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In Brief
This Bulletin (no. 01/2005) is being issued for information only, and reflects information available at this time. The Federation is not seeking funding or other assistance from donors for this operation at this time. Based on further updates and details from assessment reports, or should the situation deteriorate, the
Federation may however consider international support through an Emergency Appeal, including a potential allocation from its Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF).
The Situation
Some 10,000 refugees from the Central African Republic (CAR), mainly women and children, have crossed the boarder into southern Chad. According to the Un High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the refugees are fleeing escalating conflict between the Central African Government forces and a group of unidentified armed men. There is currently a high level of insecurity in northern CAR, with both banditry and rebel activity reported. UNHCR staff visiting the makeshift refugee sites along the border described extremely difficult living conditions.
The Government of Chad has reportedly given permission for the urgent relocation of the refugees. The relocation operation is due to start imminently (as early as Wednesday, 13 July). With the onset of the rainy season, it is considered essential that the refugees are moved quickly to a single site at the existing camp of Amboko (6 km from the southern town of Gore) where humanitarian assistance can be more easily provided. The relocation is expected to take several weeks.
To assist in the operation, UN staff have been redeployed to Gore from offices in Abeche, Damanadji and N'djamena. The International Federation (in support of the Chad Red Cross) is collaborating with WFP, UNICEF, and various partner NGOs (CARE, Oxfam, and Médecins Sans Frontières). An airstrip at Gore, unused for more than 20 years, is being urgently rehabilitated. It is hoped that flights may be possible within a couple of weeks, which would significantly enhance and facilitate the operation.
There are already 30,000 refugees from the CAR in southern Chad, the majority of whom arrived in 2003 after a military coup. They are staying in Amboko camp in Gore and Yaroungou camp in Danamadji. Chad is also hosting more than 200,000 Sudanese refugees from the Darfur region of Sudan who are currently housed in 12 camps in the east part of the country.
Red Cross and Red Crescent action
The Federation had formulated a preliminary plan of action (in close cooperation with UNHCR) to support the Chad Red Cross comprising the following objectives:
- The Chad Red Cross, supported by the Federation, will assist with the transport of refugees from the CAR border to the refugee camp near Gore;
- The Chad Red Cross will assist in food and non-food item(soap) distributions in the camp when refugees arrive, and in the village at the border when they are to be transported;
- The Chad Red Cross, supported by the Federation, will construct transit centers to facilitate over night stays in view of the logistics (distance and road construction).
The Chad Red Cross is initially providing human resources in the form of 30 volunteers CRT for reception and distribution activities, and 3 Chad Red Cross nurses and one doctor to provide health assistance during transport and reception. The Federation has made available one logistics delegate, supported by one logistics assistant from the Chad Red Cross.
For further information please contact:
- In Central African Republic: Pasteur
Mbao Bogo Antoine, President, Central African Red Cross Bangui; Email sida_crca@yahoo.fr;
Phone 236.612.223; Fax 236.613.561
- In Chad: Andreas Doumo Gopina, Secretary
General, Red Cross of Chad, N'Djamena; Email crftchad@internet.td; Phone
235.52.34.34
- In Chad: Eelko Brouwer, Federation
Head of Delegation, N'Djamena; Email ifrccd03@ifrc. +235.522.339; Fax
+235.522.399; Mobile +235.360.822
- In Geneva: Madeleine Lundberg, Federation Regional Officer for West and Central Africa, Dept.; Email madeleine.lundberg@ifrc.org; Phone 41.22.730.43.13; Fax 41.22.733.03.95
All International Federation assistance seeks to adhere to the Code of Conduct for the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGO's) in Disaster Relief and is committed to the Humanitarian Charter and Minimum Standards in Disaster Response (Sphere) in delivering assistance to the most vulnerable. For longer-term programmes in this or other countries or regions, please refer to the Federation's Annual Appeal. For support to or for further information concerning Federation programmes or operations in this or other countries, or for national society profiles, please also access the Federation's website at http://www.ifrc.org