Attachments
Highlights
-
The United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund allocated USD 6 million to help provide food assistance to 36,800 people displaced by renewed violence in Bria, Bambari and Kaga-Bandoro.
-
In the framework of the Humanitarian Response Plan for 2017-2019, USD 400 million are needed to provide protection and humanitarian assistance to 2.2 million people among which 2 million are in need of food assistance. WFP requires USD 98 million to support food projects included in the plan in 2017.
-
Security incidents continue to be regularly reported in the Bambari area and on the Ippy-Bria axis.
Operational Updates
-
In January, WFP planned to assist 416,684 people through general food distributions, interventions for preventing and treating malnutrition, food by prescription and school meals.
-
Shortages of food stocks continued to hamper the distributions to internally displaced people in January.
-
Assistance was maintained at 100 percent for children aged 6-23 months, caregivers, people living with HIV and schoolchildren.
-
The new Special Operation for the Provision of Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) started on 3 January for 12 months until the end of December 2017 for a total budget of USD 15 million.
-
With just 10 percent of the funds received to date, UNHAS relies on the generosity of donors to urgently secure additional resources to maintain regular flights and enable the prompt delivery of relief aid to populations in need.
-
In January UNHAS transported 1,874 passengers and 25 mt of cargo to 31 locations in the country. UNHAS also conducted 1 medical evacuation from Berberati to Bangui.
-
The logistics cluster facilitated the dispatch of 43 mt of cargo from Bangui to the provinces on behalf of 41 organizations.
-
Current total storage capacity available in-country for the humanitarian community amounts to 960 cubic meters in Bangui, Bossangoa and Kaga Bandoro.
Challenges
The main challenges WFP is encountering while implementing its operations are:
-
Insecurity, which includes sudden outburst of violence, attacks against civilian and humanitarian organizations.
-
Humanitarian access, which is also affected by violence that often result in temporary suspension of movements.
-
Long lead-time of two to six months to transport food commodities into the country.
-
Funding constraints. Thanks to the generosity of its donors, WFP has mobilized 37 percent of the funds needed to support food and nutrition assistance. WFP continues to work with partners to mobilize the resources necessary to ensure the uninterrupted supply of aid throughout the year.