C?te dIvoire: civilians trapped in escalating conflict

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The violence took them by surprise and most left their homes without taking any belongings. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), in cooperation with the Central African Red Cross Society, today began distributing food kits to those driven from their homes. "The displaced are left with virtually nothing but the clothes they are wearing," said Bettina Scholdan, who runs the ICRC's operations in the region. "The Central African Red Cross has visited the villages they fled from and can confirm that many homes have been destroyed. Sowing season starts in April, so people had stored seed. Now those stocks are gone and the villagers are unable to plant for the next harvest." The fighting between two armed groups intensified last week and spilled over into villages along the Ngarba road, causing people to flee to Ndélé town, where most found refuge with local residents. The ICRC food kits contain corn, groundnuts, oil and salt for an initial period of one month. The organization stands ready to respond to other needs as they arise. ICRC engineers are currently monitoring the capacity of water sources in Ndélé to cope with the increased demand. Amid concerns that the situation could further deteriorate, the ICRC remains in regular dialogue with the fighting parties in an effort to ensure that the villagers are not targeted and that the wounded have access to treatment. This is not the first time that the population in this area has been affected by a flare-up of violence. Since 2009, houses and possessions in at least six villages have been destroyed during clashes along the Ngarba road, leading people to abandon their homes. During 2010, the ICRC provided food, seed and other essential items such as mosquito nets to over 2,000 displaced people and residents in the Ndélé area. For further information, please contact: Ewan Watson, ICRC Bangui, tel: +236 72 07 69 64