Central African Republic

Country Overview

The Central African Republic (CAR) has experienced a protracted crisis for over a decade, marked by armed conflict, violence against civilians, and recurring climate shocks. While relatively improved security conditions in recent years have enabled a gradual transition from humanitarian response to development programming, humanitarian needs remain critically high.

According to the 2026 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan (HNRP), 2.3 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance. Meanwhile, the 2025 Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) estimates that 2.25 million people are experiencing food insecurity. In addition, the 2025 Multi-Sector Needs Assessment (MSNA), conducted by IMPACT through its REACH initiative, found that 42% of households in need are facing severe needs.

Read April 2026 Brief

IMPACT has been present in CAR since 2015 through its REACH initiative, working to address humanitarian information and data gaps. REACH produces multisectoral analyses, including nationwide Multi-Sector Needs Assessments (MSNAs), and supports the Rapid Response Mechanism (RRM) to inform emergency humanitarian interventions.

In addition, REACH contributes to market monitoring through the Joint Market Monitoring Initiative (JMMI), enabling the analysis of price trends and supporting evidence-based cash assistance responses. Through the AGORA initiative, IMPACT also implements area-based approaches that strengthen coordination among humanitarian actors, local authorities, and communities, while promoting the meaningful inclusion of affected populations’ perspectives in humanitarian planning.

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Research Highlights

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Joint Education Needs Assessment 2025
May 2026

Political, security, and humanitarian crises continue to disrupt education across the country. In collaboration with the Global Education Cluster, humanitarian partners, national authorities, and local communities, IMPACT, through its REACH initiative, conducted the 2025 Joint Education Needs Assessment (JENA). The assessment was carried out across 38 sub-prefectures of the Central African Republic and drew on school-level surveys, interviews with community key informants, and consultations with groups of children to provide a comprehensive analysis of education needs.

Key Findings:

Assessed schools reported a high student-to-teacher ratio, with an average of 314 students per qualified teacher;
Nearly one in two assessed schools reported having at least one teacher whose salary was funded by an NGO, highlighting the education system’s reliance on non-state actors;
5% of school principals reported that their school had been affected by an armed attack or another act of violence targeting school infrastructure or operations during the 2024–2025 school year;
While 63% of school principals stated that students faced no risks within the school environment, only 43% of children feel safe at school;
Disaster preparedness and disaster risk reduction were identified as the highest-priority topic to be introduced into school curricula.

Read the brief here
Access key results
Read JENA report