Central African Republic CAR/RCA HUMANITARIAN CRISES ANALYSIS 2016

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1 Central African Republic CAR/RCA HUMANITARIAN CRISES ANALYSIS 2016 Each year, Sida conducts a humanitarian allocation exercise in which a large part of its humanitarian budget is allocated to emergencies worldwide. This allocation takes place in the beginning of the year as to ensure predictability for humanitarian organisations and to allow for best possible operational planning. In an effort to truly adhere to the humanitarian principles Sida bases its allocation decisions on a number of objective indicators of which the most important are related to the number of affected people, vulnerability of affected people and level of funding in previous years. One of the indicators is also related to forgotten crises in order to ensure sufficient funding also to low profile crises. Besides this initial allocation, another part of the humanitarian budget is set aside as an emergency reserve for sudden onset emergencies and deteriorating humanitarian situations. This reserve allows Sida to quickly allocate funding to any humanitarian situation throughout the year, including additional funding to the Central African Republic. For 2016 the Central African Republic is allocated an initial 50 MSK in January Close monitoring follows throughout the year for potentially additional funds. 1. CRISIS OVERVIEW Central African Republic (CAR) was for years a forgotten and protracted humanitarian crisis characterized by chronic underdevelopment and localised emergency situations. In 2013 the situation worsened and it is since then considered to be a complex emergency with large humanitarian needs. In December 2013 CAR was declared a level 3 crisis where it remained until June The security situation deteriorated quickly in 2014; many atrocities and violations of human rights were committed resulting in massive movements of population including exodus towards Chad, DRC and Cameroon. According to the Global Humanitarian Overview the outlook for 2016 is worrisome: the humanitarian situation is predicted to deteriorate, and access to people in need could be restricted by election-related violence. More than half the population, 2.3 million people, require immediate humanitarian assistance and a quarter of the population is displaced ( IDPs and almost refugees in neighbouring countries).there are many armed groups in CAR more or less aligned to two main factions but the chains of command are very weak, and each group has its particular grievances. Civilians continue to suffer the consequences, including attacks on IDP camps, making CAR primarily a protection crisis. The underlying causes of the conflict are mainly related to public frustration caused by a failed democratisation process, failed DDR/SSR processes, lack of development and economic opportunities, absence of a functioning state, and power struggles within the political elite. CAR is rich in natural resources (oil, gold, diamonds, timber, pasture) and the control over these resources is another source of conflict. A new transitional government was installed in 2014 with the support of international and regional powers; however State presence outside of Bangui remains extremely limited. Elections scheduled for February 2015 have now been postponed to December 2015 and early 2016, but regardless of their timing the elections are a potential source for increased levels of violence and consequently a rise in humanitarian needs. 1.1Geographical areas and affected population The Humanitarian Needs Overview (HNO) 2016 assesses that 2.3 million people, more than half of the population, are in need of assistance and the Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) targets 1, 9 million beneficiaries in The geographical analysis in the HNO shows that the most urgent needs are in Ouham (North), Basse-Kotto, Ombella M Poko (South), Kémo, Ouaka (Centre), Nana-Mambéré, Ouham Péndé (West) and in the capital Bangui. The IDPs are amongst the most vulnerable groups with very few coping mechanisms left, however, the general lack of access to basic social services affects the entire population. The economic life in CAR has seriously deteriorated following the last years events. In 2014, most of the Muslim traders in CAR fled to Chad and have not been replaced by new economic actors. The conflict has also had negative repercussions on agricultural production, the main livelihood in CAR. 1.2 Risks and threats The main risks and threats to the population, as well as to humanitarian actors, are related to the continued lawlessness and impunity in the country. There are at present two security operations in CAR; a United Nations Peace Keeping Operation called MINUSCA (Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central Africa Republic), and the French Sangari s operation. Although the security situation in Bangui and in a few other major towns has improved following these deployments, security still cannot be guaranteed in the countryside, along the major transport roads and for humanitarian operations. According to the HRP there have been so far over 1000 security incidents involving humanitarian actors in 2015, leading to temporarily interruption of humanitarian assistance which overall continues to be delivered, despite difficulties. The HRP mentions that humanitarian access in CAR is restricted 1

2 by a number of factors: insecurity due to activities of armed groups and criminals, lack of acceptance of humanitarian actors by the population and communities, physical obstacles such as poor roads and damaged bridges, administrative harassment and corruption. The Health system has been seriously affected by the events of and has basically collapsed. The HRP estimates that over 23% of the health facilities have been destroyed, and that humanitarian actors provide more than 70% of the health services in the country. There is a real possibility that CAR will experience the outbreak of epidemics in 2016 as vaccination coverage has decreased in recent years. Following the disruption of agricultural activities since 2013, in combination with a large number of IDPs with little access to livelihood, the HRP now expects that 2.5 million people will face serious food insecurity during 2016 (IPC level 3-4, up from 1.3 in 2015) and WFP has decided to extend its regional EMOP to the end of A generic risk in all countries with humanitarian needs is the risk of corruption. With general challenges in all societal pillars including law, order, stability and justice - the area of checks and balances also becomes fragile. CAR ranks on number 150 on Transparency Internationals Index for Strategic objectives identified in the Strategic Response Plan According to the HRP the strategic objectives 2016 are: Promote respect of fundamental rights : the protection of populations affected and at risk due to the conflict is reinforced as part of a rights based approach including mechanisms for the prevention and resolution of conflicts Save Lives : Affected populations have access to an integrated emergency assistance to ensure their survival while preserving their security and dignity Preserve human dignity: Ensure that people affected and at risk have improved access to basic social services; their basic safety nets and coping mechanisms are strengthened and preserved. The planning hypotheses in the HRP are: A marked increase in humanitarian needs during the first half of 2016 linked to pre and post electoral violence. Violent clashes are expected in the major urban centres between the two main factions, and attacks on transport convoys and along the routes for the movement of cattle are expected to continue New waves of displaced populations are expected as a consequence of local conflicts A further people will need lifesaving humanitarian assistance The preservation of humanitarian space and access by promoting respect for the humanitarian principles of humanity, impartiality, neutrality and independence will be a major task during 2016, to facilitate coordination with the security operations UNOCHA will continue to host a Civil-Military Coordinator. A gender advisor from GenCap has been deployed to CAR since January 2014 and has among other tasks supported OCHA and the clusters in the development of the HNO/HRP. 2. IN COUNTRY HUMANITARIAN CAPACITIES 2.1 National and local capacities and constraints The government s capacity in CAR has always been very weak and is mostly concentrated in the capital. The disruptions during 2013/14 which deliberately targeted Government institutions such as schools, health posts, police offices, tribunals and other administrative buildings have left the Government even weaker. Payment of Civil Servants salaries has been irregular since Civil society in CAR has been very fragmented and most Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) are political in nature with limited capacity to assist in any humanitarian response. The number of national NGOs doubled during 2014 yet few have the capacity, training or funding to deliver humanitarian assistance at a larger scale. The CHF has provided funding for capacity development of NNGOs through collaborations with INGOs. 2.2 International operational capacities and constraints As reflected in the HRP, insecurity and limited access will be major constraints for humanitarian assistance in The air services provided by the United Nations Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) will be crucial as well as the prepositioning of food and non-food items (NFIs) as envisaged in the HRP. The Humanitarian Coordinator (HC) leads the humanitarian work in CAR with the support from OCHA and eleven clusters headed by United Nation (UN) agencies. Overall cluster coordination has improved since 2014 as a consequence of the increased number of partners, the acuteness of the displacement situation, and the influx of 2

3 qualified emergency staff during the early phases of the L3 response. OCHA opened sub-offices in various towns to facilitate field level coordination. The United Nations Children s Fund (UNICEF) has a special role as it manages the in-country Rapid Response Mechanism (RRM) responsible for rapid needs assessments in sudden onset crisis in areas where NGO presence is weak. The Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection Directorate General of the European Commission (ECHO) and the USAID/OFDA have field offices in Bangui whilst other donors rely on field visits from their headquarters (HQs) or regional hubs to gather information on the situation on the ground, making donor coordination difficult. All major UN humanitarian agencies and international humanitarian NGOs are present in CAR. Some had previously left the country and returned in 2014; in total the number of organisations involved in the international response increased from 47 to over 100. One major constraint is the difficulty to recruit French-speaking staff to this non-family station. 2.3 International and regional assistance The major humanitarian donors to CAR in 2015 were the following; USA (90 MUSD), ECHO (49 MUSD), United Kingdom, (31 MUSD), Japan (19 MUSD), Canada (18 MUSD) and Sweden (12 MUSD). There is a Common Humanitarian Fund (CHF) in CAR to which Sweden, Ireland, Netherlands, UK, Denmark, Norway, Switzerland and Luxembourg and Belgium contributed in The funding level for the CHF was 38 MUSD in Total humanitarian funding was 367 MUSD of which 301 towards the SRP which meant a financing at 49%, a drastic reduction from the 68% received in 2014 and proof that CAR is again slipping into the forgotten crisis category. The USA had increased their support to the CAR crisis substantially in 2014 up to 145 MUSD including interventions in neighbouring countries but in 2015 it amounted to only 90 MUSD supporting a wide range of interventions. The focus has been on food aid through the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) as well as protection. ECHO provided 49 MEURO in ECHO takes a regional approach to the CAR crisis and plans for assistance in three countries, CAR, Chad and Cameroon. ECHO s interventions will span over a wide range of sectors including; Protection, Health/Nutrition, Food Assistance/Food Security, Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH), Shelter/NFIs and Logistics. Sweden has also during 2015 reacted to the regional implications of the CAR crisis by providing support to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR s) regional Appeal and has provided funding to Strategic Partners through the Rapid Response Mechanism (RRM). 3. SIDAs HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE PLAN 3.1. Sida s role Following the declaration of the L3 Sida increased its funding to CAR in 2014, from 80 to 146 MSEK, but this amount was reduced in 2015 to 89 MSEK and the initial planning figure for 2016 is 50 MSEK. Sweden was in 2014 the third largest donor to CAR but in 2015 the fifth as Japan and Canada made larger contributions. Sida s support in 2015 was channelled through the Common Humanitarian Fund (20% of the total amount), protection through UNHCR and other partners (which also included support to refugees in neighbouring countries), and Health related activities through Médecins Sans Frontiéres (MSF), with 17% of the total funding. A sizable proportion of the funds (13 %) have been provided through Sida s Rapid Response Mechanism (RRM). The majority of the activities through the RRM have focused on secondments to the UN-system for urgent logistics and coordination needs. The CHF in CAR was established in 2008 and remains a key financing mechanism to address critical needs in a country where needs change quickly and few donors have a permanent presence. In 2013 the CHF received 9.6 MUSD from three donors; in 2015 it increased to 38 MUSD from 8 countries. By end of October the CHF had allocated 29 MUSD to 74 projects of which 77% implemented by NGOs. Monitoring visits are being carried out and results are reported on a quarterly basis. Regular information bulletins have been published quarterly, an improvement from previous years, but increased use of video/phone conferences between the CHF managers and donors would facilitate the follow-up on performance. An updated Risk Management Framework was approved at the end of 2014 and during 2015 the Grant Management System was introduced. Sida s role in 2016 will be to continue to contribute to strengthening the humanitarian response with a focus on quality, e.g. improved coordination, improved management of the CHF and further mainstreaming of protection, gender and accountability to affected populations, as well as flexibility given the highly volatile prospects for humanitarian needs in the country during

4 3.2. Response priorities 2016 It is Sida s assessment that the situation in CAR will remain fragile and insecure during 2016 with frequent outbreaks of violence and continued displacements of the population. There is a need for better field coverage and presence by humanitarian actors, improved early warning system, and monitoring of population movement. Protection will be central and there is a particular need for protection of minorities at risk, children at risk and to address Sexual and Gender-based Violence (SGBV). With regard to Health and Livelihoods there is a need for vaccination, improved access to basic social services and livelihood assistance. Given the expected volatility of the security situation in CAR it is of particular importance to ensure that there is flexibility in the response mechanisms and Sida therefore proposes to allocate funding to the CHF and the UNICEF/RRM mechanism Partners United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN/OCHA): Support to OCHA is still very important both at national and sub-national level. OCHA is also responsible for the administration of the CHF which has increased its volume substantially during 2015 and witnessed a marked improvement in management systems. It is important to continue to supply donors, many without representation in CAR, with frequent analysis, communication and results reporting. 4 MSEK, same level as World Food Programme/UNHAS: There is still a serious lack of road access in CAR and in view of the frequent attacks and high level of violence it is important to continue funding to ensure access to rural areas. In general terms supply routes to CAR and within the country have been more disrupted in 2015 than in previous years, a situation that is expected to continue during 2016 despite the presence of MINUSCA and Sangaris. 5 MSEK, same level as in Common Humanitarian Fund (CHF): The projects supported are chosen amongst the more than 100 proposals submitted each year and only the ones covering the most urgent needs in areas and sectors identified in the HRP and prioritised by the HCT are funded. The management of the fund has improved during 2015 among other things through the introduction of an improved risk management framework and partners capacity assessments based on the Harmonized Approach to Cash Transfers (HACT). It is important for Sweden to continue being a key donor to the CHF to strengthen humanitarian leadership and to address the urgent needs in CAR through a flexible mechanism. 17 MSEK, slightly lower level than in Medecins Sans Frontiers (MSF): MSF has an important outreach in difficult circumstances and is an essential partner to other NGOs who are working in nutrition, treatment of severe acute malnutrition (SAM), and for the event of localised violent conflicts. MSF has however not requested funding from Sida for CAR in United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR): UNHCR has a leading role in responding to the protection needs of the displaced population and will continue to be a major actor in It has a regional outreach to neighbouring countries affected by the CAR-crisis. 5 MSEK, same level as Swedish Save the Children (SRB): SRB initiated activities in 2013 partly with Swedish RRM financing. It has had an important role in the Child Protection working group and in mainstreaming gender issues in the Protection Cluster. Save the Children International has encountered some difficulties in CAR leading to a major restructuring of its activities in the country and the strengthening of its financial management following remarks during the audit of projects financed by the CHF. Considering the reduced allocation for CAR in 2016, the uncertainty about the restructuring of Save in CAR and the fact that the proposed intervention is focused on Bangui Sida will not provide support in International Rescue Committee (IRC): IRC is working in the priority area Nana-Gabrizi but activities have being affected by violence in the area leading to a slight shift in focus which in 2016 will continue to be on livelihood and protection, in particular the protection of women, girls and survivors of GBV. IRC will strengthen conflict sensitive planning, the capacity building of NNGOs/CBOs and has requested for geographical flexibility in its interventions during IRC will maintain emergency response capacity in CAR during the coming year. 6 MSEK, slightly higher than International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC): ICRC is a very important partner in the area of Protection in CAR and has access to many areas of the country. ICRC has carried out very important work in CAR; it has the capacity and qualifications to work with the types of activities that are needed in order to have impact in this conflict stricken country. However, ICRC has not requested funding from Sida for CAR. PLAN International: Started its activities in CAR in 2014, partly with Swedish RRM-financing and has continued to focus on child protection and education in emergencies with a geographical focus on Mambere Kadei province in the South West of CAR, bordering Cameroon. The Sida financed project initiated in 2015 started late in the year and has 4

5 been delayed due to insecurity, it is therefore proposed that only a small allocation of new funds is made for MSEK, slightly lower than NRC: Started its activities in CAR in 2014, partly with Swedish RRM-financing and has since then established itself as an important INGO with activities in various parts of the country. NRC has not received funding from Sida for CAR but this is one of the three countries prioritised in the application to Sida for In CAR NRC proposed to use Sida funding for an integrated, community defined and driven shelter, food security, WASH and ICLA programme for vulnerable persons amongst divided communities, to improve social cohesion and security. NRC will maintain emergency response capacity in CAR during the coming year. 6 MSEK, new partner ACF: Action contre la Faim is a well renowned INGO in CAR, it has requested funding for activities in the country but given the limited geographical coverage and the strong focus on health and nutrition it is proposed that no Sida funds are allocated to this new partner in CAR. SIDA s HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE TO CAR in 2016 Recommended partner for Sector/focus of work (incl. integrated or Proposed amount Sida support multi sectorial programming ) PLAN Protection/Education 3,0 NRC Protection 6,0 IRC Protection/Livelihoods 7,0 WFP/UNHAS Logistics 5,0 UNHCR Protection 5,0 UNICEF/RRM Multi-sector 3,0 OCHA Coordination 4,0 UNDP/OCHA Common Humanitarian Fund Multi-sector 17,0 TOTAL: 50,0 Sources HNO, SRP, UNHCR Appeal 5