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	Record numbers of Central Africans are in humanitarian distress by OCHA, MSF, Concern, Unicef, NRC, agencies   June 2021   Record numbers of Central Africans are in humanitarian distress. (OCHA)   This year, more than half of the population of the Central African Republic (CAR) needs humanitarian assistance and protection. That’s 2.8 million people, two thirds of whom are in acute need and may die without assistance. This is the first time in five years that so many people have been in acute need, making CAR one of the world’s most vulnerable countries.   One in four Central Africans is displaced   Twenty-four-year-old Georgette Mwagala is a single mother of three. In January, she was displaced for the third time due to insecurity in the Gobongo neighbourhood of CAR’s capital, Bangui. But this displacement is different for Georgette, as this time she fears more for the survival of her children.   “My kids and I spend the night outside, next to the church, and I can no longer cultivate my field because of the insecurity," said Georgette.   “The little money I made selling vegetables was only enough to survive from day to day. Now that I’ve been here at the church for four months, I can neither cultivate nor sell, because I still fear for my safety.”   Humanitarians provided food and non-food items to Georgette and 800 internally displaced persons (IDPs) at the church site in Gobongo.   Georgette and her children were among the more than 388,000 Central Africans newly displaced between December 2020 and March 2021, fleeing the violence that followed the country’s national elections in December 2020 and recurrent clashes between armed groups.   In total, more than 727,000 people are internally displaced and 695,000 are refugees in neighbouring countries.   Severe food insecurity looms for hundreds of thousands   Violence and insecurity disrupted CAR’s main supply route, raising the prices of basic necessities by up to 60 per cent.   Meanwhile, the pandemic’s second wave worsened the situation by keeping prices high at the markets. As a result, 2.29 million people, or 46 per cent of the population, do not have enough to eat, and more than half a million of these people are just one step away from famine.   http://unocha.exposure.co/record-numbers-of-central-africans-are-in-humanitarian-distress   Feb. 2020   The severe humanitarian crisis in the Central African Republic (C.A.R.) requires sustained international attention and an injection of funds to sustain lifesaving operations for people affected by conflict, Chris Nikoi, the Regional Director for the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) in West and Central Africa warned today.   Repeated cycles of violence and conflict have uprooted hundreds of thousands of people from their homes and disrupted livelihoods in C.A.R. Nearly half of the country's population of 4 million requires humanitarian assistance, including 1.6 million who are unsure of where their next meal will come from.   'We're seeing renewed tension and violence in several parts of the country that will only compound the already dire humanitarian situation', Nikoi said at the end of a four-day visit to the country. 'We're taking measures to provide assistance, but it will not be possible without additional donor support'.   Nikoi held discussions during his visit with relevant officals and the humanitarian community. He also visited WFP's operations in Bambari - 400 km from Bangui and met with internally displaced communities to listen their stories and assess how WFP food assistance could better support their livelihoods.   WFP urgently requires urgent funding support to continue providing lifesaving food and nutrition assistance to vulnerable communities in 2020, assistance for over one million people between February and July.   'It's heart-breaking to see how conflict is destroying people's lives. We hope peace will prevail and provide a respite for people who have suffered repeated displacement and disruption to their livelihoods', said Nikoi.   Nikoi commended donors that have backed lifesaving WFP operations in C.A.R., and urged continued support, warning that increased support is needed for recovery, resilience and development activities.   Whenever security conditions and funding permit, WFP scales up interventions such as home-grown school feeding, food for assets, and support for smallholders farmers to increase local food purchases, enabling communities to rebuild their livelihoods, be more self-reliant, and inject money into the local economy.   http://reliefweb.int/report/central-african-republic/wfp-regional-chief-ends-visit-car-call-more-funding-humanitarian   Oct. 2019 (ICRC)   Since 1 September, ongoing fighting between armed groups has forced large numbers of people in Birao, in the north-east of the Central African Republic, to flee their homes.   "It took an hour, just one hour, to end up with nothing," despaired a former teacher, who lost everything on 1 September when he had to leave his home without warning. More than 25,000 people - almost the entire population of the town - have been forced to flee empty-handed to makeshift camps, leaving behind homes that have either been ransacked or burnt down.   "All people want is to live safe and dignified lives. People must be safeguarded from the impact of the violence and clashes," declared Valarie Petitpierre, head of delegation for the Central African Republic at the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).   "The need to break this cycle of violence is long overdue; it is leaving people trapped in a state of precariousness, and without any hope whatsoever."   Massive humanitarian needs against a backdrop of panic   In the two main camps providing refuge, displaced people are reliant on humanitarian aid to survive. "We need to provide everything: food, water, shelter and sanitation. The population of an entire town has fled over the course of a few days," explained Celestin Sikubwabo, an ICRC delegate returning from Birao, where he coordinated the organization's response.   More than anything else, displaced people need to feel safe. No one is even contemplating going back to the town: their panic is real, and their lives governed by the rumours about renewed fighting.   "It is terrifying to live like this," said Younous Abakar, a farmer who has left his entire life behind. "When the shooting started, everyone fled, and I lost contact with my wife and children. Just seven days ago, I found out that they were alive and in a different refugee camp, 12 kilometres from here, but the security situation is so bad that I can't go and join them.   The ICRC, in cooperation with the Central African Red Cross Society, has distributed essential supplies to displaced families, or more than 12,000 people.. A dozen plane trips were needed to deliver the 50 tonnes of life-saving aid. Completely impassable roads, mostly because of the rainy season, have hampered the response.   The ICRC has also distributed body bags to volunteers from the Central African Red Cross Society, which is managing the collection of victims remains, so they can be treated with dignity. Medicines and medical supplies, first-aid equipment and 600 kilograms of super cereal have been provided to the Central African Red Cross Society and the hospital in Birao since the fighting began.   http://www.icrc.org/en/document/operational-update-central-african-republic-situation-still-worrying-thousands-displaced http://reliefweb.int/report/central-african-republic/central-african-republic-ipc-acute-food-insecurity-analysis-may http://reliefweb.int/report/central-african-republic/un-calls-urgent-humanitarian-funding-and-protection-civilians http://reliefweb.int/country/caf   Dec. 2018   Two in three children in the Central African Republic need humanitarian assistance. A neglected, dangerous and deteriorating crisis for children reports Unicef.   Five years after Bangui descended into bloodshed, life in the Central African Republic is even harsher and more dangerous for children. Despite the escalating crisis, international funding and attention are critically low.   A new UNICEF report, 'Crisis in the Central African Republic:In a neglected emergency, children need aid, protection and a future' finds that: 1.5 million children now require humanitarian assistance, an increase of 300,000 since 2016. Over 43,000 children below five years old are projected to face an extremely elevated risk of death due to severe acute malnutrition (SAM) in 2019.   One in four children is either displaced or a refugee. Thousands of children are trapped within armed groups; thousands more are subject to sexual violence. Practically every child needs protection from the armed groups who now control four-fifths of the country.   The number of attacks against aid-workers more than quadrupled - from 67 incidents in all of 2017 to 294 in just the first eight and one-half months of 2018.   'This crisis is taking place in one of the poorest and least developed countries in the world, and one of the most dangerous for humanitarian workers', said Christine Muhigana, UNICEF's Representative in the Central African Republic. 'Conditions for children are desperate'.   The crisis in CAR is driven largely by fighting between a dozen or so armed groups over cattle routes and lands rich in diamonds, gold and uranium. More often than not, the armed groups target civilians rather than each other. They attack health and education facilities and personnel, mosques and churches, as well as sites where displaced people have taken shelter.   Terrified families are being driven from their homes. As of late September, almost 643,000 people - at least half of whom are children - were displaced across CAR, and over 573,000 had sought refuge in neighboring countries. Coupled with extremely limited access to health care, safe water and sanitation, the forced displacement translates into a malnutrition crisis for children. SAM rates were above emergency thresholds in 16 out of 18 displacement sites surveyed over the past two years; for children forced into the bush, conditions are even more dire.   The crisis is unfolding within an acute development emergency. CAR has the world's second-highest newborn death rate and maternal mortality ratio, fewer than three out of five children make it through primary school, and almost half the population has no access to clean water. The country ranks 188 out of 189 countries on the UN's Human Development Index, a composite indicator measuring life expectancy, income and education.   Despite the major upsurge in fighting and displacement, only 44 per cent of UNICEF's funding appeal for 2018 had been met. 'The children of the Central African Republic have been abandoned for too long', Muhigana said. 'They need attention and help now, and they will need it for the long run'.   http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/two-three-children-central-african-republic-need-humanitarian-assistance   Nov. 2018   International neglect of Central African Republic will lead to new catastrophe. (NRC)   'The international response in the Central African Republic is a recipe for failure. The humanitarian and political neglect will throw the country back into renewed cycles of violence', warned Secretary General of the Norwegian Refugee Council Jan Egeland, who is visiting the country.   Since 2017, violence has escalated in several areas, the number of attacks against civilians and aid workers is on the rise, and one out of four Central Africans now live in displacement.   'I was heartbroken to hear the story of a 16-year old mother with her 8-month old baby living alone in the camp of Lazare. Her parents were killed by the armed groups and the father of her baby dumped her with nothing', recounts Egeland after his visit at a camp for displaced persons in Kaga Bandoro. 'There are thousands of single mothers and orphaned children with similar stories here. They are surrounded by armed men and left in hopelessness. We cannot continue to betray them with our silence and inaction'.   Next week, the UN Security Council will meet to renew the mandate of the peacekeeping force, MINUSCA, which is set to expire on 15th November.   'The peacekeeping force is overstretched and under-resourced. It is unable to protect civilians from atrocities. The UN should not just renew the force's mandate, but must also follow up on the commitment from last year to give it the necessary mandate and resources to prevent conflict and protect civilians from attacks', said Egeland.   To address the massive humanitarian needs, Egeland is also appealing for a significant increase in the humanitarian support. So far this year, humanitarian organisations have received less than half of the 500 million dollars needed for relief work.   'The situation in the Central African Republic is a grotesque example of the impossibility of building peace and stability on empty stomachs', said Egeland.   'Unless access to vulnerable populations and humanitarian assistance is ramped up, all other investments will be money down the drain. Civilians on the ground will be the ones paying the highest price', he said.   One key problem is that hotspot areas which receive some attention and funding become neglected when the emergency fades, leaving people without necessary support and opportunities to feed themselves or their families. This sometimes allows underlying causes of the conflict to resurface, throwing the area back into full-blown crisis.   'We have to break this vicious cycle in which the Central African Republic is repeatedly engulfed by violence and neglect', said Egeland.   'It is outrageous how we can allow large parts of this country to slide back into a full-blown conflict', he added.   The Central African Republic is now the world's third worst humanitarian crisis behind Yemen and Syria, measured by the percentage of population in need of lifesaving relief.   http://www.nrc.no/news/2018/november/international-neglect-of-central-african-republic-will-lead-to-new-catastrophe/   Nov. 2018   Oxfam calls on parties to conflict in Central African Republic to stop targeting civilians and to allow unhindered humanitarian access   All sides in Central African Republic should stop targeting civilians and allow vital aid to get to those in need, said Oxfam today, following the recent attack on a camp for internally displaced people in the town of Batangafo in the north of the country. Violent clashes between armed groups have been taking place since Wednesday 31 October in Batangafo following an attack on a man while visiting a camp for internally displaced people (IDPs).   An estimated 28,000 people are affected by the surge in violence. More than 10,000 people have fled their homes to the compound of the MSF-supported hospital, while several thousand others have fled to the bush. The IDP site and many surrounding houses and buildings have been burned. At least 20 people have been treated for injuries at the city hospital.   Ferran Puig, Oxfam's Country Director in Central African Republic, said: "The protection of civilians must be the top priority for all parties. For more than four years, they have suffered the consequences of ongoing conflict and are at breaking point. I appeal to all those involved in the conflict to allow humanitarian organizations to deliver the assistance that these people need."   Oxfam's team in Batangafo has been forced to limit its movements as a result of the violence which is hampering their work. However, since Tuesday the team has been able to provide essential services such water in collaboration with Danish Refugee Council. Oxfam estimates that the crisis has prevented it from providing more than 32,000 people with humanitarian assistance.   http://reliefweb.int/report/central-african-republic/oxfam-urges-parties-conflict-central-african-republic-stop-targeting http://bit.ly/2Db748k http://www.msf.org/central-african-republic-more-10000-seek-refuge-batangafo-hospital   Oct. 2018   The world's hungriest country. (Concern Worldwide)   This year, there was one country with hunger levels classified as 'extremely alarming': Central African Republic (CAR).   CAR is located in the very centre of the African continent, in a fragile and conflict-prone region. It has a beautiful and varied landscape and a diverse - though relatively small - population of just under five million. However, CAR has suffered from decades of misrule, coups and periods of violent conflict. The most recent conflict began at the end of 2012 and, at its height, forced millions to flee their homes. It also caused a surge in hunger levels. But exactly how does conflict exacerbate hunger levels, on a local and global scale?   Already a poor and vulnerable country, the recurrence of conflict since 2013 has driven over a million people, a fifth of the entire population, from their homes. More than 2.5 million people - over half the population - are in need of humanitarian assistance.   At the height of the conflict, fields in many areas were trampled or burned, and for a largely rural population, where growing your own food is integral to obtaining enough nutritious food for a balanced diet, this is a huge problem. Food reserves, seed stores and livestock were also looted, and much of the infrastructure was destroyed.   The devastating impact on food security is long-lasting, in part because hunger and conflict is a self-defeating circle. Conflict increases food insecurity and food and nutrition insecurity increase the likelihood of unrest, violence and conflict.   While conflict is by no means the sole perpetrator of global hunger, it is the main driver. Indeed the bottom three countries of this year's GHI (CAR, Chad and Yemen) are all in the midst of conflict, and in fact 60% of the world's hungry people live in conflict zones.   This self-defeating circle may seem interminable, but the hunger cycle can be broken. According to our experts Caitriona Dowd, Humanitarian Policy Officer, and Anushree Rao, Senior Policy Officer in Nutrition, first and foremost, more investment in peacebuilding is absolutely necessary.   Support is needed for policies designed to prevent conflict, as our efforts on malnutrition and resilience cannot progress until we invest in peacebuilding, particularly given the number of countries that have been marred by prolonged conflict.   Furthermore, since most conflict-engendered forced migration is protracted, since the average duration of displacement for a refugee is currently 26 years, long-term solutions for refugees and internally displaced people, such as income-generation opportunities, education, and training, are vital. And this is just the start.   In the meantime, while we may not be able to fix the issue of conflict, Concern is working to improve the lives of those affected by it. We do this by building the resilience of communities and delivering programmes addressing issues around food security and livelihoods; health and nutrition; water, sanitation and hygiene; gender; and disaster risk reduction.   Concern deals with the human toll of conflict on a daily basis. We are now in our fiftieth year of tackling crisis in the world's most conflict-affected contexts, and will continue to help alleviate suffering and work with communities to address the root causes of hunger, including conflict.   http://blog.concern.net/without-peace-there-is-no-hope-the-displaced-voices-of-war http://www.concern.net/where-we-work/africa/central-african-republic http://www.msf.org/unprotected-report-violence-and-lack-protection-civilians-car-central-african-republic http://www.msf.org/en/article/central-african-republic-days-violence-and-mass-casualties-bangui http://reliefweb.int/report/central-african-republic/human-rights-council-holds-interactive-dialogue-human-rights http://bit.ly/2mPKnwn http://bit.ly/2xbf8nY http://www.unicef.org/appeals/car.html http://www1.wfp.org/countries/central-african-republic http://www.icrc.org/en/where-we-work/africa/central-african-republic http://www.unhcr.org/en-au/central-african-republic-situation.html http://www.nrc.no/news/2018/may/five-things-to-know-about-the-central-african-republic/ http://www.unocha.org/car http://bit.ly/2IVEBaK http://www.globalr2p.org/regions/central_african_republic http://www.acaps.org/country/car/crisis-analysis Visit the related web page
	The Elimination of Violence against Women by Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka Executive Director of UN Women   If I could have one wish granted, it might well be a total end to rape. That means a significant weapon of war gone from the arsenal of conflict, the absence of a daily risk assessment for girls and women in public and private spaces, the removal of a violent assertion of power, and a far-reaching shift for our society.   Rape isn't an isolated brief act. It damages flesh and reverberates in memory. It can have life changing, unchosen results - a pregnancy or a transmitted disease. Its long-lasting, devastating effects reach others: family, friends, partners and colleagues.   In both conflict and in peace it shapes women's decisions to move from communities through fear of attack or the stigma for survivors. Women and girls fleeing their homes as refugees also risk unsafe transport and insecure living conditions that can lack locked doors, adequate lighting and proper sanitation facilities.   Girls married as children in search of increased security at home or in refugee camps can get caught up in legitimized conditions of rape, with little recourse for those wishing to escape, such as shelter and safe accommodation.   In the vast majority of countries, adolescent girls are most at risk of sexual violence from a current or former husband, partner or boyfriend. As we know from our work on other forms of violence, home is not a safe place for millions of women and girls.   Almost universally, most perpetrators of rape go unreported or unpunished. For women to report in the first place requires a great deal of resilience to re-live the attack, a certain amount of knowledge of where to go, and a degree of confidence in the responsiveness of the services sought - if indeed there are services available to go to.   In many countries, women know that they are overwhelmingly more likely to be blamed than believed when they report sexual assault, and they have to cope with an unwarranted sense of shame.   The result of these aspects is a stifling of women's voices around rape, significant under-reporting and continuing impunity for perpetrators.   Research shows that only a small fraction of adolescent girls who experience forced sex seek professional help. And less than 10 per cent of women who did seek help after experiencing violence contacted the police.   One positive step to increase accountability is to make rape universally illegal. Currently more than half of all countries do not yet have laws that explicitly criminalize marital rape or that are based on the principle of consent.   Along with criminalizing rape, we need to get much, much better at putting the victim at the centre of response and holding rapists to account.   This means strengthening the capacity of law enforcement officials to investigate these crimes and supporting survivors through the criminal justice process, with access to legal aid, police and justice services as well as health and social services, especially for women who are most marginalized.   Having more women in police forces and training them adequately is a crucial first step in ensuring that survivors begin to trust again and feel that their complaint is being taken seriously at every stage of what can be a complex process.   Progress also requires that we successfully tackle the many institutional and structural barriers, patriarchal systems and negative stereotyping around gender that exist in security, police and judicial institutions, as they do in other institutions.   Those who use rape as a weapon know just how powerfully it traumatizes and how it suppresses voice and agency. This is an intolerable cost to society. No further generations must struggle to cope with a legacy of violation.   http://www.unwomen.org/en/news/in-focus/end-violence-against-women Visit the related web page
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