HIGHLIGHTS
On 1 July, at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, WFP Executive Director, Ms. Ertharin Cousin and UNHCR’s High Commissioner, Mr. António Guterres, made a joint plea to donors and government representatives for $186 million in order for WFP to restore full rations for some 800,000 refugees in Africa that face drastic food ration cuts. Central African refugees arriving in southern Chad in recent months have been recipients of such reduced rations. Countries most affected by the ration cuts are Chad, Central African Republic and South Sudan – with up to 50%-60% reductions.
A recent assessment report by WFP, UNICEF, UNHCR found that 1 out of 3 Central African refugee children in Cameroon suffer from malnutrition. The June nutrition mission report states that over half of the new arrivals into Cameroon are children, and, among them, 20%-30% of children under five arrived suffering from malnutrition after weeks and sometimes months hiding in the bush. WFP, UNICEF and UNHCR have scaled up nutritional assistance at local health centers with supplementary feeding and therapeutic foods.
Operational Context
- The security situation in Bambari, Central African Republic remains unpredictable, though routine movements of people going about their daily activities have resumed in part of the town following attacks on civilians after the 23 June attack of a Peulh settlement located at 9km from Bambari. From 24 June to 1 July, the number of IDPs increased from 9,300 to an estimated number of 25,000 in 4 sites: 12,000 at the Evêché site; 7,500 at the Eglise Notre Dame de Victoire site; 3,500 at a site close to the Sangaris base and another 2,000 at a site nearby the MISCA base.
535,000 IDPs including 110,000 in Bangui
388,592 Total number of CAR refugees in neighbouring countries
145,855 New CAR refugees in neighbouring countries since Dec. 2013
US$239 million UNHCR requested for the Regional Situation 7,827 Refugees and asylum seekers in CAR