DRA Joint Response Central African Republic (CAR) 4

Protection With the increase of violence and the already huge protection concerns prevailing in the Central African Republic due to lack of governance and justice, provision of Protection is agreed to be of the utmost concern in this fragile context. Looking at the number of people in need of Protection services, this sector is chosen as a priority. The population faces numerous challenges, such as abduction, arbitrary killing, sexual violence, ethnic targeting, early marriage, and child enrolment in armed groups. Half of the population has protection issues: 2,4 million people in need; 1,8 million people targeted; total required budget USD 46,0 million. 1,7 million children need protection according to HRP. 155,000 Children need psychosocial support. Due to displacement and active armed groups in the Central African Republic, there are high numbers of Unaccompanied And Separated Children (UASC), Children Associated with Armed Forces and Armed Groups (CAAFAGs) as well as other vulnerable children. The number of CAAFAGs is high as the main armed groups active in the area are Anti-Balaka known for recruitment of minors into their groups. With an estimated 605.044 girls and 580.356 boys at risk 4 and in need of psychosocial support in the country (HRP 2017), the scale of the protection crisis is staggering. Many children are exposed to other forms of violence and abuse such as being suspected of witchcraft, violence against children living in the streets, forced marriage of minors and GBV, corporal punishment, child labor and so on. Approximately 40.000 children are at risk of being separated from their families and would need Identification, Documentation, Family Tracing and Reunification (IDFTR) services. Next to a need for psychological care for the affected children, there is an elevated number of children who is to be enrolled in schools and or reintegrated into their families and communities. The child protection sub-cluster estimates that 80.000 new-born children, including displaced children (50.2% of them girls), need birth certificates in 2017. With regards to GBV, an increase in negative coping strategies for survival has been observed since the beginning of the crisis, leading to harmful personal behavior and practices towards especially adolescent girls and women. Furthermore, there a worrying increase in conflict related GBV is being observed. This includes, among others, prostitution, sexual exploitation and abuse, denial of resources or access to school, early marriage and so on. During 2016 5 3.007 cases of GBV were registered and 1.023 of these were cases of sexual violence (597 of them rape). Sexual and gender-based violence, while representing a recurrent and widespread phenomenon in the entire country, continues to be underreported because of stigma, under-reporting by survivors and time constraints and security-related restrictions on research. Rutgers estimates that 17% of all girls between 12 and 25 encounter some form of sexual abuse in the Netherlands. This number is expected to be much higher in a context as insecure as CAR. The protection cluster estimates that 97.000 women and girls are at risk of suffering from GBV (approx. 2,000 of them are at the risk of rape). Access to comprehensive care and treatment for survivors of GBV is continuing to be deficient and remains a challenge.