HIGHLIGHTS

• Since the beginning of May, 15,140 people (2,445 households) have been forced to move in the communes of Torodi and Makalondi.
• To date, twelve out of the thirteen departments in the Tillabéri region have been affected. These new displacements bring the number of displaced persons to 115,150 as of May 16, 2022.
• More than 17,000 people have fled Mali to settle in the regions of Tillabéri and Tahoua in Niger
• The needs are enormous in the sectors of water, food security, health, protection, shelter and education
• $552.6 million is needed to fund the 2022 Humanitarian Response Plan

EMERGENCY RESPONSE

The Humanitarian Situation in Torodi, Tillabéri Region, Overview of needs, responses and unmet needs, Challenges

Since the beginning of May, 15,140 people (2,445 households) have been forced to move in the communes of Torodi and Makalondi. These displacements have generated significant multi-sector needs in the areas of food security, water, shelter, health and protection, among others. The department of Torodi is among the areas most affected by food insecurity this year.

context

With the escalation of violence perpetrated by non-state armed groups (NSAGs) attacking civilians and security forces on the border with Burkina Faso since January, forced population movements persist in the Tillabéri region. The security situation has deteriorated sharply in the western part, particularly in the border departments with Burkina Faso. This situation is reflected in a resurgence of criminal acts, incursions by NSAGs with kidnapping and public executions of civilians, threats and ultimatums leading to reactive or preventive forced movements of the population. The attitude of GANE would be in retaliation for the joint military operation Burkina Faso and Niger which allowed the neutralization of several cells of elements of GANE and the destruction of some of their bases. The most visible immediate effects on Torodi Department are the massive internally displaced influxes. The Department received in the space of 10 days approximately 1,500 internally displaced households who fled to the capital of the commune of Torodi and 6,455 internally displaced persons (IDPs) (1,017 households) to the commune of Makalondi. Other households went to the departments of Gothèye (Samira, Larba Birno, Garbey Kourou) and Kollo (Namaro). These movements began at the end of the first decade of May 2022 following several incidents; among others: o On May 11, 2022, in the village of Banizoumbou (Torodi), GANEs brought back and executed in public two of the six people abducted in the said village on May 5, 2022. o On May 13, 2022, in the village of Bolsi (Makalondi) GANEs summarily executed five (5) people, including the village chief. The populations were ordered to leave the village located 4 km from the border with Burkina Faso. o On May 14, 2022, local and security sources confirmed the killing of around ten nationals in Kakou (Torodi) by NSAGs. It is in this context that seven weekly markets were closed in the Department of Torodi, including three in Makalondi (Boni, Djayel, Dabourtchi) and four (4) in Torodi (Bossey Bangou, Bolsi, Déba, Kokoloko). These markets are important supply centers for the population. Four secondary schools are closed out of the nine in the Department (508 students) and 144 primary schools out of 251 affecting a workforce of around 15,000 students. Since the beginning of May 2022, the communes of Torodi and Makalondi, both in the department of Torodi, have received respectively 8,685 internally displaced persons (1,428 households) from several villages (Bolsi 1 & 2, Bossey Bangou, Déba , Kakkou, Banizoumbou and Kokoloko) and 6,455 people (1,017 households) from surrounding villages. These displacements have generated significant multi-sectoral needs, the most urgent of which are: shelter, food, water supply, health and protection. These displacements occur in a context of food insecurity with a cereal deficit linked to the previous poor agricultural season, but also during the lean season and on the eve of the 2022 rainy season. This situation would exacerbate the vulnerabilities of the population of the department, which is mainly made up of farmers and breeders; hence a probable increase in the need for humanitarian assistance. According to assessments from the Harmonized Framework, Tillabéri is one of the regions most affected by food insecurity (more than 29% of the population are affected). In addition, the rainy season is beginning to set in and with it, the lean season; which will further increase the vulnerabilities of populations. As a reminder, the department of Torodi already hosted 586 households (5,470 people) displaced during 2019-2020 and who are staying with host families. The authorities, supported by humanitarian actors, organize the multisectoral response, particularly in the health sector, food security and WASH. To date, this response remains insufficient in view of the scale of the needs induced by the movements which continue towards the capital of the commune.

Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs