Emergency response for internally displaced persons by post-electoral violences

Action against Hunger responds to the urgent needs of populations displaced following post-electoral violence in the Central African Republic.

n the Central African Republic, civilians are still highly impacted by the violence following the presidential election of December 2020. The displacement of populations and the halt to imports following the border blockade orchestrated by armed groups have worsened the living conditions of Central Africans while the country imports essential goods. Despite the gradual reopening of the main road between Bangui, the CAR capital, and Cameroon, where nearly 1,600 trucks carrying food or essential goods are blocked, the humanitarian situation remains critical in an already fragile country.

According to OCHA, more than 240,000 people inside CAR have been displaced since mid-December because of the violence. Although half of the IDPs have returned home in the recent weeks, more than 117,000 people remain internally displaced. At the end of January, 105,000 new people had fled to neighbouring countries.

To assist the populations affected by displacement, Action Against Hunger has dispatched its Rapid Response Mechanism (RRM) team to Lithon, 22km from Bangui.

In Lithon, 526 families or 2,607 people have received non-food item kits and hygiene kits. Essential household items include a tarpaulin, mats, blankets, a mosquito net and a 3-metre loincloth for settling in and protecting oneself from the environment, a kitchen kit, as well as soaps and containers to transport water safely while avoiding outside contamination. The hygiene kit also includes underwear and menstrual protection and a bucket.