Chad

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CRS in Chad

Chad is a landlocked country situated at the crossroads of North and Central Africa whose northern half is desert. The country is bordered by Libya to the north, Sudan to the east, the Central African Republic to the south, Cameroon and Nigeria to the southwest at Lake Chad, and Niger to the west. Chad is the fifth-largest country in Africa. Chad has a population of more than 18 million inhabitants with 42.3% of the population living below the national poverty line. CRS began its activities in Chad in 1984 by supporting the Episcopal Commission for Justice and Peace from the Cameroon office. In 2002, in response to the humanitarian crisis in Darfur, the Chadian Bishops Conference invited CRS to open an office in the capital city of N’Djamena.

In Chad, CRS’ key programming areas focus on:

Emergency Response & Recovery Microfinance Child Protection Promoting Local Leadership

Woman with headscarf, clapping her hands.

Hawa Youssouf is a participant in CRS’ STaR II project in Bol, Chad. She was trained on improved agriculture techniques, and given special seeds (drought and insect resistant, quicker grow time), along with some farming tools, to help them increase her yield.

Photos by Jennifer Lazuta/CRS

Currently, CRS Chad programming is dealing with challenges that have been exacerbated by the effects of climate change, malnutrition, and a spill-over of armed conflict in the Central African Republic and the ongoing crisis in Sudan. Chad is currently hosting more than 500,000 refugees and returnees. CRS works in partnership with the local government and local partners, including diocesan Caritas. Currently, CRS supports communities living in vulnerable conditions to meet their basic needs, better their livelihoods, build resilience, and reinforce social cohesion. The country office works with local partners, helping to develop their capacities to acquire and manage donor resources. CRS is also committed to carrying out its operations in a manner that honors and protects the right of all people to live free from abuse and harm.

Emergency Response & Recovery

Stabilization and Reconciliation in the Lake Chad Region (STaR) Phase II

Man standing in a field.

Ababakar Adoumi is a farmer from Bol, Chad who grows corn and wheat, as well as gardens okra, lettuce, carrots and onions. Through the STaR II program, he learned improved agriculture techniques which helped him increase his yields.

Photos by Jennifer Lazuta/CRS

Funded by German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) via the German Development Bank (KfW), the project is supporting the recovery of families affected by the Lake Chad Basin (LCB) crisis. STaR II implements activities that improve access to basic infrastructure, equip households with tools and skills to establish or improve livelihoods, strengthen social cohesion, and improve local governance.

Stabilization and Reconciliation in the Lake Chad Region (STaR) Project – Phase II

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Emergency response to Sudanese refugees, Chadian returnees, and host communities in eastern Chad

A young girl holding a blue bin, smiling.

Zara Hassan Mahmoud holds a bucket she just received during a distribution organized in Adre by Caritas Mongo. The mother of six fled the escalating conflict in Sudan in April 2023.

Photos by Mabel Chenjoh/CRS

Thanks to funding from Caritas Internationalis, CRS is supporting Caritas Mongo to lead the distribution of food aid and household items to 1,500 Sudanese refugees, Chadian returnees, and host communities in the east of Chad.

Réponse d’urgence aux réfugiés soudanais, retournés tchadiens, et communautés hôtes dans l'est du Tchad

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Microfinance

Savings and Internal Lending Communities (SILC) & Social Cohesion

A woman money in a bowl.

Members of the ‘Hanoune’ (‘charity’) Savings and Internal Lending Community (SILC) group, in Koudoul, Chad, which was formed as part of CRS’ SILC programming, give their weekly contributions.

Photos by Jennifer Lazuta/CRS

Through this privately funded project, CRS is strengthening the economic security and social cohesion in communities at risk or already affected by conflict. SILC groups have accumulated over $360,000 in savings, which have been lent to group members to start small businesses or contribute to social needs. The project has also trained local conflict management committees on how to foster social cohesion within communities.

Communautés d'Epargne et de Crédit Interne (CECI) & Cohésion Sociale

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Child Protection

Community Child Protection Systems

A young girl smiling.

Fatima waits for her mother Faida Mouna during a meeting with STaR II participants in Bol, Chad. In recent years, their crops have suffered due to erratic rains and changing temperatures

Photos by Jennifer Lazuta/CRS

The 18-month project funded by United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) is being implemented in partnership with Caritas N'Djamena. The project works to ensure that children of Chad live in safe communities where their basic needs are met and their right to protection is respected.

Appui au développement des documents normatifs et stratégiques pour la protection des enfants contre les violences, abus et exploitations au Tchad

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Local Leadership

Partnership and Capacity Building Project (PCS) in Chad

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Goup photo of participants at the Caritas Chad Network Forum in November 2022.

Photo by Doura Mogobung/CRS

CRS is working to improve the organizational capacities of Caritas Chad and its diocesan members so that they can better respond to humanitarian emergencies, promote development, and build community resilience. The PCS project has enabled Caritas Chad to develop a strategic plan (2023-2030).

Projet du partenariat et du renforcement de capacités (PCS) et du leadership local au Tchad

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CRS in Chad general factsheet

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CRS in Chad Latest Newsletter/CRS soutient les déplacés au Tchad

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Local Partners

  • The Chadian Episcopal Conference
  • Caritas Chad
  • Diocesan Caritas
 

Read about our history in Chad

Stats

People served since 2021: 105,930

Population: 17.72 million

Size: 495,755 square miles; about the size of Texas, California and Utah combined

Resources allocated since 2021: $4.5 million

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Programming Areas

Country News and Stories

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CRS' History in Chad

Catholic Relief Services’ work in Chad began in 1984 with operations based in the CRS Cameroon office. CRS supported the Chad Episcopal Commission for Justice and Peace to implement peacebuilding projects. In 2002, in response to the humanitarian crisis in Darfur, the Bishops’ Conference invited CRS to open an office in the capital of N’Djamena. From 2002 till 2015, the activities of the CRS country office in Chad focused on enhancing food security in the East of Chad.

From 2015 to 2019, the CRS projects in Chad supported populations living in vulnerable conditions to have increased access to finances to make productive investments and improve their economic resilience.

Currently, CRS interventions in Chad include emergency response, microfinance, livelihoods and agricultural activities, child protection, and capacity-strengthening activities. CRS implements all these projects in Chad for communities living in vulnerable conditions in the west, east, and south regions of Chad in collaboration with the local government and local partners including diocesan Caritas.

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