Armed Violence and Floods Aggravate Humanitarian Crisis in Chad

Impacts of prolonged flooding and heavy torrential rains in a community along the Lake Chad Basin region. Credit: Seyba Keïta/UNICEF

By Oritro Karim
UNITED NATIONS, Nov 5 2024 (IPS)

Chad is currently in the midst of a dire humanitarian crisis due to persisting armed conflict, mass displacement, widespread hunger, natural disasters, and an overall lack of essential services. Due to security challenges from the Boko Haram militant group, millions of Chadians have faced decreased mobility as well as human rights violations including imprisonment, beatings, kidnappings, and killings.

According to estimates from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), approximately 32 percent of Chad’s population is dependent on humanitarian assistance for survival. Development in Chad has seen considerable setbacks due to armed violence and national disasters, with Chad ranking as one of the poorest countries in the world, according to the annual United Nations Human Development Report.

It is estimated that life expectancy in Chad is only 53 years. Only 22 percent of Chad’s population is literate, six percent have access to electricity, and eight percent have access to basic sanitation. Furthermore, around 75 percent of all births in Chad take place without the presence of healthcare personnel.

Boko Haram’s occupancy in Central Africa dates back to 2009, when the group launched an insurgency in Nigeria, leading to the deaths of over 300,000 as well as 2.3 million displacements. It then spread to neighbouring nations along the Lake Chad Basin. In June, the International Office for Migration (IOM) reported over 220,000 displacements due to attacks from armed groups along the Lake Chad Basin.

On October 27, Boko Haram targeted a military garrison near Lake Chad, resulting in the deaths of 40 Chadian security personnel. This surprise attack not only heightened the pervasive fear among civilians, but also raised concerns among humanitarian organizations and Chadian officials that conditions will continue to deteriorate due to the increasing brutality of the armed attacks.

The government of Chad has called upon the international community for aid in an effort to stabilize violence concentrated in the Lake Chad region. The Lake Chad basin is bordered by Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Nigeria, nations with which Chad forms the Multinational Joint Task Force, a coalition that is committed to eradicating armed groups in the region.

“Determined collective action is essential to eradicate this scourge which threatens the stability and the development of the entire region,” said Abderaman Koulamallah, spokesperson for the Chadian government.

On November 3, Chad’s President Mahamat Idriss Deby issued a statement announcing Chad’s possible withdrawal from the Multinational Joint Task Force, citing a lack of coordination in joint efforts against terrorist organizations. Deby expressed frustration at the coalition’s limited communications and streamlined operations.

Heavy flooding and torrential rain has caused considerable damage to critical infrastructures in Chad over the course of 2024, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) confirmed in October that all 23 provinces of Chad have experienced prolonged rainfall, affecting over 1.9 million civilians.

Figures from ACAPS, a non-profit organization that analyzes international humanitarian crises, show that by October 18, there had been over 576 flood-related civilian casualties. Additionally, over 218,000 homes were destroyed and 342,000 were severely damaged.

Over 1.9 million hectares of land designated for agriculture have been flooded, killing over 72,000 heads of livestock. This has devastated Chad’s economy and significantly aggravated the hunger crisis it is facing. According to the World Food Programme (WFP), over 3.4 million Chadians face acute food insecurity, a notable increase of 240 percent from 2020.

Chad also has one of the fastest growing refugee populations in Africa, currently hosting over 1.2 million refugees, many of whom are Sudanese migrants who fled from the increasingly volatile conditions of the Sudanese Civil War. Due to the vast majority of resources and funding being allocated to alleviate the refugee crisis, internally displaced communities in Chad are facing a lack of humanitarian assistance.

The United Nations and its partners are currently on the frontlines of this crisis providing medical support, educational services, food, and clean drinking water. OCHA and its affiliates report that they have allocated over 148 million dollars to mitigate the humanitarian crises plaguing Chad and its neighbouring nations, focusing on “tackling hunger and malnutrition, averting famine, preventing disease outbreaks, and addressing climate-related shocks.”

Additionally, the 2024 Humanitarian Response Plan for the Lake Chad Basin region seeks to assist over 22 million people, requiring approximately 4.7 million dollars in funding. The UN continues to urge further donor contributions as conditions in the region deteriorate.

IPS UN Bureau Report