The OCHA report of March 2024 highlights the complexity of the humanitarian situation in Chad, exacerbated by structural crises, climate shocks and the massive influx of refugees fleeing the Sudanese conflict since April 2023. These factors seriously disrupt the provision of essential social services, particularly in the east of the country, and compromise development efforts. Chad, one of the poorest countries in the world, hosts more than a million refugees, placing it among the seven countries receiving the most. Inter- and intra-community conflicts, as well as the presence of non-state armed groups, lead to forced displacement of populations, particularly in the provinces of Logone Occidental and Lac. Food insecurity affects nearly 40% of households, with particularly high rates in the Sahelian and Saharan zones. The nutritional situation is worrying, aggravated by limited access to drinking water and health services. The 2024 Humanitarian Response Plan aims to provide emergency assistance to 4 million people, improve access to social services for 3.6 million people and strengthen the resilience of 4.6 million people, with a total budget of US$1.14 billion.

Security, Conflict, refugee, Crise humanitaire

The 2023 Sectoral Review of the Ministry of Health of Mauritania reports on progress towards universal health coverage, in line with the National Health Development Plan (PNDS) 2022-2030. It highlights advances in human resources, infrastructure, equipment and health financing, with activities such as capacity building of personnel and construction of health structures. However, challenges persist, particularly in terms of availability of medicines and governance of the health system. The review recommends better coordination with technical and financial partners, improvement of monitoring mechanisms and optimization of the use of data for decision-making. The outlook includes continued efforts to strengthen the health system and achieve the objectives of the PNDS, with an emphasis on the effectiveness of interventions and the mobilization of necessary resources.

Governance, Health, Couverture sanitaire

Burkina Faso is facing an unprecedented humanitarian crisis, marked by growing insecurity and massive population displacement. In 2018, attacks by armed groups, particularly in the Sahel, Centre-North, East and North regions, forced more than two million people to flee their homes, seeking refuge in safer areas. This situation exacerbates tensions between communities, particularly between herders and farmers, and puts additional pressure on natural resources already weakened by climate change. Basic infrastructure, such as health centres and schools, are often targeted, limiting access to essential services for displaced populations. Despite the efforts of the authorities and humanitarian organisations, assistance remains insufficient given the scale of the needs, and insecurity hinders access to some affected areas.

Governance, Agriculture, Livestock, Security, Violence, Crisis, Déplacement forcé

The Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack (GCPEA) article, published in September 2020, highlights attacks on education in the Central Sahel, including in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger. Between 2015 and 2019, more than 430 incidents were recorded, including burning and looting of schools, as well as threats, kidnappings, or killings of teachers. These violences are mainly perpetrated by armed groups opposed to state education in French, such as the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM), the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS), and Ansarul Islam. State and non-state forces have also used schools for military purposes. Despite school closures due to the Covid-19 pandemic, more than 90 attacks were reported between January and July 2020, suggesting that violence continued at a similar rate to the previous year.

Security, Education, Groupes armés non étatiques

The article “Terrorism in the Sahel: the Mauritanian exception” looks at the reasons why Mauritania has not experienced jihadist attacks since 2011, unlike its Sahelian neighbors. This exceptional situation is the result of a multidimensional and pragmatic strategy, adapted to the specificities of the Sahel and to the war in the desert. Under the leadership of General Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, the army underwent a major overhaul, with a substantial increase in the military budget, leading to the creation of Special Intervention Groups (GSI). These elite, light and mobile units are designed to operate autonomously in the desert. In addition, Mauritania has established fixed checkpoints on cross-border roads and has designated certain desert areas as “military zones.” This approach, combining military modernization and adaptation to local realities, has allowed the country to regain control of its territory and serve as an example in the fight against jihadist movements in the Sahel.

Security, Jihad, Terrorism

Food policies in West Africa oscillate between responding to risks and acting as a factor of insecurity. Since the 1960s, regulatory frameworks have evolved, but concrete results remain limited. These policies, influenced by complex political and economic dynamics, struggle to reconcile the divergent interests of stakeholders (consumers, producers, traders). The State plays a central but weakened role in regulating tensions between formal and informal, legal and illegal categories. Food policies often lack clear priorities and public consensus, despite the recent harmonization of strategic frameworks. They are often relegated by better-defined agricultural and health policies.

Politics, State, Agriculture, Livestock, Food security

Bouna Ahmedou Sow, a school director in Mauritania, highlights the major challenges facing education systems, including the lack of teacher training and inadequate infrastructure to keep up with population growth. Schools, often located in rented houses, are struggling to cope with the growing demand for students. Teachers have to manage overcrowded classes, especially with struggling students, while working in precarious conditions. Sow stresses the importance of creating a supportive environment for teachers with respected contracts and daily support. He advocates for infrastructure that keeps pace with demographic growth to ensure an effective and inclusive education system.

Education, Development, Infrastructures scolaires, Démographie

The mission report of the Assistance Publique des Hôpitaux de Paris (APHP), carried out from February 26 to March 3, 2023, aims to improve the care pathway for vulnerable patients at the Outpatient Treatment Center (CTA) in Nouakchott and to strengthen the skills of caregivers for monitoring specific populations. The objectives include the promotion of sexual health, screening and treatment of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), as well as the prevention of cervical cancer and mother-to-child transmission of infections. The report highlights low overall health coverage in Mauritania, with only 60% of women giving birth in health facilities and vaccination coverage of around 60%. HIV prevalence is estimated at 0.29%, stable for ten years, except in Chami where an increase in the population has been observed. In gynecology/obstetrics, the National Hospital Center of Nouakchott (CHNN) has 50 beds and records 3,800 deliveries per year, with a cesarean rate of 37%, which is constantly increasing.

Governance, Public Administration, Health, Couverture sanitaire

Amnesty International’s 2023 annual report on Mauritania highlights several human rights concerns. In May, after the ruling party won legislative, regional and local elections, allegations of fraud were raised by some opposition parties. In December, former President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz was sentenced to five years in prison for corruption. The report denounces cases of torture and ill-treatment, including the death in police custody of human rights defender Souvi Ould Jibril Ould Cheine in February, attributed to traumatic asphyxiation by strangulation. Freedom of expression has been restricted, with mobile internet cuts in June following protests, and during national reviews to prevent cheating. The UN Committee on Enforced Disappearances has also highlighted the lack of thorough examination of proposals for a truth and reconciliation mechanism concerning human rights violations between 1989 and 1992.

Governance, Human Rights, Torture