UN in CAR sends joint mission to troubled Ngaoundaye region
Sep 23rd, 2007 by Kersten Jauer, HDPT CAR
The United Nations Country Team in the Central African Republic will sends its first one-week assessment mission to the troubled Ngaoundaye region in the extreme north-west of the country on Monday 24 September. A team of twelve, including staff from UNDP, OCHA, UNICEF, UNHCR and a photographer, will assess and document the humanitarian situation in this former development model region.
Since 2006 the Ngaoundaye, Bocaranga, Paoua triangle has become a strong-hold of the APRD rebels. Fighting between CAR’s presidential guard and the rebels has displaced large parts of the population of over 50,000 in this area. At least 1,700 houses have been burnt in the last months and an estimated 8,500 people have lost their home. Many have fled to bordering Cameroon. Any remnants of development projects from the 1990’s have by now been destroyed. Schools, health posts and water pumps have been looted or are defunct.
The security situation in the area is still very fragile. In June 2007, an international health worker was killed during MSF’s first mission to the area. In May 2007, two national health workers had been kidnapped by road bandits. As the new joint UN office in nearby Paoua will soon become operational, the mission intends to demonstrate the determination of international development and humanitarian organisations to assist the affected population and to return to this neglected part of CAR.
The map below shows the route the week-long mission will take. Photos and reports will be posted on www.hdptcar.net
[...] The report of the inter-agency mission to the Ngaoundaye region [...]
[...] September, the United Nations Country Team in the Central African Republic sent its first one-week assessment mission to the troubled Ngaoundaye region in the extreme north-west of the country. We are posting the first set of photos they brought back, [...]