'UNHCR concerned about thousands of Central Africans fleeing election violence'
Geneva, Switzerland (PANA) - UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, said on Friday that it is concerned that violence and insecurity surrounding the 27 December general election in the Central African Republic (CAR) has forced over 30,000 people to flee into neighboring Cameroon, Chad, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and the Republic of Congo.
UNHCR spokesperson Boris Cheshirkov said at a press briefing in Geneva that tens of thousands more have been displaced inside the country.
He said some 24,196 crossed the Ubangui River into the DRC’s provinces of Bas Uele and North-Ubangui. At least 15,000 arrived in Ndu village following attacks on the towns of Damara and Bangassou on 2 and 3 January.
"The arrivals in Ndu village, which has a population of just 3,500, have placed a massive strain on resources and host families," Cheshirkov said.
He added that UNHCR has strengthened its presence along the Ubangi River to respond to the needs of new arrivals, and to prepare for registration and temporary relocation further inland for safety reasons.
UNHCR said another 4,434 individuals arrived in Cameroon, most of them to the border town of Garoua-Boulai while a further 2,196 people arrived in Chad and about 70 have reached the Republic of Congo.
Cheshirkov said inside CAR, 185,000 people from at least 25 localities have fled, mostly as a preventative measure, into the bush and forests since 15 December.
Some 113,000 have since returned to their places of residence, according to estimates from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, but some 62,000 people remain newly displaced.
"UNHCR is concerned about reports of human rights violations taking place inside CAR and urges governments in all neighbouring countries to continue granting access to asylum and supporting local authorities to register new arrivals," Cheshirkov said.
UNHCR noted that most arrivals are staying with host communities or in makeshift shelters, stating that they urgently need water, shelter, access to health and adequate sanitation to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and other diseases.
UNHCR added that it is working closely with national and local authorities, and humanitarian partners to support the most vulnerable.
In Cameroon, UNHCR is coordinating with national and local authorities to provide protection and assistance while registration is also taking place in Chad where the World Food Programme (WFP) is providing food rations to the new arrivals and UNHCR has set up a mobile health clinic.
UNHCR said the voluntary repatriation of Central African refugees returning home after years of exile in Cameroon and the DRC had restarted in November 2020 but has now been temporarily paused.
Nearly a quarter of CAR’s population of 4.7 million was forcibly displaced by the end of 2020, including 630,000 refugees in neighbouring countries and 630,000 displaced internally.
-0- PANA MA 8Jan2021
