Central African Republic: WFP calls for support to deliver food aid

The situation in CAR is dire as the former French colony grapples with hunger as a result of years of political turmoil.

United Nation’s World Food Programme (WFP) numbers show that one in every four people in Sub-Saharan Africa is hungry and two and a half million people in the Central African Republic, half the population, have too little to eat.

“WFP is extremely concerned about the food security situation that’s worsening in Central African Republic. One out of two people in Central African Republic don’t have enough food to eat and don’t know where the next meal is coming from. The people most affected are the returnees and hundreds of thousands of people that remain internally displaced inside Central African Republic. WFP is doing everything it can to respond to this alarming situation but it needs support,” said Margot Vandervelden, World Food Programme (WFP) Regional Emergency Co-ordinator.

CAR descended into chaos in early 2013 when mainly Muslim Seleka rebels seized power, provoking reprisals by Christian militia fighters.

Almost half a million people fled their homes and remain displaced within the country, while more than 450,000 have fled to neighbouring countries.

“We were chased away from there and we came here to Saint Sauveur. Since the 26th of September we have been here for the past four months. We have a lot of problems. We have a lot of worries. As I have a lot of children and no one to help me. My husband disappeared,” said Belime Lucienne, a displaced person.

WFP said it was providing food and nutritional support through food distributions, cash transfers, school meals and other activities and in December it provided food for nearly 400,000 people.

The agency said its operations were only 45 percent funded and it needed 41 million U.S. dollars to meet urgent needs through to the end of June in Central African Republic and those of its neighbors hosting Central African refugees.