In the last several decades of conflict in neighbouring countries Sudan, Cameroon, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the international community has largely overlooked the impoverished and oppressive conditions plaguing the Central African Republic (CAR). The CAR is in critical condition, ranked 10/177 on the Failed States Index, despite minor improvement since 2011.1 The floundering economy is continually volatile, critical infrastructure development is almost stagnant, and the government is weak in its ability to provide even the basic health, food and shelter necessities for people, the majority of whom live below absolute poverty levels. While international humanitarian aid is assisting the most needy, financial foreign aid is not sufficient to provide the economic, social, and political stability desperately needed. Domestic and foreign rebel insurgencies, refugee crises, food shortages, government corruption, and weak social/economic infrastructure perpetuate a state of insecurity in CAR.

Central African Republic Risk Assessment 2012