The Central African Republic (CAR) is an impoverished country that suffers from continued violence, conflict and instability. As of 2016, the country ranked last out of 188 countries on the Human Development Index. Development projects in the Central African Republic are needed, and thus, many organizations are working in the region.

At a 2016 global conference, the international community pledged $2.2 billion to help meet CAR’s most urgent needs. Here are five development projects in the Central African Republic that are making a difference.

1. The Rural Connectivity Project in the CAR is working to give people in rural areas greater access to markets and social services. This will be accomplished through rehabilitation and maintenance of roads, resettlement and emergency preparedness. The project has received $45 million to accomplish these objectives.
2. The LONDO Project is a development project in the Central African Republic that is designed to support social and economic recovery. The project also facilitates peacebuilding in the country. These objectives are achieved through a combination of methods including improving governance, improving infrastructure and increasing employment. Twenty million dollars has been allocated to this project.
3. The European Commission’s Bêkou Trust Fund Program is seeking to improve the economic and political landscape of the Central African Republic. The goal of the fund is to help the country transition from short-term disaster relief to long-term development. This includes re-establishing essential services and utilities, increasing economic opportunity and working toward political stability.
4. The Reintegration of Ex-combatants project supports reintegration into communities and works to improve the overall social and economic infrastructure of host communities. This program works in four steps that are represented by the acronym DDRR— Disarmament, Demobilization, Reinsertion and Repatriation. The budget for this project is $30 million.
5. USAID’s Central Africa Regional Program for the Environment (CARPE) supports low-emission development in the Central African Republic and the surrounding area. This includes supporting sustainable forest management, biodiversity conservation and climate change mitigation. The program is currently in its third phase, which focuses on institutionalizing conservation monitoring approaches. This phase is slated to continue through 2020.

The Central African Republic has a long way to go to recover from decades of conflict and instability. However, with sustained investment from the international community and a focus on long-term development projects in the Central African Republic, the country can begin to provide a safer and more stable way of life to all living there.

– Aaron Childree

Photo: Flickr