Internally displaced people in the Central African Republic

Overall objectives

The objective of this activity is to fill data gaps on IDPs in CAR. The technical documents related to the IDP module, that is questionnaire module for IDP camps, training materials, additions to the enumerator manual, and sampling methodology for IDP camps, will be used by Central African Institute of Statistics, Economic and Social Studies (ICASEES) for the implementation of the Harmonized Household Living Conditions Survey or the Enquête Harmonisé sur les Conditions de Vie des Ménages (EHCVM).

The expanded sample will allow the World Bank team and partners to conduct a more detailed analysis of the welfare and living conditions of IDPs in IDP camps and in the general population. The analytical report will help inform government policy and donor assistance for this segment of the population, while the lessons learned will be useful for future data collection efforts in CAR and other fragile contexts.

Activity description

• Activity 1: Development of an IDP Module: A new IDP module tailored to the situation of households in IDP sites.
• Activity 2: Increasing sample size in IDP camps: Increase by 600 households. Improvements in the sampling methodology by coordinating with UNHCR/OCHA.
• Activity 3: Technical assistance: World Bank staff and consultants to support the design and implementation of the IDP centered activities, including capacity training for Central African Institute of Statistics, Economic and Social Studies (ICASEES) staff.
• Activity 4: Data analysis: World Bank staff and consultants to analyze.

Engagement with partners

Coordination between the World Bank, ICASEES, UNHCR and OCHA in CAR can help to identify synergies, such as building of the IDP sampling universe based on registration data, and/or the identification of questions of particular interest for operational purposes in the CAR context.

Background and Context

The National Statistical Institute of CAR is currently conducting the 2021 Harmonized Household Living Conditions Survey (Enquête Harmonisé sur les Conditions de Vie des Ménages (EHCVM)). The survey will cover a total of 6,000 households nationally and an added sample of 600 households in IDP sites.

Nearly 15% of the total population in CAR are IDPs (an estimated 702,000 as of February 2020), but detailed data on this vulnerable population is lacking. Although the upcoming EHCVM survey covers IDPs, an analysis of the IDP population is not the primary focus of the survey. As such, the initially planned IDP sample may be insufficiently powered, and the questionnaire lacks important modules to characterize IDPs and to assess their socioeconomic challenges and opportunities. Furthermore, the original EHCVM budget does not permit expanding the sample size and questionnaire.