Internally displaced people in the Central African Republic (file photo)
The United Nations says that homeless people in the Central African Republic (CAR) are facing mounting humanitarian concerns as their food supplies are running out.
The UN's World Food Programme (WFP) gave the warning on Monday, adding that food distribution in the African country is being hampered by fighting between ethnic rivals, AFP reported.
"WFP cereal stocks are close to being exhausted and pulses too will soon run out," WFP said in a statement.
"Suspending food distributions could lead to further tension, particularly among the 100,000 displaced people in the overcrowded Bangui airport camp," it added.
WFP said that 38 trucks carrying rice are stuck at the Cameroon border and drivers were refusing to cross the frontier due to the threat of attacks.
WFP regional director, Denis Brown, said the main road from Cameroon into the Central African Republic was a humanitarian "lifeline."
On Monday, the European Union approved a military mission to the CAR to assist French and African troops already in the country under a UN mandate.
Meanwhile, the CAR’s transitional parliament voted to select the mayor of Bangui, Catherine Samba-Panza, as the next interim leader to lead the country out of chaos and pave the way for elections later this year.
The Central African Republic spiraled into chaos in March 2013 when Seleka fighters overthrew President Francois Bozizé and brought Michel Djotodia to power. Bozizé fled the country after his ouster.
On September 13, 2013, Djotodia dissolved the Seleka coalition. Some of the rebels later joined the country’s regular army while some defied.
Djotodia and former Prime Minister Nicolas Tiengaye resigned on January 10 due to intense pressure over the government's failure to contain unprecedented levels of violence in the country.
According to reports, more than 1,000 people were killed in last December alone. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees says nearly one million people have been displaced due to the violence.
France invaded its former colony on December 5, 2013, after the UN Security Council adopted a resolution giving the African Union and France the go-ahead to send troops to the country.
France has deployed 1,600 troops in the country, but the UN-backed intervention force, which includes about 4,000 African Union peacekeepers, is struggling to restore security in the African Republic.
Paris claims the aim of the mission is to create stability in the country in order to allow humanitarian aid to reach violence-hit areas.
There are many mineral resources, including gold and diamond, in the Central African Republic. However, the country is extremely poor and has faced a series of rebellions and coups since it gained independence in 1960.
MN/AS/MAM
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