At the end of July 2024, torrential rain led to flooding in Western and Southern Chad, resulting in loss of life and the destruction of houses and other buildings. Over 6,300 people are estimated to have been affected, with many being displaced from their homes due to the floodwaters. Displacement will negatively impact women and girls’ ability to access essential services and increase protection risks.
The floods compound an already dire humanitarian situation in Chad, which has been facing increased security instability due to ongoing attacks by armed groups and rising inter-communal tensions, climate shocks and disease outbreaks.
As of 5 July, an estimated 1,778,138 people have been forcibly displaced in Chad, with the country hosting 1,388,104 refugees. The majority of refugees and returnees are women and children, who are living in precarious conditions near borders of Sudan, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Libya, Niger and Nigeria, where the security situation is unpredictable.
Four provinces and seven districts have been affected by a hepatitis E epidemic, which has a particularly high mortality rate amongst pregnant women. As of 15 July, there have been a cumulative total of 3,296 cases. 10 deaths have been confirmed, of which five were pregnant women.
UNFPA's focus in Chad is to strengthen and ensure the continuation of sexual and reproductive health (SRH) and gender-based violence (GBV) services for women and girls in need. This includes training and deploying midwives and GBV psychosocial support workers to ensure safe childbirth and care for survivors of violence, and procuring and distributing life-saving reproductive health supplies to health facilities and essential hygiene items for women and girls.
In July, UNFPA supported 73 health facilities and 36 safe spaces for women and girls, distributed 1,000 dignity kits and newborn baby boxes, trained 100 new midwives to ensure safe deliveries, and reached 30,970 people with SRH services and 13,990 people with GBV prevention, mitigation, and response activities.
UNFPA is appealing for 21.1 million USD to provide reproductive health and protection services to women and girls in need in Chad in 2024. As of June, only 6.6 million USD (32%) has been received, leaving a funding gap of 14.4 million USD (68%).
