From emergency to development interventions - While Western Central African Republic (CAR) is steadily going through a fragile stabilization process, the humanitarian situation in the East remains an issue. Fighting prevails between armed groups in the North and the biggest cities in the North-East are witnessing huge demographic increases following massive displacements of populations fleeing attacks by the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA). In 2011, ACTED focused efforts on supporting development dynamics in the West and North of the country, while taking part in the humanitarian response in the East, through water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) interventions, food-security-focused projects and the opening up of “forgotten areas”.

Responding to WASH needs to prevent sanitary risks

The Central African Republic is a highly vulnerable country where 86% of its inhabitants are suffering from acute and multidimensional poverty, with limited water and sanitation coverage: according to the results of a 2009 study on the Comprehensive analysis of vulnerability and food security in the CAR, 51.2% of households have limited access to potable water while only 5% have domestic latrines. In the North-West, the current situation has now stabilized after years of insecurity and enclosure. However, these communities have long lived on their own and lack basic community infrastructure: many villagers have no access to potable water and collect water daily in streams and rivers. Following attacks by the LRA in the South-East, population density has dramatically increased in the biggest cities of the Haut Mbomou prefecture, leading to increased pressure on local capacities to deliver basic services and lower SPHERE WASH standards. Faced with these many challenges, ACTED implemented several projects to improve access to potable water and sanitation for vulnerable populations in those two areas. Overall, 21 wash houses, 27 wells and 400 family latrines were built or rehabilitated, and 4,000 people were sensitized to best WASH practices in 2011.

Opening up and economic revitalization through the rehabilitation of community infrastructure

Years of crisis in the CAR have led to the increasing deterioration of community infrastructure throughout the country, notably road networks. The opening up of rural areas is therefore one of ACTED’s top priorities. Since the end of 2010, ACTED’s strategy has focused on economic revitalisation as well as road and basic infrastructure rehabilitation, in order to facilitate humanitarian access and to favour the opening up of these communities while proposing rapid responses to displacements of populations. ACTED has implemented numerous basic infrastructure construction and rehabilitation programs: roads, bridges, crossing facilities, ferries and schools, aimed at supporting opportunities for economic recovery of isolated territories and restoring traffic on the main damaged roads. In 2011, ACTED rehabilitated 145 kilometres of roads (Bozoum-Bossangoa axis), built and rehabilitated 17 bridges, 60 crossing facilities and access to two ferries. Traffic resumed between Bangassou and Obo, a 512 kilometre-long road. In addition, more than 50 schools were built or rehabilitated, and equipped with wells and latrines in the South-West.

Ensuring food security: a challenge for sustainable recovery

Over two thirds of Central African people live below the poverty line, among which 75% live in rural areas, with farming as the main livelihood. Both international and national trade is scarce because of obsolete market infrastructure and the country’s enclosure, which hinders access to essential goods. Haut Mbomou, the CAR’s most Eastern sub-prefecture, on the border with DRC and Sudan, is inhabited by 60,000 people who depend mostly on subsistence farming (cassava root, peanut and rice). Capital city Bangui is distant, and limited access hinders the flow of agricultural products: this area is thus one of the most unstructured and disorganized productive areas. Massive displacements of populations fleeing attacks by the LRA have further worsened the vulnerability and food insecurity of local communities. To tackle these issues, ACTED has implemented several programs aimed at strengthening food security in the area: ACTED provided support to 55 market gardening groups by delivering trainings, providing technical guidance as well as agricultural and seed kits. ACTED also launched support activities to cattle breeding aimed at promoting cattle protection through vaccination campaigns and trainings of veterinary assistants.

Multi-sector interventions relevant to different humanitarian situations throughout the country.

In 2012, ACTED will continue its activities in the North-West, South-East and South-West through post-emergency and development programs. ACTED will maintain its support to development processes in Western CAR, through the rehabilitation and/or construction of roads, crossing facilities, community infrastructure (markets, slaughterhouses) and school facilities. ACTED will also start capacity building interventions for local civil society actors. In South-Eastern CAR, ACTED will build up its food security and WASH activities in order to support the early recovery and empowerment of vulnerable host, displaced and refugee populations.

Partners in 2011

United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Haut Commissariat des Nations Unies pour les Réfugiés (UNHCR), Banque Mondiale, Fonds des Nations Unies pour l’Enfance (UNICEF), Programme Alimentaire Mondial (PAM), Programme des Nations Unies pour le Développement (PNUD)/ Fond Humanitaire Commun (CHF), Service d'Aide Humanitaire et de la Protection Civile de la Commission européenne (ECHO), EuropeAid.