(KJ*) Over the last two years, humanitarian assistance has made a decisive contribution to the stabilization the Central African Republic while the country’s condition was at its most critical. Back from the brink of collapse, the benefits of peace and stability now would have to be spread much wider throughout this desperately poor country, if the patient were to recover successfully. However, while humanitarian assistance is levelling off and may well decrease in 2009, development support is still lacking too far behind to pick up the thread. The looming recovery gap now jeopardizes CAR’s fragile progress, as data from the country’s new aid management system shows.
In November 2008, the Central African Republic (CAR) and its partners launched a new aid management system (DAD). Widely used in Asia but still rare in Africa, the goal of this online database is to make humanitarian and development aid more transparent, coordinated and effective. Previously, no central data source existed to help decision-makers understand who finances projects, who works in which sectors, in which locations, and where the gaps are. As in many other African states critically dependent on foreign support, the absence of reliable data was a stumbling block to improved aid effectiveness. Less than four months after the system’s launch, detailed financial, sector and geographical data for almost 300 projects is now available online. While the usual caveats on aid statistics apply (the data will not account for 100 percent of all transfers), the numbers are nevertheless already a reasonably good reflection of the realities in CAR.
Good numbers on the surface
At first sight, the recent data on aid to the Central African Republic looks encouraging. Between 2005 and 2007, total foreign assistance to CAR more than doubled from about $117m to $242m. The increase is particularly significant, given that CAR had long been a forgotten crisis. While aid to Sub-Saharan Africa as a whole went up by more than 90 percent between 1985 and 2006, it fell by almost 50 percent for CAR. During this time, the country’s development catastrophe slowly turned into a humanitarian emergency, directly affecting more than a million people and forcing up to 300,000 into displacement. CAR now ranks 178 out of 179 on the UN’s Human Development Index. More than two thirds of the population live in poverty. Reaching the Millennium Development Goals has become a distant dream. Continue Reading »
UNDP released a comprehensive fact sheet on the Central African Republic, taken from its National Human Development Report 2007/08 (to be published soon). It provides an excellent overview of recent data on Central African development, poverty, education and health. The fact sheet is available in English and French.
Click here to download the fact sheet (PDF, 744 KB)
Humanitarian and development organisations in the Central African Republic (CAR) continue expand their presence in the field. Many years after most field offices were shut down, aid agencies now continue to return. Since early 2007, the number of offices outside the capital has risen from 10 to more than 40. In a country the size of France, however, more will be necessary to help the Central African population recover from years of crises.
An updated presentation of the general humanitarian and development situation in CAR is now available. UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator Toby Lanzer presented this briefing to donors and other partners in Europe earlier this month, including at an OECD/DAC seminar, during EC consultations in Brussels and with Dutch officials in the Hague. The updated version integrates new developments in security sector reform and political dialogue, as well as other key points.
The number of humanitarian and development organizations present in the Central African Republic (CAR) continues to grow. Since November 2007, new offices of ACTED, IRC and the United Nations were opened in the north and north-east of the country. Continue Reading »
The number of humanitarian and development organizations present in the Central African Republic (CAR) continues to grow rapidly. Since August 2007, new offices were opened in the north-east and in Sam Ouandja to support the refugees from Darfur. Continue Reading »
The Office of the UN Resident Coordinator in the Central African Republic finalized a comprehensive presentation on development issues and problems in the country. The document provides an overview of human development in CAR, the economy, natural resources, education, health, water and infrastructure problems. Continue Reading »
UNICEF CAR has released their new in-depth situation report for the Central African Republic with a country overview and information on the political and security situation and updates on humanitarian needs and UNICEF’s programmes and projects. Twelve pages rich with news and data. A brief content summary below:
President Bozize prepares to hold a national dialogue with rebels and opposition parties in an effort to promote peace in the country’s northern prefectures
CAR normalizes its bilateral relations with the Sudan
Violence and insecurity continues in the country’s northwest; civilians continue to be attacked by warring factions
Serious flooding causes misery and destruction across the northwest; UNICEF provides assistance to affected populations
Severe malnutrition (32%) and anemia (43%) is currently affecting a large proportion of Sudanese children, living in the Sam Ouandja refugee camp; UNICEF provides health, nutrition and NFI supplies
This focus map shows CAR and the region around Sam Ouandja, where aid agencies are assissting the refugees from Darfur. We had posted a summary a few days back.
We have started a new series of ‘focus maps’ optimized for A3 printing.
These maps show the entire country, put it in context and contain a ‘zoomed in’ area of concern to humanitarian and development organizations in the Central African Republic.
We will post a number of these maps over the coming days and start with Paoua.
The Humanitarian and Development Partnership Team in the Central African Republic (HDPT CAR) estimates that 291,000 Central Africans have been forced to flee their homes since the rebellion in the north of the country intensified in late 2006.
An estimated 212,000 people have been internally displaced, 79,000 have fled CAR for Cameroon, Chad, or Sudan. The map below illustrates the internal displacement and refugee situation.
On behalf of humanitarian partners in CAR, UNFPA currently conducts an in-depth IDP survey in CAR. We hope to publish the results on this website during the third quarter of this year.
More than 2,600 refugees have arrived in Sam Ouandja, in the extreme north-east of the Central African Republic, since late May this year.
The organizations providing humanitarian assistance to these refugees and the population of Sam Ouandja have now put together a briefing kit, with updates on the situation and their activities.
Every month, we produce a fact sheet with the most important humanitarian and development indicators for the Central African Republic.
The new fact sheet for August reflects the increased number of CAR refugees in Cameroon (now 26,000), after the humanitarian situation in Ngaoundaye worsened.
The number of people who were forced to flee their home since the of 2006 stands now at roughly 291,000.
The Humanitarian and Development Partnership Team (HDPT) unites all organizations working to alleviate the humanitarian and development crisis in the Central African Republic: United Nations agencies, the Red Cross Movement, NGOs and other organizations. For more information, visit About HDPT CAR or email us at info[at]hdptcar.net
Interviews with Dr Ione
Dr Ione describes her incredible experiences in the Central African Republic. A thrilling eye-witness account of the country’s history.
More than 2,600 refugees have arrived in 
