WFP In Numbers Country Brief 2,791 mt of food assistance distributed March 2021 USD 3.8 million cash-based transfers made

USD 54.9 m six months (April-September 2021) net funding requirements

843,554 people assisted 51% 49% in March 2021

Operational Updates

• The country's situation remains critical because of the growing needs, the security context, and the impact Operational Context of COVID-19, all affecting food security. The The Central African Republic (CAR) is facing a large-scale humanitarian crisis, disruption of markets and local food production has characterised by protracted armed conflict, which has left thousands of people affected many families' livelihoods and their ability to displaced and suffering from alarming levels of hunger. The effects of the meet basic needs, especially food. violence and insecurity, coupled with non-existent basic services, is undermining the population’s resilience. In many areas, people depend entirely • In March, WFP reached 843,554 people in need on humanitarian assistance for basic services and livelihood opportunities. through general food and cash-voucher distributions,

home-grown school feeding, nutrition, and resilience- The country is grappling with numerous challenges, including the socio-

economic impact of COVID-19, which has left more people unable to meet building activities. WFP disbursed USD 3.8 million through cash-based assistance and distributed 2,791 their basic food needs. All relevant socio-economic development indicators in CAR show a very bad standing, and systematically the country ranks among mt of food consisting of items such as cereals, pulses, the ten worst performers. The Human Development Index (2019) ranked CAR vegetable oil, and iodised salt. As a result of security at 188 out of 189 countries. Widespread poverty is characteristic of CAR, with constraints, beneficiaries in some areas, including 75 percent of the population living under the international poverty line (USD Mbres, Ndele, Rafai, Dembia, Bazaar, and 1.90 per day). , did not receive food assistance. CAR has a population of 4.8 million people, about half of which needs food • The recent Integrated Phase Classification (IPC) assistance. At the end of 2020, the number of people in need of humanitarian assistance grew from 2.6 million in 2020 to 2.8 million. This includes 2.3 million analysis conducted in April 2021 indicates that 2.3 people who are considered food insecure. The country’s longstanding conflict million people (nearly half of the population) are food

resurged after recent elections leading to further displacements and increased insecure (Phase 3 to 4), with 632,725 of them in Phase humanitarian needs. More people are at the stages of crisis (IPC Phase 3) and 4 (emergency). The growing insecurity is driving new emergency (IPC Phase 4). Without assistance, this could deteriorate further displacement and exacerbating the already fragile during the lean season. food security situation. Following the resurgence of WFP operations are focused on life-saving interventions to improve food and conflict in some hotspot areas, WFP provided nutrition security for the most vulnerable crisis-affected people. WFP helps emergency food assistance to newly affected people communities by distributing food – including specialised nutritious foods, in Satema, , Limbongo Island, , supporting smallholder farmers in restoring and enhancing their productive , Mbagolo, and Siwa in . assets, as well as building resilience to future crises. WFP maintains a crisis response operation while simultaneously supporting recovery programmes in • The nutritional situation is severely deteriorating relative secured areas and strengthening government capacity. WFP has been across the country. According joint press release by

present in CAR since 1969. WFP and UNICEF, at least 24,000 children aged 6-59 months old are at risk of severe acute malnutrition across 14 of the country's 35 health districts. Through Population: 4.8 million nutrition support activities, WFP provided specialized nutritious food to 10,089 children aged 6-59 months

Income Level: Low income to prevent and treat malnutrition. In 2021, at least 62,000 children aged 6-59 months are expected to 2019 Human Development Index: suffer from severe acute malnutrition, a 25 percent 188 out of 189 increase from 2020.

• COVID-19 update: As of 10 April, CAR has recorded Chronic malnutrition: 38% of children between 6-59 months 5,608 cases of COVID-19 with 75 deaths. There is a surge in cases (including new COVID-19 variants) in Contact info: [email protected]/ [email protected] the capital, , and some provinces, especially in Country Director: Peter Schaller the west. To prevent COVID-19 spread, WFP and Further information: www.wfp.org/countries/central-african-republic Main photo: Credit: WFP/Amaya Amigo partners continued integrating COVID-19 prevention Caption: A beneficiary of WFP cash-based assistance in Bangui showing her and safety measures in operations. SCOPE card

WFP Country Strategy

Country Strategic Plan (2018-2022) Common Humanitarian Services

2021 Total Requirement 2021 Available Six Month Net Funding • WFP continued to provide logistical support to the (in USD) Contributions (in USD) Requirements (in USD) humanitarian community in CAR. The UN 202 m 73 m 54.9 m Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS), transported 2,313 passengers and 48 mt of essential cargo. UNHAS

ensured humanitarian safety and well-being through Strategic Result 1: Everyone has access to food security and medical evacuations by carrying out 40 Strategic Outcome 1: Crisis-affected households and communities in targeted areas security relocations from and Bangassou to can meet their basic food and nutrition needs both during and in the aftermath of Bangui. The most travelled destinations were , crises. Focus area: Crisis Response Bouar and Kaga Bandoro.

Strategic Result 2: No one suffers from malnutrition Challenges Strategic Outcome 2: Vulnerable groups, including children, pregnant, lactating women, and malnourished ART patients living in target regions, have an improved • WFP CAR continues to face challenges in importing nutritional status in line with national targets by 2020. food items through the Douala corridor (Cameroon) Focus area: Resilience Building and transporting food to operation areas. As a result, Activities: WFP had limited food stocks which hindered • Implement BSFP for the prevention of MAM among children aged 6 to distributions in some areas. This is stalling assistance 59 months. • Provide a comprehensive package for the prevention and treatment of for hundreds of thousands of people in need. WFP is malnutrition to children with MAM aged 6 to 59 months, PLW, girls and exploring ways to improve access and supply chain provide food by prescription to ART patients. • Provide capacity strengthening to health district authorities, health centre operations. staff and community health workers (CHW). • Provide nutritious school meals to school children. • Access restrictions due to the deteriorating insecurity Strategic Result 3: Smallholders have improved food security and nutrition continue to impede WFP operations in some areas. As Strategic Outcome 3: Food-insecure women and men living in targeted areas of a result, monitoring activities carried out in March, CAR have enhanced livelihoods to support the food security and nutrition needs of revealed that food distributions were affected by their households and communities by 2020. insecurity which caused food transport delays and Focus area: Resilience Building unavailability of food in some areas of operations. Activities: • Provide smallholder farmers with transfers to support asset creation and technical assistance to increase their access to markets, including purchases from WFP supported school meals. • Despite generous donor support, insufficient funding Strategic Result 5: Countries have strengthened capacities to implement the levels continued to affect WFP’s efforts to support the SDGs population’s access to food and nutritional needs. In

Strategic Outcome 4: National and subnational institutions have strengthened March, WFP could not carry out emergency school capacities to establish an adequate social protection system and manage food feeding because of funding constraints. security and nutrition policies and programmes by 2020. Focus area: Root causes Funding Activities: • Provide capacity strengthening in zero hunger policies, strategic • WFP requires USD 54.9 million in the coming six planning, and delivery of programmes to public officials. months (April-September 2021) to continue • Provide capacity strengthening to the government to establish a national social safety net platform. providing lifesaving food and nutrition assistance to the most vulnerable people in CAR. Without new Strategic Result 8: Sharing of knowledge, expertise, and technology, commitments, WFP will not have enough resources to strengthen global partnership support to country efforts to achieve the SDGs respond to the increased needs and may be forced to Strategic Outcome 5: Humanitarian community (partners and donors) have enhanced capacity to reach and operate in areas of humanitarian crisis all year- reduce food rations or significantly scale down the round. number of people targeted for assistance in an already Focus area : Crisis Response tense and volatile context. Activities: • Provide common logistics and ICT services to the humanitarian Donors community and the government • Provide UNHAS services to all partners Top 5 donors to WFP CAR CSP 2018-2022 include USA, Germany, • provide bilateral logistics services to partners for in-country supply chain Canada, Japan, and Norway. Additional support has been provided for three health programmes (malaria, TB, and HIV/AIDS) by UN CERF, UN Country-Based Pooled Funds and OCHA. .

WFP Central African Republic Country Brief March 2021