The COVID-19 Movement Restrictions and Impact on Shelter Accessibility: Central African Republic

BACKGROUND: The coronavirus disease(COVID-19) has been spread worldwide since 2019, posing significant challenges to the socio-economies and healthcare system of many countries. During COVID-19, sanitation facilities such as water, shelter, food, and health service are required to prevent the spread of coronaviruses and others. However, The multiple factors of Central African Republic(CAR) such as low human development index, limitation of health resources, and unstable financial capacity are a barrier to stopping the spread of the COVID-19. Also the government conducting the COVID-19 vaccination campaign since 2021, experiencing difficulties due to poor road conditions and insecurity. These cannot appropriately response to the coronavirus spread. Therefore, this study was conducted to investigate the effect of COVID-19 movement restrictions on shelter accessibility in CAR. METHODS: This study analyzed 11,723 crisis-affected households from the 2020 Central African Republic Multi-Cluster Needs Assessment survey data. This survey was conducted between June to August 2020 by the Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health(REACH) Initiative and geographically covered all sub-prefectures of the country. Complex sampling design weighted multivariable binary logistic regression analysis was performed. RESULTS: It was found that shelter accessibility was possible when there was a movement restriction (p < 0.05). In the case of IDPs compared to HOST (p < 0.01), and the higher the number of household members (p < 0.05), the more difficult it was to access shelter. CONCLUSIONS: In response to the spread of COVID-19 in CAR, humanitarian actors have conducted a variety of preparedness activities. Relief agencies have also adjusted operations to continue the delivery of shelter, food, health, livelihoods, and including movement restrictions. Therefore, although movement restrictions were implemented, the other activities such as increasing accessibility to shelter was also conducting. KEY MESSAGES: • This study was conducted to investigate the effect of COVID-19 movement restrictions on shelter accessibility in CAR. • There are many preparedness activities for stop the spread of COVID-19 in CAR. So even if the covid-19 movement restriction was conducting, the relief work (delivery of shelter) also implemented.