UN warns of possible famine in north

Tens of thousands of people in northern Central Africa Republic could face famine in January unless "emergency measures" are taken now, the coordinator of the UN system in the country has said. In April, the UN had made a "flash appeal" for US $9.1 million after realising that the entire farming season in many northern regions had been lost to fighting - from October 2002 to March 2003 - between rebels and government troops. The appeal included $4.85 million for food aid to war-affected populations and for the provision of crop seeds to 150,000 farmers. "The flash appeal has received no response," Stan Nkwain, the coordinator, said on Friday. Nkwain was speaking a day after ending a tour of six northern towns with officials of the UN Development Programme, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) and the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF). The delegation visited Bouca, Paoua, Bossangoa, Bozoum, Bossemptele and Bossembele - hundreds of kilometres north and northwest of the capital, Bangui. He said all the towns had drugs but lacked doctors. The European Community Humanitarian Office and the European Development Fund, through Italian NGO Cooperazione Internazionale, are providing the drugs. Schools are open in all the towns except in Bossemptele. He said between 50 percent and 70 percent of school children had returned to class. UNICEF and the government, he said, were able to transport all the teachers and many school children from Bangui to their provincial hometowns in May. Nkwain said that in weeks from now some UN activities would resume in areas to which local authorities had returned. Most fled their posts due to the fighting. "It is too early to talk of normalcy, but there is much hope," he said. The rebellion that ended on 15 March when Francois Bozize overthrowing President Ange-Felix Patasse left in its wake shattered health, economic, educational and farming sectors. However, insecurity has persisted. Although the situation is improving gradually, UN Field security officer Nestor Ouedraogo, who was part of the UN delegation to the north, told IRIN that highwaymen were still active on the roads linking Paoua to Bozoum, Bouca to Bossangoa and Bozoum to Bossangoa. He said highway robbery had existed here since the early 1980s, but had been worsened by robbers acquiring sophisticated firearms and large amounts of ammunition immediately after the rebellion ended.