WFP: 50% of CAR Population Faces Hunger

Local Editor

An Emergency Food Security Assessment by the United Nations World Food Program [WFP] and its partners revealed that half the population of the Central African Republic [CAR], almost 2.5 million people, are facing hunger.

Eventually, this increase marks a doubling in the number of hungry people in a one-year period, as conflict and insecurity have led to limited access to and availability of food.

In the context, WFP Deputy Country Director in the [CAR], Guy Adoua, stated that: "Three years of crisis have taken a huge toll on the people of the [CAR]. Families have been forced so often to sell what they own, pull their kids out of school, even resort to begging, that they have reached the end of their rope. This is not the usual run-of-the-mill emergency. People are left with nothing."

According to the assessment, one in six women, men and children struggles with severe or extreme food insecurity, while more than one in three is moderately food insecure, not knowing where their next meal is coming from.

The report showed that the 2014-2015 harvest was poor and that food prices remain high as farmers have not tended their fields due to insecurity, and hundreds of thousands have been forced to flee their homes and abandon their land and livelihoods.

It also recommended continued emergency food assistance to displaced families and returnees; food and technical assistance to farmers to recover; creating safety nets through programs such as the school meals program; and providing support to rehabilitate the infrastructure through food-for-assets activities.

The Food Program is providing emergency food and nutritional support to those most vulnerable and plays a crucial role in supporting recovery efforts. WFP's programs focused on cash-based transfers and local food purchases going into school meals for thousands of children boost the local economy and people's livelihoods.

In the meantime, WFP needs urgent support to continue to provide food and nutritional assistance to displaced and vulnerable communities as well as to support recovery efforts. US$41 million is needed so that WFP can respond to urgent needs through to the end of June in the [CAR] and the neighboring countries hosting the country's refugees. To date, WFP's operation is only 45% funded.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team