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Humanitarian aid programme
Chad hosts 280,000 Sudanese refugees from Darfur and Central African refugees who have fled conflicts in neighbouring countries to the east and south. Chad itself has been plagued by an internal armed conflict since 2005, which has displaced more than 120,000 people to the south-eastern part of the country.
Host communities also pay the price of growing insecurity and impunity: they live in extreme poverty and with limited natural resources. To meet the needs of civilian populations in terms of assistance and protection, the international aid community has responded strongly since 2003. However, further efforts are necessary to meet the growing needs and to facilitate humanitarian access to the most vulnerable groups, both in Chad and the sub-region.
Switzerland takes part in the international effort through financial contributions to the ICRC, UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees), WFP (World Food Programme) and MSF-CH (Médecins sans frontières – Switzerland). A total of 4.5 million francs is budgeted for 2007. Switzerland focuses on the issues of access to victims, civilian protection, natural resource management, food security and access to care. Swiss aid is not limited geographically, but supports humanitarian groups active in the least accessible regions (Darfur border region). It calls for the provision of assistance to all groups in need, without discrimination, with particular attention to the most vulnerable people such as women and children.
Image Gallery
In the refugge camp of Iridimi, July 2007
Summary of aid to Chad
Objectives
- To reduce suffering and preserve human dignity
- To support the Chadian Government in its duty to protect refugees and other groups affected by conflicts
- To contribute to the international effort to assist and protect people in need
- To contribute to the humanitarian political dialogue and to the coordination of humanitarian aid.
Partners
- ICRC (International Committee of the Red Cross): the exchange of messages and family reunification for Darfur refugees; assistance and protection for internally displaced persons (food aid, household utensils, seeds and tools) and for the host communities (support for local health care facilities, access to basic health care and war surgery, access to water and sanitation, veterinary programmes (for semi-nomadic people)). Provision of information on international humanitarian law, and prisoner visits.
- UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees): multi-sector assistance and protection for 230,000 Darfur refugees and 48,000 Central African refugees, especially camp management; multi-sector assistance for internally displaced persons near refugee camps. In conjunction with experts from the Swiss Humanitarian Aid Unit (SHA): environmental resource management, water and sanitation; construction of 12 refugee camps.
- WFP (World Food Programme): food aid to 280,000 refugees, 140,000 internally displaced persons and the most vulnerable local groups; Humanitarian Air Services support for humanitarian agencies. A logistics expert from SHA was deployed to launch the operation in 2004.
- MSF-CH(Médecins sans frontières – Switzerland): assistance for people affected by the conflict in the regions of Guereda and Adre; access to health care and war surgery; support for local health care facilities; special programmes for violence committed against women, including sexual mutilation.
Activities and funds
- Financial contributions to programmes run by UN agencies, by the ICRC and by partner NGOs (non-governmental organisations): approximately 3.5 to 4.5 million francs per year since 2004; 4.5 million planned for 2007.
- SHA experts: eight experts were deployed at the start of the crisis to strengthen the capacities of humanitarian agencies and, in particular, to provide logistical support for food aid, camp construction, proper management of environmental resources and water provision, for both the refugees and local populations.
- International aid coordination and humanitarian advocacy are done by both the SDC Cooperation Office in Ndjamena and headquarters in Bern.
The following themes are addressed:
- Humanitarian access
- Civilian protection
- Natural resource management
- Food security
- Basic health
Contact
Swiss Humanitarian Aid Programme in Chad
DDC-AH Africa Section, Köniz/Bern Switzerland
Tel.: +41 31 322 35 65
E-mail: segolene.adam@deza.admin.ch
Additional Information and Documents
- Chad
Chad is a priority country for bilateral aid. Ever since cooperation with this country began back in...