DAKAR, Senegal — The U.N. Children's Fund says shortfalls in funding and violence have prevented it from delivering critical services to thousands of children in Central African Republic.
Unicef said Wednesday that it was unable to vaccinate 33,000 children against measles this year or to treat 5,000 severely malnourished children under 5. In addition, it couldn't deliver other basic health services to hundreds of thousands of people.
The agency did give medicine to more than 1 million people and distribute mosquito bed nets to thousands of families.
But its work has been hampered by violence between Christians and Muslims that has ripped the country apart, killing some 5,000 people. Unicef also has received less than half the required emergency funding.
It is asking for $72 million to continue its work next year.
