Central African Republic Humanitarian Fund Annual Report 2025

Country: Central African Republic Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Please refer to the attached file. LETTER FROM THE HUMANITARIAN COORDINATOR I am pleased to present the 2025 Annual Report of the Central African Republic Humanitarian Fund (CAR HF).This report shows that, despite a sharply constrained financial environment, the Fund was used strategically to address the most urgent humanitarian needs while adapting to the evolving context of the Humanitarian Reset, the reprioritization of the Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan (HNRP), and the reduction of humanitarian presence and capacity in several parts of the country. It also provides an overview of the Fund’s governance, risk management and accountability mechanisms during a year of significant transition to operationalize the Humanitarian Reset. While some areas stabilized, 2025 showed that humanitarian needs in the Central African Republic remain acute. More than one third of the population continued to need assistance, and repeated alerts especially in eastern and south-eastern prefectures pointed to persistent gaps in coverage. In this context, limited resources required difficult choices, as it was not possible to respond everywhere or at the necessary scale. Throughout the year, the CAR Humanitarian Fund played a key role in maintaining humanitarian action where other funding was limited or not available. Using only reserve allocations, the Fund provided fast and flexible support, focusing on priority needs and responding to new shocks while sustaining operations in key areas. In total, it allocated $17.2 million based on collective, field-informed priorities, enabling partners to deliver life-saving assistance to people affected by conflict, displacement, protection risks and limited access to basic services. Addressing protection risks remained a central priority in 2025. Several allocations explicitly targeted protection, GBV prevention and response, child protection, and community‑based accountability mechanisms. Building on lessons from earlier CERF and Fund allocations, CAR HF complemented ongoing responses to insecurity and displacement while reinforcing localized approaches in hard‑to‑reach areas. National and women‑led organizations played a key role in maintaining access and continuity of services, particularly where larger actors had reduced or closed operations. Localization advanced in 2025 despite reduced resources. National organizations directly implemented nearly half of CAR HF‑funded projects, receiving directly 38 per cent of allocated funding, above the Fund’s localization target. This growth was carefully managed to mitigate absorption risks, while the Fund simultaneously expanded indirect funding and partnership models. A major innovation in 2025 was the introduction of the micro‑grant modality, which enabled community‑based associations and women‑led organizations to access funding for the first time, significantly lowering traditional entry barriers. In addition to funding, the Fund concentrated on consolidating national partner capacities rather than expanding eligibility. Dedicated capacity‑strengthening projects, peer‑to‑peer mentoring, and targeted training initiatives supported national organizations in strengthening compliance, program quality, and readiness for larger grants. This approach was designed to ensure sustainability and accountability in a year marked by heightened fiduciary and operational risks. I express my sincere appreciation to our donors for their continued support in an exceptionally challenging global funding landscape. Their contributions allowed the Fund to remain a central and reliable financing instrument in the Central African Republic. I also thank the Advisory Board, clusters, OCHA teams, and implementing partners for their commitment, adaptability, and engagement during a demanding year of transition. Looking ahead, funding constraints are likely to persist in 2026. CAR HF will therefore continue to prioritize localized, accountable, and proximity‑based responses, while reinforcing protection, community engagement, and women’s leadership. As one of the most strategically positioned financing mechanisms in the country, the Fund will remain focused on ensuring that limited resources are directed where they have the greatest impact, particularly in hard‑to‑reach areas and humanitarian hotspots.