Central African Republic, the impact of the crisis in Sudan between the increase in food prices and the arrival of the first refugees

ROME – The effects of the conflict in Sudan have started to be felt in the Central African Republic, especially in the northern region. Due to insecurity and violence along the border, the traffic of goods between the two countries was interrupted for a few weeks, with the result that the price of basic products, especially food, has skyrocketed.

Trade relations between Kathoum and Bangui. Sudan supplies various cities in the Central African Republic, in particular Birao, in the Vakaga province area, and Ndélé, in the Bamingui-Bangoran province. During the rainy season which runs from April to October, most of the food supplies of these two cities depend mainly on exports from Khartoum. With the outbreak of war, commercial relations are now partially reduced and prices have increased unsustainably for the local population. Up until April 15, the day the conflict broke out, a fifty-kilo sack of sugar, for example, cost XAF 40,000, now you can find it in Birao for 80,000. Similarly, a small bowl of millet, which is a staple food for the inhabitants of the Central African Republic, cost a maximum of 500 XAF, but today it can be bought with 1000 XAF.

Food insecurity in the Central African Republic. The increase in food prices is creating a very serious humanitarian impact in a region where food insecurity is already a serious and above all daily problem, especially for those who live in the whole northern area of ​​the country, on the border with Sudan . About 120,000 people already need basic humanitarian assistance, in the sense that they survive thanks to aid and supplies of food and drinking water, for which the majority of the population is unable to face the increase in food prices. The situation in the Central African Republic had already suffered a setback with the war in Ukraine, which caused the price of imported foodstuffs to rise due to the increase in the cost of fuels and chemicals needed for agriculture.

The social and political context. A decade after the 2013 political-military crisis that led to the overthrow of power, the Central African Republic still does not know the beneficial effects of peace and sustainable development. Nearly three-quarters of Central Africans live below the poverty line in a country where abysmal rates of maternal and infant mortality coexist with high rates of illiteracy and early marriage. While the country is slowly recovering from the impact of COVID-19, the consequences of the war in Ukraine weigh on the daily life of a population exhausted by repeated armed clashes and serious human rights violations.

The refugees. At the same time as the food emergency, the Sudanese conflict is setting in motion thousands of people fleeing the violence. Some are heading towards Chad, but some are crossing the border with Am-Dafock, in the Central African Republic, where they are setting up spontaneous settlements. Currently, according to data provided by the United Nations and some non-governmental organizations that arrived in Am-Dafock on April 29, six thousand people have crossed the border, including four hundred returnees from central Africa. Local authorities are working to move all refugees to Birao. Meanwhile, aid workers are providing emergency assistance: medical care, food, medicines, latrines.