Bol – Capital of the Lake region, the archipelago city of Bol plays a key role in regional trade, through Lake Chad, the “green lung” of the region connecting Chad, Cameroon, Niger and Nigeria.

However, the gradual drying up of the Lake, combined with the security crisis prevailing in the region since 2009, has destabilized communities’ livelihoods, forcing thousands of people living around the Lake to leave their homes in search of better living conditions.

To support community resilience and peacebuilding in the region, IOM handed over last week (27-28 July) agricultural equipment and tools, including pirogues, fishing nets, water pumps and a range of seeds, to 10 communities in Bol Nguini, Foulatari and Koulfoua de Fitine.

This equipment and seeds will enable communities to develop various income-generating activities, including in farming, and to strengthen their resilience against the climate and security-related threats to which they are vulnerable.

“We thank IOM for all the support provided since the beginning of the project, including in the area of peacebuilding,” said the Deputy Chief of the Bol Nguini neighbourhood, who attended the handover ceremony.

According to IOM’s latest report on displacement in the Lac Region, there are more than 290,000 displaced persons in the region. This includes internally displaced persons (IDPs), returnees from abroad, former IDPs and third country nationals.

Sudden population movements put pressure on the resources to which communities have access, creating tensions and sometimes intercommunity conflicts.

Since December 2018, IOM has been implementing the project, “Peacebuilding through Adaptation to Climate Change and Resilience of the People’s. Livelihoods in the Lake Chad Region” in the Lake Region to support the stabilization of communities affected by the dual environmental and security crisis, as well as encourage social cohesion between youth and authorities to consolidate peace in the region. the project is funded by the United Nations Peacebuilding Fund.

For more information, please contact Alassane Dembele, Project Officer at IOM Chad. Email: adembele@iom.int.