Attachments
Highlights
- UNICEF supported 1,100,000 children through three nationwide polio immunization campaigns, achieving a 100% coverage rate. A total of 6428 individuals at risk of Mpox were vaccinated, and medical kits were provided to districts reporting measles outbreaks.
- 563,591 children (6 to 59 months) were screened for malnutrition. UNICEF financed the nutrition supply chain across all 35 health districts, ensuring the continuity of services and enabling the admission and treatment of 35,096 children under five with severe acute malnutrition (SAM).
- Access to safe drinking water was provided to 23,539 people through borehole construction and rehabilitation. 95 water point management committees were established or revitalized to strengthen sustainability, while improved sanitation services with gender separated toilets and showers including handwashing facilities, reached 18,572 people in high-risk areas.
- UNICEF supported 48,790 children (20,824 girls and 27,966 boys) to access education in emergency settings (61% of the targeted). 17,055 children (7,977 girls and 9,078 boys) received learning materials in crisis-affected areas.
- 698 survivors of sexual violence and 290 unaccompanied and separated children (159 boys and 131 girls) received specialized assistance. Additionally, 1,905 children (1,062 girls) accessed humanitarian and reintegration services, while 30,432 children, adolescents and caregivers affected by shocks received psychosocial support through UNICEF interventions.
- UNICEF supported 51 listening clubs and 109 U-Report committees, enabling communities to express themselves and actively participate in decision-making. Participation structures mobilized around 4,183 people through more than 3,950 community dialogues and digital forums, while more than 53,512 people have been engaged in adopting priority behaviours and abandoning harmful practices.
- From September to December 2025, multisectoral emergency responses were implemented through the newly established So Fini (Saving Lives) Emergency Response Programme, addressing six shocks. The response included 3,284 health consultations, the rehabilitation of 38 boreholes, and the identification and response to 43 protection cases.
SITUATION IN NUMBERS
1,100,000 Children in need of humanitarian assistance
2,400,000 People in need of humanitarian assistance
FUNDING OVERVIEW AND PARTNERSHIPS
In 2025, the Central African Republic continued to face a severe and protracted humanitarian crisis. Needs remained acute across all sectors, yet the funding context deteriorated substantially. The HAC appeal was funded at only 40 percent, a sharp decline from 62 percent in 2024 and 61 percent in 2023.
Declining global humanitarian financing and competing crises further constrained resource mobilization efforts in CAR.
Flexible donor contributions represented merely 25 percent of. total resources received. Yet these resources proved vital to sustaining humanitarian response, delivering life‑saving services, and protecting the rights and dignity of children and families at a time when needs far outpaced available resources. In this context, funding received from headquarters during the first quarter of the year was critical to enabling a timely response for the most vulnerable children and their families despite significant funding gaps.
Despite these constraints, UNICEF’s sustained fundraising and advocacy efforts secured a minimal level of resources that allowed UNICEF and partners to continue delivering impactful, life‑saving interventions. However, chronic underfunding throughout 2025, significantly restricted UNICEF’s ability to uphold its commitment to leave no child behind in the Central African Republic. As we enter 2026, the country is confronted with deepening funding gaps, mounting humanitarian needs, and overstretched systems across health, nutrition, education, child protection and WASH.
SITUATION OVERVIEW AND HUMANITARIAN NEEDS
In 2025, the humanitarian situation in the Central African Republic remained critical despite localized security improvements and peace initiatives. Persistent insecurity, population displacement, climaterelated shocks, epidemics, and chronic structural vulnerabilities continued to undermine the safety, dignity, and well-being of millions, particularly women and children. Fragile institutions, poverty, and reduced humanitarian coverage further exacerbated needs.
The peace agreement signed with the three main armed groups in the country contributed to a relative reduction in clashes. However, insecurity remained uneven. The South-East and North-East experienced increased attacks linked to armed groups, triggering local retaliation. Sporadic violence continued in the North-West, alongside criminality and intercommunal tensions. The approach of the elections in December heightened concerns over potentiel instability.
Between September 2024 and August 2025, 146 incidents affected 111,645 people, with (61%) linked to conflict, followed by natural disasters and public health emergencies. Flooding during the June– November rainy season damaged homes, schools, health facilities, and livelihoods, driving displacement, particularly in flood-prone areas.
Forced displacement continued within the country and across borders. The Central African Republic hosted 54,385 refugees and 8,335 asylum seekers3 , mainly from Sudan, DRC, Chad, and South Sudan, 80% of whom were women and children. An estimated 446,722 people remained internally displaced4 during the year, with new displacement caused by armed clashes in the South-East, localized violence in the North-West, and flooding. Refugee hosting communities continued to face pressure on limited services, particularly water, sanitation, health, and education.
Humanitarian access deteriorated, impacted by 61 operational base closures (three UN agencies, 25 INGOs, and 33 NGOs). Insecurity further limited access, with 130 incidents targeting humanitarian personnel, including injuries, kidnappings, and one fatality.
Due to severe funding shortages, UNICEF’s Rapid Response Mechanism (RRM) ended in April 2025. Between January and April, 47 shocks affecting 99,259 people were recorded across ten sub‑prefectures. Building on RRM lessons, UNICEF developed a new dual‑localization humanitarian strategy, strengthening the Ministry of Humanitarian Action (MoHA) and establishing the So Fini ("Saving Lives") Emergency Response Project to ensure continuity of multisectoral shock responses.
Protection risks remained alarming. 13,126 GBV incidents were reported in 2025, predominently rape and physical assault. Women and girls accounted for 97 per cent of survivors; including 34 per cent were girls under 185 . Child protection risks included armed group recruitment, psychosocial distress, family separation, civil documentation gaps, and limited access to education. PSEA initiatives reached 446,541 people, with eleven survivors supported.
Over 2.3 million people required humanitarian assistance, including 955,000 needing essential health services6 . The country’s fragile health system limited access to primary care, especially in rural and hard-to-reach areas. Maternal mortality remained among the highest globally (8,235 per 100,000 live births). Stockouts compromised treatment for malaria, HIV, diarrhea, and pneumonia. Public health emergencies strained the system: 1,064 suspected Mpox cases were reported, including 151 confirmed and eight deaths, with children under five representing 35% of confirmed cases. Health facilities in flood-affected and refugee-hosting areas faced critical challenges.
Nutrition needs remained high with 335,000 people7 —mainly children under five and pregnant or breastfeeding women—requiring assistance. In HNRP-targeted areas, 57,955 children were projected to suffer acute malnutrition, including 26,000 severely malnourished.
585,470 children required humanitarian education8 support, while 41% of children had no access to school, and 46% learned in difficult conditions. Insecurity, displacement, and school closures disrupted learning and increased protection risks.
WASH needs affected 1.1 million people9 , with over 32% lacking improved water sources, 52% lacking adequate sanitation, and 66% without handwashing facilities. Schools and health facilities remained severely affected.
Persistent insecurity, climate shocks, epidemics, displacement, and reduced response capacity continued to drive vulnerabilities, while women and children were disproportionately affected. Sustained, flexible, and well-coordinated humanitarian action remained critical to save lives, protect vulnerable populations, and strengthen resilience across the country.