Chad Humanitarian Update August 2023

Humanitarian actors mark World Humanitarian Day

The global humanitarian community and that of Chad celebrated World Humanitarian Day (WHD) on 19 August. This year's commemoration marked 20 years since the attack on the United Nations (UN) offices in Baghdad in which 22 UN staff died, including the Secretary-General's Special Envoy to Iraq, Sergio Vieira de Mello. The commemoration of WHD this year also focused on the need to respect humanitarian principles.

In Chad, WHD activities were carried out in both N'Djamena and the field. The various organizing committees, composed of representatives of the Government, UN agencies, national and international NGOs, adopted an inclusive approach both in their composition and in their activities.

In the field

On 17 August, the official national ceremony took place in Abéché, capital of Ouaddaï province, home to most of Sudan's new and old refugees. Officials went to Bagarine, on the outskirts of Abéché, to see field activities and plant trees before launching the official commemoration in the town. The encounter was attended by members of the Government, representatives of the humanitarian community, donors, affected populations and host communities.
Awareness-raising activities on humanitarian principles were also organized.

In other provinces such as Lac and Logone Oriental, the humanitarian community, state authorities and representatives of affected and host communities also gathered to commemorate the day.

In N'Djamena

In the capital, WDH activities targeted national media and civil society organizations, particularly youth organizations, to raise awareness about humanitarian action and its principles.

On 15 and 16 August, an interactive programme was aired on the Chadian National Radio where information on WHD humanitarian action and its principles were presented to the public, with a game of questions and answers for listeners. The same thing happened on 19 August on a private radio channel.

On 16 August, a briefing was also held with over 20 journalists. Speakers reviewed themes including consequences of the Sudanese crisis in Eastern Chad, civil-military coordination, humanitarian access, and cash transfers. On 18 August, a debate was organised at the National Museum which was opened by a theatre company that performed a sketch on the theme of the event. Civil society organisations and journalists were part of this as well.

On social networks

The humanitarian community in Chad also participated in a social media campaign around the hashtag #NoMatterWhat (in French #QuoiQuilArrive) to affirm and renew the humanitarian community’s commitment to be on the side of the affected people #NoWatterWhat their origins, their genders or their places or origin are. Many actors, including the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the World Food Programme (WFP), the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC),
African Humanitarian Action (AHA), UN Volunteers (UNV) Programme in Chad, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations and many others participated in these activities.