EU supports WFP to assist CAR refugees in CMR

"This much-needed contribution comes at the right time, when we are scaling up food and nutrition support to meet the needs of a growing refugee population in Cameroon," said Jacques Roy, WFP Cameroon Country Director and Representative.

Over 126,000 refugees have fled C.A.R for Cameroon since January 2014. Most of them arrive seriously malnourished, after having walked for weeks through the forest to escape the violence.

WFP and its partners have set up nutrition programmes on a large scale to prevent and treat malnutrition in young children and in pregnant women and nursing mothers. In addition, general food distributions are provided to over 80,000 refugees on a monthly basis.

"We need to constantly sustain our efforts so that more refugees do not fall into the malnutrition trap, but funding shortfalls can mean that we have to cut down on the support," said Jacques Roy.

"Thanks to the EU's humanitarian aid, we can start the immediate purchase of additional essential items such as rice, pulses and oil, and specialized nutrition products for the prevention of malnutrition in young children and women," Mr. Roy added.

WFP plans to support a refugee population from C.A.R which is expected to reach up to 180,000 people at the end of 2014, in addition to assisting third country nationals and vulnerable local people in Cameroon.

To date, WFP, which is funded entirely by voluntary contributions, has only received around half of the resources needed for its refugee response.