Central African Republic (Car)Programmeplan 2016

CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC (CAR)PROGRAMMEPLAN 2016

1. Introduction

Concern has been operational in the Central African Republic (CAR) since May2014. Concern’s programmatic visionaligns with the African Development Bank (AFDB) Interim Assistance Transition(2014-2016), and the current UN Strategic Response Plan, which has as its main purpose: to alleviate and prevent suffering of conflict-affected people through the provision of life-saving humanitarian, multi-sectoral packages, access to basic services, protection of the most vulnerable, and restoration of community resilience.

CAR has been going through a complex and continuous crisis since the events of2013. The degradation of the socio-economic infrastructure, the weak redeployment of the state and engineeringservices in the prefectures, and the crumbling of social cohesion and the socio-economic fabric after recurring violentcrises, have had considerable humanitarian consequences, causing the displacement of thousands of people. The destruction of infrastructure has left huge portions of the rural population without access to clean drinking water. The latest Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) on CAR dates from 2009, and poverty in rural and urban settings continues to increase with the country ranked 179th on the Human Development Index (HDI) in 2011, and fell to 185thout of 187 countries in 2013. The CAR transitional government has developed a Program for Emergencies and Sustainable Recovery (PURD)extending from 2014 to 2016, combining humanitarian assistance and recovery in order to reinforce itsoverallobjective of combating poverty. The principal objective of the pillar concerning humanitarian assistance is toprovide internally displaced and returned individuals with multi-sectoral assistance necessary fortheir survival, and tosupport their return and social rehabilitation. The crisis in CAR has severely affected the livelihoods and living conditions of over 50% of the population resulting in a significant reduction of income and access to food. According to the 2015 Global Hunger Index, CAR has the highest levels of hunger worldwide, as defined by a number of metrics including child mortality, some 2.1m people – 47.7% of the populationare undernourished, which also has one of the world's highest rates of child mortality (13%).

Concern plays an active role in the various humanitarian coordination mechanisms established in CARand has good working relationships with relevant line Ministries within Government. The security situation is volatile and exactions and retaliatory attacks between the Anti Balaka (AB) and Ex-Seleka (ES) are recurrent. Bangui has seen a recent upsurge in criminality and the emergence of armed gangs, in what the UN is now calling an “urban guerilla” movement in the city attacks on humanitarian organisationsand on international peacekeeping forces are rampant. A referendum and elections aredue to take place inDecember 2015; this will likelycause an upsurge in violence, and whatever the outcome, will add to the uncertainty of the situation in 2016. Security remains a high risk and access a challenge to both Bossambélé and Kouango. It is very difficult to penetrate beyond Kouango due to security and road conditions. Concern will continue to work to ensure acceptance within the communities and by all factions.CAR remains a UN Level 3 emergency, making it possible to expedite and reinforce the humanitarian response faced with the magnitude of the crisis. However, it remains a ’forgotten emergency’ which directly affects funding availability. Concern will continue to work with the INGO coordination mechanisms on advocacy activities.

In response, the CAR progamme is delivering a multi-sectoral programme encompassing food security, nutrition, livelihoodsand economic recovery and WASH interventions across three prefectures:Ombella M’Poko, Lobaye and Kouango in Ouaka prefecture. Should additional funds become available in 2016, an urban programme in Bangui will be developed building on the former Cash-for-Work and cash transfer experience.

The plan is to develop and finalise a new CAR Country Strategic Plan (CSP) for approval in 2016, and to carry out an in-depth contextual analysis in Kouango & Lobaye.

1. Programmes

The Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH) Program in Kouango, Ouaka prefecture,is funded by OFDA andthe initial start up grant from the Irish Aid Emergency Response Fund Scheme (ERFS). The programme is implemented through a mix of direct implementation and sub-contractors under Concern technical supervision. A No Cost Extension (NCE) on both grants will see the programme continuing into the first quarter of 2016, continuing to focus on improving access to safe drinking water for households and communities by rehabilitating and/or building 70 water points and improving hygiene through the implementation of hygiene promotion messaging. A new grant or a cost modification on the current OFDA grant will be sought for Kouango to target 20,000 beneficiaries of which 16,000 are internally displaced people (IDPs) or returnees. The distribution of vouchers will enable communitiesto select their own agricultural seed varieties and tools. The programmewill also aim to strengthen economic recovery through Cash for Work (CFW) activities in order to rehabilitate roads and drainage canals. Direct cash transfers will be provided to the most vulnerable people with physical difficulties or other limitations who cannot participate in labour activity. The objective of the water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) component will beto improve access to water through the rehabilitation and protection of boreholes, and the construction and rehabilitation of community wells and spring catchments, as well as the formation and training of community water management committees. In order to improve hygiene knowledge, attitude and practices, a hygiene promotion strategy will delivered to the households of our target beneficiaries. ECHO-HIP funding to expand on the programme proposed to OFDA will also be sought.

The Nutrition Programmein Ombella M’Poko,funded by Irish Aid Humanitarian Programme Plan (HPP 2015), works closely with the Ministry of Health (MoH) Districtteam in implementing a nutrition, community management of acute malnutrition (CMAM), and infant and young child feeding (IYCF)programme, while simultaneously building the capacity of the District health team. The programme complements the existing WASH and Livelihood programmealso operational in the Bossambele area of Ombella M’Poko. The programme targets approximately 2,000children under 5yrs; 2,500 pregnant and lactating women and mothers of children under 2yrs with IYCF,health andhygiene messaging. The programme aims to treat 200 severely malnourished children; 600 moderately malnourished children and 65 malnourished pregnant and lactating women. Concern supportsfive health facilities to ensure screening and provide treatment for children suffering from severe and moderate malnutrition. This programme continues until June 2016.

The aim is to continueLivelihoodsand WASH Programming in Ombella M’Poko, through a new grant or cost modification of the OFDA 2015 grant and with Irish Aid Humanitarian Programme Plan (HPP) 2016 funding. The objective of the programme will be toenhance the capacity of water management committees to manage water pointsand to continue delivering hygiene promotion messages at the community level. Water Management Committees (105) will be established, trained and supported to deliver improved WASH and hygiene promotion messages and to provide maintenance oversight to the 105 water points established under the 2015 OFDA, IA-ERFS, IA-HPP and Harambee grants. In addition, the programme will work with pregnant women & mothers of children under 2yrs on infant and young child feeding (IYCF) and healthpromotion. The connection between nutrition, WASH and livelihoods will be further strengthened through training farmer groups and producer groups and facilitating their links to local markets. To support economic recovery, Cash-for-Work road and urban infrastructure activities will take place, alongside cash transfers for the most vulnerable who cannot contribute labour power. The programme will also begin working with a small number of women’s and youth groups on income generating activities.

A new Nutrition, Livelihoods, and WASH Programmeis proposed for Lobaye prefecture (Boda sub-prefecture), and funds are being sought from the Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade & Development (DFATD) & UNHCR, and other donors throughout the year. This programme will respond to the immediate needs of returnee and internally displaced people (IDP), through the implementation of a comprehensive WASH programme focusing on the rehabilitation of boreholes,wells, and spring catchments, the establishment of water management committees and hygiene and sanitation promotion using both the PHAST and CLTS methodologies. Another key focus in Lobaye will be the establishment of a food security & livelihoods component focusing on seed and tools fairs and Cash-for-Work road rehabilitation. In addition, the programme proposes to support approximately 5 health facilities for health and nutrition, through the implementation of CMAM and IYCF promotion in communities.

A peacebuilding programme in collaboration with Sofia Credit and Les Frères Centrafricaines in Lobaye and Bangui has been proposed to USAID. Concern’s component of the programme would focus on helping beneficiaries re-integrate into the local credit system. In addition, private funds will be sought via Concern Dublin and Concern US to carry out a few pilot projects, mainly agriculture focused, in preparation for the 2017 IAPF call.

In all programmes, equality and a strong gender dimension will be addressed in terms of beneficiary targeting and project management committees’ membership, with Concern developing a clear and transparent targeting strategy for all programmes. While the programme will not implement stand-aloneProtection or SGBV projects, we will explore referral pathways and ensure that staff, local partnersand beneficiariesare trained and fully aware ofConcern’s ProgrammeParticipantProtection Policy (P4) and the Complaints Response Mechanism(CRM) being implemented in CAR.

1. Monitoring and Evaluation:

CAR