CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries in Bangui, Central African Republic*, had the supplies needed for a medical clinic thanks to a shipment of goods funded in part by Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. The shipment was sent by Collaboration Santé Internationale (International Health Collaboration), a Canadian organization focused on responding to the needs of health centers in developing countries.

Funding for the shipment was provided by both Salesian Missions and Don Bosco Foundation Paris. The shipment contained electric hospital beds, neonatal incubators, exam tables, filing cabinets, lab coats, amoxicillin, quinine, first aid supplies and vitamins.

The medical clinic was completed with funding from the French government through Don Bosco Foundation Paris. Don Bosco Foundation Paris requested assistance from Salesian Missions with funding for the shipment and for its extensive experience in shipping humanitarian aid around the globe.

“Partnerships help ensure that medical supplies and other critical humanitarian aid reaches those most in need,” said Father Michael Conway, director of Salesian Missions. “While education is the priority for Salesians around the globe, they also focus on ensuring that those in poverty have their basic needs met including essential medical care.”

Since 1996, Collaboration Santé Internationale has been the only nonprofit and international cooperation organization accredited by the Quebec Ministry of Health and Social Services to recover and give a second life to surplus health care supplies for humanitarian aid purposes. Since its founding, the organization has sent the equivalent of $250 million in medical equipment, supplies and medicines to support several hundred health centers in more than 90 countries.

The Central African Republic is one of the poorest countries on the African continent — despite being very rich in resources such as uranium, gold and diamonds. It is also very unstable politically due to the regime changes and civil wars that have occurred over the last 20 years.

According to the World Bank, in 2024, approximately 71% of people lived below the international poverty line, with 65.7% living on less than $2.15 per day. The infant mortality rate is among the highest in the world, and the most common causes are diseases such as malaria, diarrhea, respiratory infections and acute malnutrition.

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Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

Salesian Missions – Central African Republic

World Bank – Central African Republic

*Any goods, services, or funds provided by Salesian Missions to programs located in this country were administered in compliance with applicable laws and regulations, including sanctions administered by the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Asset Control.

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CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC

(MissionNewswire) Two newly expanded hospitals in the Central African Republic* received medical equipment through financing by the Canadian International Health Collaboration, an organization accredited by Canada’s Ministry of Health and Social Services for the collection of humanitarian medical supplies. Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco, helped cover the shipping costs.

While the buildings for the dispensaries were ready, they still needed proper medical equipment. A recent shipment from France included two neonatal incubators, medical beds, stretchers, wheelchairs, storage cabinets, examination tables and other medical instruments. The health centers are overseen by the Don Bosco Foundation in Paris and are funded by the French Development Agency which operates under the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs.

A Salesian said, “With these new resources, the Salesian health clinics in Bangui will be able to expand their services and provide better medical care to the most vulnerable populations in the region.”

Last year, the Salesian health dispensary dedicated to Saint Artemide Zatti was inaugurated in the 8th district of Bangui, the country’s capital. Earlier, the expansion of the Salesian dispensary in Galabadja, another neighborhood in Bangui, was also completed.

The 8th district of Bangui is one of the poorest areas in one of the poorest capitals on the African continent. Hospitals are often far away, and many pregnant women cannot reach medical facilities in time for childbirth, contributing to a high infant mortality rate.

The Central African Republic is one of the poorest countries on the African continent — despite being very rich in resources such as uranium, gold and diamonds. It is also very unstable politically due to the regime changes and civil wars that have occurred over the last 20 years.

According to the World Bank, in 2024, approximately 71% of people live below the international poverty line, with 65.7% living on less than $2.15 per day. The infant mortality rate is among the highest in the world, and the most common causes are diseases such as malaria, diarrhea, respiratory infections and acute malnutrition.

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ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – Central African Republic – Over €100,000 in Medical Equipment for Two Salesian Health Clinics in Bangui

Salesian Missions – Central African Republic

World Bank – Central African Republic

*Any goods, services, or funds provided by Salesian Missions to programs located in this country were administered in compliance with applicable laws and regulations, including sanctions administered by the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Asset Control.

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CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries have worked in the Central African Republic since 1994 with their first center in Damala. Today, Salesians have programs in multiple locations. In Galabadja and Gamala, Salesians operate a youth center, a family home and an oratory, as well as educational centers for kindergartens, elementary schools, a high school and a vocational school.

Salesians also operate a scholarship program for youth. Most of the children who receive the scholarships are early in their education and are 7-8 years old. For example, Anne Laure, age 7, attends the St. John Bosco primary school in Galabadja. Her young parents struggled to pay for school expenses because her mother is unemployed and her father is a student. Salesians found the funding through sponsorship in the form of scholarship to cover the costs of her schooling.

Providing scholarship funding for a child from the Central African Republic means giving hope and helping to provide for the future in a country where the future is almost never talked about. Scholarships help by guaranteeing school fees, school supplies, medical care and food for children so they can learn and thrive.

“Salesian missionaries have been working to provide educational and support services to youth in need as well as to those who were internally displaced by war,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Educational and social development programs help youth regain a sense of normalcy while allowing them to move past the violence and focus on more productive activities.”

The Central African Republic is one of the poorest countries on the African continent—despite being very rich in resources such as uranium, gold and diamonds. It is also very unstable politically due to the regime changes and civil wars that have occurred over the last 20 years.

According to the United Nations, 2.8 million people, or about half of the total population, depend on humanitarian aid. Thousands of people are displaced, forced to leave their homes due to numerous internal conflicts. The infant mortality rate is among the highest in the world, and the most common causes are diseases such as malaria, diarrhea, respiratory infections and acute malnutrition.

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ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS) 

ANS – Central African Republic – The value of scholarships in a very poor country

Salesian Missions – Central African Republic

Any goods, services, or funds provided by Salesian Missions to programs located in this country were administered in compliance with applicable laws and regulations, including sanctions administered by the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Asset Control.

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Since violence initially broke out in December 2012 between Séléka rebels and Christian anti-balaka militia groups more than 6,000 people have died and more than 650,000 were internally displaced with more than 232,000 in the capital city of Bangui alone. Another 300,000 had fled across the borders as refugees. In 2015, peace had begun to return to the country but smaller outbreaks of violence continue. Small markets are opened, taxi service is available and residents have begun to move back and forth safely between locations.

During the height of the conflict, the Salesian center in Galabadja had been host to 20,000 displaced people and the one in Damala had taken in an estimated 50,000. Many arrived at the Salesian centers injured and in desperate need of medical attention. While the situation has improved and many have left the shelter of Salesian centers, the situation remains precarious. Those still internally displaced are homeless and have no other source of shelter and food other than what’s provided at the centers.

The Salesian center in Damala has an orphanage, youth center, professional center and high school. At the center in Galabadja, Salesian missionaries offer primary and secondary education along with a college and professional training program. A youth center and medical clinic are also available.

The Salesian-run Spaces for Peace program at both the Damala and Galabadja centers provides one meal a day to more than 1,500 students during their school day, helps 700 students with school supplies and scholarships and assists 120 older youth gain the skills necessary to find and retain employment.

“Salesian missionaries have been working to provide educational and support services to youth in need as well as to those who were internally displaced by war,” says Father Mark Hyde, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Educational and social development programs help youth regain a sense of normalcy while allowing them to move past the violence and focus on more productive activities.”

For the anniversary celebration, Salesian missionaries held a Catholic Mass at the St. John parish in Galabadja during which the Salesian Merci Mbacho made his Perpetual Profession and the Salesians Paterne Modekpo and Lévy-Brad Issené were ordained deacon and priest respectively.

The celebration was presided over by Msgr. Nestor Désiré Nongo Azagbia, bishop of Bossangoa, in the presence of Salesian Father Alphonse Owoudou, superior of the Vice Province of Equatorial Tropical Africa. ​

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ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – Central African Republic – 25 years of Salesian presence: 25 years of hope and help to needy

*Any goods, services, or funds provided by Salesian Missions to programs located in this country were administered in compliance with applicable laws and regulations, including sanctions administered by the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Asset Control.

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For more than 100 years, through international meetings such as the World Scout Jamboree and weekly activities organized locally, Scouting has been a vehicle for lasting peace throughout the world. However, for the program to be effective, it needs trained staff. Having a national training center is a key element for the development of Scouting and its values in a given country.

The Don Bosco Foundation in France, in collaboration with the Association of French Scouts and Guides, has decided to support the commitment to help the country rebuild its national Scouting training center in Bangui, the capital and largest city of the Central African Republic.

In addition, the Don Bosco Foundation in France will provide human, logistical, technical and financial support to the Bangui Scouts as well as support fundraising efforts to further develop the center’s training classrooms and multi-purpose activity areas.

The reconstruction of the training center will provide clean water access for villages on the outskirts of the center. The project will primarily impact the young people of Bangui and its surrounding areas. By 2020-22, thanks to the rehabilitation of the center, Salesian missionaries expect to have a wider range of action and greater reach into other cities.

Bringing opportunities for peace in the country is important to Salesian missionaries in the Central African Republic. Amnesty International reports there are at least 2.4 million people who are dependent on humanitarian aid in the country and government control is limited to the capital city alone. Everywhere there are militias of all sorts that target civilians and humanitarian workers.

Since violence initially broke out in December 2012 between Séléka rebels and Christian anti-balaka militia groups, thousands have died and hundreds of thousands have been displaced. UNHCR, the UN refugee agency, has noted that at the end of December 2017, 688,700 people were displaced internally, 60 percent more than just a year earlier. Refugees in neighboring countries reached 542,380, up 12 percent in comparison to 2016. For a country whose population is estimated at around 4.6 million, these two figures combined represent an astonishing level of suffering and people in need.

Despite the ongoing violence, Salesian missionaries continue to work diligently for the young and poor in the Central African Republic. Educational and social development programs help youth regain a sense of normalcy while allowing them to move past the violence and focus on more productive activities.

A Salesian Center in Damala has an orphanage, youth center, professional center and high school. At a Salesian center in Galabadja, Salesian missionaries offer primary and secondary education along with a college and professional training program. A youth center and medical clinic are also available.

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ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – Central African Republic – The “battle” of 15,000 Scouts in Central Africa: living fraternity in war-torn country

UNHCR – CAR displacement reaches unprecedented levels in 2017

*Any goods, services, or funds provided by Salesian Missions to programs located in this country were administered in compliance with applicable laws and regulations, including sanctions administered by the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Asset Control.

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Since violence initially broke 2012, since violence initially broke out in December 2012 between Séléka rebels and Christian anti-balaka militia groups more than 6,000 people have died and more than 650,000 were internally displaced with more than 232,000 in the capital city of Bangui alone. Another 300,000 had fled across the borders as refugees. In 2015, peace had begun to return to the country but smaller outbreaks of violence continue. Small markets are opened, taxi service is available, and residents have begun to move back and forth safely between locations.

During the height of the conflict, the Salesian center in Galabadja had been host to 20,000 displaced people and the one in Damala had taken in an estimated 50,000. Many arrived at the Salesian centers injured and in desperate need of medical attention. While the situation has improved and many have left the shelter of Salesian centers, the situation remains precarious. Those still internally displaced are homeless and have no other source of shelter and food other than what’s provided at the centers.

“For a few years, Salesian missionaries have been working to provide educational and support services to youth in need as well as a growing population of those who were internally displaced by war,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Resuming educational and social development programs helps youth regain a sense of normalcy and allows them to move past the violence and focus on more productive activities.”

The funding raised through the campaign so far has been utilized to help training resume at the centers allowing youth who have been affected by the war to return to school. Generators have been provided for the school and vocational training center in Damala and an accumulator system was installed to prevent power outages. Funding has also been utilized to support the purchase of educational materials, footwear, clothing and basic food products, and 110 scholarships were awarded for youth to access professional training.

In addition, Salesian missionaries have repaired all of the damage that was done in the school, the vocational training center and youth center during the war caused by shootings, explosions, assaults and by the presence of thousands of refugees that were accommodated there. Salesian educational staff were also able to access addition training to provide psychological support for children affected by war. Working to meet a local need, missionaries also used some of the funding to start a new training course for taxi and delivery drivers who are in great demand within the country.

The support received also helped in the training of all the educational staff and in providing psychological assistance for children affected by war, and it was possible to offer a new training course for drivers of vehicles who are in great demand in the country.

The Salesian center in Damala has an orphanage, youth center, professional center and high school. At the center in Galabadja, Salesian missionaries offer primary and secondary education along with a college and professional training program. A youth center and medical clinic are also available.

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ANS – Central African Republic – Creating real “Peace Spaces” through education

Photo: ANS

*Any goods, services, or funds provided by Salesian Missions to programs located in this country were administered in compliance with applicable laws and regulations, including sanctions administered by the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Asset Control.

The post CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: Salesian Campaign Raises Funds to Support Programs for Youth Affected by War first appeared on MissionNewswire.

The ongoing violence in the Central African Republic has resulted in more than 650,000 internally displaced people (with more than 232,000 in the capital city of Bangui alone) and 300,000 who have fled across the borders as refugees. Due to the conflict, close to 2.2 million people have needed humanitarian aid, according to the United Nations. Earlier in 2015, peace had begun to return to the country. Small markets were opened, taxi service returned and residents were able to move back and forth safely between locations. Although violence between the militias has receded, attacks on civilians remain widespread with witnesses describing them as retaliatory.

During his visit to the country, Pope Francis visited a refugee camp for those who have been internally displaced. Nearly 4,000 people, mostly women and children, live in the settlement of white tents donated by the United Nations. Here, the Pope visited mostly with the more than 500 children in the camp and offered some remarks.

“Peace without love and forgiveness isn’t possible,” said Pope Francis as quoted in a recent Crux article about his trip. “Each one of us has to do something to forge peace. I wish for all of you, and everyone in Central Africa, peace, that you can live in peace regardless of your ethnicity, culture, religion and social status.”

The Pope expressed similar messages of hope in Uganda and Kenya. According to the Crux article, the Pope’s trip to Africa underscores the importance of the continent to the Catholic Church. Africa has the fastest-growing population of Catholics and Muslims in the world, according to the Pew Research Center, with both Islam and Christianity expected to have more than twice as many followers in the region by 2050 as they did in 2010.

“Salesian missionaries work across the African continent and in more than 130 countries around the globe providing education, workforce development and social development programs for vulnerable youth and their families,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Missionaries have also been on the forefront of assisting those affected by violence and those that have been displaced in the Central African Republic.”

In the Central African Republic, Salesian missionaries operate two centers, Don Bosco Damala and Don Bosco Galabadja, both located near Bangui, the country’s capital city. The centers have provided shelter for those who have been internally displaced reaching well over 1,000 people at one time. The Salesian Center in Damala has an orphanage, youth center, professional center and high school. At the center in Galabadja, Salesian missionaries offer primary and secondary education along with a college and professional training program. A youth center and medical clinic are also available.

Both centers operate the Spaces of Peace project where youth of all ages, cultures and religions learn to live and work together peacefully. Through the project, Salesian missionaries offer sports, musical training, summer camps and other activities that promote teamwork and social skills. In addition, the program offers one meal a day to more than 1500 students during their school day, helps 700 students with school supplies and scholarships and assists 120 older youth gain the skills necessary to find and retain employment.

Salesian missionaries will continue to work diligently for the young and poor in the Central African Republic and across the African continent carrying out the Pope’s message of peace and hope while helping youth gain an education and break the cycle of poverty.

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ANS – Central African Republic – The Pope’s Visit: a call for peace and a new way forward

Crux – Pope arrives as ‘Pilgrim of Peace’ in war-torn Central African Republic

*Any goods, services, or funds provided by Salesian Missions to programs located in this country were administered in compliance with applicable laws and regulations, including sanctions administered by the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Asset Control.

The post CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: Pope Francis Wraps Up Africa Trip with Visit to War-Torn Central African Republic first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Since violence initially broke out in December 2012 between Séléka rebels and Christian anti-balaka militia groups, thousands have died, more than 650,000 have been internally displaced (with more than 232,000 in the capital city of Bangui alone) and 300,000 have fled across the borders as refugees. Due to the conflict, close to 2.2 million people have needed humanitarian aid, according to the United Nations (UN). Earlier in 2015, peace had begun to return to the Central African Republic. Small markets were opened, taxi service returned and residents were able to move back and forth between locations.

A new outbreak of violence has since erupted after a body of a young man was found in September causing residents to flee from their homes again to seek shelter in the country. Those in need have sought refuge and assistance at the two Salesian centers. According to local Salesian missionaries on the ground, the recent clashes have killed close to 60 people and left 300 wounded.

The donated rice-meals were distributed to children, women and the elderly at a Salesian school and church as well as to local villagers. The distribution happened quickly in order to reach the populations in need without any interruption from the armed groups of rebels and bandits. For many families, this donation has brought some relief as it had been several months since they had the supplies for regular meals. The rice-meal donation has improved the health and overall mood of the recipients and helped students to concentrate on their school studies.

“Salesian missionaries are an integral part of the existing infrastructure in many countries and Salesian Missions plays an important role in making sure aid from the United States reaches its destination country and gets into the hands of those who need it most,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Those who access Salesian programs in the Central African Republic have very little and are in need of the basics like proper nutrition, clothing, shelter and education. This donation will go a long way in helping those who are most vulnerable.”

The Salesian Center in Damala has an orphanage, youth center, professional center and high school. At the center in Galabadja, Salesian missionaries offer primary and secondary education along with a college and professional training program. A youth center and medical clinic are also available.

Both centers operate the Spaces of Peace project where youth of all ages, cultures and religions learn to live and work together peacefully. Through the project, Salesian missionaries offer sports, musical training, summer camps and other activities that promote teamwork and social skills. In addition, the program offers one meal a day to more than 1500 students during their school day, helps 700 students with school supplies and scholarships and assists 120 older youth gain the skills necessary to find and retain employment.

Despite the ongoing violence, Salesian missionaries continue to work diligently for the young and poor in the Central African Republic. Educational and social development programs helps youth regain a sense of normalcy while allowing them to move past the violence and focus on more productive activities.

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ANS – Central African Republic – Recurring cycles of violence … hoping for peace

*Any goods, services, or funds provided by Salesian Missions to programs located in this country were administered in compliance with applicable laws and regulations, including sanctions administered by the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Asset Control.

The post CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: Rice-Meal Donation Impacts Close to 1,500 Internally Displaced People Seeking Assistance from Salesian Programs first appeared on MissionNewswire.

“For eight months we have been experiencing terror and death in the city of Bangui and throughout the Central African Republic,” says Pierre Pytonie Kozongo, sports coach at the Don Bosco Center Sports Academy in Damala, in an article published on the website of the Salesian-run Spaces of Peace project. “While others have fled, seeking refuge or revenge, the Don Bosco Center has been using sports as a way of bringing people together and overcoming their fears.”

The Salesian Center in Damala has an orphanage, youth center, professional center and high school. At the center in Galabadja, Salesian missionaries offer primary and secondary education along with a college and professional training program. A youth center and medical clinic are also available.

The Spaces of Peace project operates out of both centers and offers youth safe places to learn, work and play. It also offers one meal a day to more than 1500 students during their school day, helps 700 students with school supplies and scholarships and assists 120 older youth gain the skills necessary to find and retain employment.

In addition, Salesian missionaries offer sports, musical training and summer camps, among other activities, where youth of all ages, cultures and religions learn to live and work together peacefully. Through the Spaces of Peace sports programs, youth are taught team work and social skills while gaining opportunities to grow and mature.

“For a group of sixty young people, sporting activities provided the reason for them to meet, play, relax with others and take care of their health,” explains Kozongo. “We, the coaches, were like parents. We followed the development of our young people, and in particular, we were with those experiencing family misfortunes, or those who had been traumatized by the circumstances. The young people encouraged one another to find reasons for confidence in the midst of violence and fear.”

Thanks to an ongoing partnership between the Real Madrid Foundation and Salesian missionaries, footballs, shirts and other items have been donated to help the sports program succeed. The young athletes have shared with each other their experiences of war and have developed friendships through their participation in the program.

Despite more than two years of ongoing violence, Salesian missionaries continue to work diligently for the young and poor in the Central African Republic. Since violence broke out in December 2012 between Séléka rebels and Christian anti-balaka militia groups, thousands have died, more than 650,000 have been internally displaced (with more than 232,000 in the capital city of Bangui alone) and 300,000 have fled across the borders as refugees. Due to the conflict, close to 2.2 million people have needed humanitarian aid, according to the United Nations (UN).

During the height of the conflict, the Salesian center in Galabadja had been host to 20,000 displaced people and the one in Damala had taken in an estimated 50,000. Many arrived at the Salesian centers injured and in desperate need of medical attention. While the situation has improved and many have left the shelter of Salesian centers, the situation remains precarious. Those still internally displaced are homeless and have no other source of shelter and food other than what’s provided at the centers. Resuming educational and social development programs helps youth regain a sense of normalcy and allows them to move past the violence and focus on more productive activities.

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ANS – Central African Republic – “We use sport as a way of bringing people together and overcoming their fears”

United Nations – Central African Republic: Ban welcomes official deployment of UN mission

*Any goods, services, or funds provided by Salesian Missions to programs located in this country were administered in compliance with applicable laws and regulations, including sanctions administered by the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Asset Control.

The post CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: Salesian Spaces of Peace Project Helps More Than 1,500 Youth with Nutritious Meals, Sports and Educational Programs first appeared on MissionNewswire.

In December 2013, a new wave of violence broke out in the capital city of Bangui sending people fleeing from their homes in search of safety and shelter. During the escalation of violence, communities were raided and homes burned. Salesian missionaries already working in communities in the Central African Republic prior to the outbreak reported at the time that two Salesian centers near Bangui were inundated with displaced people. The center in Galabadja had been host to 20,000 and the one in Damala had taken in an estimated 50,000. Many of the displaced arrived at the Salesian centers injured and in desperate need of medical attention.

On September 15, 2014, the United Nations took over a regional African peacekeeping mission in the Central African Republic. The UN command increased the number of peacekeeping troops to 12,000 in addition to the 4,800 African troops and 1,000 international police from the previous mission. The UN also worked to secure better financing and air support for the mission. Humanitarian groups noted at the time that while the presence of African Union and French peacekeepers would help deter some of the violence, it would not stop attacks on civilians.

Also in September, more than 25,000 displaced people remained at a Salesian center in the Catholic diocese of Kaga-Bangoro in northern Central African Republic and another 500 at the Salesian center in Galabadja. Even though violence has eased in several parts of the country, a lack of safe shelter and food as well as fear of the gunfire often heard outside the Salesian compounds, keeps people from leaving.

While the situation has improved and many have left the shelter of Salesian centers, the situation remains precarious. Those still internally displaced are homeless and have no other source of shelter and food other than what’s provided at the centers. Education had also been virtually non-existent within the country as schools remained closed or without teachers well past the start of the school year. In Bangui, classes were expected to start in October but ongoing violence caused delays.

“We have just started the school year,” says Father Desiré Adjeckam, rector of the Salesian secondary school at Damala in a statement that was published for the project, Spaces of Peace, Schools of Reconciliation in the Central African Republic. “At night we still hear some shots. The military are patrolling the streets to try to protect the people. Yesterday a young man was killed in front of his house by robbers who wanted to steal an old bike. There are many unlicensed weapons in the city, but we are staying for the sake of the young.”

Education is a cornerstone of Salesian programs and has proven to be an effective means to break the cycle of poverty while giving the most vulnerable youth a sense of personal dignity and self-worth. Elementary and secondary education lays the foundation for early learning while vocational, technical, professional and agricultural schools offer practical skills that help youth become productive, contributing adults in their communities.

Little by little peace is returning to the Central African Republic, Fr. Adjeckam noted, with small markets opening, taxi service returning and residents more able to move back and forth between locations. He said that many parents bring their children to the Don Bosco Secondary Education Center in Bangui because classes are being held and they know their children will be able to study in peace. Salesian missionaries hope to bring a sense of normalcy and structure to the lives of the local children by opening the school while realizing that for many, the Salesian feeding program at the school is one of the only places students can receive nutritious meals.

“Many other centers will not open in this uncertain environment,” explains Fr. Adjeckam. “The state still owes several months salary to teachers. But there are teachers in the Salesian schools teaching students and the area is safe. We cannot allow young people to hang around the streets with the risk of violence and missing out on their education.”

“Our job is to ensure that young people have hope, that they believe in the future of the Central African Republic and that they prepare today for a future of peace and prosperity,” adds Fr. Adjeckam.

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ANS – Central African Republic – “We are staying for the sake of the young”

United Nations – Central African Republic: Ban welcomes official deployment of UN mission

*Any goods, services, or funds provided by Salesian Missions to programs located in this country were administered in compliance with applicable laws and regulations, including sanctions administered by the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Asset Control.

The post CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: Salesian Missionaries Open Schools and Provide Education Despite Ongoing Violence first appeared on MissionNewswire.

On September 15, 2014, the United Nations took over a regional African peacekeeping mission in the Central African Republic. The UN command will increase the number of peacekeeping troops to 12,000 joining 4,800 African troops and 1,000 international police from the previous mission. The UN is also working to secure better financing and air support for the mission. Humanitarian groups noted that while the presence of African Union and French peacekeepers has helped deter some of the violence, it has not stopped attacks on civilians.

The new UN peacekeeping mission should improve protection for civilians in eastern and central parts of the country where sectarian violence has been increasing. UN peacekeepers are focusing on the protection of civilians and while working to build safe zones and support the country’s government.

Since violence broke out in December 2012 between Séléka rebels and Christian anti-balaka militia groups, thousands have died, more than 650,000 have been internally displaced (with more than 232,000 in the capital city of Bangui alone) and 300,000 have fled across the borders as refugees. According to the UN, close to 2.2 million people are in need of humanitarian aid.

In December 2013, a new wave of violence broke out in the city of Bangui sending people fleeing from their homes in search of safety and shelter. During the escalation of violence, communities were raided and homes burned. Salesian missionaries, who were already working in communities in the Central African Republic prior to the outbreak, reported at the time that a Salesian center in Galabadja had been host to 20,000 internally displaced people and one in Damala had taken in an estimated 50,000. Many displaced victims arrived at the Salesian centers injured and in desperate need of medical attention.

Because there was an influx of so many over a short period of time, resources were limited. Salesian missionaries partnered with Doctors Without Borders to convert one of the rooms at a Salesian center in Bangui into a small health facility. Doctors have been able to treat a variety of ailments suffered by those arriving at the center for the first time and those who have been sheltering there. Thanks to the Salesian center, Doctors Without Borders has had access to a safe work space, electricity, water and coordination of services, enabling them to carry out much needed emergency and ongoing health services.

While the situation has improved and many have left the shelter of Salesian centers, the situation remains precarious. Those still internally displaced are homeless and have no other source of shelter and food other than what’s provided at the Salesian centers. Education has also been virtually non-existent within the country as schools remain closed or without teachers. In Bangui, classes are expected to resume in October but it remains unclear when technical institutes and universities will resume classes.

Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco, launched an emergency fund in December 2013 to assist with this and other emergencies in Africa. People who want to make a donation to help those in need can go to the donation page on SalesianMissions.org and select “African Crisis Fund.”

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Sources:

ANS – Central African Republic – About 500 evacuees remain in the Salesian parish of Galabadja

United Nations – Central African Republic: Ban welcomes official deployment of UN mission

*Any goods, services, or funds provided by Salesian Missions to programs located in this country were administered in compliance with applicable laws and regulations, including sanctions administered by the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Asset Control.

The post CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: Salesian Centers Still Caring for More than 25,0000 Displaced first appeared on MissionNewswire.

“The violence in Central African Republic is gut-wrenching in its brutality and viciousness and children have not been spared,” said UNICEF Representative in Central African Republic, Souleymane Diabaté. “On average, at least one child has been maimed or killed in clashes every day in the past six months. The cycle of brutality and retaliation must stop.”

UNICEF has verified that 277 children have been maimed and 74 killed over the past six months. The actual numbers are much higher, including deaths and sickness caused by the total collapse of basic services. Because of the relentless violence and insecurity in some parts of the country, UNICEF is unable to verify all cases of violations against children.

A worsening situation across the country, including the capital, is again forcing increasing numbers of people from their homes. There are now more than half a million internally displaced persons, at least half of whom are children.

Another 347,000 people – two thirds of them children – have fled the country and now live as refugees mostly in Cameroon, but also Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of the Congo.

UNICEF is working closely with partners to protect children from violence, providing safe spaces for learning and psychological support for those most affected. Children separated from their families are being registered for reunification as quickly as possible. Negotiations are ongoing with armed groups who have recruited children to secure their immediate release and reintegrate them within their communities when possible.

UNICEF is also helping provide humanitarian assistance to displaced children and families in need, providing safe water, proper sanitation and other essentials like tarpaulins for shelter, plastic mats and jerry cans.

Lack of funding remains a critical concern. The crisis in the Central African Republic and neighbouring countries is UNICEF’s least funded large-scale regional emergency. Overall needs recently increased to $120 million for 2014, are, half-way through the year, less than 25 per cent met.

“We are committed to staying the course and to doing all we can for the children of the Central African Republic,” said Diabaté. “The international community has to do its share as well.”

# # #

About UNICEF
UNICEF promotes the rights and wellbeing of every child, in everything we do. Together with our partners, we work in 190 countries and territories to translate that commitment into practical action, focusing special effort on reaching the most vulnerable and excluded children, to the benefit of all children, everywhere. For more information about UNICEF and its work visit: www.unicef.org

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Central African Republic has descended into chaos since the mainly Muslim Seleka rebel coalition seized power a year ago. Its abuses on the majority Christian population triggered waves of revenge attacks, leading to thousands of deaths and displacing hundreds of thousands of civilians, including the majority of the country’s Muslims.

The Chadian troops were escorting the last 540 Muslim residents of the northwestern town of Bossangoa to Gore in Chad when militia attacked the convoy at night on April 11 as it passed through Boguila, around 310 miles (500 km) north of the capital Bangui.

The Chadian soldiers fought back, and three wounded were later admitted to MSF facilities in Boguila and Paoua.

“We witnessed the majority of the population fleeing in panic to the bush,” Stefano Argenziano, MSF head of mission in the country, said in a statement on Tuesday, estimating that around 7,000 people were displaced in the clash.

“We are worried that the gun battle may have resulted in more people being injured. For the moment we cannot access the area to verify if this is the case and evacuate the wounded,” Argenziano said.

The United Nations said earlier this month it was trying to urgently evacuate 19,000 Muslims from Bangui and other parts of Central African Republic who are surrounded by anti-balaka Christian militia threatening their lives.

Chadian troops, at the heart of African efforts to stabilise the country, have escorted convoys carrying tens of thousands of Muslims.

N’Djamena began withdrawing its troops from Central African Republic’s African Union peacekeeping mission, known as MISCA, earlier this month, however, following a series of violent incidents including an attack on a market that killed 30 civilians.

MISCA officers confirmed on Tuesday that Chad had competed its withdrawal and the AU mission and soldiers from a French intervention force had replaced them.

“They left with all their kit without waiting to be relieved,” said a MISCA commander whose Congolese troops had replaced the Chadians in the towns of Kabo and Batangafo.

The United Nations Security Council last week authorized the creation of a nearly 12,000-strong U.N. peacekeeping force in the Central African Republic in a bid to end the violence. The U.N. operation will assume authority on Sept. 15 from the 5,600-strong MISCA force.

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by Crispin Dembassa-Kette

PHOTO: Children stand during rain in front of Saint Michel Catholic church in the town of Boda, Central African Republic, April 14, 2014. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic

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“Like its stranded airport refugees, the Central African Republic is in dire need of a ticket out of its misery,” United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in an op-ed today for The Washington Post on his recent trip to the country, where a 2012 rebel-led coup has given way to brutal sectarian violence and massive human rights violations that have in turn displaced hundreds of thousands of people and left 2.2 million- half the population- in need of humanitarian aid.

While protected by international troops, the displaced people are exposed to disease, malnutrition and untold horrors beyond the gates.

Food is scarce, malaria could spread and the rainy season will only exacerbate the problems.

“Women and men shared horrific accounts of gang rapes, extortion and brutality. One mother told me how young children have suddenly begun imitating adults with weapons,” elaborated the UN chief.

The past year has brought, in quick succession, the violent overthrow of the Government, the total collapse of State institutions and a descent into lawlessness and sectarian brutality.

Mr. Ban attested, “the implosion of the State has created a set of challenges that is undermining stability and security across an already-fragile region.”

As most of CAR’s minority Muslims have fled, ethno-religious cleansing is changing the country’s landscape.

“I met hundreds outside the Central Mosque in the devastated PK5 neighborhood of Bangui. The road outside was lined with trucks laden with their last possessions,” Mr. Ban said.

In a few scattered places, vulnerable communities have gathered in camps and protected zones – but they are in danger of attack and seized with one sole objective of escaping.

On veut la partition, read the signs: We want partition.

One young man explained that while they did not want to leave, they wouldn’t stay simply to die.

“People should not have to beg for partition in order to feel safe,” argued the Secretary-General.

In a country the size of Texas, about 8,000 African Union (AU) and French troops are all that stand between order and anarchy.

“They need help,” stressed Mr. Ban.

The Security Council has just approved the deployment of 10,000 troops and almost 2,000 police for a new United Nations peacekeeping mission for the Central African Republic.

This is a welcome and highly anticipated step by the Central Africans, but the mission will not fully deploy until September – and time is not on the side of the vulnerable.

“More security assistance is needed during this vital intervening period before the peacekeeping mission is fully operational,” Mr. Ban explained.

Until the UN peacekeepers are deployed, support for the AU and French forces is crucial. The Secretary-General has urged the European Union to provide troop reinforcements, which have already begun.

“Action must come on two other fronts as well,” said Mr. Ban.

The transitional Government needs immediate help, including support for getting police, judges and prison guards back to work.

At the same time, the country needs an inclusive political process to find the path to peace.

The UN chief exhorted, “accountability for atrocious human rights violations is central. The United Nations has sent a commission of inquiry to help advance the process. Religious leaders are also crucial to advancing dialogue and ensuring that evacuated people can return home.”

Mr. Ban travelled to the CAR en route to Rwanda for the 20th anniversary of the genocide.

“Before leaving, I told the Central African Republic leaders that they must heed the lessons of that epic tragedy, not repeat its mistakes,” Mr. Ban said.

One of the religious leaders spoke of the many difficulties facing the country, sharing his fear for the future.

“As I saw in Rwanda, communities that have gone through massive national trauma can learn to live together once more in relative harmony,” the Secretary-General said.

Mr. Ban made the case that Central Africans rekindle that spirit.

“With the support of the international community, the people of the Central African Republic can build a future of reconciliation and peace,” he said.

According to Mr. Ban, the international community has an opportunity to help – and an obligation to act.

“Not tomorrow – today,” the UN chief concluded.

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See this United Nations article at its original location >

Photo: Internally displaced women and children at the main mosque in Bangui during Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon visit. UN Photo/Evan Schneider

The post UNITED NATIONS: World Must Help People of Central African Republic ‘Not Tomorrow – Today,’ Declares UN Chief first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Since violence broke out in December 2012 in the Central African Republic between Séléka rebels and Christian anti-balaka militia groups, thousands have died, more than 650,000 have been internally displaced (with more than 232,000 in the capital city of Bangui alone) and 2.2 million people are in need of humanitarian aid, according to the United Nations.

In December 2013, a new wave of violence broke out in the city of Bangui sending people fleeing from their homes in search of safety and shelter. During the escalation of violence, communities have been raided and homes burned. There have also been reports of brutal attacks on women and children. Salesian missionaries, who were already working in communities in the Central African Republic prior to the outbreak, report that a Salesian center in Galabadja has been host to 20,000 internally displaced people (IDPs) and one in Damala has taken in an estimated 50,000 IDPs. Many displaced victims arrive at the Salesian centers injured and in desperate need of medical attention.

With the influx of so many over a short period of time, resources have been limited. A Salesian partnership with Doctors Without Borders has resulted in a local Salesian center receiving donations of medications and medical supplies to care for those internally displaced. Converting one of the rooms into a small health facility, doctors have been able to treat a variety of aliments in those arriving at the center for the first time and those who have been sheltering there.

Thanks to the Salesian center, Doctors Without Borders has had access to a safe work space, electricity, water and coordination of services, enabling them to carry out much needed emergency and ongoing health services. The donated medical supplies have allowed doctors to treat everything from knife and firearm wounds to contagious illnesses, infections and minor injuries.

“Many lives have been saved because of the work that Doctors Without Borders is doing at the Salesian center and thanks to this donation of critically needed medical supplies,” says Jessica O’Connor, property and logistics officer at the Salesian Missions Office for International Programs. “If people in Bangui did not have the access to medical care at the Salesian center, they would have few other opportunities. The injuries and the infirmities of our beneficiaries could have degenerated until death in many cases.”

Donated medical supplies that were not needed at the Salesian center and were more suited to services in a larger medical setting, were donated to a hospital in the city.

“The partnership with Stop Hunger Now allows Salesian Missions to expand its scope of services to those in need in our programs around the globe,” adds O’Connor. “Stop Hunger Now is one of our favorite partners to work with because they are very flexible. They actively seek out opportunities to enhance shipments with additional donated items that the beneficiaries need, and they go the extra mile to help Salesian Missions meet any additional emergency requests that we receive.”

While the situation at Salesian centers in Bangui remains under control it is precarious and aid, particularly food aid, for those displaced is still needed.

Headquartered in New Rochelle, NY, Salesian Missions—the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco—has launched a donation appeal to aid in the humanitarian assistance for those displaced. Donations are urgently needed to get necessary medical, food and other life-saving supplies to those in Salesian centers. Since missionaries were already working in the affected communities, their response was immediate. As the Salesians continue to provide safety and shelter for displaced families, they are reaching out for support so they may continue to help those in need. To give to the effort, go to www.SalesianMissions.org and select “African Crisis Emergency Fund” on the donate page.

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Photo: Juan Carlos Tomasi/MSF

Sources:

Salesian Missions Launches Emergency Fundraising Drive to Assist Missionaries Who Are Providing Shelter and Aid to 20,000 People Fleeing Violent Attacks in the Central African Republic

Salesians of Don Bosco, Province of St. Philip the Apostle E-Service Vol. 11, No. 37
March 13, 2014 – Article “Do You Remember Central Africa?”

UN – ‘Extremely grave’ situation in Central African Republic demands urgent action – UN official

*Any goods, services, or funds provided by Salesian Missions to programs located in this country were administered in compliance with applicable laws and regulations, including sanctions administered by the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Asset Control.

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“We thought that we would find schools and that universities would be organized,” the 25-year-old told UNHCR in Mole Refugee Camp, which is located 35 kilometres from the nearest big town – Zongo– and provides shelter to more than 9,000 refugees. That includes about 1,000 young people who were in secondary school or tertiary education back home.

There is a primary school in the Mole camp, where the Central African Republic syllabus is studied by 650 children. The school is currently being extended to host a further 650 children who have arrived since December 5, when fresh inter-communal violence flared in Central African Republic. But there is no secondary school.

Yesson was perhaps a bit naïve in expecting a network of schools, colleges and universities in this isolated, undeveloped and deprived region of DRC’s Equateur province, but his concern about the provision of education for teenagers and young adults living in Mole or elsewhere is a valid and real one, shared by UNHCR and its partners.

Stefano Severe, UNHCR’s Kinshasa-based regional representative, said that finding ways for the refugees in Mole and other camps to continue their education was a priority for the agency. “It is important to help them build their future in a constructive way,” he added, while noting that education was important not just for gaining knowledge, but for keeping the young occupied constructively.

“We have learned from past experiences in refugee camps and we are aware that youth without any activity can have a negative impact on the atmosphere in the camp. If they are bored they are also at risk of manipulation and could be tempted to join armed groups in the Central African Republic,” he warned.

Clearly many of the refugees, with plenty of time on their hands, are missing their education. “We can’t stand it. It’s serious if we don’t study, for us and for our country. We are stagnating,” stressed Yesson, who was studying accountancy and management at a private college in the nearby Central African Republic capital, Bangui, before fleeing across the Oubangui River to Zongo last October. “I get up in the morning and I do nothing until evening,” he revealed.

Most of the students in Mole come from urban areas, mainly Bangui, and the older ones find it difficult to live in a rural area with no – or limited – education or employment opportunities.

Lamine Diop, head of UNHCR’s field office in Zongo, acknowledged that providing access to secondary and tertiary education was a challenge. “We are exploring ways to enable some 700 secondary school students to continue their studies,” he said, while calling on partners to help. In Boyabu Refugee Camp, also in Equateur, UNHCR is looking at ways to admit refugees to a nearby secondary school.

As it looks for solutions, UNHCR is building a cyber café so that the knowledge-thirsty students at least have access to information in Mole Camp. It’s a positive move and welcomed by the students, but they want more.

“It would be even better to find ways to register students in universities,” said 23-year-old art student, Cedrick. “Long-distance learning is a solution as well. When you have [Internet] connection, you have an opening to the world.”

He and others also called for the creation of a cultural centre with library, but above all they dream of being allowed to leave Mole to study in the DRC capital, Kinshasa, or abroad. Instead, said Emmanuel Kouzouaki Yondo, president of the refugee committee in Mole, many of those with qualifications “are the victims of youth unemployment.”

Most of the young refugees, at heart, wish that the conflict will end soon and allow them to go back and resume their studies and eventually start careers in their own country. “I am asking myself when this nightmare will finish,” said a pessimistic and depressed Cedrick.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo is hosting nearly 60,000 refugees from Central African Republic, with about half of them living in four refugee camps. The others are with host families. With the new influx since December 5, the refugee population has increased significantly in some camps. In Mole, it has jumped from 4,000 to 9,000 in just over a month.

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By Céline Schmitt in Mole Camp, Democratic Republic of the Congo / UNHCR

Photo: © UNHCR/C. Schmitt

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“But our goal is to go as quickly as possible and we are grateful to those countries who are helping us to do the transportation because that’s no small feat,” UN Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Hervé Ladsous told reporters after briefing the Security Council on the situation in the world’s youngest country, where well over 1,000 people have been killed and some 300,000 others driven from their home since fighting erupted between Government and opposition forces nearly a month ago.

The time-frame is longer than Mr. Ladsous outlined on 30 December when he said it was hoped all reinforcements for the UN peacekeeping Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) that the Council authorized to protect civilians – almost doubling the force to nearly 14,000, including utility and tactical helicopters – would be on the ground within three weeks.

But although he said today that getting the whole surge there could take between four and eight weeks, he stressed that “we are making very substantial progress,” and it was hoped to have a significant number of formed police units, some of which are already deployed and operational, on the ground over the coming days.

This will allow UNMISS peacekeepers who lack the necessary vehicles and are currently deployed on UN bases and camps to defend 60,000 people seeking shelter there, to take on “more proactive patrolling around the bases and beyond because, of course, the situation in terms of violation of human rights remains terrible critical,” he added.

Mr. Ladsous said “we know” that the death toll will “be very substantially in excess of the 1,000 figures that we know for sure,” while there are probably 250,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs). At least 42,800 others are estimated to have fled to neighbouring countries.

“The priorities now for the UN are very clearly in this situation: to focus on the protection of civilians, on human rights and on helping our humanitarian colleagues to access those populations,” he stressed. “These are the three items on which UNMISS is really concentrating all its efforts right now.”

During the more than three hour briefing, the Council also heard from Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s Special Representative to the African Union, Haile Menkerios, by video link from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where Government and opposition representatives are meeting in talks in talks mediated by the East African regional organization, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), with an immediate ceasefire and the release of political detainees held by the Government at the top of the agenda.

Mr. Ban’s Special Representative in South Sudan, and head of UNMISS, Hilde Johnson also briefed the 15-member body from Juba, South Sudan’s capital.

Asked about denial of access for UN peacekeepers, which the Government guaranteed in the accord setting up UNMISS, specifically flying into Bor in Jonglei state, site of some of the fiercest fighting and displacement of civilians, Mr. Ladsous said “this is being corrected and this has been taken up rather forcefully with the Government.”

Asked why UNMISS forces have so far remained on their bases and not gone further afield when fighting and human rights abuses have been reported, he replied: “In view of the fact that they only have limited equipment, that is a Limitation. So this is why we don’t send them on long-range patrols on the vehicles that they don’t have yet.

“This is why we are concentrating in the first place on the protection of UN bases and camps. But as the strength augments, as the equipment augments, then it will be possible to put them into full blown duties.”

He was also asked about reports that the South Sudanese Government objected to certain nationalities taking part in the UNMISS reinforcement; “The situation has improved in the sense that the messages have been more open, so there’s still work to do, but anyway we are in a position of deploying those troops that we intended to deploy to South Sudan.”

The Council briefings came as UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Valerie Amos announced $15-million allocation from the UN’s Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF). “Conditions for the South Sudanese fleeing hostilities in their country are getting worse by the day,” she said. With this CERF funding, UN humanitarian agencies will be better able to meet the needs of people desperately seeking shelter and safety.”

South Sudan, which only gained independence in 2011 after seceding from Sudan, erupted in fighting on 15 December when President Salva Kiir said soldiers loyal to former deputy president Riek Machar, dismissed last July, reportedly launched an attempted coup.

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See this United Nations article at its original location >

Photo: Civilians fleeing the fighting and seeking refuge, wait outside a compound of the UN Mission in Bor (December 2013). UN Photo/Hailemichael Gebrekrstos

The post UNITED NATIONS: South Sudan: UN Releases $15 Million in Urgent Aid but Peacekeeper Surge Will Take Longer first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Despite the presence of international armed forces in the capital of Central African Republic (CAR), fighting, lynchings and violent attacks are still a daily occurrence in Bangui, and the situation in the city appears to be out of control.

Since early December, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) teams working in several surgical medical city projects have helped more than 1,000 victims of violence. Between 15 and 20 wounded people arrive each day at the Castor health center, where MSF teams have treated a total of 343 victims of violence since 7 December. At the Hôpital Communautaire, MSF teams are treating 15-20 wounded patients per day, and have provided care for a total of 648 victims of violence between 2 and 27 December. Some 428 of those patients were hospitalised; 368 had gunshot wounds and 128 had wounds caused by machete blades.

“We have been receiving more patients with serious injuries at the Hôpital Communautaire the last few days,” said Laurent Sury, MSF’s emergency coordinator in Bangui. “People are coming in with machete wounds to the head, hands and arms – injuries sustained as they tried to defend themselves. We’ve also seen people who have been stabbed, sometimes multiple times, in the abdomen, and people who have been either tortured or brutally beaten. We have even had a case of impalement. For the most part, these are young men.”

Violence hinders aid provision

Health facilities have also been affected by the violence, hindering the provision of medical aid. An armed man entered the MSF dispensary at Bangui airport on 24 December, while on the same day a man armed with grenades entered the Hôpital Communautaire. On 25 December, there was gunfire and large numbers of armed men in the vicinity of the Hôpital Communautaire, three of whom entered the building, and the teams had to temporarily evacuate the hospital.

On 29 December, a Ministry of Health ambulance was stopped and the ambulance staff were threatened with violence, preventing them from collecting the wounded. On the same day, armed men returned to the Hôpital Communautaire with the intention of lynching a number of patients, while Ministry of Health staff were threatened.

Although the situation was defused on each of these occasions, the security of patients has been repeatedly threatened.

Atmosphere increasingly tense

“The atmosphere is getting increasingly tense with each of these ‘visits’, as the attackers become more and more aggressive and angry,” said Thomas Curbillon, MSF’s head of mission in Bangui. ”It is totally unacceptable that health facilities are not being respected and are being invaded by armed people who constitute a threat to patients and staff. The insecurity and the gunfire in different areas, especially around the hospital, impede people’s ability to move around. It hinders us from reaching wounded people, and also hinders patients who want to reach medical care. The sick and the wounded do not have the timely and secure access to medical care that they need, when they need it.”

On 9 December, MSF called for an end to violence against patients and medical staff working in healthcare facilities in Bangui. Today, MSF reiterates its call to all parties to the conflict in CAR to allow the sick and wounded to receive the medical care that they need. MSF calls for an immediate end to violence against civilians, patients and medical staff working in healthcare facilities, in Bangui and in the rest of the country.

ABOUT MSF IN CAR:

MSF has been working in Central African Republic since 1997, and now runs seven regular projects in Batangafo, Boguila, Carnot, Kabo, Ndéle, Paoua and Zémio, and four emergency projects in Bangui, Bossangoa, Bouca et Bria. By the end of January, MSF hopes to initiate activities in hospitals and Bangassou Uango. In total, MSF is providing free medical care to about 400,000 people in the country, with more than 100 international staff and 1,100 local staff working in seven hospitals, two health centres and 40 health posts across the country.

> See this Doctors Without Borders article at its original location

The post (Doctors Without Borders) CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: Civilians and hospitals affected by extreme violence in Bangui first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Salesian missionaries in the Central African Republic reported that a Salesian center in Galabadja has taken in 8,000 internally displaced people (IDPs) while a center in Damala has taken in an estimated 12,000. People began fleeing their homes and villages on Dec. 5, 2013, to escape attacks caused by clashes between anti-Balaka militants and Seleka rebels who gained power in a coup in March. Violence broke out in the city of Bangui sending people fleeing from their homes in search of safety and shelter. During the escalation of violence, communities have been raided and homes burned. There have also been reports of brutal attacks on women and children.

The United Nations Refugee agency (UNHCR) reported that at least 140 civilians were killed during the clashes and heavy shelling in Bossangoa, causing panic among the residents. More than 700 fled to neighboring Democratic Republic of the Congo. Since the violence began in December 2012—when the Seleka rebel coalition launched a series of attacks leading to months of violence—UNHCR has reported that nearly 400,000 people have been displaced within the CAR, with another 69,800 forced into exile in neighboring countries.

The arrival of more than 1,600 French soldiers in support of current African forces already on the ground restored some order, according to the United Nations, but the humanitarian situation remains dire.

Scared residents started arriving at the Salesian center in Galabadja early on Dec. 5 when violence first broke out. The Salesian missionaries there provided shelter to more than 2,000 with the numbers expected to rise to as many as 20,000 in a few short days. Many displaced victims arrived at the centers injured but, according to the missionaries, due to a lack of fuel the Red Cross could not arrive in time to save some of them.

“We are in need of medical supplies,” said Father José Maria Sabé SDB, Economer of the Vice-Province of Equatorial Tropical Africa. “The Salesians on the ground have reported that the health center is lacking supplies and they cannot buy anything because the healthcare distributors have disappeared and no longer supply products. We are in the process of assessing their most pressing needs.”

With the influx of so many over a short period of time, resources are limited. There is an urgent need for safe water, sanitation, food and emergency health services. A recent food delivery from the International Red Cross provided some much needed relief but the situation remains fragile. “The situation is more delicate from the point of view of safety and health,” added Fr. Sabé. “Security is a concern at the Salesian centers. So far, all have remained safe but the situation remains delicate.”

Headquartered in New Rochelle, NY, Salesian Missions—the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco—has launched a donation appeal to aid in the humanitarian assistance for those displaced in the Central African Repbulic. Donations are urgently needed to get necessary medical, food and other life-saving supplies to those in Salesian centers there. Since missionaries were already working in the affected communities, their response was immediate. As the Salesians continue to provide safety and shelter for displaced families, they are reaching out for support so they may continue to help those in need. To give to the effort, go to www.SalesianMissions.org and select “African Crisis Emergency Fund” on the donate page.

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Sources:

UN – UN alarmed at worsening violence, humanitarian situation in Central African Republic

UN – Ban, African leaders meet in Paris to address violence in Central African Republic

ANS – Central African Republic – About 20,000 refugees in Salesian Centers

*Any goods, services, or funds provided by Salesian Missions to programs located in this country were administered in compliance with applicable laws and regulations, including sanctions administered by the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Asset Control.

The post CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: Salesians Providing Shelter, Aid to 20,000 People Fleeing Violent Attacks in the Central African Republic first appeared on MissionNewswire.