The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has concluded all arrangement to stage a campaign which would enable 550,000 children in the Central African Republic to be vaccinated, CEOAFRICA.com gathered.

According to UNICEF, the past nine months of lawlessness and insecurity have been disastrous for children in the Central African Republic.  It says normal vaccination programs to protect children against killer diseases largely stopped.  This triggered measles outbreaks almost everywhere in the country.

A nationwide measles vaccination campaign officially begins on Friday.  But UNICEF and its partners have already begun immunizing children on a local level.  

It was gathered from Marixie Mercado, UNICEF spokesperson, that health care workers vaccinated 190,000 children in the capital, Bangui, and in other areas. 

“It is our intent to -- not just our intent, but all of our partners on the ground to reach all of these children because measles, as you know is incredibly contagious and it is lethal for children living particularly.

"I mean, the conditions that they are in, the displacement, lack of safe water, exposed to all the elements, just extraordinary insecurity.  These are horrible and dangerous conditions for children.” 

Furthermore, UNICEF spokeswoman Mercado, reacted to the increased number of the displaced people in the country, saying many are hiding in the bush out of fear.  More than 60,000 other people fled to neighboring countries.

“UNICEF teams are providing emergency assistance to 5,500 families newly displaced by the recent violence in the northwest of the Central African Republic.

"The majority of the displaced are women and children now living in deplorable conditions without access to safe water, nor shelter from the elements ...  At least 250,000 children have lost out on an entire school year, forced marriages and sexual violence against girls is reportedly on the rise, and UNICEF estimates that there are 3,500 children associated with armed groups, up from around 2,000 prior to the conflict,” she said.

According to UNICEF, its life-saving operations are seriously constrained because of lack of money.  It has received only one-third of its $33 million CAR appeal for 2013.