Introduction
The Central African Republic (CAR) is one of the poorest countries in the world and is at the bottom of the Human Development Index: 191st out of 193 countries. Years of conflict, political instability and underdevelopment have resulted in one of the world’s most neglected, protracted humanitarian crises.
Essential social services are lacking and 2.4 million people – 38% of the population – need humanitarian aid. The UN reprioritisation due to the lack of funding in 2025 has led to a reduction of people targeted from 1.8 to 1.2 million (HNRP). The EU is a long-standing donor of humanitarian operations in the CAR.
over 2 million peoplewill face acute food insecurity between September 2025 and March 2026. IPC Phase 3 (Crisis): 1.54 million people, IPC Phase 4 (Emergency): 287,000 people
almost 665,000 refugees abroad and over 440,000 are internally displacedCentral African refugees mostly living in neighbouring countries (UNHCR, October 2025)
What are the needs?
According to the risk assessment tool INFORM, CAR ranks 3rd among countries most at risk of humanitarian crises with poor socio-economic indicators, limited access to social services, and a food crisis. Continued violence and natural disasters such as floods and wildfires are also of great concern.
Displaced people
Civilians are bearing the brunt of continued violence. Displacement affects 1 in 5 Central Africans: 664,746 are living as refugees in neighbouring countries and over 442,320 remain internally displaced. A total of more than 64,000 CAR refugees has voluntarily repatriated since 2017, but the pace has accelerated recently, with over 11,000 returns registered in 2025 alone, primarily from Cameroon and the DRC. CAR also hosts more than 54.237 refugees, mostly from Sudan, DRC, and Chad.
The protection of vulnerable displaced people, including women, girls and children at risk of sexual violence or forced recruitment, continues to be an urgent need. Living conditions for the displaced, many of whom were forced to relocate multiple times, are also very difficult. The main challenges are accessing:
- healthcare
- food
- safe water
- shelter
- education
People in CAR are facing food shortages due to high food prices and increased importation costs. According to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), 1.92 million people are expected to reach crisis or emergency levels of food insecurity between September 2025 and March 2026.
Security issues
CAR remains one of the most dangerous countries for humanitarian workers, with 103 security incidents including 1 death since January 2025 that directly affected them. The incident numbers in recent years fluctuate considerably by season but indicate an upward trend, The number of security incident decreasing trend is sustained since the beginning of the year, despite some areas remaining affected by armed conflict. The peace agreement signed 19 April 2025 with some of the still active armed groups paved the way to the disarmament and reintegration process.
How are we helping?
The EU’s humanitarian response focuses on covering the needs of the most affected populations through:
- food assistance and livelihood support
- agricultural support
- education
- healthcare
- shelter
- water, sanitation, and hygiene.
Disaster preparedness is also supported to enhance capacities to respond to natural hazards.
Protection crisis
The crisis in CAR is above all a protection crisis. Consequently, all EU-funded humanitarian aid must contribute to the protection of the affected populations. Safeguards are put in place to prevent sexual and gender-based violence, while support and care for survivors of such violence and the creation of a protective and educational environment for children are prioritised.
Emergency relief is provided to:
- internally displaced people
- refugees and host communities in conflict affected and hard-to reach areas
Host communities are included since the prolonged stay of forcibly displaced people puts pressure on many local communities and their already limited resources.
Accessibility and security issues
EU humanitarian aid supports the humanitarian coordination, security and logistics of the aid operations. As reaching people in need is both difficult and dangerous due to widespread violence and poor infrastructure, the EU funds the UN Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS), which enables aid workers and assistance to reach places that are insecure and difficult to access. However, due to funding shortages, the number of flights has been reduced, which will limit access to vulnerable populations.
In 2025, the EU has allocated €24.7 million for humanitarian aid in the country. In 2024, the EU allocated €22.4 million.
The EU also provides humanitarian assistance to both host communities and Central African refugees in Cameroon, Chad, and the DRC.