11/02/2014 16:20
CAR faces threat of food crisis
Aid organisations have warned that the continued exodus of Muslims from the Central African Republic (CAR) could lead to a catastrophic market collapse, the BBC reported.
Oxfam and Action Against Hunger say fewer than 10 wholesalers remain in the capital, Bangui, with many considering leaving the country.
As a result, they warn staple food supplies could dry up and prices rise.
With 90% of the population estimated by the UN to eat one meal a day, there are fears the situation could worsen.
Violence between the Christian majority and Muslims has torn the country apart since a coup last year. Tens of thousands of Muslims have already fled the country to neighbouring Cameroon and Chad.
Meat is already scarce because cattle herders have fled into the bush and, when available, it is twice as expensive as it was, says the BBC's West Africa correspondent Thomas Fessy.
Many of the Muslims chased out by Christian militias were the backbone of the local economy, he adds.
Some 96% of farmers are without access to seeds, the UN says, just under a month before the main planting season.
The violence is preventing food from getting into the country with hundreds of food lorries stuck at the border with Cameroon because many drivers fear being attacked by armed groups.
The consequences of failing to protect those who remain, Oxfam says, could be disastrous for everyone.