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Some people in Bangui, the capital of Central African Republic, have started to return to their homes. But this doesn't mean the situation in general in the country is getting better. A lot of the fighting and attacks have moved away from the capital to the rest of the country. On top of this, the rainy season has started and this will make life very difficult for people residing in the IDP sites. DRC has among many other things been building latrines and washing facilities for persons living with disabilities in some of the camps – in order to help the most vulnerable people and to take into account their specific needs.
There is still almost 600,000 people who have fled their homes in the Central African Republic (CAR). Water, hygiene and sanitation is one of the huge challenges in CAR – especially for the people living in the different sites for IDPs. In CAR, the rainy season has started. It is easy for contagious diseases to spread when infrastructural facilities are not very good. This goes both for the rainy season but also outside it. In order to prevent this, the Danish Refugee Council (DRC) has been building latrines in some of the camps – and ensured that the most vulnerable people gets an extra helping hand.
“It is an important part of our protection work always making sure that the most vulnerable people gets the assistance they need. So we've constructed special latrines and a washing facilities in some of the IDP sites. The latrines and washing facilities is for people living with disabilities to make sure that they get the extra help they need, when being vulnerable in an already very dire situation,” says Thibaut Roux, Emergency Team Leader for DRC CAR.
People in general have started to return in Bangui, since the security level has increased in some areas of the capital – but there is still about 160,000 IDPs residing in the camps around the capital and the security situation has deteriorated in many other parts of country.
“The main reasons for people not returning is because of insecurity in their area - or because the don't have anything to return to. If for instance their houses have been looted or burned down. Even though some people have returned in the capital it doesn't mean that the situation in general has improved,” says Thibaut Roux.
The fightings between the ex-Seleka and anti-Balaka movements have spread to other parts of the country where the security situation remains very volatile. DRC is thus working towards expanding activities outside of the capital.
DRC has worked in CAR since 2007 upon request byt UN. DRC works with protection of the many displaced persons. Additionally, DRC works to improve the living conditions of the population by supplying food, Non Food Items, Shelter, CCCM, clean drinking water and proper sanitary installments. DRC also works on rehabilitating the educational system and social cohesion. Since the eruption of the latest crisis in the fall of 2013, DRC has heavily upscaled its emergency intervention in the crisis torn country.
