Chad - Emergency Health Intervention - Doctors without Borders Appeal 2014

March 2014 - Tensions between communities and bandits persist in the east of Chad and food security (access to safe nutritious and sufficient food) remains fragile. Along the Sahel belt poor rains have affected agricultural production in 2013 and resulted in an estimated 1.1 million people at risk of under-nutrition in 2014. In addition to the existing 376 000 refugees from Sudan and the Central African Republic (CAR) some 20 000 Chadian returnees and 30 000 Sudanese refugees fleeing violence in Darfur have arrived in south-eastern Chad. With the escalating hostilities in CAR and Nigeria it is expected that Chad will continue to host additional refugees in 2014 and will need assistance to provide basic and essential services including health water and food aid. With DFATD’s support Doctors without Borders is providing emergency health care to up to 50 000 Chadians including Chadian returnees from Sudan and Sudanese refugees living in the prefecture of Tissi as the sole medical provider in the area. Project activities include: (1) providing emergency health care malnutrition treatment and surgeries; and (2) providing emergency medical care in response to outbreaks of violence infectious diseases such as malaria and cholera or natural disasters.

The expected immediate outcomes for this project include: (1) increased access to health care; and (2) improved access to life-saving assistance in the event of emergencies (such as violence disease outbreaks or natural disasters). The expected intermediate outcome is reduced vulnerability of crisis-affected people especially women and children.