Protecting civilians and health facilities in the Central African Republic

Bangui, 25 May 2023 - The civilian population continues to be the victim of armed violence in the Central African Republic (CAR). Since the beginning of this year, 57 incidents against humanitarian workers or their property have been recorded, while 17 health facilities have been the target of armed attacks and looting. The Humanitarian Coordinator in the Central African Republic, Mohamed Ag Ayoya, strongly condemns these acts of violence, threatening patients lives and humanitarian access to people in need.

Regular attacks on humanitarian staff could in some cases force organizations to suspend activities to protect their teams in a context when more than 3.4 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance and protection. 2.4 million are targeted by the 2023 Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP), which aims to provide vital assistance to the most vulnerable.

On Wednesday 24 May, the driver of a contractor serving the humanitarian community in CAR was killed when the team he was driving was attacked on the Birao - AmDafock road. Three civilians onboard including one NGO staff, a contractor and their driver were on their way back from a mission to set up tents for a health centre in Am-Dafock. The town is currently home to more than 13,000 people, including Sudanese asylum seekers and returnees from the Central African Republic. The two passengers were released, while the driver was held and later killed.

"These acts constitute a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law (IHL), which establishes the protection of civilians and humanitarian workers. Medical facilities and humanitarian workers must always be protected by all parties to the conflict", said Mohamed Ag Ayoya.

According to World Health Organisation monitoring data, between January and May 2023, 17 attacks against health facilities were recorded in CAR, one medical staff was killed, and 10 health workers injured. "I call on all stakeholders to put the interests of the CAR people above above their differences", said the Humanitarian Coordinator. "I also invite them to respect and ensure respect for IHL by their elements", he added.

The Central African Republic remains one of the most challenging places for humanitarian workers. In 2023, the number of incidents recorded per month continue to rise. Upholding IHL will protect civilians and humanitarian workers.

For more information, please contact OCHA CAR
Virgo Edgar Ngarbaroum, Reporting Officer, virgo.edgarngarbaroum@un.org +236 70 94 43 92
Vedaste Kalima, Head of Office, vedaste@un.org; +236 70 60 10 66
Press releases are available on www.unocha.org ou www.reliefweb.int