Central African Republic

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Address: B.P. 1518, Bangui, Central African Republic
Telephone: +236 75 25 70 09 / +236 72 39 02 90
Email: caritas.centrafrique@gmail.com

Caritas Central African Republic was established in 1960 and called Secours Catholique Centrafricain. It was named Caritas Central African Republic in 1991 with the merger of Secours Catholique Centrafricain and Animation Rurale (agricultural extension department) on 31 August that year.

Caritas Central African Republic operates in a country where insecurity is a constant factor and poverty widespread. Three decades of insecurity ended in 1993, but there was further unrest in 2002 and 2003, and more recently in 2012 with the seizure of power by Seleka’s coalition, which plunged the country into a state of insecurity and fear and continues to hamper its social and economic development. The people of the Central African Republic are among the poorest in the world.

Given the disasters and internal strife that affect the country, support for people whose fundamental rights have been abused plays a central role in the activities of Caritas. Protection of children from forced recruitment by armed groups, rehabilitation and advocacy regarding sexual violence against women and vulnerable persons, as well as support and assistance to internally displaced people, keep Caritas teams constantly busy. Caritas operates via a Peace and Reconciliation Commission with a view to helping parties engaged in conflict to seek solutions for lasting peace.

Caritas seeks to promote a better world in which a culture of loving one’s neighbour, solidarity, social justice and development of the human person prevails. Its mission is to continue the work of Jesus Christ through evangelisation based on charity: striving for human promotion in order to fight poverty and thus ensure the well-being of people.

In its actions Caritas Central African Republic respects the autonomy of each authority to conduct its own activities. For Caritas, emergency relief activities are part of integral human development, the achievement of which depends on partnership and cooperation, and Caritas Central African Republic collaborates with all partners who respect its values and principles.

Thanks to its presence in dioceses and over 120 parishes, Caritas manages to assess, support and distribute aid and assistance in the most remote parts of the country.

Caritas works in partnership with the following organisations:

Many members of the Caritas confederation including CRS (Caritas USA), Cordaid (Caritas Netherlands), Caritas Italy, Caritas South Korea and Caritas Spain, as well as CCFD (Catholic Committee Against Hunger and for Development), the Italian Bishops’ Conference, the European Union and the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Local partners

International and diplomatic organisations: UNDP, FNUAP, OCHA, UNHCR, WFP, FAO, WHO, World Bank, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Malaria and Tuberculosis, a delegation from the European Union, and the Cultural Affairs offices of the Embassies of France and the United States.

International NGOs: IPHD (International Partnership for Human Development), the International Red Cross, Française solidarité and MSF.

Updates from Central African Republic

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