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Mid-Year Review of the Consolidated Appeals Process (CAP): Humanitarian Appeal 2004 for West Africa


Consolidated Appeals Process (CAP)
The CAP is much more than an appeal for money. It is an inclusive and coordinated programme cycle of:

a) strategic planning leading to a Common Humanitarian Action Plan (CHAP);
b) resource mobilisation;
c) coordinated programme implementation;
d) joint monitoring and evaluation;
e) revision, if necessary; and
f) reporting on results.

The CHAP is a strategic plan for humanitarian response in a given country or region and includes the following elements:

a) A common analysis of the context in which humanitarian action takes place;
b) An assessment of needs;
c) Best, worst, and most likely scenarios;
d) Stakeholder analysis, i.e. Who does what and where;
e) A clear statement of longer-term objectives and goals;
f) Prioritised response plans; and
g) A framework for monitoring the strategy and revising it if necessary.

The CHAP is the foundation for developing a Consolidated Appeal (CA) or, when crises break or natural disasters occur, a Flash Appeal. The CHAP can also serve as a reference for organisations deciding not to appeal for funds through a common framework. Under the leadership of the Humanitarian Coordinator, the CHAP is developed at field level by the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) Country Team. This team mirrors the IASC structure at headquarters and includes UN agencies, and standing invitees, i.e. the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the Red Cross Movement, and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) that belong to International Council of Voluntary Agencies (ICVA), Interaction, or Steering Committee for Humanitarian Response (SCHR). Non-IASC members, such as national NGOs, can be included, and other key stakeholders in humanitarian action, in particular host governments and donors, should be consulted.

The Humanitarian Coordinator is responsible for the annual preparation of the consolidated appeal document. The document is launched globally each November to enhance advocacy and resource mobilisation. An update, known as the Mid-Year Review (MYR), is presented to donors in June of each year.

Donors provide resources to appealing agencies directly in response to project proposals. The Financial Tracking Service (FTS), managed by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), is a database of donor contributions and can be found on www.reliefweb.int/fts

In sum, the CAP is about how the aid community collaborates to provide civilians in need the best protection and assistance available, on time.

1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

In the last six months, the West Africa sub-region has been the subject of substantial improvements (improved security and access in Liberia, continuing reconstruction in Sierra Leone, return of peace in Guinea-Bissau) as well as worrying concerns with regard to the lack of protection of civilians, inter-ethnic strife, and lack of clear solutions to address the needs of communities in host countries that have welcomed thousands of refugees who fled countries in conflict.

It has become clear that in countries affected by open armed conflict, the use of force and political pressure was the appropriate means to restore some security and allow the return of humanitarian assistance. However, as access has been regained much remains to be done to increase support to urban and rural communities in danger.

Furthermore: the uncertainty of the peace process in Cote d'Ivoire (CDI); the internal political tension in Guinea; the lack of a political future for many leaders of former armed dissidents that once roamed the sub-region; the pending outcomes of Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration (DDR) programmes in Liberia and CDI; the aftermath of the crises in Guinea-Bissau and Mauritania; and the lack of appropriate responses to the impact of massive returns of civilians from CDI into neighbouring countries (Mali, Burkina Faso) constitute a series of concerns to the humanitarian community. Given the intertwined nature of crises in West Africa, it is anticipated that any failure in the ongoing fragile peace processes could rapidly deteriorate and lead to open inter-state confrontations affecting the protection of civilians, limiting access to victims, and affecting the safety of humanitarian actors.

As a consequence of these past and predicted developments, these changes do not require a shift in the overall humanitarian response but rather a more forceful implementation of identified strategies and stronger donor support to alleviate political and/or operational obstacles faced in Liberia, CDI and Guinea. Sectoral strategies have not changed although some projects have been revised to take into consideration the time constraint of the Consolidated Appeals Process (CAP) cycle while a couple of new projects are submitted to donors' attention with the aim of better targeting the specific needs of particular vulnerable groups (such as children) or anticipating emerging problems (food insecurity in Guinea-Bissau).

To date, resources received allowed for substantial achievements in addressing some of the food security needs across the region, in responding to the need for stronger sub-regional coordination, and in paving the way for better protection of children. Contributions and pledges received to date total US$ 46,014,164, equating to 42.4% of the revised requirements of US$ 108,421,086, and leaving unmet requirements of US$ 62,406,922.

Finally, within the framework of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), a new Department for Humanitarian Affairs (DHA) was created during the reporting period that will allow humanitarian actors to liaise with this regional institution, effectively linking humanitarian concerns to political initiatives driven by ECOWAS.

2. CHANGES IN THE CONTEXT AND HUMANITARIAN CONSEQUENCES

West Africa is now receiving greater international attention as reflected in the massive funding response following the international conference for Liberia held early this year in New York; the willingness of the European Union to assist host communities and refugee groups living in Forest Guinea through quick impact activities; the recent report of the Secretary General to the Security Council and subsequent recommendations of the Security Council on ways to combat cross-border problems in West Africa.

Improvements in overall security and access have taken place due to the rapid and forceful deployment of peacekeeping troops in Liberia and Cote d'Ivoire while political initiatives have yielded some positive results in Guinea-Bissau and the Casamance region of Senegal. Efforts of the international community and ECOWAS have defused tensions while governments have found ways to temporarily cope with the economic disruption created by the Côte d'Ivoire crisis. It should also be noted that little forced population movements have been reported in recent months and, in fact, spontaneous returns of Liberian (to Liberia), Malians and Burkinabe (to Côte d'Ivoire) have been signalled by humanitarian agencies. As a consequence of an improved situation in Sierra Leone and Liberia, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has now decided to end its assistance to Sierra Leonean refugees and has started to plan for organised repatriation of Liberians in exile.

At the same time, the region remains plagued by:

a) Gross violations of human rights following the deterioration of the situation in Côte d'Ivoire and uncertainty of the political process following the lack of implementation of the Linas Marcoussis Accord;

b) Internal political tension in Guinea following the unexpected resignation of the Prime Minister compounded by the lack of dialogue with the international community and particularly the European Union;

c) Sporadic confrontations between Islamic fundamentalist groups and regular armies in a region of Saharan territory spanning from eastern Mauritania to western Chad;

d) The consequences of the alleged coup attempt in Burkina Faso;

e) The daily, uncontrolled cross-border movements of civilians along the borders of CDI-Mali and Côte d'Ivoire-Burkina Faso and the rise of the illegal circulation of weapons;

f) The internal strife in northern Ghana, which has a history of violent political confrontations between opposing clan members that could erupt with the upcoming elections;

g) Limited access for humanitarian actors to parts of Western CDI and northeast Liberia;

h) Illegal circulation of commodities and uncontrolled movements of people between northern CDI and its neighbouring countries (Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso and Ghana) have created additional fears for the rapid spread of HIV/AIDS and constitutes new security risks for these countries;

i) Devastating consequences on food security following the locust invasion in Mauritania, Mali, Niger and Chad that could trigger unexpected population movements and internal strife between landowners and cattle herders.

In the area of inter-agency collaboration, joint efforts between the newly established Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) Regional Support Office (RSO) for West Africa, World Food Programme (WFP), UNHCR, United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), OXFAM, Save the Children, World Health Organization (WHO), Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and others led to concrete achievements such as the development of an inter-agency regional contingency plan (work in progress); the convening of monthly and ad-hoc inter-agency coordination meetings that include humanitarian NGOs based in Dakar; the establishment of a Regional Protection Initiative (RPI); the recent decision of regional directors of UN agencies based in Dakar to create a regional Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) Working Group to include representatives of United Nations (UN), International Non-Governmental Organisation (INGOs) and donors agencies with the objective of providing overall strategic response to crises and support field emergencies through joint action such as conducting field assessments and initiating advocacy campaigns.

While United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has been very active in ensuring that the specific needs of women and adolescent girls in cantonment sites of Liberia were addressed within the overall DDR process, UNICEF also played an important role and has been instrumental in this field. WFP has been swift in responding to sudden changes in needs due to the operational and funding flexibility of its regional Protracted Relief and Rehabilitation Operation (PRRO). The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has provided assistance for the safe and dignified return to their country of origin of the most vulnerable groups of Third-Country Nationals (TCNs) and stranded migrants from Côte d'Ivoire and Liberia at the sub-regional level, and has provided humanitarian assistance in the temporary areas of displacement. Additionally, IOM has provided since 2001, technical assistance and capacity building to the Government of Guinea Bissau for the ongoing successful DDR process. An illustration of progress made in inter-agency coordination is reflected in the advisory role to the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary General for West Africa played by OCHA, which facilitates the integration of humanitarian issues into the political agenda of various actors within and outside the UN system.

Based on the above, humanitarian actors who met in Dakar at the end of April 2004 to review the West Africa CAP agreed that all the priorities identified last year remain valid and emphasized that:

a) West Africa remains a crisis of protection. In particular, women and children are affected, as concerns of Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV) remain high;

b) Integrating humanitarian activities in UN Peace Missions remains a key challenge for inter-agency coordination;

c) Stronger early warning, preparedness, coordination and joint response mechanisms are needed to respond to new crises;

d) Capacity building for national and regional civil society organisations is advisable to reinforce preventive response with field monitoring of humanitarian interventions and advocacy for better protection of civilians;

e) Developing integrated disease control and AIDS prevention/curative activities is crucial, particularly along border areas;

f) Establishing information management tools for coordination and decision-making is a key asset needed to make sub-regional coordination a meaningful and effective process;

g) Better mobilisation of resources is critical to ensure basic life sustaining services to victims of conflicts or natural disasters.

3. REVIEW OF THE COMMON HUMANITARIAN ACTION PLAN (CHAP)

As stated previously, the current CHAP strategy remains valid but affirmative action is needed for the following priorities:

a) Stopping Human Rights Violations and Enhancing Protection to curtail the continuous use of violence against civilians in general and women and children in particular. Acts of intimidation and extra-judicial killings based on ethnic and religious consideration are on the rise. Making governments and armed non-state actors more accountable will be a key regional priority and achieving this goal will require the use of all resources available including those of ECOWAS and civil society networks. The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has so far been unable to start its protection programme due to lack of funding. The sub-regional protection capacity at the ECOWAS secretariat level therefore remains weak and synergies with other actors have not yet been formed.

b) Sexual and Gender Based Violence, Exploitation and Gender Discrimination

Women and children continue to bear an overwhelming burden in this sub-regional conflict with children forced into fighting forces and prostitution. Lessons learned from the Sierra Leone DDR programme need to be applied to the upcoming DDR programmes in CDI and Liberia with the aim of paying greater attention and better responding to the needs of young females and children associated with the fighting forces. Beyond the permanent physical and psychological damages to women and girls, these unacceptable practices will probably contribute to the rapid rise in Human Immuno-deficiency Virus/ Acquired Immuno-deficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS) and Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI) in the region due to the constant movements of people within and between these countries.

c) Material Needs: Social Services and Food/Non-food Items

Although the sub-region has not faced major population movements since the inception of the CDI crisis (2002) and the Liberia confrontation (summer 2003), the aftermath of these crises has left many unmet material needs in several areas (particularly in their northern territories) as well as in neighbouring countries. A new initiative led by the European Union to assist host communities and refugees in Forest Guinea is a good illustration of how addressing basic gaps in social services and income-generating activities may become instrumental in conflict prevention.

d) Youth Violence

The violent gang culture that continues to prevail in the region is now further affecting the very fragile social fabrics of countries in conflict and threatens to spread into areas that are not yet in conflict. Finding suitable and long-term solutions to youth problems in West Africa is necessary for successful peace-building interventions and conflict prevention initiatives, and the Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration (DDR) programmes for militarised youth must address this issue in a systemic way.

e) Access & Safety of Humanitarian Workers

Although some progress has been met in securing access to victims and ensuring the greater safety of humanitarian actors, the overall deterioration of the situation in CDI is forcing the humanitarian community to be very vigilant. In addition, the uncertain outcome of the situation in Guinea, and particularly in Forest Guinea, which hosts large number of refugee groups, requires that access and safety are carefully evaluated and monitored in the coming months.

f) Regional Displacement

No massive population movements have been recently reported, but the emergence of ethnic-based violence combined with subtle religious animosity in CDI and a restructuring of alliances among non-State actors calls for prudence in the coming months. Prudence in this matter relates to logistic preparedness and efficient border registration systems to accommodate waves of civilians crossing borders into Mali, Burkina, Guinea and/or Ghana along with internal displacements in CDI itself.

g) Refoulement, Camps, Host Populations & Recruitment

Cases of refoulement have been reported in recent months at several border areas in West Africa. Although this does not reflect a new trend among Member States of ECOWAS it does require a stronger stand by the international community to ensure free movements of people fleeing conflicts. Refoulement cases mostly occur on the grounds of State security, but there is a strong suspicion that ethnic backgrounds are also taken into consideration by border authorities. Due to the fact that many areas of West Africa can be qualified as "lawless" territories, the protection of refugees and host communities has remained high for all concerned parties. Because of spontaneous returns of civilians in exile and the existence of child trafficking networks across the region, humanitarian agencies must remain focused on these issues and place greater emphasis on tools such as child tracing systems.

h) Lack of International Attention and Confidence

International attention to West Africa has definitely risen in recent months. However, the crises in the Middle East and Iraq require further efforts to ensure that the humanitarian needs of the region remain well placed on the agenda of donor governments and regional/continental institutions such as ECOWAS or the African Union.

i) Coordination

The sub-regional issues at stake outlined in the description of prevailing priorities, emphasize the importance of treating coordination as a common responsibility of the whole humanitarian community with a more inclusive approach to coordination at country level and with other UN and non-UN entities such as the Office of the UN for West Africa and ECOWAS. Specific tools such as consolidated appeals (CA), common assessments and contingency planning need to be further reinforced across the region by pursuing work on early warning analyses, development of joint vulnerability indicators, launch of in-depth monitoring systems for vulnerable populations, establishment of coordinated humanitarian assistance at strategic, policy and operational levels, and constructive relationships with UN peace missions.

3.1 IMPACT OF FUNDING LEVELS ON CHAP IMPLEMENTATION

Despite increased inter-agency collaboration, and a common assessment of needs and joint planning, the lack of donor response to this CA has left thousands of refugees and highly vulnerable populations without basic HIV preventive information or services. Furthermore, lack of funding has limited the support to survivors of sexual and gender based violence (SGBV) especially women and girls. SGBV is a serious problem in the region and a lack of attention to this problem may result in long-term medical and psychosocial problems among vulnerable populations, including unwanted pregnancies, (unsafe) abortions, and increased prevalence rates of STIs and HIV.

To address some of the urgent needs of the highly vulnerable groups such as refugees, displaced women and young girls, UNFPA has used considerable amounts of its own core resources and project funds in providing emergency obstetric care, HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention training, treatment of STIs and provision of emergency reproductive health (RH) commodities and supplies.

UNFPA has collaborated closely with United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), UNHCR, UN Department of Peace-keeping Operations (UNDPKO), United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) and appropriate NGOs to develop an integrated approach for HIV/AIDS/STI prevention and post-conflict rehabilitation in the West Africa sub-region.

However, in order to realistically approach the challenges in the sub-region, it is crucial to mobilise resources and gain attention and support from donors.

Lack of funding is compromising assistance at the sub-regional level for the most vulnerable Third-Country Nationals (TCNs), and stranded war affected migrants to return to their countries of origin. It also affects the capacity of humanitarian actors to effectively monitor the movements of populations and their emergency needs. At the country level, humanitarian actors are providing emergency assistance to displaced war affected populations including TCNs (Liberia, Côte d'Ivoire, and Guinea) and host communities, and assisting returnees with reintegration into their communities of origin. Support is also given to the concerned governments in their efforts to alleviate poverty in areas most affected by these returns (Burkina Faso and Mali).

The WFP regional operation for the West Africa Coastal countries (Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone) is currently funded at 43.6% of its requirements.

In Guinea last month, WFP provided full rations to approximately 110,000 refugees, of whom more than 80% are of Liberian nationality. In the emergency school-feeding programme, over 53,000 schoolchildren received school meals. Of the total 173,000 beneficiaries, 156,000 (90%) are women and children.

In Liberia, WFP is providing food aid to an increasing number of people, although security concerns continues to limit access to some areas. Although WFP is currently carrying out operations in 7 of the 15 counties in Liberia, food insecurity is still a critical problem for IDPs, refugees, returnees and other vulnerable groups.

In Sierra Leone, implementation of the food security operation is currently on course. Early problems relating to accessing certain districts in Kailahun and Kono districts for the emergency school-feeding programme have since been resolved.

Prospects for the Next Six Months & Future Interventions

In Liberia, the implementation and success of the disarmament and demobilisation programme is a precondition for peace and stability and to allow recovery and reconstruction. With the beginning of the cantonment phase of the disarmament and demobilisation programme, WFP will provide food assistance to some 165,000 ex-combatants and their dependants.

WFP hopes to continue to have greater access to parts of Liberia in the next 6 months. The operation will gradually shift from emergency response to rehabilitation and support for resettlement efforts; the emergency school feeding and food-for-work (FFW) programmes are expected to expand extensively during this time.

WFP provides 99% of food assistance in Liberia, thus any supply shortfalls will have a major impact on food insecurity. In Guinea, shortfalls may reduce refugees' calorie intake and could also threaten the security situation in the refugee camps.

Funding imbalances in other sectors, have serious implications for the beneficiaries and the attainment of the objectives of the programme as a whole. The absence of cooking utensils for example, affects the effectiveness of food preparation and could possibly lead to nutritional problems. It could also lead to the sale of food thus undermining the objective of feeding the needy.

WA-04/CSS03 WFP Air Support Service for the West African Region

This WFP Special Operation faces significant shortfalls (funded at 30.7% of revised requirements), and donor funds are needed in order to guarantee that the humanitarian air service will continue without interruption. Current resource levels will allow a continuation of the service only through June.

Prospects for the Next Six Months & Future Interventions

WFP air service plans to continue providing more than 100 hours of flight time per week throughout the coming months. Due to security constraints, the current air service in Liberia (Security Phase 5) continues to be limited to Monrovia and now Zwedru. Air operations to destinations inside Liberia will increase once the security situation permits. Similarly, a service to Korhogo (northern Côte d'Ivoire) will be opened once access to the airport is gained.

This operation is critical to ensure the safe and efficient transport of humanitarian staff throughout Coastal West Africa (Guinea, Côte d'Ivoire, Liberia and Sierra Leone). Unless donor support continues, the access and implementation of humanitarian programmes will be compromised.

10148.1 Post-Conflict Relief and Rehabilitation in Guinea-Bissau

PRRO 10148.1, due to start on 1 June, is the expansion of PRRO 10148.0. WFP food assistance will contribute to recovery efforts and help create sustainable assets and skills by providing critical elements of a social safety net, improving the cognitive performance of students and assisting poor farmers to improve their agricultural production capabilities. The full requirements for 2004 for 238,100 beneficiaries are 9,260 MTs (US$ 6,100,000) and the resource gap is currently 7,546 MTs (US$ 4,368,812). The priority areas for WFP activities will be the food-deficit Northern and Eastern regions of the country.

Prospects for the Next Six Months & Future Interventions

So far, only three unconfirmed pledges have been received, and most of the operation still needs to be resourced. Unavailability of commodities on 1 June 2004 would seriously jeopardise PRRO 10148.1 operations. Since adequate contributions have not been confirmed, WFP released some multilateral funds to start operations as planned.

3.2 SCENARIO

Members of the humanitarian community who met to review the situation of West Africa CAP used this opportunity to conduct in-depth discussions and information sharing on the most likely scenario. The most likely scenario would now probably be as follows:

Most Likely Scenario

In the next 6 months, it is anticipated that no widespread, open armed confrontation will take place at the national or regional level but violations of human rights will continue triggering sporadic outburst of violence in Côte d'Ivoire and possible armed retaliation by those who have been the victims of abuse implying the use of neighbouring countries as rear bases. Security tensions and the continuing "de facto" partition of Côte d'Ivoire will further affect provisions of basic social services in this country possibly forcing the international community to plan and implement cross-border operations from Mali, Guinea and Ghana. In Liberia, lack of full adherence to the disarmament process by some leaders of the armed factions will be reflected in differing levels of progress with regard to DDR leaving chunks of territories unsafe for permanent humanitarian presence hence requiring a tighter collaboration with peace keeping forces. The resignation of the well-respected former Prime Minister of Guinea and the likely decision of the European Union to sanction the country due to total lack of governance form the basis for acute political tension, sporadic civil unrest, uneasiness among the armed forces and further instability in remote parts of the country such as Forest and Haute Guinea. Protracted low intensity confrontation is likely to remain in the Saharan zone described above (eastern Mauritania to western Chad) and in the Casamance region of Senegal that may affect countries such Mauritania, Mali and Niger on one side and the Gambia and Guinea-Bissau on the other side. In addition the religious confrontations in the northern States of Nigeria and the growing concerns (northern Ghana) about the upcoming legislative elections in Ghana may further affect an already fragile human security environment already hit by lack of governance in Togo and rumours of constitutional changes in Benin sought by the current president to extend his term in office. The decision to maintain UN Peace-keeping Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) in Sierra Leone will certainly support the political progress reached so far with the understanding that any instability in Liberia and Guinea could affect the reconstruction process in that country. In addition, the deployment of peacekeeping forces in CDI and Liberia will enhance sub-regional stability to the extent that inter-mission collaboration is effective particularly along the border areas. Finally, as the stalemate in Côte d'Ivoire drags on, the entire West African monetary union will be hit even harder by the negative economic impact of the stand-off in Abidjan hence raising concern about a possible devastating monetary instability of the Franc CFA. Signs of increased nervousness by certain Governments in the region regarding the Ivorian crisis could be interpreted as early indicators of upcoming Inter-State tensions.

In this context, neither the political, social or economic situation of the sub-region can be expected to substantially improve in the near future hence requiring a stronger humanitarian presence and action; a reinforcement of international development aid; and a stronger political leverage on good governance and peace agreements to ensure that progress is sustained.

Humanitarian Consequences

The volatility in the region will remain, with limited population displacements, cross border movements and continued violations of human rights and humanitarian principles hence requiring the stronger attention of protection-driven agencies and rapid responses to the specific needs of children, women, youths, refugees, IDPs, returnees and TCNs. According to this revised most-likely scenario for the next 6 months, one could expect the following:

a) Côte d'Ivoire. It is expected that the number of IDPs may increase but movements will mostly take place in the south with continued pressure on host families and communities jeopardising overall livelihoods. Also, the coming period may witness low population movements (of both migrant workers and Ivorians) out of Côte d'Ivoire into Guinea, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Mali and Liberia. However these movements will become more and more difficult if inter-ethnic tension escalates and government security forces takes sides with pro-government militia groups which will also drastically reduce the timid return of West African migrant workers (Burkinabe) noted in past months.

b) Guinea. Should be ready to accommodate low IDP movements away from border areas should the political situation deteriorate in the capital city, which in turn will trigger more spontaneous returns of Sierra Leonean, Ivorian and Liberian refugees back to their homeland. If violence against civilians was to continue in the southern and western parts of CDI, one should be prepared for a low but continuous arrival of TCNs and Ivorians from Côte d'Ivoire. Also, depending on the outcome of the DDR process in Liberia and CDI, Guinea should be ready to accommodate the return of ex-combatants from Liberia and CDI. Failure to do so could trigger additional tensions if nothing is done to address the needs of youth groups and simultaneously improve the living conditions for host communities.

c) Sierra Leone. Should see a low but continuous return of those in exile, mostly due to the end of the assistance programme by UNHCR but also because of the security considerations linked to the situation in Guinea and Liberia.

d) Mali, Ghana, and Burkina Faso will continue to face cross border movements of vulnerable groups from Côte d'Ivoire into Mali, Ghana and Burkina as they seek access to security and basic social services. These population movements will put increased pressure on existing basic social services infrastructures (health, education, water and sanitation facilities) in border areas, while raising more and more security considerations that may lead to a heavier deployment of troops along these borders. This situation is combined with the low capacity of governments in Mali, Ghana, Burkina Faso and also Guinea to meet the growing needs of those who fled from Côte d'Ivoire. A lack of response may create an environment amongst economic migrants abused in Côte d'Ivoire, to conduct their own punitive justice, which may be facilitated by the illegal circulation of arms and the readiness of dissident forces in the north to accept new recruits.

Political, Economic and Security Aspects

In Liberia, the UN forces are steadily progressing into the interior of the country, securing humanitarian access to even larger numbers of crisis-affected populations. Sporadic outbreaks of fighting, however, are expected to occur in other areas of the country. This fighting will result in continued but small cross-border population movements from Liberia into both Guinea and western Côte d'Ivoire. Liberia's economy will continue to depend heavily on external humanitarian aid throughout 2004 and beyond.

Côte d'Ivoire will continue to experience resistance to the implementation of the Linas Marcoussis Agreement, hence affecting mutual confidence between the Forces Nouvelles and hard-line "loyalists". It is anticipated that this trend will prevail over the remainder of the CA period, which raises serious concerns regarding the overall country situation given that major new defence expenditures undertaken by the warring parties are a clear indication of their level of preparedness to restart hostilities.

If ethnic-based violence and mass violation of human rights continue in Côte d'Ivoire, it is expected that economic migrants that remain in the south of Côte d'Ivoire will procure weapons to fend for themselves, hence affecting the security environment and further aggravating the economic situation.

3.3 STRATEGIC GOALS

In order to promote security, peace and long-term stability, the humanitarian community set the following strategic goals and priorities for the West Africa sub-region:

a) To develop a comprehensive sub-regional approach to protection, including appropriate interventions for children, women, youths at risk, refugees, IDPs, TCNs, and returnees;

b) To create a conducive environment for sustainable peace in the sub-region;

c) To reduce vulnerability to food insecurity;

d) To establish sustainable, effective and coordinated humanitarian responses for the sub-region that links transition, development and self-sufficiency;

e) To develop coordination mechanisms and monitoring mechanisms which reflect roles and responsibilities of different actors.

Most of these goals remain the key targets for ongoing activities supported through or outside the CAP:

Protection

The protection strategy that is being developed at the sub-regional level and supported by regional team of UN and non-UN agencies places protection of civilians and particularly women and children at the core of the ongoing coordination mechanism established in late 2003. Under the auspices of the OCHA Regional Support Office for West Africa, the Regional Protection Initiative (RPI) has launched a consultative process and commenced policy formulation. Reinforcing the capacity of regional actors to conduct regular assessments on the application of human rights/humanitarian principles, of refugee law, and child protection legal instruments, is paramount to achieving a better understanding of current protection gaps and formulating appropriate responses.

Food Security

WFP intervention in 2004 aims at covering the needs of 1.5 million beneficiaries in Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea and Côte d'Ivoire with some 150,000 MTs of food. Partnership with UNHCR and NGOs (national and international) is a central mechanism in the distribution of food and nutritional interventions in refugee situations, while the relationship with UNICEF supports essential activities linked to nutritional monitoring and supplementary and therapeutic feeding for IDP situations (Liberia) as well as children-oriented programmes (school feeding and rehabilitation, curriculum development, health service) in Sierra Leone and Guinea.

Collaboration between FAO and WFP in the sub-region has grown over time, and will become increasingly important to address humanitarian issues and devise coordinated responses to ongoing food security needs (Mauritania, Niger, Guinea-Bissau).

Coordination

The OCHA Regional Support Office has been established during the reporting period and launched several inter-agency processes (contingency planning, regional humanitarian consultative group at principals' level, monthly and ad-hoc coordination meetings) including a closer day-to-day collaboration with the UN Office for West Africa (UNOWA) to ensure that humanitarian concerns are better integrated into UN peace missions across the region and to facilitate a greater interaction with the political branch of the UN with the aim of further strengthening international attention to West Africa. HIV/AIDS and cross border disease surveillance activities are being undertaken through a regional approach and through a revised joint proposal, grouping together WHO, UNICEF, UNAIDS, UNFPA and Integrated Regional Information Network.

Peace Building

With the support of other UN agencies and national/regional civil society organisations, the OCHA RSO will need to establish the appropriate capacity to address needs relating to the coordination, information and policy-process initiatives required to implement an effective sub-regional culture of peace development.

3.4 RESPONSE PLANS

In the Protection Sector important advances have been made, as the Regional Protection Initiative (RPI) has commenced its work with initial consultations among and between different actors mandated to provide or interested in the protection of civilians. UNOWA, UNICEF, UNHCR, UNFPA, OCHA represent the UN system, while NGOs and intergovernmental organisations include IOM, Amnesty International, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC), International Crisis Group (ICG), OXFAM (UK), RADDHO, and Save the Children. Donor representatives in the RPI include OFDA, BPRM, DFID, SIDA and the Netherlands. The overall regional protection strategy will evolve within this working group.

The Food Security Sector plan has remained valid with the additional inclusion of a response to the current food insecurity in Guinea Bissau. Significant achievements in this sector have been made as reported above.

Although the RSO OCHA office is not yet fully staffed (6 of 13 posts occupied), coordination at the sub-regional level has significantly improved with an overall regional coordination mechanism in place and advances made towards an IASC Regional Body giving more strategic guidance at the technical level as well as recommendations for the overall IASC structure. A sub-regional inter-agency contingency plan has been developed and will be regularly updated with support from the RSO to Mali, Burkina Faso and Ghana for country based contingency plans.

However, Information Management at the sub-regional level still needs improvement, as the capacity of the OCHA RSO remains limited, due to lack of finances for the Humanitarian Information Centre (HIC) budget. However, regular reporting at the sub-regional level has begun through situation reports and an overall media monitoring is in place.

Finally, the Peace-building Sector has not received any funding and has therefore remained inactive. Support for this sector is urgently sought, as peace-building and conflict mediation/prevention and advocacy capacity in the region is needed.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

2. CHANGES IN THE CONTEXT AND HUMANITARIAN CONSEQUENCES

3. REVIEW OF THE COMMON HUMANITARIAN ACTION PLAN (CHAP)

3.1 Impact of funding levels on CHAP implementation
3.2 Scenario
3.3 Strategic goals
3.4 Response plans

4. NEW AND REVISED PROJECTS

5. CONCLUSION

ANNEX I.

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

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