Humanitarian Bulletin

Highlights

• In 2026, the humanitarian community in CAR plans to assist 1.3 million most vulnerable people. US$ 264.1 million is required.

• In one month, over 8,000 people were displaced while fleeing violence in the northwest.

• Over 42,000 people have been preventively displaced in two months due to the escalating insecurity in the southeast.

Read the full update.

From January to December 2025, 130 incidents affected humanitarian workers compared to 142 incidents in 2024, representing an 8% decrease. Criminality, military operations, as well as movements of armed groups impacting humanitarians and civilian populations, characterized the operational environment in the Central African Republic throughout the year. The distribution of incidents shifted: in 2025, the majority of incidents (65%) were criminal in nature (armed robberies, thefts), compared to 37% in 2024, while attacks and threats decreased from 26% in 2024 to 15% in 2025.

In December 2025, 15 incidents affected humanitarian actors, reflecting a 25% increase compared to November 2025, which recorded 12 incidents. This could be linked to the dynamics of the electoral period and the beginning of the dry season, which favors the mobility of armed individuals. Two staff members of an NGO were abducted during an incident in Haut Mbomou. Armed robberies accounted for more than 80% of incidents during the month.

The prefectures most affected during 2025 were Haut-Mbomou (19%), Bangui (12%), and Vakaga (10%). In 2024, Bangui (17%), Haut-Mbomou (12%), and Bamingui-Bangoran (11%) were the most affected prefectures.For more information, click here.

As of 31 December 2025, the Central African Republic had an estimated 427,479 internally displaced persons (IDPs). Among them, 13 per cent (56,729) were living in sites and gathering areas, while 87 per cent (370,750) were staying with host families. This represents a decrease of 0.2 per cent (835 individuals) in the total number of displacements compared to November 2025, when 428,314 IDPs were recorded. This decrease is mainly attributable to updated site data, reflecting worsening living conditions, limited access to humanitarian assistance, and the implementation of return projects, particularly in Bria (Haute-Kotto).

Humanitarian needs in the Central African Republic (CAR) remained significant during the first half of 2025, even though some regions experienced improvements. The situation is marked by a critical gap between the population’s needs, the targets set by the Humanitarian Response Plan, and the assistance delivered. 

The Humanitarian Response Plan aims to assist 1.8 million people, representing 73 per cent of the total population in need. However, in the first half of the year, only 561,000 people were reached (32 per cent of the initial target). Among them were 313,000 women and 249,000 men. In comparison, during the same period in 2024, 1.2 million people were reached, accounting for 63 per cent of the planned target. 

This shortfall in the response is directly linked to a funding gap. Of the USD 326.1 million required, only USD 82.8 million had been received by mid-year, representing a coverage rate of 24 per cent. At the same time in 2024, 38 per cent of the required funding had already been mobilized. This major financial constraint is seriously hindering humanitarian actors' ability to reach targeted populations, including through the closure of some field offices. The effectiveness of the response varies significantly across prefectures, revealing unequal access exacerbated by factors such as impassable roads, insecurity, and the closure of some humanitarian bases due to funding constraints.

In a context of reduced funding in the Central African Republic, in the second quarter of 2025, 16 partners provided assistance to 160,800 people across 30 sub-prefectures, with funding amounting to USD 5.4 million. This represents 8.93 per cent of the 1.8 million people targeted in the 2025 Humanitarian Response Plan. 

Compared to the same period in 2024, operational coverage has decreased: the number of beneficiaries dropped from 406,900 to 160,800, funding decreased from USD 19.3 million to USD 5.4 million, the number of partners fell from 23 to 16, and the number of covered sub-prefectures dropped from 38 to 30. This reduction is explained by the overall decline in humanitarian funding. At the same time, emergency response decreased, reaching 66,100 people (41.18 per cent), while resilience programs increased, benefiting 94,700 people (58.92 per cent), compared to 63.34 and 33.03 per cent in 2024, respectively. This shift reflects a reorientation towards longer-term interventions.

In the second quarter of 2025, direct cash transfers became the most widely used form of assistance, reaching 157,300 people (97.72 per cent of beneficiaries). In contrast, electronic transfers only reached 3,500 people (2.18 per cent) and no vouchers were used. This distribution confirms the trend observed in the first quarter of 2025 and highlights the population’s preference for direct cash transfers due to their flexibility.

Insecurity in certain parts of the country and natural disasters, along with massive population displacements, remain the main factors of the humanitarian crisis in the Central African Republic (CAR). This, combined with insecurity in southern neighboring Chad and the war in Sudan have triggered largest population movements towards CAR. In 2024, 2.8 million people are extremely vulnerable in CAR that humanitarian assistance alone is not sufficient to restore their well-being. Among them,1.9 million are targeted by the current Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP).

The CAR Humanitarian Fund (CAR HF) received a total of US$13 million this year, representing 14% per cent of the funding received under the 2024 Humanitarian Response Plan. Through a reserve allocation of $3.5 million, the CAR HF allocated $3 million in February for the response against gender-based violence, targeting more than 74,000 people and thus representing 25 per cent of the sector’s financial target for 2024. This allocation also allowed for an emergency international resupply of inputs to take care of nearly 4,000 children suffering from moderate acute malnutrition. These responses are currently being implemented through seven projects carried out by seven partners. Among them, three National non-governmental organizations (NNGO) directly received more than 27 per cent of the funds.

Between January and May, the OCHA CAR Humanitarian Financing Unit: 1) organized two in-person meetings with the CAR HF Advisory Committee, including one during the visit of the OCHA Donor Support Group (ODSG) in April, 2) trained 142 participants from NNGOs, 9% of whom work in Women-Led Organizations (WLOs) on different topics p, 3) conducted capacity assessments of 32 NGOs, including 25 NNGOs. A total of 14 were deemed eligible for future CAR HF funding, including 5 WLOs.