Hundreds of thousands of children are displaced across the Central African Republic as violence continues in the war ravaged nation. Tens of thousands of these are now seeking refuge in the bush, away from their homes, clean water and without enough food.
Some of these children are already severely malnourished making them more susceptible to disease and greatly reducing their chance of survival. In the capital Bangui alone, up to 10,000 people have fled to the airport seeking protection of the French troops who arrived on Friday. Initial estimates say that upwards of 30,000 more are sheltering in makeshift camps dotted around the city.
Save the Children’s Mark Kaye who is in the capital Bangui says: “The Central African Republic is one of the worst places to grow up. Decades of brutal coups and in-fighting has left the nation in tatters. Just yesterday there was still bloated bodies lying in the street and children were fleeing to safety with just the clothes on their back. Meanwhile, outside the capital, burnt out ghost villages line the main roads and families hide in the bush. Children are terrified with fear in their eyes, many of whom have no food, water and limited hope of a better future.”
The aid agency warns that many of these children will be traumatised and need urgent help recovering from their ordeals. They also say that the UN mandated French and African troops must move quickly to remote areas of the country, which is the size of France.
Save the Children is working across the country in some of the worst affected areas to deliver life-saving aid to tens of thousands of children and their families. The aid agency is running mobile health clinics to reach those now living in remote areas having fled the violence, supporting the treatment of malnourished children and protecting children and ensuring they receive psychosocial support to deal with the traumatic experiences they have been through.
Ian Woolverton Director of Public Affairs (acting)
SAVE THE CHILDREN
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Email ian.woolverton@savethechildren.org.au
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