Successive crises in the Central African Republic (CAR) have created a situation of serious humanitarian need. Swiss Humanitarian Aid efforts in the CAR focus on the protection of civilians and encourage respect for the rules of international humanitarian law. Switzerland is one of ten main humanitarian donors in the CAR.

Despite the signing of the Political Agreement for Peace and Reconciliation in 2019, political turmoil, violence and human rights violations continue to burden the people of the CAR. Hundreds of thousands of people have been forced to flee their homes. Some 3.1 million people – 63% of the population – depend on humanitarian aid.

Swiss contribution

Humanitarian aid is the main priority of Switzerland's work in the CAR. The SDC supports the activities of multilateral partners such as the UN and the ICRC and provides funding to national and international NGOs active on the ground. Switzerland's efforts focus primarily on the protection of civilians, international humanitarian law and human rights. It is also working to improve the coordination of humanitarian activities and better involve local actors. Over the last several years, the SDC has supported a local radio station, Ndeke Luka, through the Fondation Hirondelle. This independent radio station is one of the only media outlets that broadcasts information throughout the country even in periods of crisis. Switzerland is one of ten main humanitarian donors in the CAR.

For several years, SDC activities in the CAR were coordinated from neighbouring countries (Chad, followed by Cameroon). In August 2022, the SDC opened an office in the capital Bangui to step up its presence. It is now one of the few Western countries with a local representation in the country. As a neutral country, Switzerland aims to provide added value in the fields of humanitarian access, protection, international law and the humanitarian principles, justice and peacebuilding. It also seeks to encourage better interaction between humanitarian and development aid activities. It maintains a dialogue with the national authorities and national partners, with international and multilateral organisations (UN, MINUSCA, World Bank, African Union) and with civil society. 

History of cooperation

Responding to successive crises

The SDC has been active since 2009 in the CAR, where Swiss Humanitarian Aid is supporting various urgent humanitarian operations. In June 2013, the SDC stepped up its presence in the region by deploying an expert from the Swiss Humanitarian Aid Unit (SHA). Based at the SDC's cooperation office in N'Djamena (Chad), this expert undertook regular missions in the Central African Republic. In 2020, another SHA expert based in Cameroon took over the coordination of the SDC's activities until the SDC office in Bangui opened in August 2022.