Note: Single-source report; awaiting corroboration.
Edem Wosornu, Director of OCHA’s Crisis Response Division, indicated that humanitarian funding for the Central African Republic (CAR) is declining, with only 17 percent of the $268 million requested for 2026 received. The 2025 plan had less than 40 percent funding, compared to previous years when about 95 percent of appeals were met. She cautioned that without sustained funding, the country may slip back into crisis, which it cannot afford.
The CAR remains fragile after recurrent conflicts since 2013, involving clashes between Séléka rebels and anti-Balaka groups. The UN peacekeeping mission MINUSCA continues to support peace efforts. Of approximately six million people in the country, about 2.3 million require assistance, with humanitarian organizations aiming to reach 1.3 million, and one in five citizens displaced.
Wosornu noted positive developments during her visit to Zemio near the Democratic Republic of the Congo border, including the return of internally displaced persons from church shelters to their communities. Agricultural activities are resuming with FAO support, and mobile clinics operated by the NGO ALIMA provide medical care to local residents. Meetings with national and local authorities indicated an atmosphere of change, though progress is fragile and depends on ongoing support and funding.
Despite its challenges, CAR is hosting refugees from Chad and 36,000 from Sudan, who have been allocated land. Some Sudanese refugees with medical backgrounds are interested in aiding humanitarian efforts, leading to discussions on integrating them into the local economy and aid services.
Wosornu emphasized that attention and financial resources must be maintained to sustain recent gains and avoid a return to crisis.