Highlights

• Displacement following attacks by LRA in far east
• Improving education in Ndélé
• Reviving cotton-farming in Ouham-Pendé
• $2,800,000 from CERF for underfunded CAR

Background and security

Displacement towards Obo in far east following attacks by LRA
According to local authorities, following attacks by the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) on the villages of Goubéré (5km north-west of Obo) and Ligoua (20km south-east of Obo), more than 1,000 people from Goubéré have temporarily relocated to the prefectoral school in Obo town in the far east of CAR. A further 100 people from Ligoua are reported to be currently accommodated by host families in Obo.

News

Improving governance in CAR
On 30 and 31 July the Framework Programme for Governance and Decentralisation (PCGD) validated its report for the 2nd quarter and the workplan for the 3rd quarter. Participating at the meeting were, amongst others, the Ministries of Territorial Administration and Planning, the Prime Minister’s office, the National Assembly, the United Nations System and civil society organisations (CSOs).

After presenting the report on progress made in the various projects, the participants discussed the major challenges to overcome and established three levels of coordination (at the National Assembly, the High Commission for Decentralisation and one CSO to ensure coherent and harmonised management of the activities.

PCGD is working to build technical and infrastructural capacity in governmental institutions and CSOs. This support includes the construction and rehabilitation of the buildings which house them, provision of equipment and training and course-participation opportunities for their staff.

For more information: Bowoi Barry, PCGD | (236) 75 70 19 21| bowoi.barry@undp.org

Support for people living with HIV/AIDS
The National Committee for the Fight against HIV/AIDS (CNLS) has provided four ministries with a donation of four 4×4 vehicles and IT equipment, namely the Ministries of Health, National Education, Social Affairs and Justice.

At the presentation ceremony were the CNLS Coordinator, Ms Hyacinthe Wodobodé, and the four ministers and their representatives.

The CNLS donation specifically aims to facilitate work supporting orphans and vulnerable children.

In her speech, the CNLS Coordinator stated that “It is in the public interest that efforts made so far will be further intensified”.

For more information: Boniface Nganza, CNLS | (236) 75 04 18 61| boniface.nganza@gmail.com

Canada supports construction of new clinic for children and widows in Bangui
The Canadian consul in CAR, accompanied by a representative from the Ministry of Planning, visited the ongoing construction work for a clinic dedicated to orphans, vulnerable children and widows, part of a project by the Organisation for the Protection of Children in Difficulties (OSED) being financed by the Canadian government.

The clinic consists of a pharmacy, two offices, a warehouse, a laboratory, examination room, surgery, medical consultation rooms and four toilets. Its aim is to improve on the currently limited healthcare available to children and widows.

After the word of thanks by Pastor Ngaya, President of OSED, to the Canadian and Central African governments, the representative of the Ministry of Planning, Jean-Louis Pouninguinza expressed his happiness with the development of the project, linking it to government policies to improve healthcare and the well-being of Central Africans.

The Canadian consul, Mr Lawson, said he was satisfied with the progress made with construction, and promised to accelerate the disbursement of the remaining funding to complete the work outstanding.

The first allocation of funding for the project was for FCFA19, 800,000, about US$45,000.

For more information: Mr Theodore Lawson, Canadian consul in CAR| (236) 21 61 30 39 | consulatbangui@yahoo.fr

Agriculture

Workshop on Food Security Classification
From 29 to 31 July, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the Ministry for Rural Development and Agriculture held a workshop to analyse and discuss surveys of food security conducted throughout CAR.

The field surveys were organised as part of the Integrated Food Security and Humanitarian Phase Classification Framework (IPC).

The aim of the IPC is to improve intervention strategies and decision-making in the food security sector. It brings together different indicators which permit a coherent and meaningful classification of different levels of food security and to identify risk factors which can worsen current situations.

The workshop concluded with the classification of each prefecture into five phases of food security.

For more information: Tony Lakouetene, FAO| (236) 75 55 96 09 | | tony.lakouetene@fao.org

Reviving cotton-farming in Ouham-Pendé
On Friday 31 July 26 tonnes of insecticide valued at 234 million FCFA (US$520,000) designated for the revival of cotton farming in Ouham-Pendé was received at Bangui airport.

The shipment was received by the Agriculture Minister Fidèle Gouandjika in the presence of the Director-General of the Central African Agency for Agricultural Development (ACDA), Honoré Feïzouré, and will be used to support the 2009-2010 cotton season in Ouham-Pendé in the north-west of CAR.

The Minister stated that “we are still waiting for a further 300 tonnes of insecticide which will be transported by road to the prefecture and help to restore the cotton industry in the region”.

“Cotton cultivation also contributes to food security because of the knock-on effects of the agricultural inputs used for cotton”, he continued.

For more information: Honoré Feïzouré, ACDA| (236) 75 04 20 96 | hofeizoure@yahoo.fr

Education

Improving education in Ndélé
Monday 3 August saw the opening of a 6 day session on training and retraining teachers, contract teachers and teacher-parents in Ndélé in the north of CAR. The training is being organised by the Regional Educational Centre (CPR) in partnership with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

The purpose of the training is to improve the current very low attainment levels at ‘Fondamental-I’ grades in Bamingui-Bangoran prefecture, by ensuring the use of more appropriate teaching methods.

«Opening ceremony participants»

The Prefect of Bamingui-Bangoran, General Mazi, who led the opening ceremony in the presence of educational authorities and humanitarian actors – the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and International Medical Corps (IMC), praised the initiative and thanked the humanitarian actors for their support. He expressed his regret at the low level of participation of women teachers and stated that “the successful development of our children is a direct reflection of the work of our teachers”.

The prefecture has 55 schools of which 11 (on the Ngarba and Gaskaye roads) have not been operational this year due to ongoing insecurity. As a result, of 8,511 pupils registered at the beginning of the year, 1,557 have not been able to go to school at all.

That means that, over the whole academic year, more than 20% of pupils have not attended due to recurring military and political crises in the region.

For more information: Sylvain Yakara, OCHA | (236) 72 71 55 49 | yakara@un.org

Coordination

$2,800,000 from CERF for underfunded CAR
CAR has been chosen to benefit from the second round of allocation to underfunded emergencies by the UN’s Central Emergency Respond Fund (CERF).

The amount received will be used to fund underfunded humanitarian life-saving projects in the Coordinated Aid Program (CAP).

Contact Us :
Boris NGOUAGOUNI | (236) 70 18 80 61 | ngouagouni@un.org

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