Central African Republic: Adversity in a Silent Crisis

Abstract

The crisis in the Central African Republic (CAR) is practically unknown. In contrast to forgotten emergencies, it has never been in the limelight or received real attention. After more than three decades of misrule, the country remains trapped in a vicious circle of violence and insecurity, increasing poverty, aid dependency, and state failure.The CAR is regarded as a failed or even a “ghost” state with virtually no institutional capacity. State presence outside of the capital is either weak or non-existent. A substantial part of the country is controlled by rebels or at the mercy of bandits.There are urgent humanitarian needs among the population, with new crises emerging regularly and life expectancy falling at a rate of six months every year, mainly due to lack of adequate sanitation, and the high level of HIV/AIDS and preventable diseases.The UN Human Development Index ranks CAR as the sixth least developed country in the world. Furthermore, in a country of 4 million, over 300,000 people have been displaced, many of whom have fled to hideouts in the bush, where basic means of subsistence are often absent. In all, at least one million persons in the country are in need of humanitarian aid.