(MENAFN- Qatar News Agency) New York May 02 - United Nations relief official today urged the international community to uphold its pledges and responsibility to provide the security and resources to ease the crisis and prevent the country from splitting along religious lines.
John Ging Operations Director of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said while the situation in the country is "deteriorating at an alarming rate" he was also struck by a profoundly worrying shift in the attitudes of the people since his last visit three months ago according to the UN news center.
Fighting in CAR has taken on an increasingly sectarian nature following a 2012 rebel-led coup and has since become more brutal with reports of ongoing human rights violations and reprisal clashes between largely Christian anti-balaka and mostly Muslim Seleka rebels that have displaced hundreds of thousands of people both inside and outside the country and left 2.2 million in need of humanitarian aid.
As such it is now up to the international community to help prevent despair and hopelessness from further permeating communities around the country. The world must uphold its responsibility. "If it does so the situation can be turned around" Ging said recalling CAR's long history of inter-communal tolerance and cooperation.
Beyond the security dimension he urged a focus on the lack of funding. He recalled that a pledging conference in February generated some $200 million in pledges but four months later only $123 million had been provided.
And this was only part of a total $500 million appeal. With the total appeal only 28% funded CAR was left short of medicine and food and other necessary humanitarian supplies a dire situation made worse because the rainy season is beginning in earnest.
The international community must mobilize effective protection for people where they are-ensuring that CAR Government is present to create confidence uphold the rule of law and end impunity. This is what the international community must support" he said.
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