Chad

Chad, a landlocked Sahelian Central African country, is prone to recurrent climate shocks – droughts and floods – that compound the effects of entrenched poverty and inequality, with the country ranking 190th out of 193 countries on the latest 2023 Human Development Index.

As a pillar of relative stability in a fragile region, Chad also hosts one of Africa’s largest and fastest-growing refugee populations: 1.5 million, including 900,000 who have entered from Sudan since the outbreak of war there in April 2023. This ongoing, conflict-driven displacement puts further strain on already limited resources.

The combination of these factors has driven alarming levels of hunger for both refugees and their Chadian hosts. The most recent Cadre Harmonisé (Integrated Food Security Phase Classification) analysis warned that almost one in six people in Chad – 3 million – would face severe food insecurity (phases 3 and 4, crisis and emergency-level hunger) during the lean season from June to August 2026.

The World Food Programme is on the ground delivering emergency assistance to those most in need, while also working with the Government on long-term development and resilience initiatives - an important way to reduce the need for humanitarian aid, transitioning to self-reliant communities and sustainable systems for long-term food security.