10 January 2014 – An IOM medical team provides medical screening and treatment for migrants fleeing the violence in CAR. Migrants stranded in the conflict torn-Central African Republic are set to be evacuated by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) over the weekend.

The agency says it has received requests for assistance from Chad, Niger, Mali, Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

According to IOM more than 60,000 migrants from neighbouring countries have already asked for assistance from their embassies in the Central African Republic.

Nearly 27,000 have already been repatriated by their governments, leaving at least 33,000 in urgent need of help.

IOM spokesperson in Geneva, Chris Lom, says the agency will start an airlift to evacuate the stranded migrants on Saturday.

"The first three IOM chartered flights this weekend will repatriate some 800 Chadians from Bangui to the Chadian capital of N'Djamena. The 800 are part of a group of some 2,500 Chadians who are currently sheltering in the transit camp at Bangui Airport. Conditions there are extremely bad. It's overcrowded and very unsanitary." (27")

The Central African Republic is plagued by sectarian conflict between Muslims and Christians.

A major conference is taking place in N'Djamena in Chad to find a solution to the crisis.

Source: UN Radio