Tag Archives: Central

Cholera outbreak in West and Central Africa poses crisis for children

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“The heavy rains, widespread flooding and the high level of displacement are all fuelling the risk of cholera transmission and putting the lives of children at risk,” said UNICEF regional director for West and Central Africa Gilles Fagninou.

Cholera is an acute diarrhoeal infection caused by consuming food or water contaminated with bacteria. The disease can be treated with oral rehydration solution and antibiotics, but can be fatal within hours if untreated.

Young children are particularly vulnerable to cholera due to factors such as poor hygiene, inadequate sanitation and access to safe water and a greater risk of severe dehydration.

Regional hotspots

Active outbreaks in the hotspots of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Nigeria are fuelling the risk of cross-border transmission to neighbouring countries.  

The DRC is the hardest hit country in the region, reporting more than 38,000 cases and 951 deaths in July. 

Children under five now account for nearly 26 per cent of cases in the DRC, and without stronger containment measures, they may face the worst cholera crisis since 2017.

The situation in the capital, Kinshasa, is particularly critical as intense rainfall and widespread flooding have caused cases to surge sharply over the past four weeks. Straining an already overwhelmed healthcare system, the city is now facing an alarming case fatality rate of eight per cent.

Nigeria is the second most affected country in the region, with 3,109 suspected cholera cases and 86 deaths as of the end of June. Cholera is endemic in the country, where major outbreaks have re-occurred in recent years.

Region-wide crisis

Chad, Republic of Congo, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire and Togo are also facing ongoing epidemics.

A total of 612 cholera cases were reported in Ghana as of 28 April, 322 cases and 15 deaths in Côte d’Ivoire as of 14 July and 209 cases and five deaths in Togo as of June 22.  

Niger, Liberia, Benin, the Central African Republic and Cameroon are also under close surveillance due to their vulnerability.

UNICEF response

Urgent and scaled-up efforts are needed to prevent further spread and contain the disease across the region.

Throughout the outbreaks, UNICEF has delivered lifesaving health, water, hygiene and sanitation supplies to treatment facilities and communities.  

The agency has also supported cholera vaccinations, scaled up preparedness and response efforts and encouraged families to seek timely treatment and improve their hygiene practices.

“We are in a race against time, working hand in hand with the authorities to deliver essential healthcare, safe water and proper nutrition to children already at risk of deadly diseases and severe acute malnutrition,” said Mr. Fagninou.  

“Together with an array of partners, we are strengthening community engagement and extending our reach to remote and underserved areas, making every effort to ensure that no child is left behind.”

UNICEF West and Central Africa urgently requires $20 million over the next three months to scale up critical support in health, WASH, risk communication and community engagement. 

Two ex-militia leaders in Central African Republic sentenced for war crimes, crimes against humanity

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Alfred Yekatom and Patrice-Edouard Ngaïssona received prison sentences of 15 and 12 years for their roles in brutal attacks against civilians – primarily from the country’s mainly Muslim Seleka population – during the 2013-14 civil war.

They were found guilty “beyond any reasonable doubt” of leading and facilitating attacks on civilians in the capital, Bangui, and the country’s west.

Thousands of people were killed in the violence that swept CAR following a 2012 coup led by the mainly Muslim rebel coalition, Séléka. The fighting took on a deeply sectarian tenor as Anti-Balaka militia started a brutal campaign of reprisal attacks.

Long list of crimes

The ICC’s Trial Chamber V found Mr. Yekatom responsible for a number of crimes he committed in the context of the attack on Bangui (the capital of CAR), the events at Yamwara (a school where he had established a base), and during the advance of his group on the PK9-Mbaïki axis.

These included murder, torture, forcible transfer and deportation, directing an attack against a building dedicated to religion and persecution.

Mr. Ngaïssona was convicted for aiding and abetting many of the same crimes, including persecution, forcible displacement and cruel treatment.

Both men were also found to have targeted Muslims based on the Anti-Balaka’s perception of collective guilt for Seleka abuses.

The judges sentenced Mr. Yekatom to 15 years and Mr. Ngaïssona to 12 years, with time already served to be deducted.

Charges of war crimes of pillaging and directing an attack against a religious building during the attack on Bossangoa were not upheld against Mr. Ngaïssona, and those of conscription, enlistment and use of children were not upheld against Mr. Yekatom.

‘Instrumentalization of religion’

The Chamber noted that while religion was instrumentalised by armed groups during the conflict, the violence was not initially religious in nature.

Many witnesses testified that Muslims and Christians had lived peacefully together prior to the conflict.

The convictions mark the conclusion of a trial that began in February 2021. Over the course of proceedings, the Prosecution called 114 witnesses, while the Defense teams called 56. A total of 1,965 victims participated in the trial through legal representatives.

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Upcoming elections ‘crucial opportunity’ for Central African Republic, UN top official tells Security Council

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December’s local, legislative and presidential elections “represent a crucial opportunity” to strengthen democratic governance, promote reconciliation and consolidate stability, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations told ambassadors in the Security Council.

The timely holding of presidential and legislative elections is a constitutional requirement, and the Government has consistently demonstrated its commitment to holding local elections, he added.

Although the final electoral roll is currently delayed due to technical difficulties, national authorities, supported by the UN peacekeeping mission, MINUSCA, have made significant efforts to advance the revision of the electoral register through nationwide registration.

“This process took place without major security incidents, reflecting effective collaboration between the Central African national defence forces and MINUSCA, as well as public interest in engaging with the political process,” said Mr. Lacroix.

Challenges remain

Although the 19 April agreement between the government and leaders of various opposition armed groups aimed to end hostilities in the country, violence – primarily perpetrated by armed groups and militias – continues to undermine stability.

“The security situation remains fragile in border regions,” said Mr. Lacroix, noting the spillover effects of the conflict in neighbouring Sudan.

Last week, a Zambian peacekeeper was killed when suspected Sudanese armed elements opened fire on a MINUSCA patrol responding to reports of an attack against civilians in the north-east of the country.

Mr. Lacroix also informed the Security Council of human rights and humanitarian concerns.

Though progress has been made in advancing judicial accountability, notably by the Special Criminal Court, a lack of funding is expected to jeopardise the Court’s operations by September.

In addition, as urgent needs continue to outpace available resources, “the humanitarian situation remains dire,” said Mr. Lacroix, calling for strong support for lifesaving humanitarian assistance.

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Guterres condemns deadly attack on peacekeepers in Central African Republic

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The ambush took place on Friday along the Birao-Am Dafock axis in the volatile Vakaga Prefecture, in northeastern CAR, close to the border with conflict-hit Sudan.

According to the stabilization mission, MINUSCA, the patrol was targeted by “unidentified armed elements” in the locality of Am-Sissia.

Attack may be a war crime

In a statement released by his Spokesperson on Sunday, Secretary-General António Guterres extended his deepest condolences to the bereaved families, as well as to the Government and people of Zambia, and wished a swift recovery to the injured soldier.

He stressed that attacks against UN peacekeepers may constitute war crimes under international law and urged the Central African authorities “to spare no effort in identifying the perpetrators of this tragedy so that they can be brought to justice swiftly”.

This marks the third fatal attack against MINUSCA peacekeeping patrols since the start of 2025.

In March, a Kenyan peacekeeper was killed in the Haut-Mbomou prefecture, and a month earlier, a Tunisian ‘blue helmet’ lost his life in the north. Earlier this week, two Nepalese peacekeepers were injured during an assault in the southwest.

Valentine Rugwabiza, head of the UN mission, decried the “multiplication of attacks against peacekeepers” and echoed the call for justice, urging the authorities to act decisively against those responsible.

Since its deployment in 2014, MINUSCA has suffered significant losses, with around 150 peacekeepers paying the ultimate price.

The 17,000-strong force was established to help stabilise CAR, a country wracked by decades of political instability, armed conflict, and humanitarian crises.

According to a February report by the UN refugee agency (UNHCR), worsening insecurity across parts of the country has forced MINUSCA to step up patrols in several regions, including areas near the border with Sudan where violence and displacement have surged in recent months amid the brutal civil war between rival militaries there.

The Secretary-General reaffirmed the UN’s solidarity with the people and Government of CAR, underlining the world body’s continued commitment to peace and stability in the region.

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Central Africa at a crossroads amid rising tensions and instability

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With violence worsening in both the Lake Chad Basin and the Great Lakes, the Security Council met on Monday to examine the threats confronting the wider region.

“Central Africa remains rich in potential, but the challenges are still significant,” said Abdou Abarry, Head of the UN Regional Office for Central Africa (UNOCA).

Some progress

While countries such as Chad and Gabon have made progress in terms of political development, newly elected authorities must capitalise on this momentum to implement key democratic reforms, said Mr Abarry.

In Chad and Gabon, recent elections and reforms have promoted greater participation of women in the democratic process.

Today, women represent 34 per cent of Chad’s National Assembly, while Gabon’s new electoral code mandates that women must account for at least 30 per cent of electoral lists provided to voters.

Political challenges

In recent months, online disinformation and hate speech have been on the rise in Cameroon, said Mr Abarry. UNOCA reported that 65 per cent of political content shared on social media between January and April this year was either false or previously manipulated.

At the same time, Cameroon has seen a surge in intercommunal violence in the southern and central regions of the country. This trend underscores the importance of UNOCA’s work in supporting development strategies aimed at preventing conflict related to electoral processes.

Insecurity hotbeds

Two major centres of insecurity persist, with violence escalating in both the Lake Chad Basin and the Great Lakes region.

Around Lake Chad, groups affiliated with Boko Haram extremists and other armed insurgencies have demonstrated “their resilience and their ability to adapt and respond to the coordinated operations of the defence and security forces” of the region, said Mr Abarry.

Notably, on the night of 24 March, drones carrying explosives killed at least 19 Cameroonian soldiers in southern Nigeria.

Meanwhile, growing tensions between the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Rwanda have led to large-scale displacement in eastern DRC, where the humanitarian crisis is further compounded by conflict in neighbouring Sudan.

As budget cuts exacerbate ongoing humanitarian crises in the region, there is growing concern that “the inaction of the international community could lead to a worsening of the humanitarian situation,” the head of UNOCA told ambassadors. 

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More than 50 million in West and Central Africa at risk of hunger

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More than 36 million are struggling to meet their basic food needs, which is projected to rise to over 52 million during the lean season from June to August, latest analysis reveals.

This includes almost three million people facing emergency conditions, and 2,600 people in Mali who are at risk of catastrophic hunger.

Although needs are at a historic high, resources are limited, with millions of lives at stake. 

“Without immediate funding, WFP will be forced to scale down even further both in the number of people reached and the size of food rations distributed,” said Margot van der Velden, Regional Director for West and Central Africa. 

‘Extremely difficult and dire’ 

In 2019, only four per cent of the population was food insecure compared to 30 per cent today, according to Ollo Sib, a senior research adviser with WFP.

“We hope that our voice will be heard because this food security situation in the Sahel remains extremely difficult and dire,” he said, speaking from Dakar to journalists in Geneva.

Mr. Sib recently travelled to some of the affected areas, such as communities in northern Ghana grappling with unprecedented drought.

“They were forced to replant two to three times, and for them, each failed sowing is an additional financial burden as the cost of fertilisers and seeds were extremely high in those locations,” he said.

The assessment team also went to northern Mali, which is the only place in the region where people are facing catastrophic food security conditions.

“We had the opportunity to interact with pastoralist elders who typically sell their livestock to buy cereals,” he said. 

“This year they were worried because the cost of food rose by 50 per cent compared to the five-year average. But at the same time, they are not able to access markets to sell their goods.” 

Fighting, food inflation and floods

WFP said unyielding conflict is among the factors driving deepening hunger in West and Central Africa.  

Fighting has displaced more than 10 million of the most vulnerable people across the region, including more than two million refugees and asylum seekers, in Chad, Cameroon, Mauritania and Niger. 

Nearly eight million more have been internally displaced, mainly in Nigeria and Cameroon. 

Meanwhile, food inflation exacerbated by rising food and fuel costs are pushing hunger levels to new highs.

At the same time, recurrent extreme weather “erodes the ability of families to feed themselves,” WFP said. 

© WFP/Desire Joseph Ouedraogo

Vulnerable populations in Morolaba, Burkina Faso, receive emergency airlifted food assistance.

Five million at risk

WFP stands ready to respond and scale up vital assistance in West Africa and the Sahel. The UN agency is seeking $710 million to support its life-saving operations through the end of October.

The aim is to reach almost 12 million people this year with critical assistance.

So far, teams have already reached three million of the most vulnerable including refugees, internally displaced people, malnourished children under five, and pregnant or breastfeeding women and girls.

The agency said that five million risk losing assistance unless urgent funding is found.

Address root causes

WFP also called for governments and partners to invest in sustainable solutions aimed at building resilience and reducing long-term dependency on aid.

Since 2018, the UN agency has been working with regional governments to address the root causes of hunger through a programme that has rehabilitated over 300,000 hectares of land to support over four million people in more than 3,400 villages. 

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