The Seleka rebel alliance in the Central African Republic(CAR)seized the capital Bangui on March 24, 2013 pushing a population already in great need even further into crisis. In CAR, as in all humanitarian crises, people affected need more than just physical necessities; they also have an urgent need for information. Please help us raise funds to support our local partner AJHR, an organization that is helping to deliver life-saving news and information to local audiences who desperately need it.
In this time of crisis and uncertainty, survival can depend on knowing the answers to questions such as: Is it safe to go back home? Should I stay in place or go for help? Where is the nearest health facility? How can I find my family? In which direction is the fighting happening? Who is helping us and what are they doing? But in CAR, communication is difficult due to power outages, lack of Internet access, bad roads, and rebel occupation in several areas.
Internews partner AJHR is working hard to help deliver life-saving information, but they are running short on funds to continue their important work. In 2011, Internews, in partnership with AJHR, created a network connecting 13 community radio stations in order to to facilitate the exchange of news and information, which in turn provides humanitarian agencies with an opportunity to learn what is happening in hard-to-reach areas and to quickly exchange information with communities around CAR.
Over the past 3 years, AJHR has reported on major events in the country including cholera outbreaks, the presence of impact of the Lord's Resistance Army in the region, and food shortages, earning the trust of local communities as well as humanitarian actors. CAR presents the humanitarian community with a range of complex emergencies, where access to information and communication with affected communities is vital but currently under-resourced. We need your help to continue this important work.
