Rapid Response Mechanism (RRM) in the Central African Republic (CAR). Emergency assistance to people affected by shocks.

The Central African Republic (CAR) continues to go through a complex crisis. This has serious humanitarian consequences in terms of protection of civilians, their living conditions and their physical and mental survival. The dividends of the Peace treaty signed in 2019 between the government and the main armed groups are still elusive.

Attacks against civilians and infrastructure, motivated by politico-ethical or "simply" economic-criminal reasons, transhumance, sometimes extreme climatic conditions, and epidemiological risks, attest that the vulnerability of people, the volatility of situations, and impunity still prevails in the CAR and directly affects the populations. For 2023, the UN estimates that 3.4 million people remain in need of humanitarian assistance and that human and climatic shocks will persist.

In a country where the population must survive day-by-day, and must (re)build itself over several years, our proposed contribution to the RRM for one year is in line with the SDCs Guidelines and work plan" for the CAR, and intervenes in addition to the Humanitarian Fund (OCHA) also supported by Switzerland.

The RRM is designed to respond to shocks caused by conflicts and natural disasters, where these trigger population movement, as well as for shocks created by return movements or epidemics. 

It works in coordination with the humanitarian community and provides initial assistance in Shelter/ Non-food items (NFIs), Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) or High Energy Biscuits (HEB) by prioritizing vulnerable populations and areas without humanitarian actors.

It supports the Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) and provides an effective and efficient response to priority humanitarian needs for populations affected by multiple crises and upheavals of conflict and violence. 

It promotes an approach of cooperation and coordination between sectors and humanitarian organizations, and ensures a holistic geographical coverage of needs, strengthens in the medium term the strategic impact of the Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) and the resilience of populations.

Vulnerable people affected by shocks benefit from an emergency assistance action to live with respect for their physical and moral integrity. 

Humanitarian organizations respond to assistance needs identified as urgent and priority, and anticipate / coordinate a complementary response. In particular, the RRM: 

Ensures humanitarian monitoring by carrying out rapid, sectoral and/or multisectoral assessments in areas impacted by a human and/or climatic shock and their dissemination at the level of the humanitarian community. 

Provides rapid assistance in shelter and basic necessities (WASH & NFI) to populations in a situation of acute vulnerability following a humanitarian shock, accessible for less than 3 months and when no other actor can position themselves quickly. 

Risultati principali attesi:   Urgent needs for people affected by human or natural shocks (+250k in NFI, +165k in WASH, and 250k in hygiene promotion) are taken care of by humanitarian organizations. The RRM mobilizes and coordinates with OCHA the provision of other humanitarian services.

Risultati fasi precedenti:  

In 2022, the RRM ensured humanitarian monitoring in 14 out of 16 prefectures. It reported 127 alerts in total, 50% of which were related to violence, the others being spread over returns, the climate (floods), and the epidemic of measles. It intervened in 82% of the cases where a shelter/NFI intervention was recommended and in 91% of the cases where an WASH intervention was recommended. It identified 543,622 affected individuals and assisted 170,478 people in NFI and 198,496 in WASH, primarily targeting displaced and returned populations. 

It enables agile response in a fluid environment, promotes coordination and cooperation between partners who jointly assess and prioritize needs through an inclusive process, and lowers transaction costs through centralized purchasing. It ensures transparency, accountability, and sound risk management, and thus promotes the most strategic - effective and efficient - possible use of resources in difficult circumstances (security, access). 

Fase 4 01.01.2023 - 31.12.2023   (Completed)