Update on the health response to the crisis in the Central African Republic - 27 December, 2013
Attachments
Download document WHO requires US$ 16.7 million to address the health needs of the population affected by the crisis in the Central African Republic
Situation
The security situation in the Central African Republic (CAR) remains highly unstable causing people to flee their homes and health workers to abandon their posts. There are some 639 000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the country (over three times as many as in March 2013), with some 214 000 in Bangui alone, as well as more than 68 000 refugees in surrounding countries (OCHA, 24 Dec). Half of the country’s 4.6 million people are in need of urgent humanitarian assistance.
The Inter-Agency Standing Committee graded the crisis Level 3 on 11 December, and on 16 December the crisis was graded G3 under WHO’s Emergency Response Framework. WHO has repurposed the 32 staff in the country office to focus on addressing the crisis and has begun deploying additional staff to expand operations (details below).
The security situation has not allowed the humanitarian community to perform the assessments necessary for a complete picture of the needs in many affected areas outside of Bangui. It is likely that the needs will be huge, given the patterns of the current crisis, including the targeting of civilians and cycles of retaliatory violence.
Health staff are, in some cases, returning to their posts and United Nations agencies are extending their operations outside Bangui, in support of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and NGOs already operating across the country.
Operations to disarm people carrying weapons continue to be led by French forces and an African-led International Support Mission in the Central African Republic.
The security situation is very volatile. Clashes between anti-Balaka, ex-Seleka and international troops have increased in the last few days, restricting the movement and operations of humanitarians in the capital. Health care facilities are not safe havens, with yet again recent killings and looting. Two UN staff were killed.