Main content

How the Ukraine war is impacting the world's most vulnerable

Fuel shortages are delaying help reaching those in need in Central African Republic, says the Norwegian Refugee Council.

As the global fuel crisis brought on in part by the Russian invasion of Ukraine worsens around the world it’s effect is felt most heavily by the most vulnerable. Just north of the huge Democratic Republic of Congo is the land-locked Central African Republic which, though similarly rich in minerals, struggles to maintain basic needs for many of its citizens.

A simmering sectarian conflict has left many people displaced and the fuel shortage is affecting humanitarian agencies that rely on airplanes to move cash around the country to pay for workers to provide essential services to displaced people, and on trucks to deliver food. Newsday heard from Powel Tchatat of the Norwegian Refugee Council who is based in the CAR's capital, Bangui.

“The Central African Republic depends on neighbouring countries, mainly on Cameroon, for basic necessities and these countries have been experiencing a shortage of basic commodities and took some measures to restrict the export [of them] to neighbouring countries.”

“This meant in the past weeks the prices of wheat flour and rice have increased… and because of the war in Ukraine fuel prices have increased therefore the transports costs have gone higher.”

(Pic: A displaced family living on the displacement site of the Roman Catholic Church in Alindao, Central African Republic; Credit: Chanel Igara/Norwegian Refugee Council)

Release date:

Duration:

4 minutes