Central African Republic: UN water distribution improved

FLOOD-AFFECTED POPULATIONS TO BENEFIT FROM OPERATIONAL CHANGE
Bangui (Central African Republic), 4th October 2005 -One month from the inception of a United Nations project to distribute clean water to the flood-affected populations of Bangui, a change in the distribution system will greatly enhance its efficiency, and ultimately improve the benefits received by the population.

Until now, the community was able to obtain water from nine water containers strategically placed in the most affected areas of the city. These will now be withdrawn. By the end of the week, water will instead be freely available at the existing water kiosks, owned by SODECA (the national water company) and privately run. "This will mean additional costs in paying the kiosks' managers, but huge transport expenses will be cut", said Souleymane Beye, Humanitarian Affairs Officer for the UN Humanitarian Coordinator. Mamadou Baldet, United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) Officer-in-Charge, explained: "This will also eliminate huge logistic constraints, and will make it a lot easier for everyone, including the most vulnerable, to access our water through channels they are far more familiar with".

Following floods that devastated the country from 6th August, the makeshift drainage systems and local latrines spilled, thereby contaminating most available sources of clean water. According to the national Red Cross, nearly 20'000 people were affected in the capital Bangui alone, and thousands more in the provinces. The Office of the UN Humanitarian Coordinator immediately geared up to assess the situation and implement a response, in coordination with the Government, the Red Cross Movement, and several non-governmental organizations. The United Nations Secretariat approved an emergency grant of nearly USD 18'000 for the provision of clean water. The project is supervised by the Office of the UN Humanitarian Coordinator, managed by UNICEF with support from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Food Programme (WFP), and implemented in partnership with the Central African Red Cross. "The main purpose in providing clean water is to prevent deadly epidemics, which would otherwise be highly likely", said Mr. Baldet.

Besides clean water, UN agencies have provided therapeutic high-nutrition biscuits, water purification tablets, jerricans, petrol lamps, and significant quantities of drugs for malaria prevention and treatment. In addition, stocks of medicines and health materials have been rushed to Bangui to react to medical emergencies that may arise, and the WHO is supporting the Government's epidemic surveillance system. As UN Humanitarian Coordinator Stan Nkwain noted, "This country is, admittedly, a neglected emergency. But we would like to reassure the Government, community organizations, and civil society at large, that the welfare of the country's population, as well as its long-term development, are very high on the agenda of the Secretary General".

The new system will still make use of 125 volunteers from the Central African Red Cross, who reside in the devastated areas and conduct awareness campaigns for disease prevention. They also distribute some food from the WFP to their flood-affected communities. "This is important not only on an operational level, but also because it involves the grassroots in this massive show of solidarity, through a holistic approach", said Mr. Beye.

"This is an excellent exercise for the Central African Red Cross. After several years of structural difficulties, the new team has responded extremely well to this natural catastrophe", said Loukas Petridis, Head of Mission of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). "Besides executing our mandate of providing immediate relief, we are endeavouring to strengthen local capacities with a view to national capacity building, a prerequisite for the success of development efforts", said Maurizio Giuliano, Public Information Officer for the UN Humanitarian Coordinator. The national Red Cross has received contributions in kind from ICRC, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), and the Chinese and French national Red Crosses.

Almost two months after the floods, much remains to be done. "The town of Bambari in the Ouaka prefecture, and other areas, are in critical condition and require urgent aid", said Pastor Antoine Mbao Bogo, national Red Cross president. Communities across the country remain in need of urgent assistance according to the United Nations country team, which carried out missions and assessments of the situation. "We did what we could to prevent further distress", said Mr. Beye, "But substantial additional funding will be required to have a more significant and durable impact". Fabrice Boussalem, Crisis Prevention and Recovery Advisor with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), added: "A long-term and sustainable solution must also be found. A proper water drainage and sewage system must be built, so that the disaster does not repeat every year during the rainy season".

Maurizio Giuliano
Public Information Officer
Office of the Resident andUN Humanitarian Coordinator, C.A.R.
Tel.+236-031825
Tel. +236-611977 ext. 313 (bureau)
Fax +236-611732