Emergency relief for the most vulnerable people in Mali and the West African Sahel region

The UK will help to prevent desperate food shortages and make Mali and the West African Sahel more stable and secure, International Development Secretary Justine Greening has announced.

WASH

Since the beginning of the year 71,428 persons have received permanent access to an improved potable water source and 454,567 people received temporary access to potable chlorinated water. Roughly 15 per cent of the 1,222 Health centers throughout the country have a presence of WASH actors providing support for the WASH minimum package. In anticipation of the risk of cholera epidemic associated to the approaching rainy season, WASH partners have been identified in all areas (District Sanitaires) for which the risk has been identified as ‘extreme’, ‘elevated’ or ‘medium’.

HEADLINES

• The government of Mali established a Dialogue and Reconciliation Commission on 25 April to address security and governance in the North.

• The UN Security Council has unanimously adopted Resolution 2100, approving the establishment of MINUSMA, a 12,640 strong stabilisation force in Mali. The United Nations and humanitarian community are working to determine a path forward regarding integration and humanitarian space.

WASHINGTON, April 30, 2013 – The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors today discussed a new four-year Country Partnership Strategy (CPS) for Niger, focused on strengthening the foundation for business and investment growth, boosting the performance of agriculture, and renewing infrastructure and basic services. Job creation, improving access to education, and increasing opportunities for women are three key crosscutting objectives.

The Caritas Annual Report shows our work in 2012 through five strategic priorities identified during the year: addressing poverty at home and abroad, responding to emergencies, upholding the dignity and rights of indigenous peoples, promoting environmental justice, and connecting effectively with our Catholic community.

Public donations topped $3 million last year, including a record Lent total of more than $900,000. We are grateful for the government’s New Zealand Aid Programme which contributed almost $1 million towards Caritas development and relief programmes.

La situation humanitaire continue de s’aggraver au nord du Mali et demeure très préoccupante dans l’ensemble du pays où d’énormes besoins persistent.

Link: Complex Emergency Situation Report No. 31 (as of 25 April 2013)

The ECOWAS experts' meeting on the education of girls and other vulnerable groups ended on Friday 19 April 2013 in Banjul with some important recommendations, whose implementation would go a long way to enhancing the promotion of the education of these marginalized social groups.