N’Djamena – The International Organization for Migration and the US Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance have signed a 1 million USD project agreement to provide emergency humanitarian assistance and improve the living conditions of vulnerable persons affected by insecurity, environmental degradation, and climate change in Chad’s Lac province. The new funding will enable IOM to provide shelter assistance to an estimated 1 660 internally displaced persons (IDPs) across 350 households, and bolster displacement tracking to improve understanding trends, and enhance the operational response in the Lake Chad basin.

For the past seven years, Chad has been grappling with insecurity caused by the presence of non-state armed groups in the Lake Chad region which has displaced over 425 000 persons in the country alone. This insecurity has been compounded by the effects of environmental degradation and climate change such as flash floods caused by sudden rains or extreme temperatures which make agriculture difficult.

As a result, a growing number of persons are forced to people to flee their homes on the shores or in the islets of Lake Chad, to find better living conditions inland. “Most of the IDPs, who are women and minors, live in makeshift displacement sites and are cut off from their livelihoods, making them highly dependent on humanitarian assistance for durable shelter solutions, food and non-food items”, explains Anne Schaefer, IOM Chad’s Chief of Mission.

Through its shelter programme in Chad, IOM has built 4 733 emergency and semi-durable shelters to provide internally displaced persons with decent living conditions. 116 631 IDPs have also received non-food items kits which include blankets, cooking utensils and female hygiene items. However, more needs to be done to provide durable solutions to the protracted displacement crisis in the Lake Chad basin.

“Only 16 % of this this year’s humanitarian response plan has so far been funded, which is worrying especially as we are approaching the rainy season which is likely to cause further displacement in the Lac province and beyond”, says Anne Schaefer, IOM Chad’s Chief of Mission.

Earlier this month, the Government of Chad declared a nationwide “food emergency” in light of the “constant deterioration of the nutritional situation” in the country as a result of the war in Ukraine. This is particularly felt in the Lac province which remains among the least developed in the country.

For more information, please contact François-Xavier Ada, Communications Officer. Email: fadaaffana@iom.int