West and Central Africa: Weekly Regional Humanitarian Snapshot (12 - 18 June 2018)

CAMEROON

ATTACK HALTS AID OPERATIONS

On 16 June, an attack using children strapped with explosives killed one girl in Limani town in Cameroon’s Far North region. The town is near the border with Nigeria and hosts several displaced civilians who have fled hostilities in the region. The attack came a week after aid organizations were forced to suspend operations following an armed raid on 7 June in Diamare area, also in Far North. At least six civilians were killed and an unknown number of people including displaced people fled to the bush for safety. Hundreds of civilians have found refuge in Diamare after fleeing military operations near the Nigerian border. Military operations in border areas have intensified since the start of the year.

CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC

AID OPERATIONS SUSPENDED IN NORTHERN TOWN

On 8 and 9 June, assailants robbed aid workers in the northern Kaga Bandoro town, the latest in a spate of attacks against humanitarian actors in the country. Some of the targeted aid workers had just resumed operations in the area a few days earlier.
Separately, two health centres in the outskirts of Kaga Bandoro were looted by unknown attackers. Humanitarian operations had been suspended between 28 May and 3 June around Kaga Bandoro due to insecurity and violence against aid workers.

CHAD

GOVERNMENT DECLARES MEASLES OUTBREAK

Health authorities on 8 June declared a measles epidemic after 540 cases and 23 deaths were recorded. The disease has erupted in 89 districts, 10 of which have reached the epidemic level. A US$589,000-response plan by the Government, NGO and UN partners is underway to vaccinate around 572,000 children. Measles is one of the leading causes of death among young children.

NIGERIA

UN CONDEMNS DAMBOA ATTACK

On 16 June, an attack by individuals strapped with explosives claimed scores of lives and wounded dozens in Damboa locality in Nigeria’s north-east. UN and ICRC airlifted 11 critically wounded civilians to Maiduguri for emergency treatment. Acting UN Humanitarian Coordinator, Myrta Kaulard, condemned the attack. Damboa local government area currently hosts more than 90,000 internally displaced people, 18,000 of whom live in Damboa town. It is among the localities in Borno state with the highest number of internally displaced people.

SAHEL

UN RELIEF CHIEF URGES MORE HELP FOR SAHEL

UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Mark Lowcock on 12 June urged donors to increase funding to the Sahel where hunger and malnutrition have reached levels unseen in six years. Nearly 6 million people are struggling with acute food insecurity. Severe malnutrition is threatening the survival of 1.6 million children in Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, Niger and Senegal. Severe acute malnutrition rates in the six countries have increased by 50 per cent since last year. As of June, only 26 per cent of the US$1.3 billion needed had been received.