Some displaced people have sought refuge across the border in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. But nearly 2,000 people lacked the means or a host family to take them in; they are now taking shelter in Zémio’s hospital and Catholic church. Conditions at both sites are extremely precarious, with food, drinking water and medicines all in short supply.
The situation at Zémio remains worrisome, especially given the difficulties in reaching Haut-Mbomou. All aid has to be delivered by plane. “Displaced and wounded people here urgently need drinking water and medicine. A food shortage is also looming, since the community cannot go to work in the fields, the shops are shuttered and access roads to the town have been closed,” said Philippe Beauverd, head of the ICRC delegation in the CAR.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), in close collaboration with the local committee of the Central African Red Cross Society, is working to meet the most urgent needs of displaced people at both sites and wounded patients at Zémio’s secondary hospital. The assistance being provided includes the distribution of medicines and other essential items.
The ICRC reiterates the duty to protect civilians and essential infrastructure, especially health facilities. The organization is closely monitoring developments at Zémio and remains fully mobilized, adapting its assistance as the most critical needs evolve.
ICRC and Central African Red Cross activities in Zémio from 7 to 9 January 2026:
- The ICRC provided six lots of emergency supplies to the secondary hospital in Zémio, each containing disinfectant, single-use bandages, surgical gloves, infusions and single-use materials for administering injections.
- The ICRC also replaced damaged pump parts in the Catholic church’s only well, thereby giving 2,000 displaced people easier access to drinking water.
- A 15,000-litre portable water reservoir (bladder) was also installed at the Catholic church.
- Six new emergency latrines and two shower stations were built, adding to the four existing latrines built in 2025.
- The committee managing the site was provided with digging tools.
- Four solar-powered floodlights are currently being installed to make accessing the water pump, latrines and showers safer, especially at night.
About the ICRC
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is a neutral, impartial and independent organization with an exclusively humanitarian mandate that stems from the Geneva Conventions of 1949. It helps people around the world affected by armed conflict and other violence, doing everything it can to protect their lives and dignity and to relieve their suffering, often alongside its Red Cross and Red Crescent partners.
Further information:
Cyrille Jean Noël Gbate, ICRC Bangui, tel.: +236 75 09 85 67, email: cgbate@icrc.org
Eléonore Asomani, ICRC Dakar, tel : +221 78 186 46 87, e-mail: easomani@icrc.org
