28/02/2014

Field visit in Bossangoa


Travelling with WFP in Northern CAR.

Here are my colleagues at work in Bossangoa where food distribution is ongoing:







WFP'S WORK IN DON BOSCO AREA, BANGUI, C.A.R.


Central African Republic: Fleeing Families Shelter Near Mosques, Churches

Published on 26 February 2014





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See here: 


Photos

http://www.wfp.org/photos/gallery/central-african-republic-shelter-around-mosques-churches




People living at the Don Bosco camp had not received food aid from WFP since early January because of problems getting supplies into CAR. Thanks to the recent airlift and three convoys arriving by road from Cameroon, WFP has been able to start a new cycle of distributions in several IDP sites in the capital.




3 year old Juanita eating Plumpy Doz from her mother’s spoon. The supplement will help her fight malnutrition and keep away from disease. Since mid-February WFP provides extra children rations (Plumpy Sup, Plumpy Doz, Super Cereals Plus) in general food distributions so kids fight malnutrition and keep smiling.






A woman cooks some maize flour, just one hour after receiving it from a WFP distribution at Don Bosco Camp. Families share the rations of maize meal, split peas, vegetable oil, salt and children nutritional supplement after the distribution.


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For more photos by Alexis Masciarelli and I for the UN World Food Programme - see WFP's site here: 

Photos

http://www.wfp.org/photos/gallery/central-african-republic-shelter-around-mosques-churches

26/02/2014

From Bangui with visuals


Well and sound in Bangui.

Here are a few glimps on my first field mission with WFP public information officer...
In Don Bosco camp, near the PK-12 and airport areas, for WFP food distribution:








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RCA : Vers un retour des personnes déplacées à Bangui?


Bonjour de Bangui.

Je partage cet article de l'ONG ACTED sur la situation des déplacés centrafricains :

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Faciliter le retour des personnes déplacées à Bangui


Près de 800 000 Centrafricains sont toujours déplacés à l’intérieur de leur pays, dont près de 300 000 à Bangui.
Pour faire face à la crise qui touche la capitale depuis le mois de décembre 2013, ACTED avec le soutien duDépartement d’Aide Humanitaire de la Commission Européenne, mène plusieurs activités pour soutenir les habitants vulnérables de Bangui.

Accompagner le retour des personnes déplacées

Une activité de travail contre argent a été mise en place avec pour objectif d’accompagner le retour des personnes déplacées.
Le 5ème et le 3ème arrondissements comptent parmi les zones les plus touchées de Bangui et une grande majorité des habitants a été contrainte de se déplacer dans des sites, en quête de sécurité, tels que l’aéroport de M’poko.
Afin d’aider les personnes déplacées à retourner chez eux, ACTED avec d’autres acteurs tels que les Maires des arrondissements, soutient matériellement et financièrement cinq ONG nationales pour qu’elles puissent effectuées des travaux de désherbage, de nettoyage, d’enlèvement d’ordures, etc.

Recruter des habitants des quartiers pour relancer l’activité économique

Le recrutement des travailleurs s’effectue dans les quartiers touchés par la crise, et directement sur les sites de personnes déplacées. Ainsi, l’argent gagné par les travailleurs permet de relancer l’activité économique dans les quartiers, et encourage la population à revenir dans l’arrondissement. Les jeunes hommes, inactifs et facilement influençables par les milices armées, sont particulièrement ciblés par ces activités.
Aujourd’hui, la situation sécuritaire se stabilise dans la capitale centrafricaine et l’accompagnement au retour des personnes déplacées, à travers la réalisation de travaux communautaires d’assainissement, est une étape importante qui favorise le relèvement économique des zones les plus touchées. ACTED poursuivra ses activités d’appui au retour et de relèvement des communautés au cours de l’année 2014
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25/02/2014

OCHA BULLETIN FOR CENTRAL AFRICA - FEB. 2014


Central African Republic: Inter-communal Violence, Food Crisis 

Insecurity and warnings of genocide

The situation throughout the Central African Republic (CAR) continues to rapidly deteriorate with myriad humanitarian issues affecting the population amid warnings of genocide.

Security remains extremely precarious both in the capital, Bangui, and throughout the north and northeast of the country, notably in, Bossangoa, Kaga Bandoro, Paoua and Sibut.

Since the escalation of violence on 5 December 2013, the Red Cross reports more than 1,200 people killed in on-going clashes.


NB. The UN Emergency Response Coordinator, Valeria Amos, visited CAR from 18-21 February. She released a second CERF tranche of USD$10 million in February to support the response.

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IDP figures decrease by 25 per cent 

There are presently 698,500 IDPs in CAR. An additional 280,000 Central Africans
have fled the country as refugees to neighbouring countries. In Bangui alone,
273,500 people remain in 66 IDP sites lacking adequate water, health and
sanitation. The decrease of IDP figures by over 220,000, predominantly in
Bangui, from a mid-January peak of 922,000, is owed to returns, improved
verification of displacement figures, and the flight of Muslim IDPs out of CAR.
Partners underline that this decrease speaks more to Christian communities who
comprise the bulk of site-resident IDPs and now feel more secure to return.

Muslims flee CAR prompting food crisis 

While internal displacement has decreased, refugee and evacuee figures are on
the rise due to the mass exodus of Muslims out of CAR. From mid-January, the
number of refugees fleeing to neighbouring countries has increased by over
35,000, bringing the total to more than 280,000 refugees; evacuees have
ballooned to over 78,000 mostly Muslims. Convoys carrying Muslim communities
fleeing CAR are frequently targeted and attacked by roving mobs. Amnesty
International recently warned of a possible partition of the country, reporting that
some 100,000 Muslims have fled - many heading north towards Chad, where
larger concentrations of the overall 15 per cent Muslim population in CAR reside.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon recognized this month a ‘distinct risk’ for
partition in CAR.

A February Oxfam-ACF report indicated that CAR is facing a large-scale food
crisis. The report noted that as Muslim traders were largely responsible for the
importation and trade of food before December, their departure from CAR has all
but cut off supplies. The result is a rapid increase in food prices – with meat now
double in price and manioc, a staple food, already up 20 per cent since the crisis.
Further compounding food scarcity, the planting season is currently being missed
due to a lack of agricultural inputs and on-going insecurity prohibiting rural
communities from planting. FAO is stressing the critical need to facilitate planting
immediately in order to avoid a larger scale food and nutrition crisis later this
year.

Humanitarian response and gaps 

In February alone, 31,800 people in Bangui, Bossangoa, and Bouar received
food from WFP. Joint efforts from the humanitarian and military communities
have also resulted in the establishment of CAR’s first ‘night shelter’ opened in the
5th arrondissement in Bangui, which will be secured by the international forces in
the event of an attack. Gaps in humanitarian response remain in the area of
protection, notably with regard to SGBV in IDP sites; access to shelter; WASH;
and healthcare.

Chad: More Than 70,000 Evacuees from CAR 

78,750 Muslims flee violent attacks from CAR

The rampant violence against the Muslim community in CAR has resulted in over
78,000 migrants fleeing the country since December 2013. Chad is by far the
largest recipient of the evacuee caseload with 70,353 evacuees registered to
date, most of who have never been to Chad or have very tenuous links to the
country. An IOM profiling of the evacuees indicates that the evacuees are mostly
women and children and that only half are strictly Chadian nationals...


MORE HERE:
 http://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/HB%20ROWCA%20FEB%20FINAL.pdf

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NB.

Food Crisis in CAR

Food reserves in the
Central African Republic
are almost exhausted
due to low crop
production in 2013, which
decreased sharply after
civil conflict broke out in
December 2012. Meal
consumption has
dropped from 3 to 1 meal
per day. Some 1.6 million
people, or over a third of
the population, already
require life-saving food
assistance. Farmers
urgently need to start
clearing and preparing
their land now to be able
to plant during the main
staple crop planting
season beginning in a
few weeks. The success
of the main planting
season in March in the
centre and the south,
followed by the main
planting season in May in
the north, underpins food
security in the country,
where around 75 percent
of the population rely on
small-scale agriculture for
their food and income.
Today, 95 percent of
communities report that
they do not have enough
seeds for the next
agricultural season. 

WFP and CAR


WFP Warns Of Regional Crisis Due To Mass Exodus From Violent Central African Republic



ROME - As thousands of people continue to flee violence across the Central African Republic (CAR), the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) is warning that neighbouring countries are struggling with more than 150,000 new arrivals in urgent need of assistance.

In the Doba transit site, trucks arriving from CAR with Chadian returnees and their personal belongings. Copyright: WFP/Tiziana Zoccheddu

"We are facing a regional crisis, that goes well beyond the borders of the Central African Republic. These people – most of them women and children – have seen their homes burned and witnessed unspeakable violence and had no choice but to leave,” said Denise Brown, WFP’s West Africa Regional Director
“They desperately need food and nutritional assistance and other support both inside CAR and in neighbouring countries. They need it now and they should not have to wait," she said.
More than 70,000 people have fled CAR to Chad since the intensification of violence in December; there are 62,000 refugees in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC); 28,000 have arrived in recent weeks in Cameroon and 12,000 have sought refuge in the Republic of the Congo.
Since December 2013, the exodus from CAR into fragile and food-insecure areas has intensified, creating new strains on local people. Among those uprooted in CAR are Chadian nationals, most of whom have never set foot in their home country or have been gone so long they no longer have any support network.
WFP is concerned it cannot meet the needs of these extremely vulnerable people because of insufficient funding. Many of the surrounding countries are already hosting large numbers of refugees from various countries and resources  are stretched. WFP stocks of cereals earmarked for CAR refugees in DRC are running dangerously low and new contributions are needed.
Resourcing the response:
In Chad, 39,000 people  in the south of the country have already received food assistance.
WFP is preparing to assist 150,000 people over six months: 50,000 with food and  100,000 with voucher transfers for a total cost of  US$16.3 million .
In Cameroon, WFP is providing food assistance to 27,000 recent refugees from CAR and  expects numbers to rise to 43,000. The emergency response requires US$ 1.5 million for an initial three-month period.
In DRC, WFP already assists refugees from CAR as well as  large numbers of internally displaced people. Critical funding shortfalls have forced WFP to prioritise only the most vulnerable cases. To support the newly arrived refugees WFP needs US$6 million to feed 47,000 people over six months
In Republic of Congo, US$ 1.7 million is required to provide assistance to some 12,000 refugees over six months.

About food distribution in Bangui, first image from camp

Don Bosco camp on Sunday, WFP food distribution:


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UN OCHA's press release on CAR



United Nations 

Nations Unies 

Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)


HUMANITARIAN COORDINATOR IN CAR ABDOU DIENG CALLS FOR URGENT 
SCALE UP OF SECURITY OF MUSLIMS TRAPPED IN BANGUI 


Bangui, 21 February 2014: The Humanitarian Coordinator in the Central African
Republic, Mr. Abdou Dieng, visited the PK 12 neighborhood of the capital Bangui today
and urged for an immediate scale up of security measures in order provide better
protection to some 3,000 members of the Muslim community who have been trapped
there for two months.

Fleeing attacks by anti-Balaka militias, this community, a majority of old people and
children, have settled in the open air along the main road north of Bangui. “Their
situation is appalling. People are being killed purposefully, targeted for their religious
beliefs. Every night brings more violence and deaths amongst this community”, says Mr.
Dieng. We need to do much more to protect them if we don’t want to have the deaths of
these men, women and children on our conscience.”

International troops are present at the site, but are insufficient in number to ensure the
safety of the trapped population; Anti-Balaka groups have used human shields to prevent
the African Union Force from intervening on several occasions. On average, two people
are admitted every day to the community hospital to be treated for bullet or other wounds.

Sanitary conditions have deteriorated significantly and food is running low as people are
too afraid to leave the enclave to go to the market nearby. Health and nutrition needs are
also acute. Family members have been separated when trying to climb on trucks leaving
for Chad in a desperate attemp to leave PK12, with the result that children have been left
behind without their parents.

« These people want to leave this place they call « hell », added the Humanitarian
Coordinator who spoke with the elders as well as the Imam of the community. We need
to evacuate them as soon as possible to a safe location where families can be reunited and
live without fearing for their lives. »

On 20 February, the Chadian Government announced the end of the repatriation of its
nationals and Muslim Central Africans. More than 72,000 people have fled to Chad since
violence erupted on 5 December. In the past week the last convoys leaving CAR have
been attacked along the route to the border. At least 40 people have died and many more
have been wounded.


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23/02/2014

CENTRAFRIQUE: Ban Ki-moon on CAR



Ban Ki-moon's speeches



Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Security Council, 20 February 2014


Remarks to the Security Council on the situation in the Central African Republic

I thank His Excellency Mr. Smail Chergui for his presence here today. I attach the highest importance to close ties with the African Union. We at the United Nations will continue to work hand-in-hand with you to promote development and lasting peace across the continent.
The crisis that continues to unfold in the Central African Republic poses a test for the entire international community. The situation in the country has been on the agenda of the Security Council for many years now. But today’s emergency is of another, more disturbing magnitude. It is a calamity with a strong claim on the conscience of humankind.
Over the past year we have seen, in quick succession, the violent overthrow of the government, the collapse of state institutions and a descent into lawlessness and sectarian brutality. More than 2.5 million people -- more than half the population -- need immediate humanitarian assistance.
The new Acting Head of State, Madame Catherine Samba-Panza, is committed to building state authority, and I commend her valiant efforts. But with no budget, hardly any resources and pervasive poverty, her abilities are sharply constrained. The path towards the restoration of state authority will be a long one.
Innocent civilians are being killed in large numbers. These victims are not so-called “collateral damage” from fighting between rebel groups. They are being killed purposefully, targeted for their religious beliefs, for their community affiliation -- for who they are. Muslims in particular are being targeted. But the ex-Seleka continue to attack Christians as well.
Almost one million people have been displaced, with many homes burned to the ground with the purpose of preventing their return. Whole populations are being moved. A creeping de facto partition of the country is setting in, with Muslims in one part and Christians in another. This separation is laying the seeds of conflict and instability for years, maybe generations, to come.
The African Union and France have deployed troops to the Central African Republic to help stem the violence. We owe those leaders and soldiers our gratitude for saving so many lives and providing protection where they can. We owe MISCA and Sangaris our solidarity and assistance.
However, given the scale and geographic breadth of the violence, the security requirements far exceed the capabilities of the number of international troops now deployed. In places where there are no international forces, the choice for far too many civilians is to flee or be killed.
The human family must not shy away from what is happening today in the Central African Republic, or from our responsibilities -- both yours and mine -- under the United Nations Charter. Events in the CAR have implications across the region, and summon us to defend universal values as well. This complex security, humanitarian, human rights and political crisis demands a comprehensive and integrated response.
The United Nations is working with the African Union, the Economic Community of Central African States, the European Union and the World Bank to address the country’s diverse challenges. But those efforts will prove fruitless unless we do more to end the atrocity crimes, destruction of communities and mass displacement of populations.
The Security Council has asked for my recommendations for a future UN peacekeeping operation, and I will soon report to you on the outlines of a mission with a robust mandate to protect civilians and promote stability. But the deployment of a peacekeeping operation, if authorized, will take months. The people of the Central African Republic do not have months to wait. The international community must act decisively now to prevent any further worsening of the situation and to respond to the dire needs of the country’s people.
In that spirit, I propose today a six-point initiative to address the greatest risks being faced by the people of the Central African Republic.
First, and most important, I call for the rapid reinforcement of the African Union and French troops now on the ground with additional deployments of at least 3,000 more troops and police. These new personnel, including formed police units, should deploy as soon as possible in the coming days and weeks, and have the necessary mobility, including air mobility, to be able to operate wherever required.
AU Commission President Zuma has informed me that she will propose an expansion of MISCA to the AU Peace and Security Council. I welcome her initiative and urge Members of the PSC to endorse it.
President Hollande of France has announced that Sangaris will be reinforced by some 25 per cent, to a total of 2,000. In addition, the European Union is poised to increase its planned deployment from 500 to 1,000, with an initial operating capacity on the ground in early March.
I am grateful for these commitments. But more are needed, quickly, and the wider international community must share the burden.
Second, I propose that all international forces in the Central African Republic be brought under a coordinated command, and that the mission of these forces be focused on the most urgent priorities: containing the violence, protecting civilians, preventing further displacements, creating a secure environment for the delivery of humanitarian assistance and laying the groundwork for the handover to a United Nations peacekeeping force as soon as possible.
Third, I propose that the African troops that join this force be provided with logistic and financial support, including rations, water and fuel, and reimbursement for their major non-lethal military equipment. The estimated cost of this package, consisting of the bare essentials, would be US $38 million for a six-month bridging period.
Fourth, I call for rapid, tangible support to the government of the Central African Republic to help it establish a minimum capacity to function. This support should include the financial assistance necessary to get police back on the streets, judges back in the courtrooms, and prison guards back on the job. I am pleased to announce that today Denmark confirmed a contribution of $2 million to this initiative, and I intend to see these resources put to use quickly. Norway has also confirmed today that it will make a donation to this effort.
Fifth, I call for the acceleration of a political and reconciliation process to prevent a further fraying of the communal bonds, and to lay the ground for an end to conflict. Community and religious leaders will have an especially important role to play in promoting tolerance, peaceful coexistence and nonviolence.
A political process will also require the dynamic engagement of ECCAS, the AU and the international community. I would like to pay particular tribute to the tireless efforts of the ECCAS Chief Mediator, President Denis Sassou-Nguesso of the Republic of Congo.
The United Nations is reinforcing BINUCA’s analytical and operational capabilities so that we can help the national authorities to put the transition back on track, expand state authority and establish credible institutions throughout the country.
Accountability and justice measures must be key elements of any peace and reconciliation process. More immediately such measures will contribute to the prevention of ongoing human rights violations. I am pleased to announce that the Chairperson of the Commission of Inquiry mandated by this Security Council, along with an advance team, will arrive in the Central African Republic to take up their important work.
Sixth and finally, I appeal for urgent funding for humanitarian aid, which is currently insufficient to address the crisis. Only 15 per cent of the resources needed for this year have been received, despite generous pledges made at last month’s funding conference in Brussels.
My Emergency Relief Coordinator, Valerie Amos, is in the Central African Republic. She has expressed shock at what she saw in Bossangoa today, and noted that tensions between communities are high, and that people fear for their lives. She stressed the need for more troops on the ground to provide security and protection across the country.
Over the past few days, my senior colleagues and I have reached out to dozens of Member States to seek their support for my proposals. I have been encouraged by the positive responses.
Some are considering sending additional troops and police. Others have pledged to provide budget support for the Government. These commitments will bring tangible dividends in the coming days.
The United Nations, for its part, thanks to generous support from Canada and others, has allocated $5 million from the MISCA Trust Fund to provide essential communications equipment to African troops, and those items are being delivered in Bangui as I speak.
The six-point initiative I have just put forward aims to support and complement the hard work now being carried out by a range of actors.
It is designed to achieve the most pressing objectives: stabilizing the security situation, and saving lives that would otherwise be lost to senseless sectarian hatreds.
The proposals call for contributions from many quarters. They also compel us to avoid a piecemeal approach in which some proposals receive more support than others. To succeed, the proposals must be embraced and implemented as an integrated whole.
We know what is happening in the Central African Republic. We know why it is different from previous outbreaks of violence. We know why it matters to all of us and what we must do.
Knowledge is not all we have. Through collective action, as envisaged by the United Nations Charter, we have the power to stop the killing and save the Central African Republic from its current nightmare.
I urge the Council to support my proposal, and I urge Member States to take the action necessary to implement it. Let us show the people of the Central African Republic that the United Nations stands with them and that the support they so urgently need is on its way.
This is our shared responsibility. The people of the Central African Republic have asked for our help. I urge you to join me and respond to that call.
Thank you very much.

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20/02/2014

Valerie Amos en Centrafrique



INVITATION : MEDIA

Mesdames, Messieurs,

Vous êtes invités à prendre part à une conférence de presse qui sera animée par:
- La Coordinatrice des secours d'urgence et Secrétaire générale adjointe aux affaires humanitaires des Nations Unies, Valerie Amos;
- Le Directeur exécutif d'ONUSIDA et Secrétaire Général adjoint des Nations Unies, Michel Sidibe;
- La Sous-Secrétaire générale à la sûreté et à la sécurité des Nations Unies, Mme Mbaranga Gasarabwe.

Quand : le jeudi 20 février à 14h30

Lieu: Hôtel Ledger Plazza, Bangui 


Le(s) reporters que vous aurez désignés(s) sont priés de contacter le Bureau d’OCHA au 70 18 80 64 pour confirmer leurs participations et pour des informations pratiques. 

Source : OCHA.

19/02/2014

HRW on Central African Republic - Update


Very accurate news & Last tweets from Andrew Stroehlein:



In today's Brief: #PussyRiot Attacked with Horsewhips; Uganda is on the verge of passing an Anti-Homosexuality bill; Kiev burns, Ukraine bleeds; three positive developments for human rights; new type of bomb in Syria; mass displacement in Ethiopia; CAR crisis; mining abuses in Sierra Leone; no rest for arrests in Russia; China's role in North Korean atrocities; abuses of Somalis in Kenya; Beirut bombing; and unrest in Thailand & Venezuela.
  1. There are more reports of massacres and heavy fighting in the Central African Republic. Yesterday, Chad threw its critical political weight behind the idea of a UN peacekeeping mission yesterday, hopefully bringing this essential move one step closer to being realized. Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) yesterday blasted the international community for failing to protect the population. 
  2. The government of Sierra Leone and a London-based mining company that is the country’s largest private employer have undermined villagers’ access to food and prevented workers from challenging abusive practices, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today.
  3. --
  4. More here: http://www.hrw.org/the-day-in-human-rights

18/02/2014

Centrafrique : Some 2.6m people currently require humanitarian assistance (UN WFP)



Central African Republic - Multi-Cluster/Sector Initial Rapid Assessment, January 2014


The upsurge in violence in December has caused massive displacement in the Central African Republic. More than 700,000 new cases of displacement have taken place since September 2014 (including over 500,000 in Bangui), while abuses against the civilian population are pervasive. The economy is reeling, undermining people’s livelihoods. Health and education service provision has collapsed due to looting, and lack of supplies and staff.
Some 2.6m people currently require humanitarian assistance. Priority needs include health, food, protection, and WASH. Immediate survival assistance is urgently required in IDP sites in Bangui. Women’s priority needs are protection, and food.
While a surge in response capacity has taken place since the declaration of the Level 3 emergency in early December, humanitarian access remains extremely challenging due to insecurity. Many communities, especially in rural areas, have not received any external assistance since early December.
Due to the dynamic nature of the crisis, agencies should shift to monitoring systems that would allow them to respond to needs as they change. In-depth sectorial assessments are required especially for shelter, nutrition and food security.


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More here: http://documents.wfp.org/stellent/groups/public/documents/ena/wfp262159.pdf


Centrafrique : Le dernier rapport du P.A.M. de l'ONU sur l'insécurité alimentaire


République de Centre Afrique - Violences, déplacements et insécurité alimentaire, Decembre 2013




• On estime à environ 30 % la population en insécurité alimentaire modérée ou sévère, soit approximativement 1.1 million de personnes (hors Bangui) et à 0 % la population en insécurité alimentaire légère.Parmi les ménages enquêtés, aucun n’est classé en sécurité alimentaire et ne parvient à assurer une consommation minimale sans recours à des stratégies d’adaptation ou à allouer une partie importante des dépenses à l’alimentation. Les ménages en insécurité alimentaire sévère et modérée les plus nombreux se trouvent dans l’Ouham (présence du plus grand nombre de déplacés), l’Ouham-Pendé, l’Ouaka, la Nana-Manbéré et l’Ombella M’Poko.
• Approximativement 50 % des personnes déplacées enquêtées sont en insécurité alimentaire modérée ou sévère. C’est également le groupe de personnes qui connaît le plus fort taux d’insécurité alimentaire sévère avec 15 % de ménages.
• Les ménages en insécurité alimentaire ont un faible accès à la terre ou/et ne pratiquent pas ou peu l’élevage. Ils dépendent du marché pour leur accès à la nourriture et dépensent une part importante de leur budget à cet effet. Quasiment tous les ménages appliquent des stratégies de survie de stress ou de crise. Près de 30 % d’entre eux ont recours à des stratégies de survie de crise ou d’urgence, telles que la vente de leurs actifs productifs, stratégies dommageables et quelquefois irréversibles lorsqu’il s’agit de se défaire des terres.

Related links


London' NUJ protests against journalists' Egypt detention


Join the demo calling for jailed journalists in Egypt to be freed

Journalists are under threat in Egypt, six have been killed and many more injured covering events on the streets of Cairo and the rest of the country. Others, including Peter Greste, Mohamed Fadel Fahmy and Baher Mohamed of Al-Jazeera, have been thrown into prison.

The NUJ demonstration at 11.30-13.30 on Wednesday 19 February at the Egyptian embassy, 26 South Street London W1K 1DW (off Park Lane, nearest tubes Hyde Park Corner or Green Park) will deliver a letter to the authorities. Speakers include Michelle Stanistreet and Jeremy Corbyn MP.

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L'ACTUALITE AFRICAINE DE CE LUNDI :



Bienvenus dans cette édition d'AFRIQUE SOIR.

A la une de l'actualité africaine de ce lundi 17 février :

** En CIV, le fils de l'ancien président Michel Gbagbo a finalement été libéré dans l'après-midi, après avoir été arrêté vendredi ; Nous retrouverons notre correspondant à Abidjan dès le début de ce journal.

 ** La présidente de transition centrafricaine Catherine Samba Panza, s'est envolée pour Ndjamena où elle est attendue par le président tchadien Idriss Déby. Ce matin, elle avait reçu la visite de parlementaires français à Bangui.

** Nous entendrons également le reportage de nos correspondants à Bouar dans le nord du pays partis à la rencontre des déplacés musulmans logés à la mosquée en attendant de quitter le pays.

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En Côte d'Ivoire : Michel Gbagbo, le fils de l'ancien président Laurent Gbagbo a été libéré en fin d'après-midi.

Il avait été arrêté à l'aéroport d'Abidjan vendredi soir, alors qu'il cherchait à se rendre en France, selon son avocat Me Rodrigue Dadjé.
 
Michel Gbagbo, devait s'y pour comparaître devant la justice française. 

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La Présidente de la transition centrafricaine Catherine Samba Panza s'est envolée cet après-midi pour Ndjamena, la capitale tchadienne, où elle doit rencontrer le Président Idriss Déby, au cours d'une visite de travail de 24 heures.

Un voyage qui intervient après la première sortie à l'étranger de la Présidente de transition, il y a dix jours à Brazzaville, pour rencontrer un autre partenaire incontournable des autorités de transition, Denis Sassou Nguesso.

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La présidente de transition centrafricaine Catherine Samba Panza a exprimé la demande que l'intervention militaire française dans son pays soit prolongée jusqu'aux élections prévues en février 2015,
c'est ce qu'ont annoncé adns l'après-midi les parlementaires français à la presse à Bangui.

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Une demande formulée à l'occasion de la visite d'une délégation de neuf députés français à Bangui ce lundi...

ils se sont entretenus avec les responsables de l'opération militaire française Sangaris et les autorités de transition centrafricaines.
Et ont été reçus ce matin par la présidente Catherine Samba Panza et les principales autorités centrafricaines.

L'Assemblée nationale française doit se prononcer par un vote le 25 février sur la prolongation au-delà de début avril de l'opération Sangaris déclenchée le 5 décembre dernier.

Le groupe de parlementaires était conduit par la député socialiste Elisabeth Guigou, la présidente de la Commission des Affaires étrangères de l'Assemblée nationale française.
Pour elle,
il faut que très rapidement policiers et gendarmes centrafricains soient déployés dans les rues de Bangui.

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Elisabeth Guigou, la présidente de la Commission des Affaires étrangères de l'Assemblée nationale française, était interrogé par Boniface Vignon.

Et pendant ce temps, de nombreux civils centrafricains continuent de fuir, essentiellement des musulmans qui veulent quitter le pays.

Ils partent d'un peu partout.
Nos envoyés spéciaux sont allés à leur rencontre dans la ville de Bouar, au nord du pays, où environ 6000 musulmans ont trouvé refuge depuis un mois dans la mosquée centrale de la ville et dans l'école Haussa attenante.

Ces musulmans ont fuit comme beaucoup les violences perpétrées par les miliciens "anti-balakas", des représailles contre les musulmans déclenchées par le départ des Selekas, le 20 janvier dernier.

A présent ces déplacés attendent leur tour pour partir, notamment au Cameroun voisin.

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Au Burundi, la crise entre le pouvoir et l'UPRONA semble encore loin d'être résolue.
Le gouvernement a lancé aujourd'hui une mise en garde au principal parti tutsi, qui vient de passer dans l'opposition...

Ce repositionnement fait suite à cette crise ouverte avec le président Pierre Nkurunziza.

Le POUVOIR appelle l'UPRONA,  à éviter toute tentative de déstabilisation.

Le ministre de l'Intérieur, Edouard Nduwi-mana, a appelé au calme, alors que beaucoup ne cachent pas leur inquiétude suite à cette crise.

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Et on termine ce journal en Afrique du Sud, où un groupe de mineurs est toujours coincé dans la mine illégale de l’est de Johannesburg.

Les mineurs s'y sont retrouvés enfermés après la chute d'un bloc de pierre.
Depuis hier, les services de secours interviennent pour les dégager.
24 mineurs ont pu sortir ce lundi, les autres craignent d'être accusés de travail illégal dans cette mine abandonnée, interdite...

Mais les autorités ne sont sûres du nombre exact de mineurs se trouvant toujours au fond.

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FIN