Central African Republic

Support to refugees in Sam Ouandja

This programme extends our previous programme to help Sudanese refugees living on the outskirts of Sam Ouandja (Prefecture of Haute-Kotto).

• Funding : UNCHR (UN High Commissioner for Refugees)
• Global budget: €268,000  + donations in kind
• Duration: 12 months (January to December 2008)

Aiming to stabilise the humanitarian situation of the refugees, Triangle’s activities in the camp achieved the following results:

• Primary needs of the refugees are covered
• The camp benefits from controlled sanitary standards
• The refugees’ economic and food safety has improved
• Social and educational activities are available and are helping to federate the community.

More specifically, Triangle’s programme achieved:

• Daily operation and maintenance of a potable water station
• Monthly distribution of food and non-food stuffs, according to seasonal needs
• Distribution of seeds and tools for key rain-season cultures and out-of-season cultures
• Organisation and management of the primary school and implementation of recreational activities for the children in the camp
• Implementation of a kindergarten
• Organisation of non formal training and income-generating activities for women and young adults
• Organisation of adult literacy classes

Implementation of these activities took place in close collaboration with the HCR and National Commission for Refugees (NCR), helping to keep these agencies up to date about the humanitarian situation and the safety of the refugees.

Food safety programmes

During the first 18 months of its intervention, in collaboration with the World Food Programme (WFP) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Triangle worked to reduce the negative impact of the refugees’ displacement, particularly in terms of general food safety. Distribution of food and/or seeds helped to ensure that the refugees received the minimum food requirements in the area involved.

• Funding: FAO, PAM
• Global budget: €310,000  + donations in kind
• Duration: Several punctual contracts from April 2007 to December 2008

Actions achieved:

• Distribution of two months of food rations (also ensuring seed protection) in the main axes of Vakaga – May 2007
• Distribution of seeds in Vakaga – May 2007
• Training and distribution of market gardening seeds in Birao and Sam Ouandja towns – December 2007
• Distribution of two months of food rations in the main axes of intervention in Vakaga – May 2008
• Distribution of seeds for rainy season culture to 13,000 families living in the the areas of intervention covered by Triangle
• Survey on the impact of distributions in the involved areas
• Distribution of market gardening seeds in Sam Ouandja and to Parents Associations for creation of educational gardens

Emergency assistance to victims of the conflict – Vakaga Prefecture, Central

• Funding: ECHO, UN agencies, DAH
  (Délégation à l’action humanitaire,
  French Foreign Affairs ministry)
• Global budget: €650 thousand + contributions in kind
• Duration: 11 months (November 2007 to October 2008)

This programme was an initial emergency response to the population’s needs that are primarily caused by the conflict. The following actions took place.

• Distribution of seeds and tools to 6000 families,
• Distribution of food rations to 2500 particularly vulnerable families (to guarantee appropriate use of the seeds supplied in the programme),
• Rehabilitation of water points (wells and bore-holes)
• Rehabilitation of schools.

In the framework of our activities, we were able to design new programmes specifically aimed at alleviating the impact of the region’s “exclusion” from the rest of the country.