Attachments
HIGHLIGHTS
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Violence, population movements and natural disasters continue to weigh heavily on the children of the Central African Republic. Despite some decrease in the levels of insecurity and conflict-related violence, 2.8 million people (nearly half of the country’s population) require humanitarian assistance in 2024. This includes 1.3 million children.
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UNICEF prioritizes lifesaving and multisectoral interventions strongly focused on internally displaced and returnee children and communities affected by shocks, in alignment with the inter-agency response strategy for the country. UNICEF will address humanitarian needs through humanitarian and development interventions – including a focus on durable solutions to displacement.
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UNICEF is appealing for US $65.7 million to meet the critical humanitarian needs of approximately 1 million of the most vulnerable children and their families.
HUMANITARIAN SITUATION AND NEEDS
Violence, displacement and natural disasters continue to affect people in the Central African Republic, particularly those in the most vulnerable areas. Humanitarian needs remain significant and challenging. Between April 2023 and May 2024, more than 301,617 individuals experienced at least one shock that triggered a humanitarian rapid response. These shocks were caused primarily by violence (72 per cent) and natural disasters (20 per cent).
Internal displacement persists, and as of May 2024, 518,075 internally displaced persons were reported in the country. Coupled with this, since April 2023, the country experienced an influx of refugees and returnees, including 23,570 people fleeing conflict in the Sudan and 37,400 coming from Chad. These movements have further increased humanitarian needs, putting pressure on already fragile areas and vulnerable communities.
Humanitarian access remains a significant concern, especially in the western part of the country, due to ongoing attacks and the presence of explosive devices.
Recurring epidemics continue to take their toll on children in 2024 – this is on top of an infant mortality rate that is the fifth6 highest globally. Unsafe water usage contributes to the country having the fourth-highest mortality rate related to water in Africa. In 2024, 2.2 million people will require humanitarian WASH assistance, including more than 1 million children. All these circumstances impact children's nutrition status: the number of children under 5 years of age with severe wasting is projected to reach 62,664 by the end of 2024.
Approximately 850,852 children require humanitarian protection interventions. Documented cases of grave violations against children decreased from 773 in 2022 to 414 in 2023, but there was a 4 per cent increase in victims of rape, with 76 girls being victims compared to 73 in 2022. Additionally, incidents of denial of humanitarian access increased by 20 per cent. The continuous use of explosive ordnance and ongoing military operations continue to create additional challenges for documentation in 2024. Child marriage is widespread: 61 per cent of women aged 20–24 were married or in a union before age 18.
Child marriage and early pregnancy, along with insecurity and the need to travel long distances to school, are the main factors that lead girls to drop out of school; only 38 per cent of girls reach secondary school. This year, around 1.2 million children are in need of education support.