Background
The Republic of Chad is a large, sparsely populated, landlocked country at the crossroads of North and Central Africa. It is home to more than 180 different ethnic groups who speak over 100 languages, with the official languages being Arabic and French.
Of a population of 18.3 million, nearly half (44.8 percent as of 2022) live under the poverty line. Twenty percent of Chadian children will not make it to their fifth birthday, and 40 percent of children suffer from stunting. On average, between the age of 4 and 18, children in Chad spend no more than 5 years in school. The country also has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in central Africa, with 856 deaths for every 100,000 live births.
Chad grapples with security challenges associated with conflicts in bordering countries. The influx of refugees has increased pressure on the country’s limited resources and deepened existing vulnerabilities. It is the largest refugee hosting country in West and Central Africa, with more than 1.24 million refugees as of November 2024, over 712,000 of whom arrived in the country after the eruption of the Sudanese conflict in April 2023. In addition, there are around 300,000 internally displaced people in the country.
Chad is estimated to be the most climate-vulnerable country in the world. It is highly exposed to climate and crises, including floods, droughts, and conflict, coupled with a highly vulnerable population and a low capacity to respond. In 2022 and 2024, more than 1.3 million and 1.9 million people in the country were affected by floods respectively. Chad has among the highest levels of food insecurity globally, with an estimated 16 percent of people expected to be severely food insecure during the 2024 lean season.