Chad, in Central Africa, has one of the highest levels of hunger in the world - 66.2 percent of its population of 15.5 million live in severe poverty. It is ranked 187th out of 189 countries in the 2019 Human Development Index.

Conflict and the climate crisis exacerbate hunger and poverty in Chad. Surrounded by countries at war, it also suffers from environmental degradation and rapid desertification. The people in Chad are among the most affected by the global climate breakdown.

Many depend on farming and livestock for their livelihoods but advancing agricultural practices is challenging as rain patterns are changing and droughts are frequent. This places even more strain on vulnerable families living in the Sahelian belt. Around 40 percent of children aged under five suffer stunting, according to the World Bank, with low height for their age caused by chronic malnutrition. Pregnant and breastfeeding women's health is poor, with high maternal mortality rates due to inadequate access to health services. Access to basic education is also limited. 

The presence of hundreds of thousands of refugees who have fled conflict in neighboring countries has put additional pressure on Chad’s already limited resources.

Displaced people, and other poor communities, in the Lake Chad Basin, the east and south of the country are dependent on humanitarian assistance for survival. According to the 2019 Humanitarian Response Plan, 4.3 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance, of whom only 2 million are targeted with adequate support.

There are 130,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) around Lake Chad, and 87,000 Chadian returnees – 41,000 in the province of Lac, 4,000 in the province of Sila and 42,000 living in camps in the south.

The Government’s main development priorities are embedded in “Vision 2030: the Chad We Want”, a strategic framework to be implemented through consecutive development plans, beginning with the national development plan for 2017-2021.

The World Food Programme (WFP) runs a variety of activities in Chad, with a focus to gradually shift from emergency relief to strengthening the country’s long-term resilience. In our mission to end food insecurity and malnutrition in Chad, we continue to work alongside the Government and other UN agencies and partners.

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15.5 million
population
462,000
refugees & internally displaced persons (IDPs)
43%
of children under 5 are stunted
3.7 million
people are food insecure
2.2 million
people are malnourished

What the World Food Programme is doing in Chad

  • Food assistance

    WFP is supporting 1.4 million vulnerable people affected by chronic food insecurity and climate-related disasters in Chad. In the Lake Chad Basin we provide cash-based transfers to enable vulnerable people to buy food from local markets, boosting the economy. We also provide nutrition support to babies aged six months to two years, helping to prevent malnutrition.

  • Support for refugees

    WFP provides life-saving food and nutritional assistance to 370,000 refugees from Sudan and the Central African Republic (CAR) hosted in 19 camps and some villages spread from the North-East to the South of Chad. In January 2018, 20,000 people crossed the border from CAR to Chad - the largest movement of refugees from that country, exceeding the total number for 2017 (2,000). 8,500 refugees from Nigeria are also assisted in the Lake Chad region. 102,000 Chadians, who fled violence in CAR in 2013, still live in transit sites and host villages in the South of Chad.

  • School meals

    WFP provides nutritious school meals to 120,000 children in food insecure areas of the Sahel, where food production is poor even in relatively good years. School meals encourage school enrolment, which is low in these regions. We also provide an emergency school meal programme in the Lake Chad region, feeding 15,000 children.

  • UN Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS)

    WFP manages the UN Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) on behalf of the humanitarian community in Chad, with 19 destinations throughout the country served by four aircraft carrying personnel and light cargo. Over 120 humanitarian organizations rely on UNHAS to carry out their vital work in Chad.

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Partners and donors

Achieving Zero Hunger is the work of many. Our work in Chad is made possible by the support and collaboration of our partners and donors, including:
  • United States (Food for Peace, OFDA, PRM)
    European Union (ECHO, DEVCO)
    Germany (BMZ, GFFO)
    United Kingdom
    Japan
  • Canada
    France
    Italy
    Switzerland
    UN-CERF
  • UN-PBF
    Sweden
    Republic of Korea
    Ministry of Plan and Economy ( INSEED)
    Ministry of Health( DNTA, DELEGATIONS SANITAIRE )
  • Ministry of Education
    Ministry of Social Affairs
    Ministry of Agriculture( ITRAD, SISAAP )
    UNHCR
    UNICEF
  • FAO
    WHO
    OCHA
    University of N'Djamena
    University of Abeche
  • Ministère de l'environnement et de la pêche
    Université de Mongo
    Ministère de l'élévage ( CECOQDA)
    IRC
    CSSI
  • ADES
    APESA
    ASRADD
    HIAS
    CRT
  • BCI
    SOS
    ACTED
    ACHUDE
    SECADEV
  • NOUSTAGBAL
    ATVP
    OHDEL
    AIDER
    APRODIF
  • ARDEK
    PEDC
    WCDO
    ACHDEV
    IHDL
  • APSE
    IRW
    SIF
    ACF
    Solidarite International
  • OXFAM
    ECOCITOYEN
    ADRB
    ADEDD
    ADD

Find out more about the state of food security in Chad

Visit the food security analysis page

Operations in Chad

View all operations

Contacts

N'Djamena

B.P. 906, Rue Saint Martin 3252, Quartier Klamat, N'Djamena, Chad

Email

WFP.Ndjamena@wfp.org

Phone: +235 51 54 74/52 48 01

Fax: +235 51 56 05

For media inquiries

WFP.Ndjamena@wfp.org