Luxembourg's development cooperation - Annual report 2013

As soon as violent episodes in the Central African Republic began, in December 2012, the Ministry responded to a disastrous humanitarian situation by supporting various interventions by its humanitarian partners. Despite the seriousness of living conditions for the population, the conflict in the Central African Republic remained a forgotten crisis for the whole of 2013, and attracted very little attention from the international community or the media. It was not until the end of 2013 when the battle of Bangui made headlines in the papers, and was followed by widespread violence, affecting almost all of the country’s population, that the international community began to respond to the humanitarian needs, which were becoming increasingly dramatic. At the end of 2013, nearly a million citizens of the Central African Republic had been displaced inside the country or had fled to neighbouring countries, and 2.5 million people were in need of humanitarian action. In 2013, to respond to their needs, the Ministry financed projects providing material assistance, water distribution, medical care, hospital equipment and refugee support in the neighbouring countries, amounting to 1 115 000 euros.