Bangui, CAR- The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) West and Central Africa Regional Office has deployed a high-level and technical emergency team to support its local office in the Central African Republic (CAR), where the security situation is deteriorating as inter-communal violence escalates leaving almost 400,000 people displaced in the capital Bangui.
The UNFPA Regional Director for West and Central Africa, Mr Benoit Kalasa, who headed the delegation on 20th December, said in Bangui it is UNFPA’s mandate to work with population more so in situations of crisis like what is witnessed in the Central African Republic for almost one year now.
“We have been beside Central Africans, providing emergency assistance to meet the urgent needs of the most vulnerable population ie affected civilians, women and youths. We ensure pregnant women, deliver in safe conditions and the gender-based violence receive the required assistance in a timely manner,” Dr Kalasa said.
The director, who while in Bangui had a series of meetings with implementing partners and some Central African officials, added that UNFPA has been delivering basic essentials known as dignity kits, delivery kits for pregnant women and sexual and reproductive health kits as well as other life-saving supplies since the beginning of the crisis.
There are 2,200,000 people in need of humanitarian assistance in the country. Some 800,000 are internally displaced people (IDPs) across the country.
UNFPA is providing emergency assistance for women and girls of reproductive age affected by the fighting in Central African Republic (CAR). There are 159, 750 women of child bearing age (15-49 years) with 6,390 estimated pregnant women , with an expected over 2400 births per month.
According to the UNFPA WCARO Regional Programme Specialist for Humanitarian Response and Preparedness, Mr Judicael Elidje, “UNFPA has shifted its regular programme to programme criticality mostly with humanitarian interventions agreed upon within the UN system since June 2013.”
“Since December 8th, UNFPA is delivering Reproductive Health kits on a daily basis to health facilities and IDPs and has released funds to respond to the most urgent humanitarian needs,” he added.
Mr Elidje continued that UNFPA will strengthen the prevention and response aspect of gender-based violence on IDPs in Bangui and in Bossangoa, Bouar, Kaga-Bandoro, Paoua and Zemio.
Meanwhile, the organization has activated its internal Fast Tracking Procedures as a mean to deliver more quickly and effectively its humanitarian assistance
As a reminder, to date, 69 health centres have been provided with reproductive health kits and 20 national and international NGOs have been contracted to support critical UNFPA programmes through the end of the year.
The country has been experiencing upheaval since last December when the Séléka rebel coalition launched a series of attacks, culminating in March with the toppling of former President François Bozizé.
Clashes escalated since August, particularly in the capital, Bangui, and in and around the north-western city of Bossangoa, 400km north-west of Bangui.
