New refugees from the Central African Republic need protection and food assistance in Chad
N’DJAMENA – More than 30,000 people forced to flee an upsurge in violence in the Central Africa Republic to seek refuge in Chad, face hunger and destitution without urgent humanitarian assistance, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) warned today.
“These people had homes, grew food and fed their families before conflict rendered them hapless. We cannot let them down,” said Mary-Ellen McGroarty, WFP Representative and Country Director in Chad.
WFP and the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) working with Chadian government’s refugee commission (CNARR) have provided initial assistance including food, shelter, essential non-food items and medical care but the relief effort has been hampered by a lack of funds.
WFP needs US$ 10 million to provide continued food and nutrition assistance to the refugees and members of host communities during the next six months.
The current influx of mostly women and children, arriving southern Chad since the outbreak of fighting in the north-west of the Central African Republic in late December 2017, brings to 100,000 the number of Central African refugees living in Chad.
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For more information please contact (email address: firstname.lastname@wfp.org):
Nathalie Magnien, WFP/N’Djamena, Tel. +235 66 99 30 40
