Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Update CAR
Helaas, op het moment zit er niemand die voor de AMBB vliegt. Benzine is er niet of is te duur (3,60 euro per liter!). En er is wat je noemt een bezinningsmoment aangebroken. Welke weg gaan wij kiezen? Waaraan is op dit moment eigenlijk behoefte? Wie is er op dit moment nog gebaat bij een humanitaire vliegdienst in de CAR? Zijn er mensen die zich - nu pere Ben, de baas van de AMBB, is overleden - hard willen maken voor zo'n vliegdienst? Moeten we misschien een ander vlietuig kopen? Vliegtuigbenzine voor zuigermotoren is schaars en duur en wordt alleen nog maar schaarser en duurder. Ook andere humanitaire vliegdiensten zijn al overgestapt op een turboprop, die op de veel goedkopere en alom verkrijgbare kerosine lopen.
Hieronder het laatste nieuws vanuit de CAR:
The UNICEF office in the Central African Republic has just published their monthly report for November 2008. It contains a detailed overview on the current humanitarian, political and security situation, and provides an update on UNICEF’s ongoing activities in CAR.
Here is the summary of activities and events in November:
An attack by government soldiers against presumed bandits hiding in the country’s northwest led to the execution of 7 members of the APDR and the capture of 15 other rebels. The APDR threatened to withdraw from the peace dialogue if its members aren’t released.
A government convoy was ambushed 50km south of the border with Chad in the northeast. Nine soldiers were killed. The attackers belonged to the FDPC rebel movement.
In early November, the city of Sam Ouanjda was attacked by 40 armed men. Five of the attackers died and many of the city’s residents fled into the bush.
Funding of 600,000 Euros was received from ECHO to purchase therapeutic products that will be used to treat 900 children per month suffering from severe acute malnutrition.
UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Joel Madden made a triumphant week-long trip throughout the CAR.
A technical training center was opened by UNICEF and the Diocese of Kaga Bandoro. The center provides two years of technical and academic education to vulnerable children between the ages of 14 and18.
€ 3 million for the north east
The European Commission signed a funding agreement of € 3 million with the Central African government for a programme to support the stabilization of the north-east of CAR. The programme is linked to the presence of the European Force in CAR and Chad (EUFOR). Four organizations were entrusted with its implementation.
The first contract of € 41,700 was signed with the Road Maintenance Fund, a governmental institution. The funds will be used to render the ferry in Boungou, on the main road from Bangui to the north-east, operational again and to evaluate the condition of the infrastructure around the ferry.Comité d’Aide Médicale, a French NGO, is the signatory of the second contract amounting to € 700,000. The project aims to ensure the access of the Vakaga population to basic health services, and maternal and child health care in the provincial hospital, using a sustainable approach.
Triangle Génération Humanitaire, another French NGO, will help to restore access to water and primary education through a project which will last for 32 months. In the two sectors, Triangle will build new infrastructure, such as schools, boreholes and wells, while increasing the local management capacity, especially by inviting the representatives of the technical ministerial departments to be directly involved and support the local actors in providing access to essential services in the Vakaga. The NGO therefore signed a contract of € 1.5 million with the European Commission.
The fourth funding agreement, for an amount close to € 450,000, was signed with the Aid Agency for Technical Cooperation and Development (ACTED). The NGO will construct 11 bridges or ducts to cross the wadis between Birao and Boromata. The worst stretches of track, about 10% of the 120 km, will be rehabilitated so as to facilitate the passage of vehicles. ACTED will also support the local administration with the updating of the Vakaga maps, namely by creating a geo-referenced database which contains information on the road network, villages, school, health centres and administrative services.
The activities of the four contracts are in the start-up phase.
For more information:pierre-yves.lambert@ec.europa.eu
Hieronder het laatste nieuws vanuit de CAR:
The UNICEF office in the Central African Republic has just published their monthly report for November 2008. It contains a detailed overview on the current humanitarian, political and security situation, and provides an update on UNICEF’s ongoing activities in CAR.
Here is the summary of activities and events in November:
An attack by government soldiers against presumed bandits hiding in the country’s northwest led to the execution of 7 members of the APDR and the capture of 15 other rebels. The APDR threatened to withdraw from the peace dialogue if its members aren’t released.
A government convoy was ambushed 50km south of the border with Chad in the northeast. Nine soldiers were killed. The attackers belonged to the FDPC rebel movement.
In early November, the city of Sam Ouanjda was attacked by 40 armed men. Five of the attackers died and many of the city’s residents fled into the bush.
Funding of 600,000 Euros was received from ECHO to purchase therapeutic products that will be used to treat 900 children per month suffering from severe acute malnutrition.
UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Joel Madden made a triumphant week-long trip throughout the CAR.
A technical training center was opened by UNICEF and the Diocese of Kaga Bandoro. The center provides two years of technical and academic education to vulnerable children between the ages of 14 and18.
€ 3 million for the north east
The European Commission signed a funding agreement of € 3 million with the Central African government for a programme to support the stabilization of the north-east of CAR. The programme is linked to the presence of the European Force in CAR and Chad (EUFOR). Four organizations were entrusted with its implementation.
The first contract of € 41,700 was signed with the Road Maintenance Fund, a governmental institution. The funds will be used to render the ferry in Boungou, on the main road from Bangui to the north-east, operational again and to evaluate the condition of the infrastructure around the ferry.Comité d’Aide Médicale, a French NGO, is the signatory of the second contract amounting to € 700,000. The project aims to ensure the access of the Vakaga population to basic health services, and maternal and child health care in the provincial hospital, using a sustainable approach.
Triangle Génération Humanitaire, another French NGO, will help to restore access to water and primary education through a project which will last for 32 months. In the two sectors, Triangle will build new infrastructure, such as schools, boreholes and wells, while increasing the local management capacity, especially by inviting the representatives of the technical ministerial departments to be directly involved and support the local actors in providing access to essential services in the Vakaga. The NGO therefore signed a contract of € 1.5 million with the European Commission.
The fourth funding agreement, for an amount close to € 450,000, was signed with the Aid Agency for Technical Cooperation and Development (ACTED). The NGO will construct 11 bridges or ducts to cross the wadis between Birao and Boromata. The worst stretches of track, about 10% of the 120 km, will be rehabilitated so as to facilitate the passage of vehicles. ACTED will also support the local administration with the updating of the Vakaga maps, namely by creating a geo-referenced database which contains information on the road network, villages, school, health centres and administrative services.
The activities of the four contracts are in the start-up phase.
For more information:pierre-yves.lambert@ec.europa.eu
