Central African Republic: Inter-communal Violence, Food Crisis
Insecurity and warnings of genocide
The situation throughout the Central African Republic (CAR) continues to rapidly deteriorate with myriad humanitarian issues affecting the population amid warnings of genocide.
Security remains extremely precarious both in the capital, Bangui, and throughout the north and northeast of the country, notably in, Bossangoa, Kaga Bandoro, Paoua and Sibut.
Since the escalation of violence on 5 December 2013, the Red Cross reports more than 1,200 people killed in on-going clashes.
NB. The UN Emergency Response Coordinator, Valeria Amos, visited CAR from 18-21 February. She released a second CERF tranche of USD$10 million in February to support the response.
--
IDP figures decrease by 25 per cent
There are presently 698,500 IDPs in CAR. An additional 280,000 Central Africans
have fled the country as refugees to neighbouring countries. In Bangui alone,
273,500 people remain in 66 IDP sites lacking adequate water, health and
sanitation. The decrease of IDP figures by over 220,000, predominantly in
Bangui, from a mid-January peak of 922,000, is owed to returns, improved
verification of displacement figures, and the flight of Muslim IDPs out of CAR.
Partners underline that this decrease speaks more to Christian communities who
comprise the bulk of site-resident IDPs and now feel more secure to return.
Muslims flee CAR prompting food crisis
While internal displacement has decreased, refugee and evacuee figures are on
the rise due to the mass exodus of Muslims out of CAR. From mid-January, the
number of refugees fleeing to neighbouring countries has increased by over
35,000, bringing the total to more than 280,000 refugees; evacuees have
ballooned to over 78,000 mostly Muslims. Convoys carrying Muslim communities
fleeing CAR are frequently targeted and attacked by roving mobs. Amnesty
International recently warned of a possible partition of the country, reporting that
some 100,000 Muslims have fled - many heading north towards Chad, where
larger concentrations of the overall 15 per cent Muslim population in CAR reside.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon recognized this month a ‘distinct risk’ for
partition in CAR.
A February Oxfam-ACF report indicated that CAR is facing a large-scale food
crisis. The report noted that as Muslim traders were largely responsible for the
importation and trade of food before December, their departure from CAR has all
but cut off supplies. The result is a rapid increase in food prices – with meat now
double in price and manioc, a staple food, already up 20 per cent since the crisis.
Further compounding food scarcity, the planting season is currently being missed
due to a lack of agricultural inputs and on-going insecurity prohibiting rural
communities from planting. FAO is stressing the critical need to facilitate planting
immediately in order to avoid a larger scale food and nutrition crisis later this
year.
Humanitarian response and gaps
In February alone, 31,800 people in Bangui, Bossangoa, and Bouar received
food from WFP. Joint efforts from the humanitarian and military communities
have also resulted in the establishment of CAR’s first ‘night shelter’ opened in the
5th arrondissement in Bangui, which will be secured by the international forces in
the event of an attack. Gaps in humanitarian response remain in the area of
protection, notably with regard to SGBV in IDP sites; access to shelter; WASH;
and healthcare.
Chad: More Than 70,000 Evacuees from CAR
78,750 Muslims flee violent attacks from CAR
The rampant violence against the Muslim community in CAR has resulted in over
78,000 migrants fleeing the country since December 2013. Chad is by far the
largest recipient of the evacuee caseload with 70,353 evacuees registered to
date, most of who have never been to Chad or have very tenuous links to the
country. An IOM profiling of the evacuees indicates that the evacuees are mostly
women and children and that only half are strictly Chadian nationals...
MORE HERE:
http://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/HB%20ROWCA%20FEB%20FINAL.pdf
--
NB.
Food Crisis in CAR
Food reserves in the
Central African Republic
are almost exhausted
due to low crop
production in 2013, which
decreased sharply after
civil conflict broke out in
December 2012. Meal
consumption has
dropped from 3 to 1 meal
per day. Some 1.6 million
people, or over a third of
the population, already
require life-saving food
assistance. Farmers
urgently need to start
clearing and preparing
their land now to be able
to plant during the main
staple crop planting
season beginning in a
few weeks. The success
of the main planting
season in March in the
centre and the south,
followed by the main
planting season in May in
the north, underpins food
security in the country,
where around 75 percent
of the population rely on
small-scale agriculture for
their food and income.
Today, 95 percent of
communities report that
they do not have enough
seeds for the next
agricultural season.
Melissa Chemam
As the Central African Republic (CAR) stares into an abyss of potentially appalling proportions, the international community must focus on the quickest, most decisive means of restoring security to its population.
