Central African Republic

  • Current People in Need
    3.4 million
  • Current People Targeted
    2.4 million
  • Current Requirements (US$)
    $533.3 million
People in Need at launch (Dec. 2022)
3.4 million
People Targeted at launch (Dec. 2022)
2.4 million
Requirements (US$) at launch (Dec. 2022)
465 million
Total Population
6.1 million
Income level
Low income
INFORM Severity Index
8.5 / Very High
Consecutive appeals
2003 - 2023

Analysis of the context, crisis and needs

The combined impact of shocks in 2021 and 2022 continued to severely affect people in the Central African Republic (CAR). Based on the Multi-Sectorial Needs Assessment (MSNA), 3.4 million people need protection and assistance in 2023, corresponding to 56 per cent of the population. Humanitarian needs are severe in all 72 sub-prefectures, 45 of which have reached the acute severity phase 4 on a scale of 5.

As CAR is landlocked, it is particularly affected by the disruption of world markets related to the war in Ukraine, as most basic commodities and relief items are imported.

The prices of wheat, rice and vegetable oil increased up to 56 per cent on local markets. Fuel shortages in CAR and higher prices for relief items, such as Plumpy’nut, medicine and basic commodities, have severely impacted the costs of response operations. As a result, less people were reached in 2022 with the same amount of humanitarian funding. The increased costs of living also meant that thousands of households faced hard choices and did not seek medical care and other basic services, such as schooling, because of insufficient means.

During the first nine months of 2022, there was an 8 per cent increase in human rights abuses and violations of international humanitarian law (IHL) compared to the entirety of 2021. Better coverage in the protection monitoring system has helped detect more cases of gender-based violence. However, due to insufficient funding and access constraints, only 24 per cent of survivors received timely medical assistance. 505,000 people were internally displaced, and 744,000 CAR refugees were registered in neighbouring countries (as of 31 October 2022). Compared to 2021, the number of newly displaced people increased in 2022, while the number of returnees decreased.

The Central African Armed Forces supported by other security personnel solidified their control of major urban centres in 2022. However, in rural areas, armed groups continued engaging in robberies, lootings, illegal taxations and property extortions. Armed groups and Government armed forces are involved in violent incidents committed against civilians. New displacements occurred in areas where clashes took place, while return movements of displaced people remained timid and centred around urban areas. In rural areas, the presence of armed groups has severely limited access to agricultural land, with dramatic consequences on the population in a country where 80 per cent of people derive their livelihood from farming. Consequently, food insecurity and malnutrition remained concerning. About 2.7 million people need immediate food assistance. If no assistance is provided, the situation risks deteriorating during the lean season (April to August 2023), with approximately 3 million people requiring immediate food assistance in 2023.

In 2022, the number of people affected by floods more than tripled, compared to 2021. This trend will likely continue because of climate change. Floods affected 35,390 people in 2021 and 104,000 people in 2022.

Projected situation in 2023 and beyond

  1. Under the condition that armed groups and opposition leaders re-engage in the national dialogue, it could be possible that more IDPs will return to their areas of origin. However, as local elections are scheduled for 2023, further instability could occur, and the more-likely scenario is that new displacements as well as human rights abuses and IHL violations will continue at the same level as in 2022.
  2. Should commodity prices and transport costs continue to rise, it is likely that more people will become food insecure, leading to increased negative coping mechanisms such as survival sex, child marriages, school dropouts and enrolments in armed groups. In a context where illiteracy affects 64 per cent of people aged 15 to 24, hundreds of thousands more youths will face a bleak future.

Response priorities in 2023

Against the backdrop of the global political and economic outlook for 2023 — which makes more funding for CAR unlikely, despite the increased number of people who need assistance — humanitarian partners in CAR went through a very rigorous targeting exercise. Consequently, 2.4 million of the most vulnerable people affected by multiple crises will be prioritized for assistance. Overall, 1.8 million people will receive multisectoral assistance, benefiting from in-kind or cash assistance, protection and access to basic services.

Based on existing feedback mechanisms, the humanitarian response will be even more tailored to what people express as their needs and preferences, as in the past. Furthermore, through a focus on localization, 155,000 people in hard-to-reach areas will receive humanitarian assistance, and local organizations will play an even more important role.

To maximize the impact of the support to affected communities and to reduce the number of people in need, humanitarian and development organizations will continue working together on localization, durable solutions, social cohesion, underlying causes of malnutrition, food insecurity and exposure to natural hazards triggered by climate change.

Central African Republic HRP