Your title goes hereYour sub-header here

Education in EmergenciesNovember 5, 2012

INTRODUCTION TO THE SAHEL CRISIS: REGIONAL

Source: UN OCHA, June 2012

Food

cri

sis - The food crisis tightens its

grip during the “the lean season.”

- Since this time last year, despite efforts of governments and other actors to minimize the impact by releasing food from cereal banks, prices of grains have increased 42-100%.

- The future outlook for this year’s harvest is mixed.

- Extreme seasonal rains have led to devastating flash floods, causing severe localized damage to this year’s crops in Niger and Mali.

Com

poun

din

g

risk

s- On top of existing food insecurity, political instability and armed conflict is causing hundreds of thousands of people to leave their homes.

- The region is also threatened by cholera outbreaks and locusts.

- Existing locust damage to crops and pasture is still under assessment.

Maln

utr

itio

n - Hundreds of thousands of people, mostly children, continue to eke out day-to-day survival in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger.

- Children under five are particularly vulnerable to Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) and Moderate Acute Malnutrition (MAM).

INTRODUCTION TO THE SAHEL CRISIS: A FLUID SITUATION

PLAN’S DISASTER RESPONSE: REGIONAL OVERVIEW

PLAN’S RESPONSE

BURKINA FASO - Education in emergencies:• Primary school and pre-school classes (catch-up classes) started in

August in two refugee camps• Procured school desks, books and equipment for classroom tents and

teacher manuals• Facilitated participation of refugee children (incl. girls) to take the

primary school exam• WASH facilities (latrine blocks) for primary and pre-school• Temporary structures• Key Gaps: Pre-school and secondary school. High running costs

(insecurity)

NIGER - Education in emergencies:• Operating school feeding program• Building pre-school classes at Mangaizé Refugee Camp and

established school canteen • Construction of additional classrooms (local materials)• Conducting catch-up classes• Distribution of school bags and supplies

PLAN’S RESPONSE (cont.)

MALI - Education in emergencies:• Co-lead of Education Cluster (launched October 5)• Partners and key stakeholders trained in EiE and CPiE• Support for exam preparation • Catch-up classes• Distribution of school kits• Official start date was September 24. ‘Back to school’ campaign

ongoing• Challenges:

• Likely to be a prolonged crisis• Some schools (Mopti) being occupied by military groups• Children being recruited in the north

SAHEL CRISIS: KEY MESSAGE

Across the Sahel, millions were already vulnerable to hunger and malnutrition because of repeated poor harvests. This was further complicated by seasonal flooding damaging or destroying crops and homes.  Recent political instability and armed conflict have increased the vulnerability of hundreds of thousands as they move in search of safety. Poor children under five are particularly vulnerable during complex emergencies.  Plan has developed a coordinated emergency response to the complex crises in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger that focuses on child protection, WASH, education and health for children under five.

PLAN IN ACTION