Capital city of the Central African Republic (CAR) and home to almost 900,000 people, Bangui is under siege from rebels who assaulted the city on January 13th, 2021. Food is increasingly scarce and prices are rocketing. The rebels have cut the city off from re-supply by road. Soon, if people aren’t dying from bullets, they will be dying from hunger.

How YOU can help

Fundraising is the BEST way you can help. Here's why (and how):

Donations are essential, but no-one donates for a crisis they don't know about - and what's happening in Bangui is massively under-reported.

Most people you know won't have heard of it.

However, through peer-to-peer fundraising you can tell them - and give them a brilliant opportunity to join you in saving lives.

The step-by-step guide in the following video enables you to set up a fundraising page for the Bangui airlift in a matter of minutes.

It also shows how to maximise the funds you raise:

£14,500 will enable a cargo plane to fly 20 tonnes of food from other African countries to Bangui. £10 will help feed a family or 4 for a week. £1,450 will deliver a tonne of food for the faith leaders to give the most vulnerable in their community.

Building peace

Hunger drives conflict. As people starve in Bangui, some will take up weapons and join the rebels to get food. So by airlifting food to break the siege, you also build peace and save lives from armed violence.

The Aegis Trust has been working with faith leaders and the government to build peace in the Central African Republic since 2014. You can find out more about Aegis' work in the country here from Alain Lazaret, who is presently in Bangui: https://www.bit.ly/Alain1-6

How the food is being organised

Champion Humanity Enterprise (CHE), a social enterprise supporting the Aegis Trust, buys food on the international African market. Your money subsidises CHE to airlift the food into Bangui. There, thanks to your support, CHE sells at affordable prices to local distributors who supply the street traders that most people buy their food from.

One kilo in every 20 also goes to the most destitute free of charge, as part of an initiative led by the Central African Republic’s Muslim and Christian faith leaders to help the people who are at greatest risk of starvation.

This smart African solution to an African problem can help stabilize food prices, support local businesses and prevent aid dependency, while at the same time preventing starvation, building peace, and saving lives.

What happens when the siege ends?

When the siege ends, or if more air freight is paid for than is actually needed, any funds not used to ship food will be put into the Aegis Trust’s peacebuilding program for the Central African Republic.

NOTE TO AMERICAN SUPPORTERS: You are currently viewing our UK-based appeal page. Please use our US-based page - https://aegistrustus.enthuse.com/cf/airlift-food-to-bangui - to donate or fundraise via Aegis America, which has 501(c)(3) status.