Humanitarian action: a catalyst for stabilization and recovery in CAR

Bangui, 18 November 2016 - The Humanitarian Coordinator in the Central African Republic (CAR), Fabrizio Hochschild, sensitized representatives of the international community present at the Brussels Conference held on 17 November 2016 on the fragility of the humanitarian situation in the country. “Today, 40% of the population depends on humanitarian assistance to survive. It is a matter of life and death for many Central Africans”, he said. The main objective of the conference was to mobilize donors to fund the recovery and peace consolidation plan (RCPCA).

The main focus of his advocacy was the need for synergy between humanitarian response and stabilization efforts. Fabrizio Hochschild gave an example of the unspeakable violence that the population of Kaga Bandoro, Nana Gribizi province is facing for almost two months; drawing the attention of donors to the humanitarian tragedy in CAR. “The Central African Republic deserves priority support because we are working with people who are among the poorest and the most neglected on the planet” he said.

Within the same framework, the Humanitarian Coordinator highlighted the fact that “humanitarian assistance is still essential to save lives and also as a stabilizing factor while recovery efforts begin”. This is the main reason why the recovery and peace consolidation plan and the 2017+ Humanitarian Response Plan have been developed in perfect synergy. The main objective is that, in the long term, the need for humanitarian aid is reduced paving the way for development initiatives.

To this aim, the Humanitarian Coordinator called for the long-term commitment of all partners to better address the root causes of the recurrent crises that have plagued the country over the past two decades. “If the Central African Republic is so fragile today, it is partly because in the past, international aid to the country has been irregular and unpredictable”, he said. In spite of the many challenges that persist, “this conference can enable us to start building a solid State together, capable of protecting its population and developing a strong human and economic potential for the Central African Republic” he added.

After Brussels, Fabrizio Hochschild will continue his advocacy for more support to the CAR humanitarian response in Geneva. He will brief the Member States on the achievements and challenges faced by the humanitarian community.

To date, due to chronic insecurity, almost a fifth of the population is still displaced. The country faces chronic malnutrition affecting 48% of the population. The total or partial destruction of health facilities since the beginning of the crisis, the shortage of qualified medical staff, medicines and equipment, renders only 69% of health facilities functional today, or 672 out of 935 countrywide. In the absence of State capacity, 50.3% of functional health facilities are supported by humanitarian actors.