September 15, 2017 - 4:38 AM
DAKAR, Senegal - The U.N. refugee agency says Central African Republic is seeing the highest number of people fleeing deadly violence since the beginning of the country's conflict four years ago.
The agency told reporters in Geneva on Friday that more than half a million people have fled the impoverished country as violence surges to levels similar to those at the height of the fighting in 2014.
Another 600,000 people are displaced inside the country.
Hundreds of people have been killed since largely sectarian fighting erupted in May in areas that previously had been spared.
Thousands of Muslims have been sheltering in churches in some areas, while others in Central African Republic have reported rapes and killings.
The U.N. says many of the newly displaced people can't reach badly needed aid.
News from © The Associated Press, 2017