$401m Needed for 'Life-saving Interventions' in Central African Republic: UN

24 JANUARY 2020, 10:18AM
ANA REPORTER

Cape Town - The Central African Republic (CAR) is in need of $401 million to implement "life-saving interventions" as it experiences a humanitarian crisis, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

About 2.6 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance and protection – more than half of the population. Among them, more than 50% need immediate assistance to survive.

To meet the needs of the most vulnerable, the government of CAR and the Humanitarian Country Team officially launched the 2020 Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) this week.

OCHA said that based on a common analysis of humanitarian needs, the HRP aimed to address critical issues related to physical and mental well-being, living conditions and protection of the most vulnerable.

Civilians in CAR continue to bear the brunt of the crisis. Security and access constraints continue to hinder access to vulnerable people.

Last year, 306 security incidents affected humanitarian workers, five humanitarian workers were killed and 42 injured.

The Humanitarian Co-ordinator in Central African Republic, Denise Brown, stressed the importance for humanitarian actors to be able to sustain their efforts and alleviate the suffering of those in need of humanitarian assistance.

“If humanitarian assistance is not provided at scale, the severe humanitarian situation will further deteriorate in 2020,” Brown said.

Through donors, the humanitarian community last year raised$ 300.3 million and assisted more than 1.1 million vulnerable people within the Humanitarian Response Plan framework.