Provision of Distributed Energy Systems and Associated Services for UNHCR Operations in the Central African Republic (CAR)

Humanitarian operations must keep facilities running around the clock in remote and fragile settings. Diesel generators have long been the default solution, constrained by volatile fuel prices, difficult logistics and high maintenance costs. UNHCR established the Green Financing Facility, supported by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the IKEA Foundation, to move away from one-off capital procurement. A centrally managed internal leasing model covers feasibility, design, procurement and long-term operation and maintenance, and is now being implemented at 40 UNHCR sites across 14 countries. According to UNHCR figures, solarised offices are expected to cut building-related carbon emissions by approximately 65 per cent while generating financial savings of 15 to 20 per cent.

The Central African Republic faces one of the world’s most protracted humanitarian crises. The country hosts more than 63,000 refugees and asylum seekers, mainly from Sudan, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Chad, as well as more than 427,000 internally displaced people. As of March 2026, UNHCR’s response in the country was 12 per cent funded against total requirements of USD 112 million. Under such resource constraints, reducing diesel dependence and securing stable power supply is a precondition for keeping humanitarian operations running.

UNHCR has already demonstrated the effect of solar substitution at a healthcare facility in the Central African Republic: after a solar system was installed at Bossangoa Hospital, diesel consumption fell to about 400 gallons per month, an annual saving of around 12,600 gallons and a reduction of more than 130 tonnes of CO₂ emissions per year. This request for proposal covers distributed energy systems and associated services for UNHCR operations in the Central African Republic, continuing that energy transition.