Of this number, 2.4 million are need to be serious and complex whose survival and dignity are at stake“Mohamed Ag Ayoya, UN Humanitarian Coordinator in CAR, told reporters in Geneva.
The conflict in neighboring Sudan has further worsened the needs, and the $465 million humanitarian program for the country is also being implemented with support for some 25,000 Sudanese and CAR people who have fled the conflict, as well as local communities that host them.
“Our Joy remains to help the most vulnerable sections of Central African society,” he said. “In addition, we will continue to support those who suffer from Consequences of the conflict in Sudanboth from the displaced and the host community.”
Displacement, flooding and development
Mr. Ag Ayoya provided the background to the humanitarian crisis in CAR.
Repeated armed conflicts between various armed groups have displaced one in five people from their homes, forcing them to seek refuge elsewhere in the country or across the border.
Last year’s flood also affected more than 100,000 peoplealmost three times the number of previous events, and more than six thousand[6,000]the house was destroyed.
“The country is still marked by decades of lack of investments in adequate economic infrastructure, jobs and livelihoods,” he added.
“Basic services are often unavailable to the population, worsening the living conditions of the people and making their tolerance to the point where they are forced to accept poor systems.”
‘The cost of a broken man’
As a result, three out of five citizens do not have access to clean drinking water and sanitation, and only 55 percent of children complete primary school.
There is also a “cost of human destruction” as every hour, two women or girls fall victim to gender-based violence. About 5,000 cases were reported in the first quarter of the year alone.
War and epidemic strains
The humanitarian situation has worsened due to conflict in neighboring Sudan, he reported. Vulnerable families are already finding it hard to meet their basic needs due to the combined impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and damage from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“The presence of nearly 14,000 Sudanese asylum seekers and Central African returnees in the northeast, and the end of commercial traffic across the border, put additional pressure on the limited resources available for 130,000 people. who is very vulnerable in the area,” Mr. Ag Ayoya said.
-Race against time
He also highlighted the difficulties in delivering humanitarian aid in CAR, which “is often a race against time and the changing security situation.”
During the rainy season, large parts of the country are inaccessible by road, requiring air transport, while “from 2022, approx. every other day, an aid worker experiences a violent or security incident.”
Despite these challenges, humanitarian partners continue to find ways to support vulnerable communities, he said.
Packing for emergencies
They reach two million people by 2022or more than 90 percent of those targeted, and 658,000 people in the first three months of this year alone.
Aid partners are also quick to mobilize in the face of emergencies, he added.
“In the first few weeks after the start of the conflict in Sudan, the humanitarian partners predicted 155 tons of emergency goods in the northeast before the start of the rainy season and they have distributed life-saving aid,” he said.
A supplement to the 2023 Humanitarian Response Plan for CAR is also being developed.
This was done to highlight the additional budget needs of $69 million to help some 25,000 people who fled the conflict – both Sudanese citizens and returning citizens – and approximately 25,000 members of host communities.
