Press Release: IRC responds to drought / displacement crisis in Chad and Mali

Erratic and meager rains, poor harvests, food shortages and high food prices have led to rising levels of malnutrition and hunger in countries across West and Central Africa. 

 

“In Chad, many communities have not recovered from the last hunger and food crisis in 2009, so they are especially vulnerable now,” warns Felix Leger, who oversees the IRC’s programs in Chad. “The malnutrition rates in several regions of Chad are already above the emergency threshold of 15% and this is well before the peak of the drought.”

 

The northern region of Bahr el Gazal is one of the worst hit in Chad.  Leger says many villagers are out of food, suffering severe malnutrition and have little access to medical assistance.  The IRC has scaled up primary health care and therapeutic feeding at 23 clinics in the region and is expanding mobile health services in remote areas.   The emergency medical programs are currently reaching some 70,000 people and targeting at-risk children, pregnant women and new mothers. 

 

The IRC is also gearing up to begin emergency nutrition programs in the Mongo Health District in Chad’s Guera region–also suffering severe drought conditions.  These programs will focus on treating and preventing malnutrition among vulnerable women and children and improving nutrition services at 17 under-resourced clinics.

 

In Mali, the devastating drought has been compounded by political instability, conflict and displacement.  Fighting in the north between Tuareg rebels and Mali’s army has forced more than 100,000 people into neighboring countries with little capacity to assist.  An estimated 95,000 are displaced within Mali and many have fled to regions already struggling to cope with the drought.

 

IRC health, nutrition, child protection, water, sanitation and logistics experts began arriving in Mali today to set up emergency programs for drought and conflict-affected communities.