Press releases : Médecins Sans Frontières Australia

26 June 2007

Central African Republic: Ongoing insecurity threatens lives of civilians and aid workers, blocking urgent medical care

Bangui-Sydney - The insecurity that prevails in northwest Central African Republic (CAR) is having a severe impact on the civilian population and the humanitarian workers who assist them. After the violent death of our colleague Elsa Serfass on June 11, all of Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) mobile medical activities in the region have been suspended whilst hospitals remain operational.

Some other humanitarian organisations in the area have followed suit, bringing assistance to this highly vulnerable population to a standstill outside the main towns. MSF urgently calls upon all parties within CAR to respect the lives of civilians and to ensure that humanitarian workers can safely access people in need throughout the region.

For the past few months, people living in northwest CAR have faced increasing violence and insecurity at the hands of warring parties and bandits. Villagers are fleeing into the bush after their homes have been attacked, robbed and burned. The displaced villagers often lack access to adequate shelter and potable water, and are vulnerable to malaria, respiratory infections and diarrhoea. During the first five months of 2007, the clinics and hospitals supported by MSF have performed more than 95,000 consultations, with 25,078 patients treated for malaria, of which 15,356 were children under five years of age.

All parties are contributing to the insecurity of this region and humanitarian workers have been subjected to threats and more recently, kidnappings. In the past five months, MSF’s mobile clinics – which provide life-saving primary health care to 6.553 people per month - have been suspended 29 times. If this insecurity blocks humanitarians from reaching people in need, it is just as bad, if not worse, for patients trying to reach us. People fear venturing outside their villages or hiding-places in the bush, even to access much-needed medical care.

MSF calls on all conflict parties to respect the lives and health of civilians in northwest CAR, and to ensure space for humanitarian aid to reach those who need it most. If insecurity prevents humanitarian organisations from continuing their activities, the first victims will be the population affected by violence, intimidation and displacement. It is their lives and health that continue to hang in the balance.

MSF is currently active throughout the violence-affected areas of northern CAR, providing primary and secondary health care with a network of hospitals, health centres and mobile medical activities in and around Paoua, Boguila, Markounda, Batangafo, Kabo, Kaga Bandoro, Gordil and Birao.

MSF currently counts on 55 expatriates, 485 national staff and an annual budget of 7.7 million Euros for its activities in the Central African Republic.

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