$140M needed for refugees in Chad for next 6 months: WFP

By Beyza Binnur Donmez

GENEVA (AA) - The World Food Programme (WFP) said on Friday that a total of $140 million is required to provide assistance to refugees in Chad over the next six months.

During a UN press briefing, WFP Director for Chad, Pierre Honnorat, expressed his concern about the current funding situation, stating that Chad is surrounded by countries experiencing crises and is currently hosting 600,000 refugees from Sudan, Niger, Cameroon, and the Central African Republic. He joined the briefing virtually.

According to Honnorat, in 2022, a staggering 90% of the refugees still lacked access to aid, resulting in increased hunger rates, violence in the camps, and unhealthy coping techniques.

Noting that 2023 was "another difficult year, as there was no funding to help refugees and other displaced people from May onwards," Honnorat said the WFP was hoping to reach at least 30% of those who are most in need.

He underlined that the Chad government needs international support with hosting the refugees, especially ahead of the upcoming lean season.

Responding to questions, Honnorat said that more than two million people in Chad had been estimated to be food insecure in 2022.

"All 600,000 refugees should be empowered; they could, for example, be given land plots to exploit and thus become self-sustainable," he added.

Matthew Saltmarsh from the UN Refugee Agency, for his part, said that UNHCR was looking to raise $172.5 million this year to help one million forcibly displaced people in Chad. Saltmarsh added that this appeal was currently only 15% funded.

Chad was "far from being the only desperately underfunded emergency in Africa," he stated.