earl gast? , and rankingoons member flake, keyword for the opportunity to be here.i appreciate you drawing attention to the situation in the central african republic and look forward to a continued discussion. we have the map loaded. i would like you -- i would like to draw your attention to this map on the screen, the geography and the frequency of conflict in the c.a.r. i would like to introduce a copy of this map into the formal record. >> without objection. >> the areas in the northwest expands the greatest violence are -- and are in desperate need of humanitarian assistance. prior to the most recent attack, aid groups had a limited presence and targeted attacks against humanitarian workers have further limited our response capacity. overcoming the operational constraints in these areas will take a significant amount of time in human and financial resources. this is arguably the worst crisis in the c.a.r.'s history. as of this week, 680,000 central africans have fled their homes, 150,000 more than the u.n. december 9 estimate. moreover, an estimated 500 and nine

like to welcome other members of the committee, as well as our witnesses, linda thomas-greenfield, earl gast

like to welcome other members of the committee, as well as our witnesses, linda thomas-greenfield, earl gast, alexis arieff and elizabeth list. and mark schneider. i am grateful to have recently spoken with central african officials for a firsthand account. i regret that no car leaders could join us, but i would enter into a record a joint statement from the bishop and the reverend, who are pictured here. i would also enter the statements from catholic release services based on recent statements. car has a long history of instability and conflict and has been the focus of efforts to support peace and stability, sadly with lasting -- little lasting effect in the current crisis is different in terms of its scope. followed by a coup by a loose coalition of rebels, a little more than a faÇade of a transitional government now exists in c.a.r., and week security forces have disentigrated. opportunists, many from chad and sudan, and seemingly motivated by green, and swelled the ranks of factions from 4000 to nearly 20,000 engaging in horrific violence. in response to horrific attacks, local groups