UN humanitarian chief condemns killing of aid worker in Central African Republic

The top United Nations humanitarian official today strongly condemned the killing of an aid worker in the Central African Republic (CAR), and the world body has suspended all movements in the affected region for the time being.

Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator John Holmes said he was “very concerned” about the recent deterioration of the security situation in the northwest of the country, where a Médecins sans Frontières (MSF) staff member was killed yesterday, a UN spokesperson told reporters in New York.

Elsa Serfass was hit by gunfire during an assessment mission on the border with Cameroon and Chad.

Mr. Holmes called on the parties to the conflict in the impoverished CAR to protect humanitarian workers and provide safe access to people in need.

The northern part of CAR has more than 212,000 people who have been displaced from other parts of the country, which also hosts some 10,000 refugees, mainly from Chad, Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).