WEST AFRICA: IRIN Digest - February 2015

	humanitarian news and analysis

Table of contents 1. Sex crimes up amid Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone 2. Softly, softly: the humanitarian schemes aimed at countering Boko Haram 3. How UK detention policy worsens migrants' mental health 4. Drones for good? 5. Fleeing Boko Haram - survivors' stories 6. Who celebrity advocates are really targeting. And it's not you. 7. Unloved but unyielding: Burkina's presidential guard could derail transition 8. AUDIO SLIDESHOW: Ebola: Back to school, but is it safe? 9. No longer at ease: Tackling the trauma of Boko Haram 10. Game of Drones 11. The World Humanitarian Summit: Talking shop or game changer? 12. Boko Haram takes aim at Nigeria's elections 13. Will Washington surrender in the War on Drugs? 14. Working to keep the peace: The impact of job schemes on ex-rebels Sex crimes up amid Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone KENEMA, 4 February 2015 (IRIN) - Reports that rates of sexual assault and teenage pregnancy have soared in Sierra Leone since the start of the Ebola outbreak have prompted the government to plan a raft of measure to protect girls and the UN to investigate the scale of the increase. Read report online Softly, softly: the humanitarian schemes aimed at countering Boko Haram ABUJA , 6 February 2015 (IRIN) - Northeast Nigeria faces the dual challenges of tackling Boko Haram and deeply ingrained poverty. Now the government and some private philanthropists are implementing programmes to counter both, creating economic opportunities and providing humanitarian support as antidotes to the appeal of militancy. Read report online How UK detention policy worsens migrants' mental health LONDON, 6 February 2015 (IRIN) - This month, the UK parliament is due to release findings of an inquiry into the detention of migrants and asylum seekers, prompted by high profile incidents of sexual abuse and deaths. Unlimited immigration detention contributes to - and can even cause - lasting mental health problems among detainees. Read report online Drones for good? DUBAI , 9 February 2015 (IRIN) - Most commonly associated with spying and military missions, the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) - or drones - for humanitarian purposes is the subject of both hype and caution, but experts argue they could play an important role in disaster relief as well as having other useful civilian applications. Read report online Fleeing Boko Haram - survivors' stories MAIDUGURI, 10 February 2015 (IRIN) - Around one million Nigerians have been forced to flee their homes as a result of the Boko Haram insurgency in the northeast. Many seek refuge in the city of Maiduguri, choosing to stay with relatives rather than live in government run camps. They witnessed the harrowing brutality of Boko Haram before escaping to relative safety. IRIN has been hearing their stories. Read report online Who celebrity advocates are really targeting. And it's not you. LONDON, 13 February 2015 (IRIN) - In recent years, aid agencies have increasingly used celebrities to raise awareness and money for their causes. There's just one problem: It doesn't actually work. Read report online Unloved but unyielding: Burkina's presidential guard could derail transition WASHINGTON DC, 13 February 2015 (IRIN) - The potential for widespread civil unrest in Burkina Faso could grow if the country's Presidential Security Regiment continues to remain a powerful and largely unanswerable force. Read report online AUDIO SLIDESHOW: Ebola: Back to school, but is it safe? MONROVIA/FREETOWN, 20 February 2015 (IRIN) - Millions of students in Liberia and Sierra will soon be back in school for the first time in more than six months, but concerns over Ebola remain. Read report online No longer at ease: Tackling the trauma of Boko Haram KANO, 23 February 2015 (IRIN) - Nigerian society celebrates resilience - the ability to cope with adversity. But the growing number of people coming through the doors of the Crisis and Trauma Counselling Centre (CTCC) in the northern city of Kano suggests people sometimes need a little help to get by. Read report online Game of Drones BELGRADE, 24 February 2015 (IRIN) - In his latest column, recovering aid worker Paul Currion asks whether the debate over the use of drones misses a fundamental point: Does their very nature compromise humanitarian principles? Read report online The World Humanitarian Summit: Talking shop or game changer? LONDON, 25 February 2015 (IRIN) - With just over one year to go until the World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul, aid workers say the consultations so far have broadly succeeded at engaging an unprecedented spectrum of voices, but many fear the process still lacks any clear framework for turning talk into action. IRIN takes a look at the WHS preparations and some of the key issues emerging from the consultation process. Read report online Boko Haram takes aim at Nigeria's elections NAIROBI, 25 February 2015 (IRIN) - Three bomb explosions in the space of two days in northern Nigeria signal a resumption of urban terror tactics by Boko Haram, a jihadist group that wants to demonstrate it is still a force to be reckoned with despite recent military setbacks, according to analysts. Read report online Will Washington surrender in the War on Drugs? NAIROBI, 26 February 2015 (IRIN) - The news this week that Jamaica is decriminalizing marijuana for personal use is the latest step in a global trend towards rethinking drug policy. For decades the international consensus has focused on criminalization and interdiction, but the approach has not only failed to stem drug production and use, it has also had a devastating impact on communities and individual lives. Read report online Working to keep the peace: The impact of job schemes on ex-rebels NAIROBI, 27 February 2015 (IRIN) - Job-creation schemes are the traditional way to tackle the post-conflict problem of unemployed ex-fighters and to reduce the threat they can pose to peace and stability in fragile states. Read report online

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