Statement by the Senior Humanitarian Coordinator in the Central African Republic

(Bangui, 5 December 2014): One year ago, a cycle of violence reached Bangui triggering the displacement of half a million people, accompanied by the massacre of innocent civilians, leaving deep wounds in the communities that still have difficulties in living side by side today.

First of all, I would like to present my condolences to all the families affected by these massacres. I would also like to commend the courage of displaced people who continue to fight for survival and the courage of those who are working to ensure reconciliation and peace in the country.

I would like to seize this opportunity to commend the efforts of humanitarian workers who are working tirelessly to ensure that displaced people can return to a more dignified life and to find sustainable solutions to their current living conditions. I also want to thank the actors involved in restoring peace and security in particular, the Government and international forces.

Progress has been made, but 430,000 people are still displaced in the country. Displacements continue while some people have decided to return home thanks to improved security in their area. 423,300 Central Africans have sought refuge in neighbouring countries, mostly in Cameroon and Chad. More than 2.5 million people need urgent humanitarian assistance, including shelter, food, water, health care and education for children. More attention needs to be given to CAR in order to find appropriate and immediate solutions to the complexity of the current humanitarian crisis which stemmed from a persisting political, developmental and humanitarian crisis spanning over many years. Today, despite the progress achieved so far, I strongly condemn the upsurge in violence that occurred yesterday, causing more bereavement to the population in Bambari.

Against the backdrop of persistent needs, between January and November 2014, donors have contributed around USD $333 million, 61 per cent of the required USD$555 in the Strategic Response Plan. However, more funds are required. It is encouraging to see the progress made this year; however, there is still a long way to go. I am grateful for the outpour of support from the international community and it is imperative that this support continues to fund the 2015 SRP and beyond if necessary. This will highlight achievements and break the cycle of repetitive humanitarian crises once and for all.

It is crucial that humanitarian principles are respected to allow humanitarian workers to accomplish their work. The rise of attacks on humanitarian workers forced some organisations to suspend or temporarily scale down their operations. Eighteen humanitarian workers have been killed since January 2014 and some 124 security incidents against humanitarian workers have been registered. This has to stop: restoration of the rule of law, protection of civilians, the respect for one and all and for humanitarian principles are prerequisites to achieve a better life.