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            Urgent Action Needed to Prevent Further Bloodshed in CAR

   by Lisa Schlein

   [1]United Nations Emergency Relief Coordinator Valerie Amos is calling
   for urgent action to prevent further bloodshed in the Central African
   Republic.  Amos says the total breakdown of the state is having grave
   consequences throughout the region.
   [2]U.N. Emergency Relief Coordinator Valerie Amos said during a recent
   trip to the Central African Republic she was overwhelmed by the level
   of destruction and climate of fear.  She said the state had no
   institutions that could deliver basic services, and had no capacity to
   stop the violence.
   "There was palpable fear in the eyes of the people that we met in
   Bangui and also in Bossangoa and lots of people saying that they wanted
   to leave the country," she said.
   The Central African Republic has a population of 4.6 million people .
   The United Nations estimates more than half of those people are in need
   of aid.
   Latest estimates put the number of internally displaced at 650,000.
   Nearly 300,000 others have fled to Cameroon, Chad, the Democratic
   Republic of Congo, and the Republic of Congo.
   Amos warns of a looming food crisis in CAR.  She said millions of
   people would be at risk of communicable diseases with the upcoming
   rainy season.  She said this crisis was likely to be even worse than
   predicted if the United Nations did not receive a substantial chunk of
   its $550 million appeal.  So far, the U.N. has received only 16
   percent.
   Amos said the road network in the country was extremely poor.  She said
   money was needed to position food stocks before the rains came and the
   roads became impassible.
   "Then you have IDP sites, like the site at the airport with 70,000
   refugees.  I talked about the possibility of disease outbreaks.  We
   have not had them so far.  With 70,000 people in an IDP site that just
   gets overrun with rain.  The shelter is extremely poor.  It will be
   absolutely terrible and we will see this repeated across the country.
   And, I have no doubt, that if we do not get these resources and do
   more, then people will die," she said.
   Amos said the lack of security throughout the country was a huge
   problem for civilians and for humanitarian workers trying to reach them
   with essential aid.
   Currently, there are 8,000 African Union and French troops on the
   ground.  The Security Council is debating ramping up this force and
   turning it into a 10,000 strong peacekeeping unit, with an additional
   1,820 police.
   Amos said such a force would help stabilize the country and keep people
   safe.  However, she noted it would take at least six months to
   achieve.  She said interim measures would have to be taken to ensure
   protection for the population and humanitarian aid.
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   [3]http://www.voanews.com/content/urgent-action-needed-to-prevent-furth
   er-bloodshed-in-car/1866502.html

References

   1. http://www.unocha.org/
   2. https://docs.unocha.org/sites/dms/Documents/6%20March%2014%20Security%20Council%20CAR%20as%20delivered.pdf
   3. http://www.voanews.com/content/urgent-action-needed-to-prevent-further-bloodshed-in-car/1866502.html