David Beasley told the BBC that more than three million people were now at risk of starvation.

He warned that hundreds of thousands of children could die in the coming months if aid was not delivered.

Violence flared in August 2016 after the death of a local leader during clashes with security forces.

It has forced 1.5 million million people from their homes, most of them children.

Mr Beasley described the situation in Kasai as a “disaster”.

“Our teams are out in the field, we saw burned huts, burned homes, seriously malnourished children that had been stunted, obviously many children have died already,” the head of the World Food programme (WFP) said.

“We’re talking about several hundred thousand children there that will die in the next few months, if we don’t get first funds and then second food, and then third access in the right locations,” he added.

He said the WFP currently only had 1% of the funding it needed to help people in Kasai and warned that the coming rainy season would soon make already poor roads impassable.

But delivering aid by air would see costs escalate, he said.

“If we wait another few more weeks before we receive funds, to pre-position food, I can’t imagine how horrible the situation is going to be,” he said.

“We need help, and we need it right now,” he added.

The conflict began when the government refused to recognise a traditional chief who went by the title Kamuina Nsapu.

He set up a militia but was killed in clashes. Since his death a number of Kamuina Nsapu militia factions have emerged, all fighting for different causes, but with authorities their common target.

More and more people have joined the fighting, which has spread to five provinces. Both security forces and the militias have been accused of gross human rights violations.

More than 3,000 people have been killed and the UN has discovered dozens of mass graves in the area.

Survivors have described seeing their family members killed with machetes or drowned and say the continuing ethnic conflict means they cannot go home.

In March, militias ambushed and killed 40 police officers in Kasai, cutting off all of their heads.

The same month two UN workers, a Swedish and an American, were abducted and killed in the same region, having gone to investigate the abuses.

–

Source: BBC

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Gourcuff replaces Vahid Halilhodzic, who resigned after guiding Algeria to the second round of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

The Frenchman will officially take over the national team on August 1, and has signed a contract until the 2018 World Cup in Russia, meaning he will be in charge of Algeria for the next two African Cup of Nations tournaments and will be responsible for guiding the team to the next World Cup.

A statement of the Federation’s official website read: “The Federal Bureau (have) decided to appoint Mr Christian Gourcuff as national coach from 1 August 2014. A goal for the coming African Cup of Nations in 2015 and 2017 and the 2018 World Cup will be implemented. Mr Gourcuff will also participate in the training and development of the National Technical Department.”

Halilhodzic’s problems with the Algerian Football Federation had been well-documented while he was in charge and he had made it clear that he would be leaving his post after the World Cup.

He resigned from his position, despite efforts by the AFF and the country’s president to get him to stay on as coach, and has since taken over as manager of Turkish club Trabzonspor.

Gourcuff, who has also coached at Le Mans and Stade Rennes will take charge of Algeria for the first time  in a match against Ethiopia in September at the start of the Nations Cup qualifiers.

By: Edwin Kwakofi/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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