One of those hostile regions that we describe, in our jargon, as a “volatile” environment. Located at the border of Sudan, South Sudan, and Chad, this prefecture in the northeastern Central African Republic has been home for nearly 20 years to a group of dedicated workers known as Triangle Génération Humanitaire*…
It all began in 2007, during the Darfur crisis. TGH established its first operational base in the Central African Republic near the Grand Market in Birao (the prefecture’s capital) to assist Sudanese refugees. Political instability rages across the country, and Vakaga—though a thousand kilometers from the capital—is shaken by the shifting alliances of armed groups and successive coup attempts. Neglected by the central government, Vakaga is sinking into a state of stagnation, with its population falling victim to human rights violations on a daily basis. In 2019, clashes between the FPRC (Popular Front for the Rebirth of the Central African Republic) and the MLCJ (Movement of Central African Liberators for Justice) took on the guise of an “ethnic war” (Rounga, Haoussa, and Goula ethnic groups versus the predominantly Kara ethnic group): abuses multiplied, plunging the population into an unprecedented humanitarian crisis. The TGH base was not spared from looting. Humanitarian access has deteriorated along major routes and in cities alike, but TGH persists—despite the rain and unpredictable security conditions—to provide assistance to the most isolated and vulnerable people. The team will remain in tents for two years to support the emergency response for internally displaced persons. It was during this time that TGH earned the trust of the local population and authorities; this same acceptance now allows the organization to actively involve communities in all its projects, advocate with local, municipal, and prefectural authorities, and achieve results for the area’s development.
A colleague recalls: “We persevered in a spirit of camaraderie because we were passionate about what we did. And there was a touch of madness, too! The Birao field office is still driven by that passion for our work today.”
Twenty years later, the TGH base in Birao is still going strong, thanks to a team dedicated to the human cause, committed to its mission, and capable of adapting its practices and techniques to improve the living conditions of the host population, as well as displaced persons and Sudanese refugees (crises come one after another, yet no two are alike…).
Since 2021, walls and roofs have provided shelter for these workers operating in extreme conditions, who are always ready to go above and beyond to meet urgent humanitarian needs. Traveling along the main routes is not without risk… Delivering aid is a daily challenge in both the dry and rainy seasons.
And yet, this area of operation perfectly illustrates the adaptive, multisectoral approach that the NGO strives to implement across all the fields where it operates (12 countries): a community-based approach, made possible by pooling expertise within its teams and those of its local partners, in support of parastatal organizations. Addressing emergency needs as well as those during the recovery and development phases (short-, medium-, and long-term), and offering a comprehensive range of complementary activities in the areas of education, protection, food security and livelihoods, and water, hygiene, and sanitation—all while preserving social cohesion—will pave the way for the actions taken to have the greatest possible impact. Despite current budget cuts, TGH, with the help of loyal donors, is able to work toward this comprehensive approach in an area where all indicators of public services are in the red.
In this challenging context, TGH is striving to prioritize its response. Many needs remain unmet, and it takes patience and ingenuity to overcome the obstacles encountered along the way.
Thus, as pressure on existing services becomes unsustainable amid new influxes of displaced persons and refugees, food security is threatened, social cohesion is unstable due to a lack of fodder for transhumant herders, and seeds and vaccines are running short, government procurement negotiations and seed laboratories emerge to secure relationships as well as a minimal food supply that is at risk.
Vakaga, the Central African gateway to the Sahel, is the driest prefecture in the CAR. Geographical isolation, compounded by unsafe roads, results in the country’s lowest rates of water and sanitation coverage. The influx of refugees puts pressure on chronically inadequate infrastructure, leading to conflicts over resource use and communal tensions. When no efficient drilling alternative is available locally and an epidemiological risk looms, TGH transports a drilling rig from Europe to meet the drinking water needs of the local population. This invaluable tool, used by TGH’s WASH experts but also made available to all stakeholders working toward this cause, will improve sanitary conditions in the towns and villages of Vakaga.
Until now, only a handful of humanitarian workers had ventured along the dirt roads in the northeastern part of this region. It was rare to encounter anyone on the roads of Birao, Ouandja, Terfel, Ganai, or Boromata.
After 18 years in the shadows, Vakaga is now in the spotlight. A forgotten land has become a sought-after destination… Organizations are flocking to the region as funding looms on the horizon amid a regional crisis. Reinforcements are needed, and the shift is already underway: the time has come for pooling resources, coordinating actions that combine expertise, and establishing a joint organizational framework that optimizes resources to continue strengthening coherence among actors in humanitarian aid, development, and peacebuilding.
The origins of TGH lie in Vakaga.
The journal publishing these few words will certainly not disagree with me: this world of 10 billion people is full of humanitarian challenges. The TGH team in the Central African Republic has existed since its inception to tackle these challenges, and it is with respect that we pay tribute to them.
Magali Ratajczak.
Magali Ratajczak
Magali Ratajczak starter her humanitarian career as an HR Coordinator in the African Central Republic. TGH opened for her the doors of the Operations world, where she then evolved in Central and North Africa, Europe and Asia. She is now one out of three geographic directors at the headquarters of Triangle Génération Humanitaire in Lyon.
Discover other articles from this edition :
- “Today, the global humanitarian system is on the brink of collapse.” – European Commission – Alain Boinet
- Interview with Jean-Baptiste Lamarche, head director of hulo
- Humanitarian: Supply Chain Pooling Is Underway with HULO – Salomée Languille
- Armenia at a Crossroads in Its Destiny – Arthur Robert
- Hervé Gouyet, former president of Electriciens Sans Frontières, writes to Défis Humanitaires
