When families are forced to flee their villages because of violence, they often have to leave behind some of their most valuable assets: seeds and tools for farming. This leads to an even bigger loss: their harvest.

Because of ongoing violence, food security is a major issue in the Central African Republic. Although some early projects are making a difference, more needs to be done; local food prices are increasing rapidly for food produced both inside and out of CAR .
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Highlights

• $ 9 million grant from China
• Energy crisis hits hospitals in Bangui
• Assistance to the displaced in Kamba Kota and Batangafo in Ouham province
• Departure of Toby Lanzer, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in CAR

Background and security

Deadly attack near Sibut
On 16 July, bandits, also known as zaraguinas, opened fire on the vehicle of the official representative of the Forestry Ministry, Pierre Ndikini, in the region of Sibut, about 180 km north of Bangui. Mr. Ndikini was fatally wounded and died soon after in the Sibut hospital.  The next day, another attack targeted the truck of a humanitarian NGO in the same region. Continue Reading »

Non-governmental Organisations (NGOs) and United Nations agencies together have ranked all projects in the emergency appeal for the Central African Republic (CAR), which is a part of the Consolidated Appeals Process (CAP) for 2008.

Overall, 37 of 75 projects in the country’s appeal were identified as ‘high’ or ‘immediate’ priority. These projects, which carry a price tag of $29 million, will provide life-saving assistance to 1 million people, including 200,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) and 3,000 Sudanese refugees. Continue Reading »

Despite progress made in many areas, the Central African Republic remains in a state of crisis. To fund and expand the humanitarian response, the Humanitarian and Development Partnership Team (HDPT) in CAR has published its 2008 “Coordinated Aid Programme,” appealing to donor countries to fund urgent projects intended to meet the needs of one million people affected by ongoing violence in the northern part of CAR. Continue Reading »

From 10 to 12 September all humanitarian and development partners active in the Central African Republic will work on their Coordinated Aid Programme (CAP) for 2008.

More than 15 humanitarian organisations, as well as donors (European Commission, France, Germany, Spain, UK, US) and researchers from King’s College will participate in the workshop.

On the basis of previously developed humanitarian scenarios and contingency plans, they will plan the necessary humanitarian projects and programmes to meet the needs of Central Africans affected by violence, displacement, HIV or food insecurity in 2008.

The final Coordinated Aid Programme (Consolidated Appeal) for 2008 will be launched in December by the Secretary General of the United Nations.
For 2007, about 86 million US dollars are required to meet the humanitarian needs in CAR. Funding is currently at 43 million US dollars (see graph below).

Aid agencies working in the Central African Republic have renewed their emergency appeal for the country. The mid-year review of the Coordinated Aid Programme (CAP) for CAR was launched today by Toby Lanzer, UN Humanitarian and Resident Coordinator. Read a summary of the appeal below.

Violence has now displaced a greater proportion of the population in the north of the Central African Republic (CAR) than in any other country of the world. Torching villages, unknown in CAR until November 2005, has become routine, summary executions reign in a climate of impunity, and rape shatters the dignity and health of the country’s women.

This is the reality faced by one million people scattered in small villages or seeking refuge in the bush along the borders with Chad and Sudan. And it comes on top of the world’s most oppressive poverty which has seen almost two thirds of CAR’s population of 4.2 million survive on less than US$ 1 per day. Continue Reading »