Central African Republic: WFP C.A.R. Crisis Regional Update Situation Report #25 (31 August 2016)

In Numbers

• 2 million people food insecure in C.A.R. (40% of the population of the country)
• 450,000 refugees in neighbouring countries

Highlights

• In C.A.R, the number of people in need of life-saving assistance increased from 1.7 million people in December 2015 to 2 million people in August 2016.
• WFP provided food assistance to 323,654 people in C.A.R, 166,815 in Cameroon, 45,282 people in DRC, 18,125 in RoC and 10,361 in Chad.
• Cholera cases are detected in C.A.R. region. A cholera taskforce is activated and WFP is expected to provide food to cholera affected families and cholera treatment centres.

Situation Update

• The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) analysis for C.A.R. took place in Bangui undertaken in December 2015. Preliminary results indicate a deterioration of food and nutrition security in the country. The number of people in need of life-saving assistance increased from approximately 1.7 million people in December 2015 to 2 million people in August 2016. The most affected areas are Vakaba, Mbres, Kabo, Batangafo and Ngaoundaye.
• The most recent Emergency Food Security Assessment revealed that half of the C.A.R. people need food assistance for a healthy life. WFP needs urgent support to continue providing food and nutritional assistance to displaced and vulnerable communities.
• For more than six months, in C.A.R., WFP is operating with significantly reduced rations to the severely food insecure households and IDPs. WFP was recently at risk of halting the operation in C.A.R. completely, but WFP reserve was activated to make internal resources temporarily available. However, with no immediate funding prospects, WFP will be obliged to suspend its activities from December and onwards in C.A.R.
• In Cameroon, urgent funding is needed to replenish food stocks, expected to run low in less than one month and to sustain investments made in cash assistance Programmes. If resources are not secured in time, from October and onwards, WFP will have no choice but to cut the monthly food ration by nearly half, affecting some 156,600 vulnerable refugees, mainly young children and mothers.
• Due to a serious and critical funding shortfall in Chad, WFP continued to hold food assistance to approximately 85,000 returnees in Southern Chad. This vulnerable group received only two monthly rounds of food vouchers in 2016.
• During the month of August, C.A.R. has seen an upsurge in violence between armed groups that has once again displaced people internally but also created a continued refugee influx into Cameroon and Chad.
• In Cameroon, insecurity is prevailing along the C.A.R border strip due to the presence of armed groups perpetrating robberies, abductions and thefts, particularly in the surrounding areas of Touboro where several kidnappings were reported in late August. The Government reinforced security measures and WFP maintained continuous access to distribution sites in the affected areas.