Crisis in Central African Republic

War leads to catastrophe.

  • 20 %

    20% of people are displaced

  • 2.4 million

    2.4 million people need humanitarian aid

  • 80 %

    80% of people are affected by poverty

Central African Republic: Key facts

  • Population: 5.5 Million
  • People in need: 2.4 Million
  • GDP: US$3.3 Billion
  • HDI: Ranked 191/193

The Central African Republic has many treasures, including two UNESCO World Heritage Sites: the Sangha Trinational protected area with dense rainforests and the Manovo-Gounda-Saint-Floris National Park with extensive savannah landscapes and species-rich ecosystems.

Despite significant deposits of raw materials, including diamonds, gold, and uranium, the country is one of the poorest in the world: over 80 percent of the population lives in poverty.

Violence fuels displacement

For more than 12 years, conflict has exacerbated the humanitarian crisis in the country. Attacks on the civilian population and infrastructure, including hospitals and schools, repeatedly lead to displacement. One in five Central Africans is displaced: more than 442,000 live as internally displaced persons in their own country, and almost 665,000 as refugees in neighboring countries such as Cameroon, Chad, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and South Sudan.

At the same time, the country itself is home to almost 53,000 refugees seeking protection from violence or oppression in other countries.

Women and girls bear the brunt of the crisis. They have to fetch water, collect firewood, and provide for their families, often under unsafe conditions. Sexual violence is on the rise, especially among refugees and in emergency shelters.

Humanitarian aid underfunded

More than half of the population — around 2.4 million people — depends on humanitarian aid. However, global aid cuts have drastically reduced support for the people of the Central African Republic. At the same time, armed conflicts are hampering humanitarian aid workers. From January to September 2025, 98 humanitarian workers were put in danger and one person was killed.

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.

How can I help people in Central African Republic?

Donate now to support CARE's life-saving work in countries neighbouring Central African Republic and around the world. Together, we can help to transform lives across the globe.

Your donation could help provide life-saving aid when disaster strikes, and give women and their communities the resources and opportunities they need to survive and thrive.

Donate today to help change lives

Ten forgotten crises

The CARE Crisis Report is published annually and highlights the ten crises that receive the least media attention. In 2025 Central African Republic ranked as the least reported crisis in the world.