SITUATION OVERVIEW
In early August Chad experienced unprecedented torrential rains causing significant damage in several parts of the capital, N’Djamena. These rains persisted until late September and floods expanded to many provinces, causing catastrophic levels of human and material damage, and loss of livelihoods for a significant portion of the population.
Red Cross of Chad (RCC) started assisting populations in N ́Djamena right after the initial floods, but assessments carried out in 17 provinces by the National Society (NS) teams between 5 August and 25 September found that a total of 747,588 people (125,269 households) were affected by the flooding, including: 56,607 houses destroyed; 1,112 water points and wells disrupted; and 325,184 hectares of agricultural land inundated. In the province of Mayo-Kebbi Est, 228,708 people were affected, followed by Tandjilé (138,831 people), Mandoul (97,098 people) and Sila, with (72,726 people).
Across the affected areas there is still high risk of water-borne diseases and outbreaks, particularly cholera, due to the lack of appropriate hygiene and sanitation in areas of displacement. Women and girls are also particularly exposed to protection risks in camps, due to lack of security, high rates of school drop-out, and inadequate sanitation and shelter facilities. Given the widespread destruction of agricultural land and crops, it is likely that these floods will deepen the already very high levels of food insecurity and malnutrition as well.
In its assessments, RCC specifically identified several needs, including emergency shelter; household items; education materials for children and young girls; safe water; hygiene and sanitation; protection, including prevention of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) and Restoring Family Links (RFL); health/nutrition; livelihoods; and capacity building for local actors and for communities impacted.
Humanitarian actors are currently providing assistance to flood victims in the provinces of Logone Occidental, Guéra, Kanem, Barh-El-Gazel, Mayo-Kebbi Est, Sila and Tandjilé, and also in N'Djamena, covering roughly 80,000 people, or 14,000 households. This assistance has consisted of food parcels, essential household items and health promotion and prevention activities, as well as medicines and support for health centres in affected areas. However, much more needs to be done to cover the remaining gaps. Following the request from government to scale-up assistance, UNOCHA is supporting to assess capacity across the various partners (UN Agencies, International NGOs, local NGOs and the RCRC Movement), also the mapping and monitoring of the response. RCC started responding to the floods through a DREF funded operation launched in early September and is also scaling up its response in the face of dire need and to fulfil its role as an auxiliary to government in humanitarian action.