Thousands of people got killed and almost half a million people were displaced as a result of years-long violence in the Central African Republic (CAR). This instability has severely impacted the health care sector. Health facilities are regularly attacked and destroyed. In February, a health center in Elevage, managed by Medecins Sans Frontiers (MSF), an international aid group, was hit by a rocket. Similarly, in June, a health post nearby was burnt to the ground.
Attacks on health workers have forced them to suspend medical activities. In May, two health workers got shot in the leg and head in Kabo. The other two, after receiving death threats are too scared to continue providing health service. These direct attacks and ambushes of the aid group’s health workers discourage them to carry on. As a result, it has caused death and severe illness which could have been avoided with simple medical care. Now the vulnerable people do not have access to essential drugs and quality care.
On 24 June 2021, a woman accompanying a patient was shot and killed in an ambush by armed men. Three other people got wounded in the same incident. The MSF condemned the repeated attacks on medical missions in the CAR and urged all parties to let civilians have safe access to medical and humanitarian aids.
To avoid these dreadful assaults on medical facilities, it is imperative to have permanent peace and stability in the CAR. One vital aspect for achieving lasting peace is to address the voice of the youth of the country who are vulnerable to recruitment by armed groups. Their voices have been missing from previous peace negotiation processes. Youth force must be a key element in a high-level political process at local and community levels.
Sources:
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/6/26/msf-convoy-attacked-central-african-republic-woman-killed
Author: Pasquale Candela; Editor: Shrabya Ghimire
