BANGUI, Central African Republic, Jan. 23 (UPI) -- U.N. officials are warning of an escalating humanitarian crisis after bandit attacks in the Central African Republic.
As a result of the surge in violence, officials have been forced to open a camp for the thousands of internally displaced persons. U.N. officials are warning that if violence in the region continues the humanitarian crisis could swiftly evolve into something worse, the United Nations reported.
U.N. Undersecretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator John Holmes is calling for reconciliation in the north of CAR and for rebels to stop targeting civilians.
"At a time when dialogue between all political parties is being prepared and tensions between militant groups and the government appear to have eased, it is deeply troubling that the people of the Central African Republic continue to flee their homes," Holmes said in a statement.
CAR authorities opened the displaced persons camp near the town of Kabo, where the numbers of people streaming into the area as a result of the growing number of attacks by the Zaraguinas rebels has increased.
U.N. officials say in addition to the almost 200,000 IDPs in the CAR, as many as 98,000 Central Africans have fled to neighboring Chad and Cameroon.
