Central African Republic
1.1 Central African Republic Humanitarian Background
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Disasters, Conflicts and Migration

Natural Disasters

Yes / No

Comments / Details

Drought

-

-

Earthquakes

-

-

Epidemics

Yes

Malaria, Meningitus, Yellow Fever, Tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, Water-borne diseases and sanitation, Bird influenza (H5N1), Swine Influenza (AH1N1)

Extreme Temperatures

Yes

During dry season – temperature can reach up to 48 degrees.

Flooding

Yes

Heavy rains are common during the transition between the dry and rainy seasons the raining season.

The Vakaga region is particularly subject to floods during this period and throughout the rainy season (June to December).

Insect Infestation

Yes

This disaster is potential in the region of Bria, in the north-eastern part of the country. Vigilance is therefore recommended.

Mudslides

-

-

Volcanic Eruptions

-

-

High Waves / Surges

-

-

Wildfires

Yes

 n/a

High Winds

Yes

Sands’ wind: This usually happens in northern country during the transition between the wet and dry season.

The sands are brought from the Sahara desert by the Harmattan. In terms of calamities, this period is prone to the meningitis.

Other Comments

  • Malaria: According to the WHO health status report on CAR (2012), the adult incidence rate is of 34,675 per 100,000 people.
  • Children under-five are particularly affected with a reported 25 % of deaths due to malaria cases.
  • Meningitis: the Central African Republic is located in the meningitis belt and suffers from sporadic out-breaks.
  • Tuberculosis: prevalence rate is of 520 per 100,000 people.
  • Water-borne diseases and sanitation: Diarrhoea and typhoid fever are frequent in the Central African Republic.

Man-Made Issues

   

Civil Strife

Yes

 n/a

International Conflict

No

 n/a

Internally Displaced Persons

Yes

 n/a

Refugees Present

Yes

 n/a

Landmines / UXO Present

 Yes  n/a

Other Comments

 n/a  n/a

For more detailed database on disasters by country, please see the Centre for Research on Epidemiology of Disasters:
EMDAT Website information on disasters

Calamities and Seasonal Affects

Seasonal Affects on Transport

Transport

Comments

From (month) to (month)

Primary Road Transport

Here we consider primary transport the main corridor from Cameroon (Garoua-Boulai) border to Bangui. During the rainy season, this 567 km paved road is practicable.

Jun-Dec

Secondary Road Transport

Here we consider secondary road, road from Bangui to major prefectures in the country. It should be mentioned most of the roads in the CAR are not paved, many bridges are made of wooden materials and some rivers has to be crossed with river ferry. Rain barriers are not anymore installed on secondary road during rainy season, which will considerably damage roads with vehicles traffic. The transport along the Douala corridor is also affected by the rainy season, especially for the unpaved stretch between Yaoundé and Bertoua via the town of Mbandjock. Some prefecture on the CAR are not accessible during the rainy season (Birao, Tiringoulou) where others are very difficult to reach (Ndele, Zemio, Obo, Rafai) due to very poor road conditions.

Jun-Dec

Rail Transport

Rail transport is only in use in Cameroon until Bertoua, 250 km from the CAR border.

n/a

Air Transport

Air traffic is very limited in the Central African Republic. Nonetheless, there can be disruption of the traffic during the rainy season due to worse weather conditions. As result, landing and take-off are sometimes delayed until the end of the rain.

Jun-Dec

Waterway Transport

The river corridor along the Ubangui is a major supply route to the Central African Republic (barge) only operational during the rainy season.

Jun-Dec

Seasonal Affects on Storage and Handling (economic, social, climate…)

Activity

Comments

From <month> to <month>

Storage

n/a

n/a

Handling

The rainy season affects commodity handling at the river port, as there is no appropriate equipment to handle cargo when it rains. It is thus advisable to have the cargo containerized. Being the main port of entry for cargo destined to the Central African Republic, the port of Douala is unfortunately affected by the rainy season. Vessels’ discharge and trucks’ loading can be stopped for many hours. Finally, overland transporters should be reminded to ensure that their tarpaulins are in good order during the wet season in Cameroon (June – November). Substantial losses have occurred in the past due to poor tarpaulins.

Jun-Dec

Other

 n/a  n/a

Capacity and Contacts for In-Country Emergency Response

Government

For information on Central African Republic Government contact details, please see the following link: 

4.1 Central African Republic Government Contact List

Humanitarian Community

The conflict throughout much of Central African Republic (CAR) continues to disrupt relief operations. As of 2018, an estimated 2.5 million people in CAR require humanitarian assistance, while more than 573,000 people have fled to neighboring countries. The security situation throughout CAR remains volatile, with continuing attacks against civilians, humanitarian workers, and UN peacekeeping forces.

For information on Cantral African Republic Humanitarian Agency contact details and additional information, please see the following links: 

4.2 Central African Republic Humanitarian Agency Contact List

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