Central African Republic
Central African Republic (CAR) is facing one of the world’s most neglected humanitarian crises. According to OCHA, 3.4 million people need humanitarian assistance and protection, of whom 2.4 million need acute and immediate humanitarian assistance.
Clashes between government forces, government allies and armed groups are causing the humanitarian situation to continue to deteriorate and many people to be displaced, often multiple times. One in five Central Africans has been forcibly displaced since the latest round of violence began in 2013.
The crisis has sharply reduced access to essential services. As of October 2021, only 22% of CAR’s health facilities are functioning, and one in five nutritional feeding units are closed. Over a third of Central Africans must walk more than an hour to reach a health facility. Communities are at risk of many diseases, particularly malaria, respiratory tract infections and diarrhoeal diseases which places a huge burden on an already strained health service.
There is also a scarcity of skilled health workers, a lack of essential treatments and management capacities, and limited-service delivery, including access to secondary health, sexual and reproductive health services. Young children and pregnant women are especially vulnerable to disease, illness and death in this setting, and mortality rates are unacceptably high.
MENTOR started its CAR programme in 2008 and supports activities to improve access to healthcare and prevent diseases in Bocaranga, Paoua, Alindao and Batangafo.
