Chad – Since the beginning of January 2015, an estimated 32,000 Chadians and other internally displaced persons (IDPs) have fled Boko Haram attacks and crossed the border from Nigeria into Chad’s Lac Chad region.

They are currently living in precarious conditions and are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance to meet their basic needs in terms of food, water, sanitation, shelter and health services. Many also need psychosocial support, family tracing and reunification and onward transportation to their places of origin.

Local host communities, already experiencing spiralling living costs and loss of their cattle export business due to the closure of the border with Nigeria for security reasons, are also suffering.

IOM Chad, with support from the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), is now registering and profiling returnees and IDPs in the worst-affected villages in the Lac Chad region to identify the most vulnerable.

It will work closely with UNHCR for the profiling exercise, which will target people with specific needs and vulnerable households, including single women and heads of family.

On 17th May, IOM provided medical screening, food and onward transport to their places of origin for 84 Chadian returnees from Bagasoula to Mayo Kebbi, Moyen Chari, N’Djamena, Mandoul, Logone Oriental, Tandjile and Logone Occidental.

CERF funding is also allowing IOM to provide non-food relief items and shelter kits to the most vulnerable. It will also fund capacity building for Chadian Red Cross volunteers to provide psychosocial support services, including psychosocial education, individual counseling, and recreational activities in the four sub-prefectures in the Lac Region.

“The Boko Haram attacks in Nigeria and in Chad are causing an influx of very traumatized and vulnerable people into the border area. Already vulnerable communities are shouldering the burden and generously sharing their meager resources with the new arrivals until the humanitarian assistance arrives. These people need help now,” said IOM Chad Chief of Mission Qasim Sufi.

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For further information, please contact Qasim Sufi at IOM Chad at +235 629 00674, Email: qsufi@iom.int