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Niger

Niger Emergency Humanitarian Action Plan Revision (16 July 2010)


1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Niger is in the midst of a food and nutrition crisis resulting from the failed harvest in 2009 due to the lack of rainfall. A recent vulnerability assessment, conducted in April 2010, indicates that over 7 million people, 46% of the population, are in a situation of moderate to severe food insecurity, reaching alarming proportions in some departments. This survey reveals a significant increase in the number of severely food-insecure people from 2.6 million, according to a rapid survey conducted in December 2009, to 3.3 million people in April 2010. It also reveals a high level of vulnerability in urban areas, particularly amongst new migrants, as well as a higher rate of severe food insecurity amongst women.

The results of the 2010 Nutrition survey, published on June 24, testify to the magnitude of the nutritional crisis among children. The Nutrition Survey reveals a global acute malnutrition (GAM) prevalence exceeding the 15% emergency threshold, with 16.7% of children aged 6 to 59 months affected. The prevalence of malnutrition has significantly increased since the last survey conducted in 2009, when it was recorded at 12.3%. The prevalence of severe acute malnutrition (SAM) has also risen from 2.1% in 2009 to 3.2% in 2010.

The pastoral situation is becoming increasingly critical as severe fodder shortfalls and lack of water are affecting livestock herds. Extreme concentrations of animals are being observed in the regions of Tahoua, Maradi, Zinder and Diffa, with increasing cases of animal mortality and pastoralists having to sell their cattle at very low prices. The situation is becoming critical in all regions and emergency destocking measures are recommended by humanitarian partners.

Various assistance efforts are ongoing, operated jointly by the Government and humanitarian partners (United Nations agencies and local and international non-governmental organizations [NGOs]).

These include:

- the joint World Food Programme (WFP) – United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) blanket supplementary feeding operation launched at the end of April to prevent acute malnutrition among 644,000 children aged between 6 to 23 months from May to August

- the medical treatment of SAM among children aged under five and of moderate acute malnutrition (MAM) in children and pregnant/lactating women

- the joint Government-WFP operation of free targeted food distributions launched in mid-May, targeting approximately 1.5 million people during the lean period

- the subsidized sale of cereals to improve access to 30% of food-insecure populations for three months;

- the subsidized sale of animal fodder programme to improve access to animal feed for pastoralists;

- destocking activities

- Cash for Work activities targeting 30% of the food-insecure population for three months;

- Cash Transfer activities operated by NGOs in seven regions.

The most important priority needs remain the same as in the initial version of the Emergency Humanitarian Action Plan (EHAP) and require stepping up interventions in the sectors of:

- food security, including assistance to pastoralists

- nutrition, including water, sanitation and health activities related to the treatment of SAM cases with medical complications, and preventive actions such as intensifying the promotion of breastfeeding to protect infants under 6 months

As of 16 July 2010, US $142,185,152 or 75% of the original requirements ($190,762,464) have been funded. The revised version of the EHAP requests an additional $180,510,857, for a new total of $371,273,321, leaving an outstanding requirement of $229,088,169.

Note that while the EHAP is the humanitarian community's targeted response to the food crisis, there are other projects for Niger in the West Africa Regional Appeal. They amount to $38 million, of which only $4 million have been received to date (see these projects in annex I, table III).

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Table I: EHAP Summary of Requirements (Grouped By Cluster)

Table II: EHAP Summary of Requirements (Grouped By Appealing Organization)

2. CHANGES IN THE CONTEXT, HUMANITARIAN NEEDS, AND RESPONSE

2.1 FOOD INSECURITY EMERGENCY

2.2 NUTRITION EMERGENCY

2.3 PASTORAL EMERGENCY

3. PROGRESS TOWARDS ACHIEVING STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES AND SECTORAL TARGETS

3.1 STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES

Strategic Objectives of the Food Security Cluster

Strategic Objectives of the Nutrition/Health Cluster

3.2 CLUSTER RESPONSE PLANS

Food Security

Nutrition/Health

4. FORWARD VIEW

ANNEX I: LIST OF PROJECTS AND FUNDING TABLES

Table III: List of Appeal projects (grouped by agency), with funding status of each

Table IV: Total funding per donor (EHAP only)

Table V: Total funding per donor (to all Niger projects in the West Africa CAP)

ANNEX II: INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF RED CROSS AND RED CRESCENT SOCIETIES

ANNEX III: ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS

Please note that appeals are revised regularly. The latest version of this document is available on http://www.humanitarianappeal.net.

Full project details can be viewed, downloaded and printed from www.reliefweb.int/fts.

Note: The full text of this appeal is available on-line in Adobe Acrobat (pdf) format and may also be downloaded in zipped MS Word format.

Full Original Appeal [pdf* format] [zipped MS Word format]

* Get the Adobe Acrobat Viewer (free)

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E-Mail: cap@reliefweb.int

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