World Food Programme Fighting Hunger Worldwide

Overview

The Central African Republic (CAR) is a sparsely populated and landlocked country of 4.4 million inhabitants. Despite its wealth in mineral and natural resources, CAR ranks 180 out of 187 countries in the 2012 UNDP Human Development Index. Socio-political instability is the main factor hampering development, which is the consequence of rebellions, coups and inter-ethnic fighting during the last three decades. This has resulted in a deterioration of basic social and economic infrastructure, and has forced many school-age children out of school. The national net school enrolment of primary schoolchildren is 63 percent.