Bulletin 51 | 10/03 – 17/03/08 | Humanitarian and Development Partnership Team | RCA www.hdptcar.net

civilians and humanitarian operations in eastern Chad News bulletin and northeastern near the 10 - 17 March 2008 border with Sudan's volatile Darfur region. Current events Highlights IMF monitoring mission - Mayor of Koui (De Gaulle) and two other The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is conducting hostages killed. a mission in the Central African Republic since 6 - EU force starts deployment in CAR. March to carry out the second review of the programme supported by the institution’s Poverty - Results of the meningitis vaccination campaign Reduction and Growth Facility (PRGF). The mission in the region of Kaga-Bandoro. will review the economic and financial performance of - The Mentor Initiative rolls back malaria . the country as well as the progress made in implementing the programme.

Background and security SICA 2 market funded by France On 12 March, Jean-Barkès Ngombéketté, the mayor Mayor of Koui and 2 other hostages killed of , has inaugurated the market of SICA 2 in The Mayor of Koui (De Gaulle), a town in the north the capital in the presence of Alain Girma, the west of the country, had been kidnapped along with 4 Ambassador of France. The market is funded by the other people on 26 February. Two youngsters had Social Development Fund of the French Embassy to been released after their parents had paid the the tune of FCFA 30 million. Mr. Girma emphasized ransom. The kidnappers demanded a sum of FCFA on the occasion of the opening that the market will 6,950,000 for the release of the mayor and the two improve the environmental health of the population remaining hostages. The bodies of the three captives and promote income-generating activities, thereby have been found by nomads on 14 March. contributing to poverty reduction.

Woman in MSF ambulance killed Meningitis vaccination in Kaga-Bandoro

A woman was shot dead in an ambulance of The Ministry of Health has declared an outbreak of Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) when an meningococcal meningitis in the country early unidentified gunman fired on the vehicle. The February. With the support of the Central African Red incident happened on 10 March close to Gordil in Cross , the International Rescue Committee (IRC), province in the north east of the country. As MERLIN , UNICEF and the World Health Organization a result, MSF has suspended its mobile clinics (WHO) and additional funding from the Emergency outside the main towns in the country. Response Fund (ERF), the Ministry has carried out immunization days in the municipalities of Bandoro, Rima Salah Deputy for MINURCAT Denga and Grevai-Pamia in the central province of United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has Nana-Gribizi at the end of February. Close to 65,000 appointed Rima Salah of Jordan as his Deputy people have been vaccinated, resulting in an Special Representative for the United Nations Mission immunization coverage rate of 75%. Between early in the Central African Republic and Chad December and the end of February, 84 clinical cases (MINURCAT) on 14 March. Rima Salah is the Deputy had been reported in Nana-Gribizi, including nine to Victor Da Silva Angelo from Portugal, Secretary deaths. Epidemiological surveillance is continuing to General Special Representative and Head of the date. MINURCAT mission since 31st January. For more information: [email protected] EU force starts CAR deployment The Mentor Initiative rolls back malaria About 200 French troops stationed in , near the country’s border with Sudan, transferred to the The English NGO The Mentor Initiative has started its European Union protection force during a ceremony activities in the Central African Republic with a in the town on 9 March. The European Union is training workshop on malaria for medical practitioners deploying a 3,700-strong EUFOR force to protect in Kaga Bandoro, in collaboration with MERLIN . The

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Bulletin 51 | 10/03 – 17/03/08 | Humanitarian and Development Partnership Team | RCA www.hdptcar.net focus area for interventions, however, will be the understand and respond to these issues when arising and Ouham Pendé provinces in the North in their work environment. West of the country. By mid April, Mentor’s medical staff will run a training workshop on malaria treatment "The mandate of the WFP does not change…. In the and new protocols on malaria control in . An Central African Republic protection of the most Indoor Residual Spraying campaign, coupled with the vulnerable groups remains a challenge Protection distribution of mosquito nets and Insecticide treated training, which is aimed at staff of the WFP and its plastic sheeting, targeting remote villages and IDPs in partners will provide tools for the effective integration the provinces is planned for the end of March and will of the protection in our business, with the valuable continue until the start of the rainy season. assistance of players who have a protection mandate,” said Sitta Kai-Kai, WFP representative, at Mentor has signed an agreement with the pediatric the opening of the workshop. hospital in Bangui to supply rapid malaria tests and examine the practicality of severe malaria treatments. The NGO will also support the national malaria control programme with the provision of office space, technical support and the training of staff members. The UN Foundation is funding The Mentor Initiative’s programme in the country. For more information: [email protected]

JUPEDEC Projects in Haut-Mbomou

The local NGO Youth United for the Protection of the Environment and Community Development (JUPEDEC) is based in Zémio, a town in the Haut-

Mbomou province in the remote south east of the country. The organization implements projects in five Participants of protection workshop in , 10-12 March sectors, namely health, AIDS, education and literacy CORRIGENDUM for women and girls, infrastructure and income- generating activities. The article on the World Food Programme in the previous bulletin: The quantity of food distributed and Remarkable achievements include the rehabilitation the number of beneficiaries refer to the last week of and the training of staff of five community health February – and not the month of February. Please centers, support to people living with HIV, the training accept our apologies for this error. of 70 parent-teachers and the repair of 17 bridges. JUPEDEC requires further support for the purchase Contact us: UN OCHA Bangui, CAR of equipment for the health centers, schools and Nancy Snauwaert [email protected] | +236 75 54 22 78 small industries, the rehabilitation of infrastructure Gisèle Willybiro [email protected] | +236 75 54 90 31 and training in various areas.

For further information: [email protected]

Coordination

50 humanitarian actors trained in protection

Close to 50 participants from UN agencies and NGOs have attended the three-day training on "Protection in a crisis situation" organized by the World Food Program (WFP) and funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The workshop was held in Boali (95 km west of Bangui) in two sessions, 5-7 March and 10-12 March. The objective of the workshop was to sensitize the participants on protection and to inform them on the WFP protection approach, enabling them to better

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