Download the 2008 Needs Analysis Framework in English (2.1 MB) - PDF

The Needs Analysis Framework analyzes the humanitarian needs in the Central African Republic, mainly of civilians living in the northern areas affected by conflict and violence. As a consequence of poverty and under-development, and aggravated by the violent conflict and banditry, urgent needs exist in all sectors. First and foremost, the humanitarian crisis in CAR is a protection and human rights crisis, with 305,000 people being forced to flee their homes. But many people also have no access to hospitals, health centres, schools, and markets, they have no drinking water and cannot work their fields, and many have no roof to protect them from the rains. Continue Reading »

About 1,400 displaced people are living in the village of Kamba Kota (Ouham) in terrible health and security conditions. They fled their villages following attacks by armed bandits, who reportedly killed 37 people. The banditry victims come from Kambandja, Kassai and Kagoué II villages on the road to Ouogo to the north of Kamba Kota.

The joint mission of the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) and the United Nations Office in the Central African Republic (BONUCA) who located these displaced people expressed concern about their health and security.

At the moment, these displaced people get water from the river and eat mainly cassava leaves. Their huts are made of branches and foliage. Access to health care is made difficult by the system of cost recovery applied by the local health center (patients must pay a fee). In spite of these challenges, the displaced are planning for the future: with the help of the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), they started building a school which will soon be operational. Continue Reading »

More than 2,700 internally displaced persons (IDPs) are currently living on a site near Kabo, Central African Republic, and new people are arriving every day. Returning from the site, a joint evaluation mission, including staff from OCHA and BONUCA, as well as donor representatives, described the humanitarian situation as very precarious.

Meeting with the mayor of Kabo, members of the mission were told that NGOs had been successful in addressing the most urgent problems. For example, the NGO Solidarités installed a water pump providing clean drinking water on the IDP site and the local health centre receives help from Medecins Sans Frontières (MSF). Continue Reading »

UNICEF in the Central African Republic has just published their report for December 2007 and January 2008. As always, it contains an excellent overview on the current humanitarian, political and security situation, as well as information on UNICEF’s project activities in CAR.

• EU Peacekeeping force officially launched; arrival of first troops in CAR and Chad delayed by fighting in N’Djamena
• New Prime Minister, Faustin Touadéra replaces Eli Dote following his resignation;simmering discontent in the capital Bangui
• UNICEF and the Ministry of Health launch nationwide Mother and Child Survival Campaign; 800,000 women vaccinated again Tetanus
• The UNICEF CAP appeal for 2007 was 57 percent funded

Click here to download the report (PDF; 630 KB)

For more information on UNICEF’s activities in the Central African Republic contact:
Anne Boher
Communications Officer
UNICEF CAR
Email aboher[at]unicef.org | Mobile +236 75 58 96 01

(New York/Bangui, 23 January 2008). A new wave of internal displacement in the Central African Republic’s northern region has prompted the opening of the first camp for internally displaced people in the country. These recent population movements are a result of an increase in violence perpetrated by zaraguinas, or bandits. Continue Reading »

Amnesty International reports on the human rights abuses of “Zaraguinas”, road bandits operating in the north-west of CAR.

According to the report, they target mostly civilians, who already suffer from fighting between government and rebels troops in the area, and spread terror with kidnappings, rape and pillaging. The government is unable to protect the population. “Zaraguinas are often better equipped with automatic weapons and have better knowledge of the terrain than government forces”, mentions Amnesty’s Africa Programme Director.

Click here to read the AI report on the Zaraguinas