2014-2016 Strategic Response Plan Chad - Mid-Year Review (August 2014)

SUMMARY

The humanitarian context in Chad evolved significantly over the first half of 2014, most particularly as the conflict in the Central African Republic (CAR) led to the influx of some 110,000 persons into Chad. To address the needs of this new caseload, the Strategic Response Plan (SRP) was revised in June 2014 with the development of an Action Plan detailing the strategy for responding to the influx of people from CAR. The initial SRP request of US$527 million was increased by $91 million to reflect the financial requirements of responding to the impact of the CAR crisis through the end of 2014. As of 10 September, the 2014 Chad SRP had received $179 million (29%).

The Mid-Year Review

The mid-year review of the Strategic Response Plan takes into account the evolution of the humanitarian situation in Chad and fine tunes the strategic approach and priorities set out at the beginning of the year. Given that the Action Plan for the response to the CAR crisis was only recently developed, the strategic approach and priorities set out therein have not been subject to revision.

Evolution of the Humanitarian Context in the first half of 2014

An analysis of the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) in March 2014 indicates that some 2.6 million Chadians are living in food insecurity, up 9% from 2.4 million at the beginning of this year. Of these, some 2.2 million people are considered to be at a “stressed” level (phase 3 and 4) of food insecurity while 448,874 are at “crisis” or “emergency” levels (phase 1 and 2).

Projections for the lean period - which goes from June to September - indicate that about 811,570 people are estimated to be at “crisis” or “emergency” levels during this period, and an additional 3.1 million people are estimated to be at a “stressed” level, to reach a total of 3.9 million food insecure people. The food security situation has further deteriorated since June, with households in Wadi-Fira region and parts of the Barh El-Ghazaal region (southern Sahel) now in “crisis” level due to the low rain fall in 2013. Households in Wadi Fira and Barh El-Ghazaal will continue to experience “crisis” levels of food insecurity until the upcoming October harvests.

There has also been an increase in the number of admissions for severe acute malnourished children in 2014 compared to 2013. The increase has exceeded estimates at the beginning of the year. An increase in the number of admissions of children with moderate acute malnutrition (MAM) has also been recorded during the first half of the year (relative to 2013). The Nutrition Cluster estimates that the total number of children with SAM will likely increase by 10% in the Sahel belt by the end of the year. The Cluster also estimates that in the southern regions of Chad, some 3,000 new cases of SAM have been recorded. The total number of children with SAM could reach 151,797 cases by the end of the year which represents a 12% increase since the beginning of the year.

Beyond the influx of people from CAR, Chad has also seen a recent influx of people seeking refuge from violence in Nigeria. The escalation of attacks by Boko Haram in northern Nigeria caused more than 1,120 people to flee to the Lake Chad region in July. As of mid-August, UNHCR had registered close to 3,000 Nigerian refugees in Chad.

A Two-Part Strategy

The strategy to respond to food insecurity and malnutrition in the Sahel belt, and to long-standing population displacement remains the same as defined in early 2014. For this caseload, the broad objectives of the SRP remain relevant, notably (i) using risk and vulnerability to guide the response, (ii) supporting vulnerable populations to better cope with shocks, and (iii) delivering coordinated and integrated life-saving assistance.

Alongside this, the humanitarian community is supporting the Government to address the humanitarian needs of people newly-arrived from the Central African Republic by (i) providing emergency assistance to people without family links who are living in transit sites/temporary camps and to those communities hosting the camps, (ii) providing assistance to people living in host villages and with host families, (iii) assisting pastoralists in their specific needs, and (iv) meeting the protection and assistance needs of CAR refugees displaced since December 2013. The strategy for responding to the needs of CAR-related populations is outlined in the Action Plan, in annex.

Mid-Year Financial Revision

Projects to deliver on the strategy have been updated to help better guide donor response. The projects were reviewed based on sector priorities and their feasibility by the end of the year. Total financial requirements under the 2014 SRP have been reduced from $638 million as of June to some $618 million. The financial requirements for Multisector and CCCM/Shelter activities were increased to respond to the influx of returnees and refugees from CAR. In addition the Education, Food security, Nutrition, Health and Early Recovery sectors have seen a drop in their requirements taking into account adjustements in project activities, the time left to implement the projects in 2014, and the operational capacity of actors to implement the planned activities.