NRC in Central African Republic

NRC's operation

While CAR is one of the most dangerous places for humanitarians to work (UNOCHA reports 179 incidents affecting humanitarian workers in 2022), NRC builds acceptance to ensure that our support serves communities through integrated multi-sector assistance. We try to focus on hard-to-reach areas where few other organisations are present and aim to provide sustainable assistance. In 2023, our country office has operations in eight prefectures. NRC also advocates for durable solutions and for the protection and rights of those affected by conflict, with a particular focus on housing, land and property rights.

Education

 
We support the public education system at the national, local and community levels in four prefectures to provide quality education to children. We also make sure that children who have missed out on their education are able to catch up with their peers. Our education teams:

• construct and rebuild schools to provide a safe and secure learning environment for children
• re-enrol children in courses so they can enjoy an education, while creating a routine and sense of normality for youth affected by displacement and trauma
• enlist and train teachers to strengthen their capacity in class management and teaching methodology
• provide catch-up classes to children who have missed out on their education to allow them to reintegrate into the formal school system
• provide youth with training and support to enhance their livelihood skills and guide them towards a profession
• work together with other cluster actors to ensure synergy and enhance the quality and impact of our education programmes
• co-facilitation of the education cluster

NRC education teams work strategically to deliver quality education, even in places with limited humanitarian access, by using diversified methodologies, such as airing lessons on local radio, etc.

Information, counselling and legal assistance (ICLA)

 
Our ICLA teams help people affected by displacement to access their housing, land and property (HLP) rights, by:

• ensuring that tenants are the rightful, legal owners through capacity building of local authorities, improvement of archiving systems and setting up community systems on the protection of HLP rights, etc.
• working to prevent further conflict over HLP by providing local authorities and community mechanisms with much needed capacity building for them to better understand their roles and responsibilities when it comes to assisting in the resolution of HLP conflicts
• conducting activities to promote social cohesion and foster dialogue and conflict resolution between communities
• helping people obtain legal documentation, including the civil and identity documentation necessary to access rights and services, by building state agents’ capacity and providing information sessions to the public on the importance of such documentation
• providing technical support to the HLP working group and contributing to the development of the HLP strategy within the protection cluster
  
  

Livelihoods and food security

 
To restore the food security and livelihoods of communities affected by displacement, our teams:

• distribute agricultural tools and seeds to restore vulnerable households’ resilience
• provide training sessions on new agricultural techniques to improve yields and increase independence when growing different foods
• provide income generating activities to increase livelihoods
• provide food and household items for people in acute need through the distribution of cash or vouchers
• train and provide support to Village Savings and Loan Association initiatives for long-term socio-economic impact and self-sufficiency
• ensure coordination and contribution through our participation in the cluster and thematic working groups
  
  

Shelter and settlements

 
NRC’s shelter work in CAR endeavours to improve the living conditions for people affected by displacement. Our shelter teams:

• work with the ICLA teams to ensure that HLP rights are respected and upheld
• build and repair houses damaged or destroyed by providing in-kind material, cash and technical expertise
• provide emergency shelter to people in displacement camps
• provide transitional shelter for returnees
• rehabilitate community infrastructures including administrative buildings and schools

Additionally, as part of our Covid-19 response, our shelter teams repaired a hospital building to be used for treatment and isolation.

Water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) promotion

 
To restore the basic human rights and dignity of displaced people, we run WASH activities. Our dedicated teams:

• construct and treat water sources such as wells and pumps, providing clean drinking water for affected communities
• drill new boreholes to increase access to safe water
• create, train and provide equipment to water points management committees
• construct and repair latrines to help people utilise dignified personal waste disposal systems
• promote hygiene awareness and materials to bring about long-term changes to sanitation practices with a particular focus on the transmission of Covid-19
• provide materials to vulnerable individuals in need, in the form of cash, vouchers or in-kind materials, including hand washing stations
  
  

Protection from violence

Our protection from violence and humanitarian mediation team supports people affected by displacement to enjoy their right to freedom from violence, coercion and deliberate deprivation, by:

• undertaking conflict, gender and protection analyses
• facilitating or supporting dialogue processes and humanitarian mediation processes
• training national and international actors
• providing dedicated support to individuals through individual protection assistance, in the form of cash or in-kind
• acting as co-facilitator for the protection cluster