Central African Republic

Since late 2005, fighting between the government and armed opposition groups and insecurity related to banditry has caused the displacement of hundreds of thousands of people in the northern regions of Central African Republic (CAR). The situation remained fragile throughout 2009, in spite of a peace accord between the government and various opposition groups signed the year before.   People still live in extremely precarious conditions and access to healthcare remains a major problem even in areas that have not been directly affected by conflict. Despite an overall increase in aid over the past five years, CAR struggles with high infant and maternal mortality rates and little health infrastructure. People are particularly...

5 stories published in this month's news update: Maternal health – Saving women’s lives Dadaab – Back to square one Tuberculosis – A constant battle Sleeping sickness – A mobile team in in central Africa Novartis – The final act

Interview with Olivier Aubry, MSF head of mission in the Central African Republic What is the situation today in Central Africa following the signing of the peace accords and the disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration process that followed? Since July 2011, nearly all of the armed opposition groups have signed the peace accords. However, some remain active—particularly an armed Chadian group based in the north of the country. Led by Abdel-Kader Baba Ladé, the Republic Popular Forces are not causing insecurity for now, but their presence on the border between the two countries does raise questions. The east is very unstable. The country is virtually cut in half from east to west. Two rebel groups—the...

This is a plea for the Central African Republic.     Download the report The Central African Republic (CAR) today finds itself in a state of chronic medical emergency. Five separate retrospective  mortality surveys, carried out by MSF and other researchers, in prefectures accounting for the majority of the population, show excess mortality above what is considered to be the “emergency threshold.” And yet the commitment by the country’s government and by the international community is going in the wrong direction. The government has been decreasing its investments in health, as have international donors, while humanitarian assistance has failed to...