Crisis in Central African Republic

Central African Republic: Key facts

• Population: 5.9 Million
• Area: 622,980 KM2
• Literacy rate: 37.5%
• Lifetime expectancy: 54 years

The Central African Republic lies at the heart of Africa. For more than 12 years, a devastating humanitarian crisis characterised by armed conflicts, displacement and a difficult supply situation has been raging there, largely unnoticed by the media.

The reason for this is an ongoing civil war on ethnic, religious and political tensions. Decades of instability, poor governance and economic inequality have led to this human catastrophe.

Forced to flee

Around 2.8 million people are dependent on humanitarian aid. As a result of the insecurity, a fifth of the population is fleeing either within the country or to neighbouring countries. More than 750,000 people have fled abroad, mainly to Cameroon, Chad and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The security situation continues to deteriorate due to attacks by armed groups. As a result, access to vital resources such as food, water and medical care is massively impeded for the population. More than 2.5 million people do not have enough to eat.

Violence against women

According to the Gender Inequality Index, the Central African Republic is one of the five countries in the world where women experience the most disadvantage. In 2024, more than two people every hour - mainly women and girls - were victims of gender-based violence.

Over 11,000 cases of violence were reported in the first half of the year. The conflict prevents survivors from getting help quickly. Women and girls are also subjected to early marriage and exploitation, especially in refugee camps and conflict regions where there is even less protection for them.

In addition, girls often have to drop out of school to support their families. Because educational facilities have been destroyed, teaching is not possible in many places.

CARE in Central African Republic

Together with local partners, CARE works in countries neighbouring Central African Republic to provide refugees with vital relief supplies such as food, shelter, clean water and hygiene products. Medical and psychological care for all those who have experienced sexual assault is integral to CARE’s emergency response.

Ten forgotten crises

The CARE Crisis Report is published annually and highlights the ten crises that receive the least media attention. In 2024 Central African Republic ranked as the second least reported crisis in the world.