Worrying magnitude of incidents involving explosive devices in the Central African Republic

Attachments

According to the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS), during the first six weeks of 2023, 14 incidents involving explosive devices – eight of which occurred in the first half of February alone – were recorded in the western zone of the country (Ouham, Ouham-Pendé, Nana-Mambéré, and Mambéré-Kadei prefectures). These incidents resulted in seven deaths, including five civilians, and five injured, and disrupted humanitarian movements.

In 2022, 53 incidents involving explosive devices – the majority in the west of the country – caused 12 deaths, including nine civilians, and injured 46 people, including 44 civilians.

On 21 January, an armed attack near the Beloko customs office led to the closure of the border with Cameroon. Commercial truck traffic from Cameroon to the Central African Republic was halted until 27 January, affecting the entry of humanitarian goods into the country.

This situation further weakens the protection of civilians as well as access of humanitarian actors to people in need, and risks delaying or causing the suspension of their activities in this region where they plan to assist nearly 940,000 vulnerable people in 2023, particularly in the sectors of food security, nutrition, access to drinking water and protection, including against gender-based violence.

In this context, the presence of security and demining actors remains essential for the protection of civilians and the implementation of humanitarian operations.

Disclaimer

UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

To learn more about OCHA’s activities, please visit https://www.unocha.org/.

Worrying magnitude of incidents involving explosive devices in the Central African Republic
Source: Philippines Legacy PH