Chad, WFP warn of 'catastrophic' food insecurity amid influx of Sudan refugees

Sudanese family, who fled the conflict in Murnei in Sudan's Darfur region, sit beside their belongings upon crossing the border between Sudan and Chad in Adre, Chad 26 July, 2023. REUTERS - ZOHRA BENSEMRA

Chad has called for the world to step up and help feed the country and its increasing refugee population, including 460,000 fleeing the conflict in neighbouring Sudan.

According to the United Nations' World Food Programme, over two million people in Chad are suffering from severe food insecurity, calling the situation catastrophic.

Chad's economic prosperity and international partnerships minister, Madeleine Alingue, told a press conference at the United Nations in Geneva on Monday that the international community should "strengthen and support the humanitarian response plan, which has great needs."

➡️Today in Geneva, Mme Madeleine Alingue, Secrétaire d'Etat @MEpdci and @vkakyomya Humanitarian Coordinator for Chad, presented Chad's humanitarian needs to Permanent Representatives at the @UN.
A decisive step towards a better future! pic.twitter.com/RWnmLI8Zz4

— OCHA Chad (@OCHAChad) October 16, 2023

Alingue called for a wider pool of donors beyond traditional partners such as the United States and the European Union to step forward, saying the stability that Chad "must guarantee in the region" ought to wake up new contributors.

Meanwhile, Violet Kakyomya, the UN resident and humanitarian coordinator in Chad, said the 2023 humanitarian response plan for the vast country – revised following the influx of refugees from Sudan – had only received about 25 percent of the $920 million requested.

Millions face food insecurity

The UN says around 5.7 million people are food insecure in Chad – which is ranked the third least developed country in the world – meaning that people have difficulty guaranteeing one meal a day, while 1.7 million children under 5 years of age suffer from acute malnutrition in the country.

The WFP's Chad director Pierre Honnorat has stressed, "The situation is catastrophic ... funding stops in December, then we really have nothing left," as the UN agency has already had to reduce aid distribution.

1.7 million children under 5 years old suffer from acute malnutrition in Chad. It's avoidable, so it’s unacceptable!@WFP needs urgent funding to provide nutritional assistance in the hot spots. pic.twitter.com/nUaMCutHkS

— WFP_Chad (@WFP_Chad) October 18, 2023

The WFP can now only support 270,000 of the 600,000 refugees that were in Chad before the crisis in neighbouring Sudan.

Chad also faces health emergencies as well as the effects of climate change and these crises combined affect some seven million of the 18 million population.

In addition, instability and regional conflicts have had "a direct impact" on Chad which has taken in 460,0000 refugees from Sudan since April.

(with AFP)