Children in Central African Republic are targets of new wave of violence

Thousands of children are at risk of being killed or maimed because of a new wave of violence in the Central African Republic.

More than 130 children have been murdered or seriously injured in the past few weeks, according to UNICEF.

Manuel Fontaine of UNICEF West and Central Africa said: “Civilians are under siege and at the mercy of daily attacks.

“The ongoing hostilities represent appalling acts of violence against children, women and men.”

The UN agency and its partners have stopped supplying safe drinking water to displaced families in the capital Bangul because of the security threats.

More than two million children have been affected by the fighting in CAR, which has been going on for more than a year.

A UNICEF spokesman said: “Our teams are also working hard to set up safe spaces for children and to reunite unaccompanied children with their families.

“However, more than a million children are in urgent need of health supplies, clean water and protection.

“The rainy season, beginning in March, will only worsen the situation for hundreds of thousands of children living in temporary sites across the country.

“We cannot let the Central African Republic become a forgotten crisis.”