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Nearly one in five children is refugee or internally displaced in Central African Republic

Xinhua, November 16, 2016 Adjust font size:

As the fragile recovery continues, more than 850,000 people in the Central African Republic -- half of them children -- are still on the move, either internally displaced or refugees in neighboring countries, the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) said Tuesday.

Insecurity in the aftermath of the conflict has prevented most of the 920,000 people displaced in early 2014 from returning home. On Tuesday, 383,000 people remain displaced inside the country while 468,000 have sought refuge in Cameroon, Chad, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Congo, with Cameroon hosting more than half of these refugees.

"When children return to their communities as security improves, they will need to have schools and clinics to come to," Christine Muhigana, UNICEF's deputy director for West and Central Africa, said in a press release. "Access to quality health and education is the cornerstone of any recovery, and the foundation for a peaceful future."

A civil war in the Central African Republic broke out on Dec. 10, 2012 between Seleka rebel coalition and government forces. Seleka took power from former President Francois Bozize in March 2013 and the rebel's leader Michel Djotodia declared himself as president.

A National Transitional council was established and elected Catherine Samba-Panza as provisional president until the second round of the new election on Feb.14, 2016, in which Faustin Archange Touadera was elected as the president.

"The country is in a better place now," said Muhigana. "But this is still one of the world's most dangerous countries for children, and renewed violence threatens to undermine signs of progress."

Aid officials are to meet in Brussels on Nov.17 to report on the recovery progress and seek funding to continue their programs. Leaders from the Central African Republic will make the case for a 3-billion-U.S. dollar aid package to global donors, including the European Union, the World Bank, and the United Nations.

Working with the government and partners, UNICEF is strengthening the education system by training more than 1,300 teachers and building or repairing 172 schools in 2016 with funding from the European Union and the Global Partnership for Education. Enditem