Since the presidential elections in December 2020, the situation in the Central African Republic (CAR) has worsened with increased political instability, new conflict dynamics and continued humanitarian implications for civilians. It is estimated that in 2021, 2.8 million Central Africans (57% of the population) will require assistance and protection.
The Humanitarian Policy Group (HPG) at ODI hosted a closed-door online roundtable under the Chatham House Rule on 16 June to discuss the following questions:
- How can humanitarian engagement and diplomacy contribute to addressing the root causes of hunger and instability in CAR, including through implementing Security Council Resolution 2417?
- In what ways can different actors contribute to addressing access challenges, the targeting of humanitarian actors, the impact of insecurity and armed groups’ use of hunger as a weapon of war, to contribute to ending the cycle of conflict, instability and hunger in CAR?
- What are the opportunities for collective action, and from whom, to end this vicious cycle?
The closed-door online roundtable brought together some key government stakeholders from the UK, North America and Europe, as well as humanitarian, human rights and peace actors and researchers to discuss ways and opportunities to end the vicious cycle of violence in CAR. This learning note summarises the key discussion points from this roundtable.
Report by the Overseas Development Institute