Chad Humanitarian Update December 2023 - January 2024

Over 2.9 million people predicted to be severely food insecure in Chad in 2024

In December 2023, the results of the Cadre Harmonisé (harmonized framework for Food and Nutrition Security) in Chad were released forecasting that over 2.9 million people (about 16 per cent of the Chadian population) will be severely food insecure (phase 3-5) during the next lean season from June to August 2024. This is an increase of one million people from the 1.8 million affected in 2023 and almost double since November 2022. Over 8.2 million people in total will be food insecure in Chad this year.

The provinces most affected include Lac, Kanem, Barh-el-Gazel, Hadjer Lamis, Guéra, Batha, Sila, Ouaddaï and Wadi-Fira (in the Sahel), Tibesti, Borkou and Ennedi Est (in the Sahara) and Salamat in the south-east.

By the end of December 2023, there were more than 6.5 million people food insecure, including 2 million in the severe phase. At the same time in 2022, around 3.2 million people were food insecure, including more than 800,000 in the severe phase, demonstrating how much the food security situation has worsened.

There is serious cause for concern that the food situation in the country is getting worse for several reasons and requires concerted efforts by the Government and its humanitarian partners, especially during the lean season.

First, according to the forecast results for the 2023/24 agricultural season, production will be lower than in the 2022/23 season and the average of the last five years. The cereals balance sheet shows a deficit of around 364,000 tonnes. This large discrepancy can be explained by the poor temporal and spatial distribution of rainfall, with long periods of drought, as well as pest infestations affecting 582,581 ha. The poor potential harvest is having a negative impact on food production which is making more people food insecure.