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	Increased violence against civilians threatens the provision of aid and puts many lives at risk by OCHA, UN News, MSF, agencies Central African Republic (CAR)   Aug 2017   The following is a press release signed by 35 International Non Government Organisations (INGO) working in the Central African Republic   Following the escalation of violence in many parts of the country, NGOs signatories, members of the INGO Coordination Committee (CCO) in the Central African Republic (CAR) call for an increased protection of civilians and an improved humanitarian access to allow the affected population access to vital aid.   'As NGOs working across CAR, we witness the impact of violence on the civilian population on a daily basis:   An increased number of civilians, including humanitarian actors, are being attacked or are losing their lives: while there are wounded civilians in one out of 2 security incidents, almost one out of 5 is lethal   Women and children are being affected the most given the spread of sexual exploitation and abuse and the recruitment of children by armed groups   More than 20% of the population have fled their homes: The number of internally displaced persons reached 600,000 in July - the highest it's been since March 2014, with an increase of 215,000 people in the last six months. An additional 438.724 people live as refugees in neighbouring countries (Source: OCHA/UNHCR).   'The INGO community in CAR is deeply concerned by this very worrying situation. The civilian population are the ones who bear the brunt of violence the most as it impacts on their safety and livelihoods'. says Mr. Mohammed Chikhaoui, the Chair of the CCO.   As civilians ourselves, we also face numerous incidents and attacks. For the third consecutive year, CAR is being named the most dangerous country in the world for humanitarian personnel in the world in terms of number of incidents they face, with 181 incidents being recorded since the beginning of this year.   These attacks impact on our capacity to deliver life-saving assistance and much needed services to the affected population. And given that half of the population is dependent on humanitarian aid, it is worrisome that the humanitarian organizations working to provide emergency relief to the most vulnerable can no longer do so due to the continuous violence towards civilians, them included.   This reduction in the humanitarian space - both in terms of the humanitarian actors capacities to reach the affected population and the population's ability to access basic services and life-saving assistance could rapidly lead to a new humanitarian catastrophe in the Central African Republic.   Therefore, the INGOs signatories to this statement: - first and foremost, remind all parties of their responsibility to protect civilians lives and livelihoods;   Strongly urge all parties to refrain from targeting civilians, and perpetrating or allowing the use of force, - abuse of power or any action that violates human rights in the CAR;   Call on armed actors to agree on an immediate cease fire and to engage in a political dialogue to bring about a peaceful solution to the current crisis;   Call on all parties to guarantee the safe access of civilians to life-saving and much needed services, and the safe access of the humanitarian actors to all vulnerable groups as stipulated under international humanitarian law. http://bit.ly/2hQOLfx   Aug. 2017   Central African Republic: 10,000 people seek Safety in Batangafo Hospital after Camp is Looted and Burned - Medecins Sans Frontieres   Approximately 10,000 people have taken shelter on the grounds of Batangafo hospital in Central African Republic (CAR), more than 10 days after violence broke out between rival groups, said the international medical humanitarian organization Doctors Without Borders/Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) Thursday.   With clashes taking place between members of the former Seleka coalition and so called self-defense groups, the town of Batangafo in the country's north has once again plunged into chaos. This latest wave of violence resulted in at least 24 dead and 17 wounded in fighting on July 29 and August 1. A large part of the city's camp for displaced people was looted and burned, forcing people to seek shelter elsewhere. Facilities for several aid organizations, including MSF, have been robbed.   'The people taking refuge in the hospital, and in other locations around Batangafo, are still unable to rebuild their shelters in the camp from which they were forced to flee', said MSF project coordinator Carlos Francisco.   'As an immediate way to respond to the needs, we are strengthening the water supply system on the hospital grounds as well as providing latrines and improving hygiene. But people must be allowed to rebuild their homes as soon as possible and return to the camp safely'.   Most people sheltering in Batangafo hospital leave the grounds during the day and return to sleep there at night. But in CAR, not even hospitals are places of safety. In recent weeks, armed groups have forcibly entered hospitals in both Bangassou and Zemio. In incidents condemned by MSF, armed men in Bangassou kidnapped two patients, who were later found dead. In Zemio, armed men shot and killed a child in its mother's arms last month.   'Much of the general population is in a state of complete helplessness', said Francisco. 'Imagine what the situation must be like when people think that the only safe option left to them is a hospital, knowing that not even hospitals are safe'.   Hospital services were interrupted by the recent fighting, with general consultations being put on hold and extra support provided to the emergency room, but have since been re-established. Some of the wounded were treated in Batangafo hospital and included combatants from both groups, said MSF. The atmosphere in Batangafo remains tense, despite the fact that the leaders of the rival groups claim to have reached an agreement to prevent a resurgence in the conflict.   Since last November, the conflict in CAR, which started in 2013 has worsened. In recent months, more than 180,000 people have fled their homes. Approximately twenty percent of the population is displaced - 400,000 have been displaced inside CAR and 500,000 have fled to neighboring countries, out of a total estimated population of just over 4.5 million people.   * MSF has worked in CAR since 1996 and currently has more than 2,400 Central African staff and 230 international staff working in the country. http://bit.ly/2vtjjIU   May 2017   Urgent action needed to protect children in forgotten crisis in Central African Republic   Without increased support, the lives and futures of more than 1 million children in the Central African Republic are under threat, UNICEF said today.   While the country's fragile recovery continues, sporadic violence and instability remains an issue, with an estimated 890,000 people remain displaced and more than 2.2 million people - half of them children - in need of humanitarian assistance.   'We cannot allow the Central African Republic to become a forgotten crisis', said Christine Muhigana, UNICEF Representative in the Central African Republic. 'The reality is that without sufficient support we will not be able to provide the vital services that are needed to keep children healthy, safe and in school'.   Today, over 425,000 people remain displaced inside the country while 463,000 have sought refuge in Cameroon, Chad, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Congo - with Cameroon hosting more than half of these refugees. It is estimated that around half of those displaced are children.   The situation for children inside the country remains calamitous as violence and widespread displacement have made children especially vulnerable to health risks, exploitation and abuse. Nearly half of children under five (41%) suffer from chronic malnutrition that jeopardizes their physical and intellectual development; 1 in 7 children will die before they reach their fifth birthday and a third of children are out of school. http://uni.cf/2wEYbhH   http://www.dw.com/en/un-warns-of-genocide-in-central-african-republic/a-40002377 http://tmsnrt.rs/2vt72nQ http://webtv.un.org/watch/-briefing-on-the-humanitarian-situation-in-the-democratic-republic-of-congo-and-central-african-republic/5534067738001/ http://features.iom.int/stories/lives-under-siege/ Visit the related web page
	Lack of access from the outside world heightens dangers for vulnerable people by Minority Rights Group, agencies   July 2017   Yemen was named this week as the nation where the risk of genocide or mass killing rose the most last year while Syria topped an annual "Peoples Under Threat" index for the third consecutive year.   The index, by human rights group Minority Rights Group International (MRG), said vulnerable people were at risk in a growing number of no-go zones around the world with a lack of access from the outside world allowing killing to go unchecked.   The report comes after United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeif Ra'ad Al Hussein last month condemned some governments for refusing access to U.N. officials while a study this week showed the U.N. had succeeded in preventing wars.   The 12th MRG index found the risks rose most markedly in Yemen last year with the impoverished Arab country devastated by a war between a Saudi-led coalition and Iran-allied Houthis has killed more than 10,000 people and left millions starving.   "Parties on both sides of the conflict have violated international humanitarian law with impunity," the report said.   "International isolation is a known risk factor for genocide or mass killing," added Mark Lattimer, MRG's executive director, said in a statement.   Yemen was listed as No. 8 in a list of 70 countries where people are seen as being at risk, behind Syria, Somalia, Iraq, Sudan, Afghanistan, South Sudan and Democratic Republic of the Congo.   Other countries to move significantly in the list last year were Libya, Nigeria, Eritrea and Turkey.   The MRG report said the failed coup in Turkey last year was followed by a nationwide programme of dismissals and arrests of tens of thousands of public officials.   Requests by the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) for "effective and unfettered access" continues to be denied, the report said.   "If governments are increasingly evading international scrutiny, this is a serious concern," Lattimer said.   A study released this week by the U.S. Dartmouth College and Ohio State University found the United Nations has been an effective force at preventing wars over its history.   The review of over 5,000 voting records found the 193-member state organisation provides a forum for diplomacy and communication, fostering alliances and reducing conflict.   "There is more nuance in voting records than we previously thought," said Skyler Cranmer, professor of political science at Ohio State University.   "The evidence demonstrates that the U.N. is more effective at achieving its mandate of avoiding wars than many experts think."   * Access the Minority Rights Group International (MRG) 2017 Peoples under Threat index via the link below. Visit the related web page
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