Kobe Prefecture, République du Tchad — July 2005 — This sprawling and barren desert is characteristic of the terrain in the African country of Chad. The northeastern region of Chad, in the Saharo-Sahelian zone, has been destitute for decades due to numerous droughts and perpetual civil strife. With the arrival of more than 190,000 Sudanese refugees beginning two years ago, the situation of the local Chadian population has dramatically deteriorated. The children featured below are Chadian locals, not Sudanese refugees.

In this region, every drop of water is treasured. The lack of water continues to threaten the existence of the local populations. The livestock that has not yet been sold is crippled by disease. There are no pastures for the animals to feed, and many of the cattle are unable to survive the droughts or the diseases. Seeds have been eaten and currently there are no reserves for planting during the long-awaited rainy season. If the rainy season even comes…

Child Malnutrition

Ibrahim
This is Ibrahim. He is a five-year-old boy from a small village in northeastern Chad. Like so many of the children living in these destitute villages, Ibrahim suffers from severe malnutrition. As Ibrahim struggles for survival, his mother struggles to cope in a desolate land that is void of the healthcare services and food needed to keep her young child alive.

Both she and Ibrahim traveled by donkey to a small hospital about 24 miles from their village. However, the hospital cannot offer medicine to treat even a simple case of diarrhea. At this point, Ibrahim’s case is far more complex than what the local healthcare facilities can care for. Left with no other resources or opportunities for treatment, his mother holds him and prays to Allah day after day.

She does not wish to return to her village where chronic hunger is abundant and drinking water is scarce. Like so many living in Chad, the people in her village are plagued by disease and hunger. For many, the only source of nutrition comes from digging out and eating tree roots. Left with little recourse, she will likely be forced to travel to a larger town and beg in the streets — often the only means of survival for an impoverished villager.

Halima
Halima, another child who suffers from malnutrition, is three years old. She does not smile, but blankly stares at the ceiling. In her condition, she does not even react to her desperate mother. Although Halima is malnourished, she does have a chance for survival if properly treated and fed.

Mohammed
Mohammed is 11 months old. In addition to being malnourished, he suffers from several serious health complications that the local doctor is unable to diagnose or treat.

The people in his village have lost all of their cattle and have eaten all of their seeds. Without seeds to plant or crops to harvest, there is little hope for the future.

IRD Takes Action

IRD is beginning to implement programs on the ground in order to address these grave challenges. Through the Food for Work program, the neediest populations will receive food rations for their families in exchange for labor to dig wells, dams and water catchments.

In addition, IRD’s Blanket Supplementary Feeding program will target children under the age of five, as well as pregnant and lactating mothers. While distributing the much-needed food, IRD personnel will also perform malnutrition screenings among the children in the villages. IRD’s staff will then treat cases of moderate malnutrition and refer severe cases to the nearest hospital.

Furthermore, IRD will distribute seeds and agricultural tools to farmers and vaccinate the livestock. More than 70,000 people in this desolate, rural area of Northeastern Chad will benefit from the program.