The northeast of the Central African Republic (CAR) is witnessing a renewed influx of refugees fleeing the ongoing conflict in Sudan. CAR currently hosts 63,896 refugees and asylum-seekers, 73 per cent of whom are from Sudan. Alongside these cross-border arrivals, the country continues to face significant internal displacement, with 427,479 people uprooted by conflict, insecurity, or other crises. The combined impact of internal displacement and refugee inflows highlights the urgent need for humanitarian support, including healthcare, protection, and other essential services.
However, chronic underfunding in CAR has forced humanitarian partners into “hyper-prioritization,” limiting assistance to the bare minimum. In 2025, only 37 per cent of identified needs were funded, resulting in the closure of over 100 operational bases and the suspension of critical programmes, particularly in nutrition and protection. The 2026 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan reflects the lowest funding level in the past seven years.
In 2026, UNFPA requires US$13.2 million to provide life-saving sexual and reproductive health and gender-based violence services. As of January, only 1.9 per cent of this requirement has been met. This severe shortfall threatens the continuity of essential health and protection services. Despite these funding challenges, UNFPA supported 13 women and girls' safe spaces, 10 youth kiosks, 5 mobile health clinics and 1 health facility in CAR, reaching a total of 1,981 people with sexual and reproductive health services and 2,326 people with gender-based violence prevention, mitigation, and response activities during January.
