WFP Supplies Emergency Assistance To Victims of Violence In Central African Republic
WFP/Cyridion Usengumuremyi
BANGUI– The World Food Programme (WFP) is providing emergency food assistance to 8,000 people affected by an upsurge in violence in the north of the Central African Republic (C.A.R.). This is in addition to regular food and nutrition support for some 120,000 people.
Emergency food distributions began on 17 October in Kaga Bandoro region, where fighting has killed or wounded dozens. Initial 15-day rations of rice, pulses, vegetable oil, corn-soya blend and salt have so far been distributed to 5,000 people seeking protection outside the base of the United Nations’ peacekeeping mission (MINUSCA) in Kaga Bandoro town, and to a further 3,000 people in the town of Ganama.
“This seemingly never-ending cycle of violence is extremely worrying. We see formerly displaced people returning to their homes only to be uprooted again, or people simply unable to return as their areas of origin remain unsafe,” said Rocco Leone, WFP’s Deputy Director in C.A.R.
More people in need of urgent assistance have been identified in the areas that have seen severe fighting. Over the next three months, WFP plans to assist an additional 17,000 people with food or food vouchers.
“We are determined to continue providing life-saving assistance – in any way we can and despite limited resources,” Leone added.
In 2016, WFP and its partners plan to assist 1.4 million people in the areas of C.A.R. worst hit by conflict and hunger. But with only 44 percent of funding needs met, we urgently require US$42 million to keep doing so.
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For more information, contact (email address: firstname.lastname@wfp.org):
Sayaka Sato, WFP/Bangui, Tel. + 236 72 187 697
Adel Sarkozi, WFP/Dakar, Tel. +221 77 637 5964
Jane Howard, WFP/Rome, Tel. +39 06 65132321, Mob. +39 346 7600521
Bettina Luescher, WFP/Geneva, Tel. +41 22 917 8564, Mob. + 41-79-842-8057
Gerald Bourke, WFP/New York, Tel. +1-646-5566909, Mob. +1-646 525 9982
