The Central African Republic, which has experienced continuous volatility for the past two decades, has been riddled by a crisis which ignited in 2012 with a violent takeover of power and has developed into a complex protracted state of permanent insecurity and fragility which has spilled over into neighbouring countries. The crisis has led to the death of an estimated 826 people in 2022 (as of 28 November) and triggered significant displacement of populations in the seven affected countries. The crisis is characterized by power struggles amongst elites, the absence of state institutions and public investment, religious and ethnic tensions and disputes for the control of key resources.
As of 23 December 2022, 3,595,311 individuals were displaced, including 518,116 Internally Displaced Persons (14% of the displaced population), 1,880,785 Returnees (former IDPs) (52%), 446,625 Returnees from abroad (12%) and 749,785 Refugees in neighbouring countries (21%). In the Central African Republic, the largest displaced population consists of Former IDP Returnees (66%), while IDPs represent 18 per cent of the displaced population present in the country and Returnees from abroad represent 16 per cent of in-country displaced people. Refugees from the Central African Republic are primarily hosted by Cameroon (355,667 individuals, or 47% of refugees), the Democratic Republic of the Congo (213,296 individuals, or 28% of refugees) and Chad (124,538 individuals, or 17% of refugees).