* Any views expressed in this article are those of the author and not of Thomson Reuters Foundation.
Thousands of people have been displaced by the violence in the Bambari region of the Central African Republic since late June 2014. In dire security conditions, WFP provides food to people who have lost everything.
The town of Bambari, 380 km north west of Bangui, has been the epicenter of violence in the Central African Republic since late June. Despite the ceasefire signed on July 23, clashes between ex-Seleka and anti-Balaka armed groups have been nearly constant. The town is essentially divided in two: one part ruled by ex-Seleka, and one by anti-Balaka.
The ongoing violence, both in town and in most of the villages nearby, has resulted in thousands of civilians fleeing their homes to find refuge in makeshift camps. Currently, WFP is feeding over 22,000 displaced people per month in Bambari, with dedicated staff working under strenuous security conditions. On several occasions, armed people have threatened or attacked food distribution sites.
After the June 23 attack of a camp in Liwa, ten kilometers from Bambari, 92 children under the age of 17 have lost their families. Save the Children has relocated them in the hospital in Bambari, and WFP is providing food for them and their host families.
