News bulletin 73 (11 August - 18 August 2008)
Aug 18th, 2008 by Nancy Snauwaert, OCHA
Highlights
- Clashes in the north west of CAR
- New MINURCAT Police Chief
- World Bank provides US$ 7 million for Food Response Project
- UN Humanitarian Air Service in jeopardy
Background and security
Clashes in the north west of CAR
After suspending their participation in the Inclusive Political Dialogue, several clashes between the Popular army for the restoration of democracy (APRD) and government forces have been reported in the north west of the country. Fighting reportedly took place on 8 August near Ngaoundaye, on 12 August near Man, and on 13 and 14 August between Ouandago and Kabo, though the identity of the rebels in this last skirmish was not confirmed.
The UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for CAR, François Lonseny Fall, said that he was deeply concerned by the security situation in the north western part of the country. He called on both sides to abide by the Libreville peace accords and urged them to exercise the utmost restraint.
Security incidents
Despite the ongoing rainy season - when there is most often a reduction in criminal activities as the roads are hardly passable - several security incidents were reported in the central northern part of the country. The tax inspector of Ndélé and his colleague were stopped by gunmen 18 km from Ngarba, a village on the border with Chad. The armed men stole their personal belongings, their motorbike and FCFA 800,000 of tax money. Bandits on 10 August assaulted and robbed two merchants east of Ndélé. On 8 August, bandits attacked a truck near Sibut and killed two passengers.
Current events
New MINURCAT Police Chief
Major-General Gerardo Christian Chaumont of Argentina on 15 August assumed his duties as Chief of the Police of the United Nations Mission in Central African Republic and Chad (MINURCAT). He succeeds Acting Police Commissioner, Antero Lopes from Portugal, who left the Mission after more than six months of service.
US$ 7 million to address rising food prices
A US$7 million grant was approved on 14 August by the World Bank to finance activities to mitigate the impact of rising food prices in CAR. In a country where two-thirds of the population lives below the poverty line, and where food prices have risen by an average of 25 percent in the first four months of 2008, this project will provide assistance to alleviate some of the pressure from the escalation of food prices.
The Food Response Project has two main components, each worth US$3.25 million. The first is a school feeding program to be carried out in partnership with the World Food Program’s (WFP) Support for Education for All and Health program. For one year, it will provide meals to about 150,000 kindergarten and primary school students in seven provinces, selected based on the prevalence of food insecurity.
The second component will enhance rural producers’ access to agricultural technology and advice in order to boost production. This includes a variety of interventions, such as providing improved planting material, small animals and tools, organizing technical training to bolster productivity on a sustainable basis and improving the marketing value of production. Between 20,000 and 50,000 producers are expected to receive better seeds and tools.
ICRC donation to Bangui hospital
In the context of its response to the most urgent humanitarian health needs, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) donated a 165 KVA generator to the Community Hospital of Bangui, together with a generator maintenance kit and surgical drugs and consumables. The donation is worth FCFA 16 million, or about US$ 36,000.
Merlin develops strategic plan
Merlin, an English NGO providing health care services in the central northern and north western part of CAR, held a strategic planning session from 11 to 13 August in Bangui. Next to Merlin staff, technical personnel from the Ministry of Health and local and international NGO partners contributed to the development of the strategic plan for 2009.
Merlin will continue to provide a primary health care package, which includes nutrition programmes where appropriate, in several localities in the north of the country. Resources permitting, its focus for the coming year will include capacity building of health structures and the Ministry of Health, the prevention of communicable diseases and the provision of reproductive health services.
For more information: cd@merlin-car.org
JUPEDEC gives help to the south east
Youth United for the Protection of the Environment and Community Development (JUPEDEC), a local NGO working in Haut Mbomou province, supported the people of the far south east of the country with two awareness-raising and training workshops on HIV/AIDS and psycho-social and medical care for the survivors of the sexual violence inflicted on them during the attacks of February and March 2008. About 60 local leaders, 30 in Zémio and 30 in Obo, the provincial capital, were trained in these subjects last month.
With the material and financial support of the UN agencies for population (UNFPA), children (UNICEF), and health (WHO), the health centers in the region received two HIV prevention kits (PEP kits), one essential drugs kit, one malaria kit and some 13,000 condoms.
JUPEDEC seized the opportunity of its visit in the region to carry out an in-depth assessment of the condition of the bridges on the major roads in the province. The information collected will allow for the development of a bridge rehabilitation project, which will be submitted to donors.
For more information: jupehb@yahoo.fr
Coordination
UN Humanitarian Air Service in jeopardy
Currently, the UN Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS), which is managed by WFP in CAR, faces extreme funding shortfalls. One of two airplanes has been grounded as of 18 August, while the second plane flies only a limited schedule. Soon UNHAS risks having to suspend all its activities. If that were to happen, the consequences for humanitarian action in the country would be dire. During the current peak of the rainy season, many roads are impassable and whole parts of the country - particularly the north eastern region which borders Darfur and eastern Chad - are completely cut off from the capital Bangui by road. Insecurity, caused by bandits roaming across the north of the country, is another impediment to road travel.
Since the beginning of this year, UNHAS has carried 1,739 passengers and more than 37 metric tonnes of goods to 18 destinations. For the coming six months, UNHAS needs US$ 2.6 million to continue providing services with two planes. At an absolute minimum, UNHAS requires US$ 1.6 million for running a single aircraft for the aforementioned period. Mai Moussa Abari, acting UN Humanitarian Coordinator, on 15 August sent an urgent request for support to UNHAS to donors.
Information
The next HDPT bulletin will cover two weeks and be published on 1 September.
Contact us: UN OCHA Bangui, CAR
Nancy Snauwaert | snauwaert@un.org | +236 75 54 22 78
Gisèle Willybiro | willybiro@un.org | +236 75 54 90 31
