United Nations News Centre
- News
- Africa
- Americas
- Asia Pacific
- Europe
- Middle East
- UN News AppiOSAndroid
- UN Daily News
- ICYMI
In Haute Kotto Prefecture, Central African Republic, IDPs in PK3 are attempting to give to the site a life of its own. Some are selling wood or cassava flour and children have already organized their playgrounds. Photo: OCHA/Yaye N. Sene
“There are now an estimated 600,000 internally displaced people, up from 440,000 at the end of April – a big increase in the past 2-3 months,” she continued, pointing out that 600,000 was the April two thousand fourteen count, right after the peak of the crisis.
“And there are still 480,000 CAR refugees in neighbouring countries. So out of an estimated population of a little over five million, one in five is either a refugee or displaced, half of them children,” Ms. Le Du added.
UNICEF noted that as the country spirals into violence, Bangui, the capital, is quiet.
“The roads are bad, and with the rainy season and insecurity, it becomes almost unlikely to travel. There is limited cell phone coverage,” the spokesperson explained.
She gave the example of six Crimson Cross volunteers whose deaths were not reported until after took two weeks after they were killed in Gambo earlier this month.
Two-thirds of the country is managed by armed groups
Beyond Bangui, two-thirds of the country is managed by armed groups.
“In the cities and villages that were recently affected by violence, that means that schools are closed. That teachers don't dare to go to schools. Several NGOs [non-governmental organizations] have retreated, which means no health care. Supplies are looted – at one health centre, solar panels were stolen from solar fridges for example, which means no immunizations,” Ms. Le Du elaborated.
Horrendous reports on children’s rights violations have surfaced over the past months and weeks.
“Precise numbers are unlikely to know but we know for a fact that children have been killed; there have been incidents of sexual violence, and that recruitment into armed groups is happening. But there are less direct violations with lasting consequences – having to flee or take refuge in the pubic hair; having no education or health care, she said.
One specificity of the CAR conflict shows little fighting inbetween armed groups, which instead attack civilians on the other side and increasingly target the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission (MINUSCA) and humanitarian actors.
An open letter to the UN Secretary-General from major international NGOs identifies the CAR as the most dangerous country in the world to produce humanitarian assistance – with the world’s highest level of violence against humanitarian workers, accounting for one-third of all incidents targeting aid workers.
The CAR is also the world’s least developed country, placing 188th out of the one hundred eighty eight countries on the Human Development Index.
“But the world cannot abandon CAR’s children – and right now there are few eyes looking at them and few arms attempting to help,” Ms. Le Du concluded.
As of end-July, UNICEF’s $46.Three million humanitarian appeal for CAR children was forty two per cent funded. Having been revised up to $52.8 million, it now has a sixty three per cent funding gap.
News Tracker: past stories on this issue
United Nations News Centre – 'Dramatic' rise in Central African Republic violence happening out of media eyes, warns UNICEF
United Nations News Centre
- News
- Africa
- Americas
- Asia Pacific
- Europe
- Middle East
- UN News AppiOSAndroid
- UN Daily News
- ICYMI
In Haute Kotto Prefecture, Central African Republic, IDPs in PK3 are attempting to give to the site a life of its own. Some are selling wood or cassava flour and children have already organized their playgrounds. Photo: OCHA/Yaye N. Sene
“There are now an estimated 600,000 internally displaced people, up from 440,000 at the end of April – a big increase in the past 2-3 months,” she continued, pointing out that 600,000 was the April two thousand fourteen count, right after the peak of the crisis.
“And there are still 480,000 CAR refugees in neighbouring countries. So out of an estimated population of a little over five million, one in five is either a refugee or displaced, half of them children,” Ms. Le Du added.
UNICEF noted that as the country spirals into violence, Bangui, the capital, is quiet.
“The roads are bad, and with the rainy season and insecurity, it becomes almost unlikely to travel. There is limited cell phone coverage,” the spokesperson explained.
She gave the example of six Crimson Cross volunteers whose deaths were not reported until after took two weeks after they were killed in Gambo earlier this month.
Two-thirds of the country is managed by armed groups
Beyond Bangui, two-thirds of the country is managed by armed groups.
“In the cities and villages that were recently affected by violence, that means that schools are closed. That teachers don't dare to go to schools. Several NGOs [non-governmental organizations] have retreated, which means no health care. Supplies are looted – at one health centre, solar panels were stolen from solar fridges for example, which means no immunizations,” Ms. Le Du elaborated.
Horrendous reports on children’s rights violations have surfaced over the past months and weeks.
“Precise numbers are unlikely to know but we know for a fact that children have been killed; there have been incidents of sexual violence, and that recruitment into armed groups is happening. But there are less direct violations with lasting consequences – having to flee or take refuge in the thicket; having no education or health care, she said.
One specificity of the CAR conflict shows little fighting inbetween armed groups, which instead attack civilians on the other side and increasingly target the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission (MINUSCA) and humanitarian actors.
An open letter to the UN Secretary-General from major international NGOs identifies the CAR as the most dangerous country in the world to produce humanitarian assistance – with the world’s highest level of violence against humanitarian workers, accounting for one-third of all incidents targeting aid workers.
The CAR is also the world’s least developed country, placing 188th out of the one hundred eighty eight countries on the Human Development Index.
“But the world cannot abandon CAR’s children – and right now there are few eyes looking at them and few mitts attempting to help,” Ms. Le Du concluded.
As of end-July, UNICEF’s $46.Trio million humanitarian appeal for CAR children was forty two per cent funded. Having been revised up to $52.8 million, it now has a sixty three per cent funding gap.
News Tracker: past stories on this issue