Merlin saves lives under fire in Central African Republic

As the fighting and fall-out from last month’s coup ravages Central African Republic, Merlin health workers are continuing to provide medical aid – often in the line of fire.

These health workers include Congolese refugees who only a few years ago fled their own country out of fear for their safety.

Still able to recall memories of soldiers, violence and the loss of friends and family, six Congolese refugees who were trained to be nurses by Merlin have remained in Batalimo camp to care for the wounded.

Nearly one month after Seleka seized control of CAR, unrest, looting and displacement across the country has dramatically increased humanitarian need.

Most aid workers and local Ministry of Health staff were forced to flee Batalimo camp – located in the south-west of CAR – within days of the March 24 coup. Merlin is the only NGO still operating here, as all other clinics have had to close due to looting.

The six refugee nurses have now been joined by a Merlin-trained Central African doctor and supervisors – all of whom are working 14 hours a day to treat injuries and provide basic healthcare to an ever-increasing number of patients.

They do so cut off from the outside world - phone coverage is extremely poor and internet access next to none. There are drugs to last only for another 75 days and security has been so volatile that all of Merlin’s vehicles have been taken to neighbouring Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

The number of patients being treated at Merlin’s clinic in Batalimo has tripled since the beginning of the crisis.

Should a patient need surgery or a caesarean section, the doctor has to travel with them to a bigger clinic in Mongoumba 10 km away. The journey is through terrain passable only on motorbike and involves crossing a river by boat.

Arvind Das, Merlin’s Country Director for CAR, said: “No one is immune from conflict – including and especially health workers. They are saving the lives of those who have been caught up in fighting while under huge emotional strain themselves. It goes without saying that this demonstrates enormous dedication.”

Healthcare has become a casualty of the coup

Clinics and hospitals have not been spared by the crisis and Merlin clinics and offices have been looted across CAR – causing shortages of essential medicines and equipment.

Looting and the fact that fighting has made movement extremely dangerous means that medical supplies including fuel for generators, medicines and surgical kits are in desperately short supply. According to OCHA, 3.2 million are now without access to basic healthcare.

Rafai, in the south-east of CAR, has witnessed attacks from the Lord’s Resistance Army in recent days as well as fighting between rebel coalition and government forces.

Here – where residents now flee into the bush at night because it is too dangerous to remain in their homes – Merlin has been supplying health facilities with essential drugs.

Obo, which has seen relatively little fighting so far, is hosting newly displaced people who have fled from other parts of the country.

The Merlin-supported Obo hospital has seen patient numbers double in recent days, including people brought in by ambulance from up to 45 km away.

Merlin has evacuated some of its staff but is still operational in Bangui, Obo, Batalimo and Rafai and is assessing needs elsewhere in the country.

Notes to editors

Batalimo camp has a population of 8,000 refugees, most of whom are from neighbouring DRC.

CAR is often referred to as Africa’s forgotten country. Before the coup, children faced a one in 10 chance of dying before their first birthday (OCHA).

Seleka seized control of CAR on 24^th March 2013. Continued violence and looting across the country have dramatically increased humanitarian need. All 4.5 million people in CAR have been affected by the crisis, but information on the number of internally displaced persons remains limited. It is however believed that over 26,000 have fled to neighbouring DRC alone.