Humanitarian needs and response in Chad: Weekly information bulletin, 19 - 25 Dec 2007

Headlines

Banditry attacks on humanitarians continue to partially hamper the delivery of relief.

Insecurity and limited stocks impede food pre-positioning and distribution in refugee camps and IDP sites.

Education is the least funded sector.

EUFOR deployment delayed by weak logistical capacities.

Six aid workers of the NGOs Arche de Zoe sentenced to eight years of hard labour.

Overall developments and context

Banditry continues to affect humanitarians. This week again, two NGOs, MSF-Spain and ATHAS, have been attacked, the former in the Chadian capital N'Djamena and the latter in Bahaï in the east of the country. Refugees are also affected by insecurity. On 15 December, one refugee was attacked in Bahaï while an attempted attack on two refugees was reported on 17 December. The prevailing insecurity has caused the partial relocation of relief aid workers to safer areas mainly in Abeche and reduced the road transportation of relief items notably foods to refugee and IDPs.

MINURCAT, the United Nations mission mandated by UN Security Council Resolution SC/1778 of 25 September 2007 to help create conditions for the safe return of refugees and IDPs in eastern Chad and the north-eastern Central African Republic, is now present in the country. Meanwhile, the effective deployment of EUFOR, the European Union Force authorized to support MINURCAT has been delayed for lack of sufficient logistical capability. The United Nations Trust Fund established by the UN Secretary General in order to support MINURCAT activities has received the following contributions so far: $2.2 million from the Government of Japan, $1 million from the Government of Norway and €250,000 from the Government of Belgium. Negotiations with the European Commission are underway for a contribution worth €10 million.

The verdict in the trial of six aid workers of the NGO Arche de Zoe and their accomplices, who attempted to fly out 103 children from Chad in October, was pronounced on 26 December in N'djamena. The six French aid workers were sentenced to eight years of hard labour each. Two of their accomplices, a Chadian and a Sudanese, were sentenced to four years' imprisonment, while two Chadian nationals were acquitted. The 103 children are still being hosted at the Abeche orphanage, where they continue to be cared for by Chadian authorities and humanitarian aid workers. The Government of Chad has appealed to the humanitarian community for continued support for the children during their stay in Abeche and upon their return to their families.

Needs and response by sector

Common Services and Coordination

In order to ensure the continuity of relief assistance in the event of deterioration in the security situation in eastern Chad, the United Nations and partners have updated contingency plans for the IDP sites in Goz Beida and Koukou, which host almost half of the IDP population, for the period from mid-December to mid-January. Humanitarians agreed upon a minimum package of services in water and sanitation, food and health to be provided in these IDP sites in case of the evacuation of humanitarian organizations. Consultations are ongoing for the update of contingency plans of the other IDP sites in eastern Chad.

From the beginning of the year to November, UNHAS transported 23,437 passengers and 69 metric tonnes of light cargo, including medical supplies and office equipment, for the benefit of over 70 humanitarian organisations and partners in delivering humanitarian assistance to Sudanese refugees, host populations and IDPs in eastern Chad. In 2008, UNHAS plans to serve new destinations, including Dogdore and Koukou in eastern Chad as well as Moundou and Sarh in southern Chad.

Education

The education sector, the worst resourced area (12%) in the Chad 2007 CAP, which is 97% funded overall, continues to suffer from acute lack of teachers. The preliminary findings of the joint UN/Government and NGO partners' vulnerability survey conducted in November revealed poor quality education in IDP sites, refugee camps and host communities. Humanitarian actors, in collaboration with the government, aim to improve the pupil/teacher ratio to 50 pupils per teacher by the end of 2008. Today, this ratio stands at 120 students per teacher. To reach this objective, 65 trained teachers are needed for the areas of Assoungha, Ouarra, Goz Beida/ Koukou and Dogdore.

Food Security and Livelihoods

Despite security constraints in the past weeks, WFP managed to complete December food distributions in all 12 Sudanese refugee camps in eastern Chad. However, food rations were reduced in some of the camps, namely in Gaga, Oure Cassoni, Touloum, Kounougou and Mile. The reductions are due to the security situation, which delayed the dispatch of the food to the camps.

WFP is also facing pipeline breaks in December and January in corn-soya blend (CSB) and pulses. Available CSB is being reserved for nutritional programmes in health centres. Lack of pulses and CSB in the general food rations is being compensated for by an increase in the quantity of cereal.

Due to widespread insecurity, food distributions for IDPs have been postponed until January. If insecurity continues to impede the pre-positioning of food in refugee camps and IDP sites, access to food might be a concern for people who rely mainly on food distribution.

Health

WHO reported around fifty cases of whooping-cough in the areas of Gaga and Adre. WHO and partners are considering an immunisation campaign targeting children under five in order to contain the disease.

Water and Sanitation

Due to insecurity, the deployment of technicians to work on boreholes in eastern Chad as well as the assessment planned by UNICEF and partners on water and sanitation operations were postponed.

If you have inputs for the next edition, or questions and comments on this one, please contact:

Maurizio Giuliano, Public Officer Information, United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Djamena Email: giuliano@un.org Tel: +235-6053892

Katy Thiam, Associate Officer Reporting, United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Abéché, Chad Email: thiamk@un.org Tel: +235-6201542

Stephanie Bunker, Spokesperson, United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), New York Email: bunker@un.org Tel: +1- 917 -367 5126

Elizabeth Byrs, Spokesperson, United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Geneva Email: byrs@un.org Tel: +41-22-9172653