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CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC

Emergency assistance and improved
access to drinking water

AREA OF EXPERTISE

Eau, hygiène et assainissement

Water, hygiene and sanitation

FUNDING

Logo Centre de Crise et de Soutien

Crisis and Support Committee (CDCS)

BENEFICIARIES

46,630
beneficiaries

FROM 01/11/2017 TO 28/02/2018

4
months

BUDGET

100,000
euros

TGH, started operating in the Ouaka in 2010. It is now recognized as the main actor in terms of access to water, hygiene and sanitation (WASH) services for the populations living in Bambari. This is illustrated by its role as co-leader of the WASH sub-cluster in Bambari. Thanks to the experience acquired in the WASH sector in the Ouaka Prefecture, TGH is appreciated both by local authorities and beneficiary populations.

The Commission on Population Movements (CMP) of August 2017 noted that 37,193 IDPs were still living in the camps. The number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in foster care (9,437 people) is stable. Despite the drop in the number of displaced people in Bambari, needs remain high and the chances of seeing this number increase with new arrivals remain high. Indeed, since June, many localities (Alindao, Bangassou, Zemio, Batangafo, Bria ...) have suffered violent clashes among various armed groups, causing many civilian casualties. Each fight causes new displacements along the axes, and Bambari is a place of settlement.

In the WASH sector, TGH will focus its intervention on the emergency needs of the displaced populations already present in Bambari and Ngakobo, as well as of potential new IDPs. This positioning is a continuation of the WASH programmes funded by ECHO (since March 2017) and by the Humanitarian Fund (since January 2017), which only ensured the functioning of the emergency drinking water supply system for 6 and 4 months respectively in 2017. In addition, TGH also handles the operation and maintenance of boreholes and wells in some camps. Those do not fully cover the water needs of displaced populations, and additional water trucking is required.

Site-PK8-Bambari

PK8 camp in Bambari

However, access to drinking water remains a priority for these populations. Under this programme, TGH will extend the operation of the water treatment unit and continue to supply the Alternatif and Aviation camps as well as some districts in Bambari via water trucking, an activity that is essential to provide drinking water to the populations living in these camps, to which TGH still tries to find alternative solutions. In addition, TGH will operate the boreholes equipped with electric pumps over the next 3 months. These facilities also provide drinking water to other IDP sites.

Besides, sanitation needs in IDP sites are high and people remain dependent on humanitarian aid. The coverage of sanitation needs in compliance with SPHERE standards (with a standard of 1 latrine per 20 people) can be complex due to the volatility of the security context in the area of Bambari. The successive return movements observed during 2016 have repeatedly led to the dismantling of facilities that had to be rebuilt with the emergence of new crises. Since the funding obtained by TGH over the last three years did not allow compliance with this standard, the objective was lowered to a more realistic ratio of 1 latrine for 50 people.

Site-Sangaris

Sangaris camp

Some sites, such as Sangaris, Alternatif or Aviation have a satisfactory sanitary coverage, with a ratio of less than 1 latrine for 40 people. But the punctual and sometimes massive arrival of new displaced populations in different sites of the Ouaka Prefecture can lead to an increase in these ratios, and to the exceedance of the standards imposed by SPHERE. TGH is currently funded by ECHO and the Humanitarian Fund to maintain and service the equipment until the end of 2017.

In parallel, the programme will set up awareness sessions on hygiene for displaced populations, targeting women and children as a priority, in order to reduce the risk of waterborne diseases. The main topics covered will be the conservation of food and drinking water, hand washing, the use of health facilities and waste management. Some of these sessions will be complemented by the distribution of soap bars.

In order to ensure the high quality of their interventions, the TGH teams weekly assess the needs of the populations of the different IDP sites, in order to provide an adequate response. Teams are present on the sites on a regular basis, in particular to monitor the number of displaced people, the quantity of water distributed, the state of the sanitary areas, etc.