Central African Republic Situation Report No. 55 | 1 CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC (CAR) Situation Report No. 55 (as of 27 May 2015) This report is produced by OCHA CAR in collaboration with humanitarian partners. It covers the period between 12 and 26 May 2015. The next report will be issued on or around 10 June 2015. Key Points On 13 May, the IASC deactivated the Level 3/L3 Response, initially declared in December 2013. The mechanism aimed at scaling up the systemic response through surged capacities and strengthened humanitarian leadership, resulting in a doubling of humanitarian actors operating in country. On 27 May, the Emergency Relief Coordinator, Valerie Amos, designated Aurelien Agbénonci, Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Resident Coordinator in the CAR, as Humanitarian Coordinator (HC). A Deputy HC will be also be nominated. An international conference on CAR humanitarian needs, recovery and resilience- building was held in Brussels on 26 May under the auspices of the European Union. Preliminary reports tally pledges for humanitarian response at around US$138 million, with the exact proportion of fresh pledges yet to be determined. 426,240 2.7million 79% People in need of Unmet funding More than 300 children were released from IDPs in CAR armed groups following a UNICEF-facilitated assistance requirements agreement by the groups’ leaders to free all children in their ranks. 36,930 4.6 million US$131 million in Bangui Population of CAR pledged against The return and reinsertion process for IDPs at requirements of the Bangui M’poko site continues. As of 22 May $613 million 1,173 of the 4,319 households residing at the site have been registered in the 5th district of Bangui and will receive a one-time cash payment and return package. More than 36,000 people remain trapped in seven enclaves with limited access to basic services and at risk of violence and abuse. Situation Overview On 13 May, the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) deactivated the Level 3/L3 Response that had been declared in December 2013 to mobilize capacity (leadership, staffing and funding) and to enable accelerated and scaled-up delivery of assistance and protection to people in need. The L3 was initially declared for three months and was then extended for three times. A Senior Humanitarian Coordinator (ASG) was appointed as accompanying measure. These measures allowed humanitarian actors to surge capacities while the system was being brought to the scale needed, the humanitarian leadership was being strengthened with the deployment of senior staff with United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) Coordination Saves Lives | www.unocha.org Central African Republic Situation Report No. 55 | 2 experience in emergencies, and the presence of humanitarian actors operating in country was doubled. The L3 is a system intended to surge capacities, not to address the root causes of complex emergencies and it will remain crucial that, beyond the surge capacity that has been injected, the level of response and commitment to the crisis by both humanitarian actors and donors will be maintained or all the security, political and humanitarian gains of the past year could be lost. On 27 May, the Emergency Relief Coordinator, Valerie Amos, also appointed Mr. Aurelien Agbénonci, Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Resident Coordinator in the Central African Republic, to assume the HC functions. A Deputy HC will be also be nominated. Population mouvements On 15 May, 10 people were found dead and many wounded in the villages of Site-Nana, Bissingalé and Ndémayo, located on the Dékoa axis near Kaga Bandoro (Nana Grebizi Province). The villages were attacked by an unidentified armed group, sending some 1,900 IDPs and 2,500 residents fleeing to the Evêché site in Kaga Bandoro. According to the CAR Population Movement Commission (CMP) there are 426,240 IDPs in the country including 36,930 in 34 IDP sites in Bangui as of May 5. The CMP estimates that since October 2014 some 131,000 people have returned to their regions of origin, mainly in the Ouham Pendé, Ouham, Kemo and Nana Gribizi Provinces. Protection actors continue to monitor returns countrywide and it should be noted that people often face displacement multiple times because of renewed conflict. According to IEDA Relief, spontaneous returns in the Ouham Pendé province peaked in January with some 1,914 people returning to prepare for the farming season. Since the launch of the return process at M’Poko airport site, 1,173 out of the 4,319 households have been registered with the mayor’s office in the 5th district of Bangui, their supposed return area. Each returnee household receives a cash allocation of equivalent of USD 150, mosquito nets, plastic sheeting, food and dignity kits. Child soldiers released In the single largest release of children associated with armed groups in CAR since violence erupted in 2012, 357 children, including several under age 12, were released from anti-Balaka militias and the ex-Seleka armed groups on 15 May near Bambari (Ouaka Province). UNICEF had facilitated an agreement by the groups’ leaders to free all children in their ranks. The agency and its partners have begun providing medical and psychosocial support, reunify children with their families and will be supporting their reintegration into their communities. When security conditions permit, children with relatives in the area will be reunited with their families while others will be placed with foster-caregivers until their families are traced. Protection As of 15 May, more than 36,000 people are still trapped and at risk of violence and abuse in seven enclaves countrywide: in Bangui’s PK5 (24,000), Boda (9,000), Bouar (1,600), Carnot (522), Berberati (456), Yaloke (372) and Dekoa (105). Most belong to religious and ethnic minorities and have limited access to basic services. Forced encampment constitutes a grave violation of human rights. The Protection cluster calls for greater freedom of movement of populations at risk in enclaves and for giving IDPs the freedom to choose where to reside, a right all Central African citizens should equally enjoy. Meanwhile, protection advocacy for civilians in other hotspots continues. These include: Ngaoundaye, Markounda, Moyen Sido and Batangafo (Ouham Province); Bambari, Kouango (Ouaka Province), Gamboula, the Gamboula- Noufou axis including Dilapoko and Banga Boumbe (Mambere Kadei Province) where recurrent attacks on civilians persist resulting in population movements, Site-Nana, Bissingalé, Ndémayo and Mbrès (Nana Gribizi Province). Following the attempted robbery of an international NGO’s vehicle on 22 May by two armed men on the Yaloké- Boali axis, MINUSCA and Sangaris forces are organizing patrols in Damara, aiming to curtail persisting high crime rates in the region, particularly on the Damara-Sibut-Bambari axis. The international forces shared free hotline numbers with the population. Funding As of 27 May, the Strategic Response Plan is 21 per cent funded with a total of US$131 million allocated. This represents an increase by four points or an additional 21 million contributed in support of the humanitarian response over the last two weeks. In total, US$51 million was contributed during the month of May and confirms the trend noted in the previous report of a significant increase in the contributions during this month whereby 39 per cent of the total contributions were received. United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) Coordination Saves Lives | www.unocha.org Central African Republic Situation Report No. 55 | 3 The Country based Pooled Fund has received US$12.4 million in new Funded : $ 131,4Million contributions since the beginning of the year, paving the way for the launch of the second standard allocation in 2015. Timely reporting of contributions to the OCHA Financial Tracking System is critical, either by email to [email protected] or through the online Unmet: $ 481,5Million contribution report form at fts.unocha.org. Donors and partners are strongly encouraged to continue reporting their contributions on the Financial Tracking System on a regular basis. Humanitarian Response Camp Coordination and Camp Management (CCCM) Shelter and Non-Food Items (NFI) Needs: 600,000 Emergency shelter rehabilitation assistance is required in Bangui and Boda IDP Vulnerable people sites with the start of the rainy season. These projects should also include sanitation targeted in 2015 with activities such as drainage rehabilitation. emergency shelter and Health assistance is required in Bangui’s Saint Joseph de Mukassa and Grand NFIs. seminaire sites hosting between 2,500 and 4,000 IDPs. The cluster has reached only 7 per cent of its owner-driven housing reconstruction project. While more funding is required, projects should not only focus on housing issues but should include sanitation and hygiene infrastructure rehabilitation, agricultural activities, vocational trainings, NFI fairs, social reconciliation and social cohesion components. This will increase resilience within communities. Response: As of 22 May, IOM has deregistered 1,472 IDP households from the M’poko displacement site of which 1,173 households are now registered at their place of return in Bangui’s 5th district. Of those registered, 864 households have received food and NFI assistance and 112 households received cash payments. Gaps and constraints: The cluster requires more funding to provide minimum support to site management activities in the Bangui and Bambari IDP sites. Education Needs: Temporary safe learning spaces (ETAPEs) with age-sensitive educational and 551,000 recreational activities are needed for 60,000 children. Vulnerable people targeted in 2015 with emergency Ensure that, 568,500 students have returned to schools by the end of the 2014-2015 education. school year. About 660,000 students countrywide were enrolled in schools prior to the crisis. Vocational training is required for 2,000 youths by the end of 2015.