BANGUI/ NEW YORK, AUGUST 9, 2017(MSF):Approximately 10,000 people have taken shelter on the grounds of Batangafo hospital in Central African Republic (CAR), more than 10 days after violence broke out between rival groups, said the international medical humanitarian organization Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) Thursday.
This latest wave of violence resulted in at least 24 dead and 17 wounded in fighting on July 29 and August 1.
Most people sheltering in Batangafo hospital leave the grounds during the day and return to sleep there at night. But in CAR, not even hospitals are places of safety. In recent weeks, armed groups have forcibly entered hospitals in both Bangassou and Zemio.
Hospital services were interrupted by the recent fighting, with general consultations being put on hold and extra support provided to the emergency room, but have since been re-established. Some of the wounded were treated in Batangafo hospital and included combatants from both groups, said MSF. The atmosphere in Batangafo remains tense, despite the fact that the leaders of the rival groups claim to have reached an agreement to prevent a resurgence in the conflict.
More than 180,000 people have fled in recent months
MSF has worked in CAR since 1996 and currently has more than 2,400 Central African staff and 230 international staff working in the country. Since 2013, MSF has doubled its level of medical support in response to the crisis.
At present, MSF runs some 20 projects across the country, with medical teams providing free healthcare, including pediatric care, routine vaccinations, maternal healthcare, and surgery, as well as treatment for diseases such as HIV and tuberculosis.
