Chad’s Food Crisis
The Republic of Chad, a Sahelian landlocked country, faces an intense hunger crisis. Chad has one of the highest levels of starvation in the world, with over 42% of its population living just below the poverty line. Due to its geographical position, it is not exempt from any conflict in and among its neighbours nor from the worsening effects of climate change. Because of this, Chad hosts one of the largest numbers of refugees in Central Africa, placing additional pressure on Chad’s limited infrastructure and resources.
According to a World Food Programme report, Chad currently hosts 570,000 refugees as well as 406,000 internally displaced people. It is estimated that over 1 million individuals will suffer from acute food insecurity. This insecurity has been exasperated by the Russia-Ukraine War as well as the recent deadly floods occurring across West and Central Africa. The floods have destroyed 465,000 hectares of cropland in 18 of Chad’s 23 provinces. This has increased food vulnerability as many rely on agricultural production for their food as well as to obtain an income. Food products within local markets have become scarce and commodity prices have risen.
Due to the dire situation in Chad, the United Nations is stepping in. The World Food Programme aims to provide food and nutritional assistance to the 500,000+ refugees living in and around Chad and hopes to assist over 3 million displaced individuals affected by chronic food insecurity and climate change disasters. It is of the utmost importance that more attention is focused on the increasingly dire circumstances in Chad as more support is needed for the poorest and most vulnerable within the region.