ICRC assists victims of looting in Bangui suburb

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) completed on Saturday a two-day distribution of non-food relief aid to 412 people living in a suburb of the capital, Bangui, whose homes were looted during recent violence associated with former rebels loyal to Central African Republic (CAR) leader Francois Bozize, an official told IRIN. The ICRC representative in the CAR, Bruno Legeard, said on Saturday that the distribution of the blankets and kitchen utensils to the residents of PK 11 suburb was in conformity with the ICRC mandate of helping victims of armed conflicts and internal unrest. He said to determine the assistance, "we made an assessment of the damages resulting from the fighting between the ex-combatants and Central African armed forces". He added that the ICRC found that 73 families had their homes looted during the violence on 17 April, when the former rebels staged demonstrations and erected road blocks on roads in the suburb, demanding payment from Bozize for their support during his rebellion from October 2002 to March 2003. "The goal of our action was not to replace all the looted property," Legeard said. "It was to help those families, to see them through this difficult period so that they don't feel forsaken." Items distributed included kettles, plates, cups, spoons, bars of soap and blankets, together worth US 3,000. Those who benefited from the distribution reside in four areas of the suburb: Cité golf, Ngola 1, Ngoukomba and Ngouvongba. CAR Red Cross volunteers assisted the ICRC during the distribution and the government participated in the exercise through local chiefs who helped in identifying the affected families. The ICRC aid marked the first humanitarian action in PK 11 since the 17 April violence, which resulted in eight deaths. "These families no longer feel forsaken though the distributions were modest" Legeard said. "After the hardships they've been through, it's a relief for these families to see that people care for them." Normalcy has returned to the suburb since the former rebels left for Chad, after the government paid each of them the local equivalent of $1,000.