Africa

Central African Republic

Food security
Health
Nutrition
Water, sanitation & hygiene

2007

mission start date

national staff

expatriate staff

67 721

people supported

2007

mission start date

national staff

expatriate staff

67 721

people supported

Context

© Première Urgence Internationale / Gwenn Dubourthoumieu

The Central African Republic (CAR) has been permanently destabilized by multiple military and political crises since the 2012-2013 civil war. A new armed opposition alliance, the “Coalition des Patriotes pour le Changement”, has triggered a new cycle of violence in the country. In addition, the economic situation, the deterioration of infrastructure and the very limited resources of the state are exacerbating the crisis.

Today, 2.8 million people – almost half the population – are in need of humanitarian aid in CAR. One Central African in five is either internally displaced or a refugee in another country. Needs are greatest in food security, water, sanitation and hygiene, and health.

The Bamingui-Bangoran prefecture is one of the areas where the situation is most critical. The presence of local armed groups and conflicts linked to transhumance, particularly in border areas with Sudan and Chad, have heightened insecurity and led to population displacement. Access to basic services is particularly difficult for populations in these regions.

Our approach
Description of the mission

Première Urgence Internationale has been present in the Central African Republic since 2007, and in the Bamingui-Bangoran prefecture since 2010. Teams provide aid in the fields of health, nutrition, food security, water, sanitation and hygiene, from the operational base in N’dele and the coordination office in Bangui.

Première Urgence Internationale
in action

Première Urgence Internationale works in close collaboration with the local authorities, in particular within the framework of health training programs. In Bamingui-Bangoran, we are strengthening the viability of the health system and helping to improve access to healthcare and reduce mortality. Equipping health centers with medical equipment, organizing screening campaigns for severe acute malnutrition and vaccination, and building the capacity of community relays and medical staff, are our main activities. They are complemented by the construction and rehabilitation of water points in schools and communities, and support to agricultural recovery in promising sectors.

In Bangui, Première Urgence Internationale provides other humanitarian organizations with access to a logistics platform to facilitate the storage of equipment, and thus improve the response to local needs. Since November 2023, Première Urgence Internationale has been supporting two Central African NGOs in the design and implementation of humanitarian projects. The aim of this capacity sharing is to make them eligible for international humanitarian aid funding.

Casse Kasereka Mwahulwa

Head of mission Central African Republic © Première Urgence Internationale

“Our teams are fighting day and night to help vulnerable populations in difficult access conditions due to the insecurity caused by armed groups, and on degraded roads. What’s more, the limited availability of funding in the Central African Republic is an obstacle to helping this population with its considerable needs. We depend on the generosity of the public to be able to provide aid.”