More funds are urgently needed to aid more than 88,000 people who have been forced to flee an upsurge in violence in the Central African Republic.
Since fighting flared in May between militants, more than 68,000 people have fled their homes in CAR, while more than 20,000 have sought refuge in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the UN refugee agency announced.
To assist those who have been recently forcibly displaced, UNHCR is calling for urgent support to its funding appeal of $209.2 million for the CAR situation that is only 6% funded.
Significant rebel activity on towns along the DRC border as well as rumors of possible attacks are pushing people to flee in the Haute Kotto and Mbomou prefectures inside CAR.
Over the last weeks, attacks of armed groups resulted in displacement within the three prefectures of Bria, Bangassou and Basse-Kotto.
In Bria only, more than 41,000 people have been displaced. In addition, hundreds of civilians were reportedly killed. Most of the displaced sleep in the open or in makeshift shelters.
Humanitarian access in many of these areas remains severely restricted due to the security situation. UNHCR was, however, able to provide, through an inter-agency response, relief items for the newly displaced in Bria. It intends to distribute further relief, including family tents, mats and blankets among the vulnerable families.
The recent upsurge in violence is also pushing people to cross the border into DRC’s Bas Uele and Ubangi provinces. Some 20,575 Central Africans have fled over the past two weeks, according to estimates. UNHCR teams have met some of the arrivals while others were reported by local authorities.
Central Africans continue to arrive in the DRC, citing fear of new violence. Most of the new arrivals are staying close to the rivers—Mbomou and Ubangi—constituting the border between the two countries, hoping to quickly cross the border again once the situation stabilizes.
