U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has appealed to the international community to send an additional 3,000 troops and police to Central African Republic to combat worsening sectarian violence.

Ban Ki-moon: “It is a calamity with a strong claim on the conscience of humankind. Over the past year we have seen, in quick succession, the violent overthrow of the government, the collapse of state institutions, and a descent into lawlessness and sectarian brutality. More than 2.5 million people, more than half the population, need immediate humanitarian assistance.”