DRA NJR 3 DRA Nigeria JR 3 - WASH / FSL /  Nutrition The planned ICCO / Christian Aid: WASH / FSL / Nutrition mainstreaming intervention will be implemented in Konduga, Askira Uba and Damboa, Nigeria. The intervention will support lifesaving activities and ellviate suffering through integrated and coordinated humanitarian response focusing on the most vulnerable people and enhance access to humanitarian assistance and protection services through principles humanitarian action (Strategic Objective 1&2 of the Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) 2017). The eight-year violent conflict across North East Nigeria has resulted in a deepening humanitarian crisis, the enormity of which grew during 2016 as the Nigerian Armed Forces took back areas previously held by Boko Haram. Already prior to the conflict, the six states in North East Nigeria lagged behind the rest of Nigeria in terms of socio-economic development. The conflict that erupted in 2009 exacerbated an already declining situation. The ensuing violence spilled over to neighbouring states and countries in the Lake Chad Basin causing a regional crisis with mass displacement.  The insecurity and displacement have led to low market functioning, reduced land cultivation and destruction of infrastructure such as water pipelines, bridges, health centres, schools, roads, and other social facilities.

The number in need of humanitarian assistance is now estimated at 14 million, including 1.8 million internally displaced people (IDPs) across the six states of North-East Nigeria, with up to 55 per cent believed to be children. As some areas previously held by Boko Haram become more accessible, civilians previously in inaccessible areas are now within limited reach of the government and humanitarian community partners. Many of these citizens are in critical need of humanitarian assistance including health, protection, shelter, WASH and most especially food and nutrition.  A Famine likely occurred in Bama and Banki towns during 2016, although this conclusion cannot be fully verified, a majority e of the available evidence suggests that Famine (IPC Phase 5) occurred in Bama LGA during 2016.

Over 80 per cent of Borno State is considered high or very high risk for international humanitarian actors, often constraining access to desperately vulnerable communities. This issue will be addressed partly with the arrival of eight humanitarian hubs that will allow storage of life-saving items by the humanitarian community and also provide safe accommodation that will permit humanitarian workers to stay in the community on a rotational basis. These humanitarian hubs will further scale up the response and where an area becomes more safe, the hub will be dismantled and moved to another area where needs may be greater. The centre of gravity for the humanitarian response has shifted to Maiduguri from the federal capital Abuja. The Operational Humanitarian Country Team is now established in Maiduguri, and is headed by the Deputy Humanitarian Coordinator who has now moved there. 

According to the latest FEWSNET Security Alert the current response is insufficient to meet the very large emergency assistance needs in Borno State. Large areas of the state are classified as Emergency (IPC Phase 4), the size of the food insecure population is very large, the prevalence of acute malnutrition is very high, and excess mortality is likely, especially among young children. The October 2016 Cadre Harmonis estimates that 4.7 million people are in need of emergency food assistance in Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe states of northeast Nigeria, 3 million of them in Borno State alone. While large-scale emergency operations are ongoing in the northeast, only about 1 million people have received food assistance in 2016. Displaced people and those trapped in inaccessible areas face the worst food security outcomes.

The 2017 Humanitarian Response Plan estimates that 8.5 million people are in need in Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe of which 6.9 million are targeted through the response plan. The total funding requirements are 1.054 million USD. 

Geographic and Population Data 
Three of the sixteen states in Nigeria (Adamawa, Borno and Yobe) have been severely affected by the conflict. Four states (Gombe, Kaduna, Plateau and Taraba) also have some population impacted by communal conflict; while the remaining nine states have been affected by adverse climatic conditions.

It is estimated that as of 31st October 2016 1.8 million (1,822,541) people are displaced. The largest IDP populations are located in Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe, corresponding to a total of 93% of the IDP population. Nearly 1 million of the IDPs are children. 
The latest Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) from the IOM focused on the six northeastern states (Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Taraba, and Yobe). Table 1 shows the number of IDPs per State. Maiduguri LGA in Borno continues to host the largest number of IDPs (528,765), while most IDP in Adamawa and Yobe were found in Girei (28,440) and Damaturu (23,455) LGAs. 

Sector Analysis 
A survey conducted during the latest DTM showed food is the most unmet need for 49.5% surveyed, followed by NFIs with 20%.

Food Security 
The October Cadre Harmonis indicates an extremely worrisome situation: 4.7 million people are in Phase 3 and 4 (crisis and emergency) in Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa States, from which more than 3.2 million in Borno alone, 55,000 people are estimated to suffer from extreme food insecurity (Phase 5) in Borno State. According to the latest Food Security Alert from FEWSNET a famine likely occurred in Bama and Banki towns in Borno State during 2016, and in surrounding rural areas where conditions are likely to have been similar, or worse. Although this conclusion cannot be fully verified, a majority of the available evidence suggests that Famine (IPC Phase 5) occurred in Bama LGA during 2016. Analysis indicates that at least 2,000 famine-related deaths may have occurred in Bama LGA between January and September, many of them young children.
While assistance has improved conditions in accessible areas of Borno State, a Famine may be ongoing in inaccessible areas where conditions could be similar to those observed in Bama LGA earlier this year. Significant assistance in Bama and Banki Town has contributed to a reduction in mortality and the prevalence of acute malnutrition, though these improvements are tenuous and depend on the continued delivery of assistance. However, large areas of Borno State remain inaccessible to civilian actors, including humanitarian partners, and given the severity of food insecurity observed in those adjacent areas that humanitarians can reach, it is possible that Famine (IPC Phase 5) is ongoing in inaccessible parts of Borno State. 
The risk of Famine in inaccessible areas of Borno State will remain high over the coming year. Food security outcomes are likely to be especially severe in inaccessible areas where livelihoods are disrupted and populations are cut-off from markets, health care, and assistance. Sustained humanitarian access is critical, in a worst-case scenario, where conflict cuts off areas that are currently accessible and dependent on assistance, the likelihood of Famine in these areas would be high. 

For the third year in a row farmers were unable to return to the land for the planting season because of the conflict. The harvest cannot therefore meet the needs of millions of people. Conflict and displacements remain the main drivers of food insecurity: food is currently the single greatest need for vulnerable IDP populations in camps, informal settlements and host communities. From January to October 2016, about 880,700 people received food assistance either in kind or through cash-based transfers. Limited access and security restrictions are the key operational constraints faced by humanitarian organizations on the ground. However, thanks to increased access to certain areas in Northeast Nigeria, the month of November saw the beginning of a major increase in food distribution by humanitarian organisations. It is anticipated that in-kind food assistance will continue to increase steadily from now until early next year, aiming to reach over 800,000 beneficiaries by February 2017.
The prices of staple food crops across the states were extremely high compared to the five year averages (with margins of 100% - 200% increase); this is due to inflationary pressure in the economy. Similarly, prices were also higher relative to last year same period. However, prices of both staples and cash crops will decline as the harvest peaks across the country during November to December. The prices are expected to increase towards the lean season (June - August 2017). In the North East, even though the security situation has improved, trade routes linking some markets remain insecure. 

From the 161 camp and camp like sites accessed and assessed during the latest DTM a 102 sites had access to food, an increase from the 80 sites in the previous round. Another 34 sites had provision of food off site, 25 sites had no provision of food. The most common source for obtaining food was cash in 72 sites, while in the previous round food distribution was the most common source for food. People from 50 sites relied on food distribution.
WFP is revising its emergency operation to implement a robust scale up and an integrated response to meet the overwhelming needs in north-east Nigeria, targeting 1.8 million people in Borno and Yobe States in 2017. The bulk of the expansion will be done through in-kind assistance, expanding to new areas, whereas cash-based transfers will continue where already operationalized. Prevention of malnutrition for children aged 6 to 59 months will remain integrated with cash/in-kind assistance, and will be extended to pregnant and nursing women. Where population returns are possible, livelihood support interventions will be established to support early recovery and help reduce reliance on food assistance.