Food Assistance in the Central African Republic - World Food Program 2011

February 1 2011 - The humanitarian situation in the Central African Republic (CAR) has deteriorated in the past 12 months. In 2010 conflict between armed groups and Government forces and deliberate attacks on civilians by the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) have increased particularly in the north-east of the country. Civilians suffer a range of human rights abuses including killings the looting and burning of villages fields and crops loss of livelihoods sexual violence and the abduction and forced recruitment of children. The continued instability renders thousands of people displaced with little access to potable water sufficient food healthcare or education. With CIDA support the World Food Programme (WFP) is addressing the food assistance needs of vulnerable populations in the Central African Republic. Food distributions nutrition assistance and livelihoods support activities focus on increasing the food consumption of displaced populations and host communities reducing and stabilizing malnutrition levels to below critical thresholds and restoring and protecting the livelihoods of conflict-affected communities.