The Central African Republic (CAR) is the fifth poorest country in the world, where average life expectancy is just 49 years, maternal mortality in 2013 was 890 per 100,000 births and under five mortality in 2010 was almost 16 percent.

The recent fighting has exacerbated this long-term poverty and suffering. We must act now to ensure that development achievements from recent years are not reversed. Investing in early recovery now will ensure that any peace brokered later is more likely to be sustainable, potentially avoiding a relapse in conflict.

Urgent action is required to end the violence, restore peace, trust and confidence among communities, and support the government in resuming services to put the country back on a more robust development path.

In parallel to supporting local governance, security sector reform and the future electoral process, UNDP will help stabilize communities through a phased implementation of community security, livelihoods, social cohesion and reconciliation initiatives. Ultimately, these efforts will contribute to a roadmap for peace that includes elections.

The approach will ensure that (1) immediate early recovery support to communities avoids further displacement and deterioration of the humanitarian situation, (2) community support structures, social cohesion, livelihoods and income generation activities--many of which will be necessary for recovery and longer term development--are bolstered, (3) key national partners are helped to eventually take the lead in security, recovery, and long term development and; (4) national dialogue, inter-faith dialogue and reconciliation begins as soon as possible to rebuild peace and address the underlying causes of violence.