The continuing insecurity in Central African Republic (CAR) has greatly reduced agricultural production and is eroding the capacity of the country's population to secure sufficient food, according to a new joint report Wednesday from the U.N. agriculture and food agencies. The World Food Program (WFP) and the U.N. Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) blamed widespread looting and insecurity for negatively impacting crops, livestock, and fishing in the CAR. Such adverse events caused the country's agricultural sector to contract by almost half in 2013. "WFP is particularly concerned about the situation of internally displaced people and isolated communities," WFP chief economist Arif Husain said in a statement. "Field surveys show about half of these households have critically low levels of food consumption and are at high risk of malnutrition, and therefore rely largely on food assistance."
