ReliefWeb

Chad is facing overlapping crises, including food insecurity, displacement and epidemics. In 2018, 4.4 million people will require urgent assistance, including 1.6 million who will need safe drinking water and hygiene and sanitation facilities.3 The nutrition situation deteriorated in 2017, with 13.9 per cent of children under 5 years suffering from global acute malnutrition, up from 11.9 per cent in 2016; and 3.9 per cent of children under 5 suffering from severe acute malnutrition (SAM), up from 2.6 per cent in 2016.4 Increased rates of diarrhoea and SAM are linked to food insecurity, poor hygiene practices and limited sanitation facilities. Chad also hosts 408,607 refugees from the Central African Republic, Nigeria and the Sudan, as well as 96,000 returnees from the Central African Republic.5 Insecurity is undermining the livelihoods of some 123,200 people6 who are internally displaced due to the Lake Chad crisis and require support across all sectors, including nutrition, health, water, education and protection. Internally displaced persons returning to secured locations in the Lake islands require urgent access to basic social services. Chad remains extremely vulnerable to epidemics, including the ongoing cholera outbreak and new cases of hepatitis E, due to limited water access and poor hygiene practices.

Humanitarian strategy

In line with Chad’s 2017-2019 HRP strategic objectives, nutrition interventions are targeting over 200,000 children (under 5) suffering from SAM. Community-based infant and young child feeding are being implemented in the Lac region, while populations affected by emergencies are accessing improved access to water, sanitation and emergency health services. Using a cross-sector approach, UNICEF is focusing on provision of multi-sectoral package for children including promotion of early recovery activities, as well as the strengthening of community-based support for children’s rights. UNICEF continues to provide learning materials and access to education; psychosocial support for refugees, internally displaced persons and returnee children; identification and care for unaccompanied and separated children; family reunification services; and mine-risk education. UNICEF is leading the nutrition, education and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) clusters, and child protection sub-cluster, at national and sub-national levels. UNICEF’s efforts to bridge humanitarian and development programming remain paramount, including through support to the Government’s emergency preparedness capacity, and building community and institutional resilience.

Results from 2017

As of 31 October 2017, UNICEF had received US$31.1 million against the US$57.8 million appeal (54 per cent funded).7 Some 166,000 children under 5 received SAM treatment through 659 nutritional units and 30,000 children aged 6 months to 5 years received vitamin A. Health centres in the Lake region and in sites for Chadian returnees from the Central African Republic received personnel, training and medicine to conduct consultations, including through mobile clinics. Some 42,000 children aged 6 to 59 months were vaccinated against measles and 4,913 children were tested for HIV. UNICEF reached 114,000 people with improved access to safe drinking water and information on key hygiene practices to prevent hepatitis E and cholera. Some 22,000 refugee, internally displaced and returnee children gained access to quality education, and 86,400 children were taught by teachers trained in psychosocial support. In addition, some 19,000 children benefitted from psychosocial support provided through child-friendly spaces and 125 unaccompanied or separated children were reunified with their families. UNICEF reached 1,248 people affected by displacement and flooding with emergency non-food items and shelter kits to protect them from the elements. UNICEF also supported the Government to develop its first national contingency plan.

Funding requirements

In line with the country’s inter-agency 2017-2019 Humanitarian Response Plan, UNICEF is requesting US$54,191,505 to meet the multiple humanitarian needs of children in Chad in 2018. Without this funding, UNICEF will be unable to support the national response to the country’s continuing nutrition crisis and provide critical water, sanitation, health, education and child protection services to affected people. Supplies and operational preparedness for recurring epidemics and flooding are also urgently needed to protect children and build the resilience of communities.