Worsening humanitarian situation in CAR concerns UN official

UN under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs, Valerie Amos, Friday expressed her concern over the deteriorating humanitarian situation in the Central African Republic (CAR).

According to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), half of CAR's population -- 2.3 million people -- is in need of some kind of humanitarian assistance. Some 415,000 people are already displaced from their homes and 1.3 million people need emergency food assistance.

Amos, also the UN emergency relief coordinator, urged all those involved in the violence to protect civilians and ensure their safety and to respect their obligations under international humanitarian and human rights law, Xinhua reported.

She also called for free and unfettered access for neutral and impartial organisations to safely deliver humanitarian aid, the acting UN deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq told reporters here.

Despite the insecurity, the UN and humanitarian partners are scaling up their activities, providing displaced families with shelter, safe water, sanitation, food and emergency health services in areas across the country, she said.