WFP appeals for aid to feed refugees from CAR

The World Food Programme appealed to donors on Wednesday for nearly US $3 million to provide emergency food aid for 40,000 refugees from the Central African Republic who fled to neighbouring Chad at the height of fighting in October 2002. WFP said most of theses refugees living near the border in southern Chad were women and children. Tens of thousands of Central Africans flooded into the country as government soldiers loyal to the then president, Ange-Felix Patasse, clashed with troops loyal to his army chief of staff, General Francois Bozize. Bozize subsequently seized power and became head of state. WFP said it needed 4,345 tons of food, including vegetables, oil,sugar,salt, and other grain and allow it to cover the refugees' basic food requirements until the end of this year. Pregnant and nursing women and children under five years old would benefit from supplementary feeding as their health is most vulnerable, the organisation said. Some of the food would be distributed through a therapeutic feeding centre for malnourished children under five run by Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), it added.