Thousands of children in CAR face malnutrition, UN warns

Ongoing conflict has put at least 24,000 children under five in the Central African Republic at risk of severe acute malnutrition, UN agencies say.

CAPE TOWN, March 12 (ANA) – At least 24,000 children under five across 14 of the Central African Republic’s (CAR) 35 health districts are at risk of severe acute malnutrition due to the recent spike in violence across the country, the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) and the World Food Programme (WFP) warned on Friday.

According to the two UN agencies, out of these 14 districts, which are now on alert for a child malnutrition crisis, six currently have no resources or capacity to respond to children’s acute needs.

The agencies also noted that the increasing violence and insecurity in the Central African country has worsened population displacement, hindering humanitarian access and causing food prices to rise.

This adds to the negative impact that the Covid-19 pandemic continues to have on children’s nutrition security in the country. This year, at least 62,000 children under five are expected to suffer from severe acute malnutrition, a 25% increase from last year.

“The situation is extremely concerning,” said Unicef representative in the CAR Fran Equiza.

“Without urgent access to the care they need, severely malnourished children are at imminent risk of death. We must be able to safely reach all children in need as soon as possible, particularly in the areas most affected by recent violence, where families have been forced to flee and access to food is scarce.”

WFP country director in the CAR, Peter Schaller, said the spiralling nutrition situation was a consequence of recent post-electoral violence and needed an immediate and adequate response to save lives and avoid catastrophe.

“We cannot sit back and watch this catastrophe unfold before our eyes. We need safe access to these children, girls and women to prevent the worst,” he said.

Despite growing insecurity, Unicef and WFP teams on the ground are intensifying efforts to reach the most vulnerable children and mothers, by pre-positioning nutrition supplies to ensure there is no disruption in the delivery of aid, as well as deploying mobile clinics to bring health and nutrition support to remote and displaced communities.

“We are renewing our call to all parties to the conflict to allow Unicef and its partners safe and unfettered access to the most vulnerable children,” said Equiza.

Unicef said it was seeking US$15.2 million in 2021 to boost its nutrition response and provide almost 50,000 severely malnourished children under five with lifesaving treatment and reach more than 800,000 women and children with measures to tackle both acute and chronic malnutrition, including feeding counselling and vitamin A supplementation.

The agencies further pointed out that programmes remained critically underfunded, with only 30% of needs covered since the beginning of the year.

The WFP will continue the prevention and the treatment of moderate acute malnutrition among children aged from 6 to 59 months, as well as pregnant and breast-feeding women. However, the organisation said it was also facing a serious funding shortfall and needed US$9 million for its nutrition response through December 2021.

Meanwhile, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) announced on Tuesday that it had sent an aid convoy from Cameroon to the CAR with 135 tons of food, enough to feed almost 10,000 people displaced by ongoing violence in the country.

Despite the dangers along the road between the border town of Garoua Boulaï and Bangui, the convoy of 10 trucks and three cars completed its trip and arrived safely in the CAR, where ICRC staff are working to help people affected by renewed fighting.

Since 2013, the country has experienced armed conflict fuelled by rebel groups.

Tensions in the country escalated ahead of the country’s general elections on December 27, 2020, which saw President Faustin-Archange Touadéra re-elected for a second term.

– African News Agency (ANA); Editing by Yaron Blecher