Humanitarian Action for Children 2011 - Unicef

Central African RepublicChildren and women in crisisThe Central African Republic is struggling to provide for its people, while overcoming internalpolitical conflict ongoing since 2003 and accepting the thousands of refugees from surroundingcountries who have sought shelter in the country in recent years. Only 30 per cent of CentralAfricans have access to clean water and even fewer to sanitation 1 – and there are alarmingtrends in undernutrition and disease. Children can be subjected to sexual violence and forcedto join armed groups. Assistance, such as essential immunizations and AIDS education, isoften provisional, given the destabilized environment in which most of the country’s womenand children are living.Humanitarianfunding at work:Highlights from 2010In 2010, UNICEF estimatedthat US$15,187,221 wasneeded to fund its humanitarianwork in the CentralAfrican Republic. As ofOctober 2010, a total ofUS$5,652,257 had beenreceived, or 37 per cent ofthe 2010 request. Amongkey results, 750,000 childrenwere protected from diseaseby routine vaccinationsand by the first phase of ayellow fever immunizationcampaign. UNICEF helpedfacilitate the release of 108children from armed groups.More than 172,000 youngchildren were enrolled inpreschool.Meeting urgent needs and building resilience in 2011UNICEF is leading the education and WASH clusters and co-leading the nutrition and shelterand non-food items clusters in the Central African Republic. UNICEF also actively participatesin the health, protection, logistics and food security clusters. In 2011, UNICEF will continueto work with the Government of the Central African Republic, other UN agencies, local andinternational NGOs as well as host communities to address the needs of hundreds of thousandsof children and adults.• UNICEF will develop community protection networks to prevent the recruitment of about30,000 children who are at risk of conscription into armed groups or government forces.• Nearly 175,000 people (among them 71,000 children and 9,000 hospitalized patients) willhave access to safe water after the construction of 50 new water points and the rehabilitationof 300 existing ones.• More than 170,000 school-age children will gain access to safe schools after 129 temporarylearning and rehabilitation spaces and 65 classrooms are rehabilitated or established in theremote and crisis-affected programme regions.• 204,000 women and 650,000 children will be treated or supported to prevent theirundernutrition when supplies are provided to 55 treatment centres, including 17 newlyestablished outpatient therapeutic feeding centres, in the prefectures of BaminguiBangoran, Haut Mbomou, Nana Mambere and Vakaga.• As many as 900,000 people (including 156,000 children) will be able to avoid deadly diseasethrough strengthened vaccination programmes.• About 7,000 young men and women of reproductive age and 10,000 women will have receiveeducation for HIV and AIDS prevention and care.Funding requirements for 2011UNICEF is requesting US$11,763,000 to carry out its planned activities. UNICEF has aligned itsrequest with the 2011 Consolidated Appeals Process (CAP) requirements. Women and childrenof the Central African Republic, struggling to cope under the diminished capacities of theirweakened social infrastructure as well as the effects of crises in neighbouring countries, requirethe urgent assistance this funding can provide.More information on achievements of 2010 and the humanitarian action plannedfor the Central African Republic in 2011 can be found at www.unicef.org/hac2011.1. Communiqué Final, Table Ronde Sectorielle Eau et Assainissement en RCA’ [Round table on water andsanitation in CAR], Bangui, Central African Republic, 8 October 2009, p 3.UNICEF EMERGENCY NEEDS FOR 2011 (in US dollars)Total $11,763,0004,000,000 Health2,450,000 Child protection307,000Education2,644,000 Nutrition744,000 WASH 800,000 HIV and AIDS818,000 Cluster coordination64 2011 UNICEF Humanitarian Action FOR CHILDREN | www.unicef.org/hac2011CentralAfrican Republic