Since its independence from France in 1960, Central African Republic (CAR) has been subjected to numerous coups and a lack of stability. Médecins Sans Frontières first began work in CAR in 1997.
Ongoing Violence
After the deadly civil war that took place in 2013-2014, the Central African Republic enjoyed a period of relative calm. However, tensions between numerous armed groups escalated again at the end of 2016, throwing the country into a renewed spiral of violence, and resulted in thousands being killed or wounded.
Ongoing violence in several locations aggravated the already dire health needs of the population, 15% of whom (close to 700,000 people) are displaced. Armed groups control 70 per cent of the country; banditry and security incidents are common, and MSF has been directly affected by armed attacks, harassment and robberies.
