Partnership announcement

Green Climate Fund approves $69.1 million grant to protect children in the Central African Republic

The project will bring climate-resilient water, sanitation and disaster risk reduction services to over 500,000 children and their families in one of the world's most climate-vulnerable countries

Women and children collect water at public taps under a blue sky. — UNICEF/CAR/2026/Rodriguez

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DUSHANBE, 1 July 2026 – The Green Climate Fund has approved a US$69.1 million grant, alongside co-financing from UNICEF and the Government of the Central African Republic (CAR), bringing the total project value to US$73.78 million. The approval was announced at today's Board meeting in Dushanbe, Tajikistan.

The grant, which will be implemented by UNICEF, will fund a six-year project to deliver climate-resilient water, sanitation and disaster risk management services across the Central African Republic, with a strong focus on improving outcomes for children.

“This is a transformational partnership that will help us reach children in the most vulnerable and hard‑to‑reach contexts. It builds on our ongoing cooperation with the government and local communities to ensure that climate finance and programming in fragile contexts are more child-responsive and evidence driven and address the adaptation needs of children and young people who are affected by extreme heat, flooding and drought impacts.” –Kitty van der Heijden, UNICEF’s Deputy Executive Director

According to UNICEF's Children's Climate Risk Report 2026, children in CAR face some of the highest levels of multi-hazard climate exposure in the world, with simultaneous exposure to floods, droughts and extreme heat. These climate shocks compound one of the world's weakest water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) systems.

Today, more than 6 in 10 children and families in CAR lack access to basic drinking water, and more than 8 in 10 primary schools have no drinking water at all. More than two-thirds of the population lack access to basic sanitation, increasing children's vulnerability to waterborne diseases, particularly among children under five, who face the greatest risk of mortality from these illnesses.

The GCF investment will address these gaps through flood- and drought-resilient solar-powered water pumping systems, safe water and sanitation facilities, improved drainage in flood-prone neighbourhoods of the capital Bangui, and functional early warning systems for floods and droughts. The project will help the Government of CAR to build climate resilience into national water and sanitation policies and budgets, ensuring that social services and infrastructure continue to protect children from climate impacts well beyond the project’s six years.

“This transformational investment in the Central African Republic will deliver climate-resilient water, sanitation and hygiene services across 500 communities, strengthen 100 schools and 100 health facilities, and reinforce national systems for disaster risk management. This is the kind of integrated partnership that can save lives while building stronger institutions in one of the world’s most vulnerable contexts and it shows that even there, climate-resilient services can be delivered at scale.” –Catherine Koffman, GCF Regional Director for Africa

This project will benefit more than 500,000 people, including over 260,000 women and girls, and reach a further 2.5 million people indirectly, across the regions of Bangui, Ouham, Bamingui-Bangoran and Vakaga.

This is the first single-country GCF project ever approved for CAR, and the first UNICEF project approved since UNICEF became an Accredited Entity to the Fund in 2024. The approval marks a pivotal moment in the partnership between GCF and UNICEF, demonstrating a shared commitment to ensure climate finance reaches the children and communities in fragile contexts who are often left behind.