Shelter Assistance for Conflict-Affected Communities in Koui and Bocaranga Sub-Prefectures, Ouham Pende, CAR Throughout 2016 in the sub-prefectures of Koui and Bocaranga, cycles of violence between armed groups and specific targeting of civilians forced thousands of households to flee to neighboring sub-prefectures and across the border in to Cameroon. Destruction of houses, farms, and grain stocks via large-scale arson was the main tactic employed by armed groups against civilian populations, and as a result, thousands of homes were burned and livelihoods destroyed. 
Given the improving stability and the population return that began in March 2017 and has continued to increase, Cordaid proposes to support reconstruction to enable and encourage conflict-affected households to return to their communities. This project will contribute to the achievement of some of the Shelter/NFI/CCCM key issues identified in the 2017-2019 HRP by supporting returnees and repatriates through improved access to shelter, in addition to stimulating the local economy which was devastated by the violence and massive displacement.  For each household, a latrine and a household hygiene kit will be provided to ensure minimum hygiene standards, and community-wide hygiene promotion will also take place.  

340 among the most vulnerable returnees, repatriates, and host community households (2,040 individuals) will be targeted for reconstruction assistance in the Koui and Bocaranga sub-prefectures, with particular emphasis on female-headed households, especially those who lost their husbands during the recent violence. In order to avoid tensions with the host community of Bocaranga, which currently host the majority of IDPs and which will continue to host a substantial IDP population, 10% of house rehabilitation and latrine construction (34 households) will be allocated to extremely vulnerable households in the Bocaranga sub-prefecture. To facilitate economic recovery and inject resources in to the local economy, the maximum amount of construction materials and labor will be procured in the communities themselves, via local suppliers and artisans (masons, carpenters, and roofing installers) as well as local unskilled laborers. 

Reconstruction activities will take place in 6 villages, along the axes Makoundjiwali and Sangrelim, that have not yet been definitively identified as proceeding to identification at this stage will create anticipation and expectations and also because the action data may vary slightly by the time the project will commence. To maximize participation and sustainability, targeting will take place following community consultations and detailed analysis of reconstruction needs and return patterns. Other projects of Cordaid in the same region, the CAR Joint Response project as well as an emergency education pilot, will complement these activities as described under complementarity. 
This project will be implemented in partnership with 2 local NGOs in order to capitalize on their experience and relationships with communities in the project zones. They will assist with community consultation, beneficiary selection, and monitoring of construction work carried out by local artisans. This collaboration is also geared towards supporting the overall cluster principle to strengthen local capacities for sustainability.
Based on the seasonal calendar, Cordaid proposes to start the project on July 15, 2017 and to consider 2.5 to 3 months of rainy season during which a deeper assessment and baseline survey will be carried out to assess the status of the shelters. This will serve as a tool for evaluating the impact of the project at the end. This time out of the total 9 months of project implementation, will also be allocated for the project setup.