Central African Republic

Introduction

The Central African Republic (CAR) is one of the most challenged country 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.

While 2025 saw a relative stabilisation of the humanitarian situation in some regions, significant portions of the population remain highly vulnerable to further shocks. Projections for 2026 indicate that 2.3 million people - 43% of the population - will face a level of deprivation so acute to need life-saving emergency humanitarian interventions, which alone will be insufficient to achieve sustainable recovery.

Facts & figures

Through its humanitarian efforts, the EU provides vital support to those most in need.

EU humanitarian funding:

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.

Displacement

Civilians are bearing the brunt of continued violence. Displacement affects 1 in 5 Central Africans: 736,000 are living as refugees in neighbouring countries and over 427,000 remain internally displaced. A total of more than 69,000 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 59,600 refugees and asylum seekers, 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 access to basic social service package: 
•    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. Projections for the 2026 lean season (April–August) indicate that 35 percent of the analysed population - approximately 2.29 million people - will face high levels of acute food insecurity, driven primarily by persistent conflict and high food costs.

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 not sufficiently 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,  the spillover of funding shortages, leads the reduction in the number of flights, limiting access and services to vulnerable populations.

In 2025, the EU has allocated €22.2 million for humanitarian aid in the country. 
In 2026, on the occasion of the Third International Sudan Conference in Berlin, the EU announced €4,5 million to sustain the humanitarian response to the consequences of Sudan crisis in the country.

The EU also provides humanitarian assistance to both host communities and Central African refugees in Cameroon, Chad, and the DRC.