2

2. BACKGROUND 3

3. CURRENT SITUATION 3

3.1 Overview of needs 3

3.2 Current Response and Capacity 4

4. THE STRATEGY 4

4.1 The Response and Time Frame 4

4.2 Complementarity 4

5. ACHIEVEMENTS AND CONSTRAINTS TO DATE 4

6. SECTOR RESPONSE PLANS AND PROJECTS 5

food 6

health and nutrition 7

agriculture 9

water and sanitation 10

Coordination 11

ANNEX I. OVERVIEW OF REVISED PROJECTS AND REQUIREMENTS - By Sector 13

ANNEX II. ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS 14

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NIGER FLASH APPEAL REVISION

1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Revised Flash Appeal aims to address the needs of an estimated 32,000 severely malnourished children, 160,000 moderately malnourished children, and 2.5 million of the most vulnerable people who will be provided with food aid, including 261,360 pregnant and lactating women in the most critical areas. Increased requirements are due to the incorporation of activities to reinforce efforts in water and sanitation, primary health care, protection of livestock and the provision of seeds as well as higher delivery costs that have been multiplied seven-fold, in some cases, to airlift and immediately deliver relief supplies. The overall revised requirements in the Revised Flash Appeal amount to US$80,942,986. Against this, US$25,418,825 has already been contributed or committed, leaving a new shortfall of US$55,524,161.

In May 2005 the United Nations Country Team in Niger launched a Flash Appeal for US$ 16,191,000 to address the then “looming food crisis” during the lean season from May to September 2005. This appeal focused on support to the authorities in their efforts to distribute subsidized cereals and fodder. The slow and meagre initial response to the Appeal, however, resulted in the deterioration of the situation, leading to higher-than-usual malnutrition and mortality rates, and prolonging the projected duration and impact of the crisis beyond the current lean season into the harvest and post-harvest period. As mentioned in a recent report[1], there has also been some “divergence of views among international actors on the magnitude and intensity of the crisis”. This has also delayed the formulation of an adequate response strategy beyond food subsidies. This analysis will also inform ongoing efforts to survey and monitor the food security situation in the West Africa region as a basis for a plan of action for other countries in the Sahel affected by circumstances similar to Niger. The current food security crisis is further compounded by poor water, sanitation and health conditions that need to be addressed in tandem with food aid. Consequently, the Country Team has decided to revise the requirements of the Flash Appeal, expanding the scope and level of activities to address both immediate and medium-term requirements for an extended period up till December 2005.

The strategy for the upcoming months will be to:

·  Save lives;

·  Reduce vulnerability in the immediate term;

·  Enhance coping mechanisms in the medium term.

The activities in this appeal will be carried out in close collaboration with the Government of Niger (GoN), national and international non-governmental organisations, and the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, and will complement development programmes already undertaken by the United Nations system. The UN System and the Government will ensure that they jointly plan and implement recovery activities for the medium and longer-term response efforts during the relief phase. As further assessments are undertaken and more accurate information is obtained and analysed, including the results of the upcoming harvest, the Flash Appeal may be revised accordingly.

Table I. Summary of Requirements – By Appealing Organisation and By Sector

2. BACKGROUND

The acute food insecurity has structural causes that have been compounded by drought and locust infestation. Some of the structural causes include population growth, non-sustainable farming and livestock-raising in an unpredictable environment. These are further compounded by trends like sub-regional speculation of cereal prices. In addition, conflicts in the sub-region are hindering the migration of labour that has always been the main coping mechanism during the lean season.

According to a joint assessment carried out by the Government, UN and NGO partners in March 2005, 3.6 million people (2,988 villages) are adversely affected by the food crisis, of which 2.5 million are thought to be extremely vulnerable and requiring food assistance. Most of the rural population is facing serious difficulties in accessing staple foods, such as millet and sorghum, and essential health services. Niger is one of the poorest countries in the world, with a literacy rate of 17.1% for adults (above 15 years of age) and a life expectancy of 46 years contributing to its ranking at 176 out of 177 countries in the Human Development Index compiled by UNDP. In the present environment, the conditions of impoverished persons are worsening as the prices of cereals have increased three-fold while livestock prices have decreased dramatically. It is estimated that 85% of the population relies on agriculture to survive. Most of the population has been migrating out of the most vulnerable zones, while others have begun to consume wild food.

The limited availability of pasture and fodder – an initial deficit of 36% or 4.6 million tons of animal dry feed already existed prior to the crisis – has endangered livestock. While fodder remains very expensive, the value of cattle locked away in the southern farming zone away from pastoral lands in the north has dropped dramatically on the market due in part to their extremely poor condition. The monetary value of livestock compared to the equivalent in cereals has decreased between 42% and 55%.[2] A cow is sold in the worst cases at US$ 1.50, when the normal price during the lean period is approximately US$250. An estimated twenty-two million head of livestock including cows, sheep, goats and camels, which represent the ‘savings accounts’ of pastoralists and agro-pastoralists, are presently in poor condition.

3. CURRENT SITUATION

3.1 Overview of needs

According to recent localized surveys in the most affected areas (Tahoua, Maradi and Zinder), an estimated 20% of children under five suffer from moderate malnutrition and an estimated 4% are severely malnourished. These rates are comparable to those observed in conflict zones and the worst emergencies in the world. It is therefore estimated that as many as 192,000 children under five are affected by severe or moderate malnutrition of the 800,000 children under five living in the most vulnerable zones.

At therapeutic feeding centres supported by WFP, UNICEF and MSF, admissions are rising dramatically. As of mid-July, they were at least twice as high as those registered last year for the same period. A further increase in malnutrition is expected up to the end of the lean period, which runs from the exhaustion of food reserves in April until the new harvest in October. In the Saga therapeutic feeding centre in Niamey run by Mother Teresa’s Sisters, as many children were treated for severe malnutrition (650) between April and June 2005 as during the previous 12 months. In addition, UNFPA estimates that 261,360 women in affected areas (Tillabery, Tahoua, Maradi, Loga and Mirriah) are due to deliver over the next three months.

During acute humanitarian crises the interplay between malnutrition and communicable diseases results in very high levels of mortality particularly among children. This is further compounded by lack of adequate safe water and sanitation, the rainy season, and difficulties in maintaining basic hygiene. Specific disease threats include malaria, diarrhoea (including cholera), acute respiratory infections, measles and hepatitis.

People in Niger normally pay for access to government-provided health care. In light of the current threats to their livelihoods, the erosion of their coping abilities, the subsequent reduction in purchasing power and their inability to pay for health care will contribute to a sustained increase in morbidity and mortality. Over the next six months as many as 3.6 million people will require free access to essential health care, medicines, and appropriate public health interventions (such as immunization, diarrhoeal disease and malaria control). International support is needed to permit these life-saving actions – particularly the provision of emergency services, effective nutritional rehabilitation and technical co-ordination (and monitoring) of activities in the health sector.

3.2 Current Response and Capacity

The food crisis in Niger is being coordinated by the national Food Crisis Prevention and Mitigation Mechanism (DNPGCA). While development partners were the first to respond to the food crisis, their capacities have now been stretched beyond limits as only a few humanitarian partners who were present in Niger had the expertise and sufficient capacity to implement immediate intensive therapeutic feeding activities and ensure comprehensive and adequate coverage of the most vulnerable areas in order to save the lives of children affected by severe malnutrition. Over the past weeks several organisations have deployed emergency response resources to boost current efforts as the international response continues to increase gradually.

4. THE STRATEGY

4.1 The Response and Time Frame

The strategy for response during the upcoming months will be to:

·  Save lives;

·  Reduce vulnerability in the immediate future (August 2005);

·  Reinforce the coping mechanisms of affected households in the medium term (September to December 2005).

Activities to support this overall strategy are elaborated in the sector response plans outlined below.

4.2 Complementarity

Resources are being diverted from ongoing development programmes and projects that aim to address the root causes of the crisis to temporarily support emergency efforts, including the protection of vulnerable groups, advocacy and gender initiatives. In this regard resources are being sought to ensure continued and strategic linkages between relief and development activities. This is critical for humanitarian programmes to complement longer-term development efforts addressing the underlying causes of the current crisis.

5. ACHIEVEMENTS AND CONSTRAINTS TO DATE

The original Flash Appeal issued in May 2005 mobilised US$ 25.4 million (as of 4 August 2005), mainly for food aid, nutrition and agricultural activities. In addition, contributions and commitments to humanitarian projects not listed in the Flash Appeal (as reported to the Financial Tracking Service [FTS] on ReliefWeb by donors or recipient organisations) amount to US$ 25 million.[3]

Whilst some progress has been made to date, the main constraints faced by partners on the ground have been: late funding; difficulties in procuring food supplies within the sub-region; delays in the deployment of emergency partners, hindering the implementation of activities; a deficit of information, hampering coordination through the DNPGCA; lack of systematic reporting of contributions to the FTS, weakening advocacy efforts; and lack of sufficient logistical capacity.

Funding provided through the flash appeal nevertheless enabled the following activities to be undertaken as of mid-July 2005 in addition to activities undertaken by other partners:

Food and Agriculture

·  Procurement of 6,183 Metric Tonnes (MT) of food commodities (WFP);

·  Distribution of 502 MTs of food commodities to some 27,000 affected persons (WFP);

·  Procurement of 614 MTs of cereals to restock 61 cereal banks in affected areas (UNICEF);

·  Distribution of 110 MTs of bean seeds to 400,000 farmers for the current cropping season and 853 MTs of fodder to some 10,000 pastoralist households (FAO).

Health and Nutrition

·  Procurement and distribution of therapeutic food and essential drugs for 15 therapeutic feeding centres, dispatched through 10 implementing partners (UNICEF);

·  Training of 80 health workers and partners on the treatment of severe malnutrition nationwide (UNICEF);

·  Procurement and distribution of 190 MTs of Unimix to feed 31,666 moderately malnourished children for one month (UNICEF);

·  Provision of essential drugs valued at US$ 25,000 for severely malnourished children (UNICEF);

·  Provision of delivery kits, micronutrients and mosquito nets to pregnant and lactating women in most affected regions of Zinder and Agadez. (UNFPA).

Coordination

·  Support to the DNPGCA by providing funds for coordination, logistical and information management;

·  Support to the Resident coordinator and the UN country team in advocacy efforts. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA);

·  Establishment of weekly coordination meetings hosted by the Government;

·  Technical coordination in nutrition and harmonisation of nutrition protocols in the field (UNICEF).

6. SECTOR RESPONSE PLANS AND PROJECTS

The following section outlines the overall objectives of each sector and indicates the activities that will be undertaken to support the overall strategy.

Only the new or revised projects (as indicated in Annex I) have been included in the sector plans below; those that have not been revised or removed are still valid as indicated in the original Flash Appeal of May 2005.

The major international NGOs now deploying emergency capacity in Niger were invited to participate in the process of the Flash Appeal and list proposed or current projects in the final document. The lack of participation may in some cases be due to misapprehensions about the implications of listing projects in the Appeal. The UN continues to encourage NGOs to participate in coordination efforts such as the Flash Appeal to allow for a holistic inventory of needs and activities. Since this would be advantageous to all partners, NGOs are still invited to report additional projects to the Financial Tracking System so that it can reflect both requests and contributions for all humanitarian actors currently working in Niger (www.reliefweb.int/fts).

food

To save lives and mitigate the impact of the drought and locust invasion at the vulnerable household level by providing a total of 72,931 Mt of food aid

Save lives

·  Provide two months of targeted free food distribution (full general ration) or 28,842 Mts to 1.6 million food insecure and extremely vulnerable people (WFP).

·  Reinforce the logistics capacity to ensure the timely delivery of food aid (i) by hiring additional trucking capacity [40 trucks] for use along the supply corridors [Benin and Togo]; (ii) by mobilizing additional pick-ups to support distribution within Niger; and (iii) by organizing airlifts. While Benin and Togo are the current key supply corridors for Niger a third, Nigeria is under consideration.