Chad
While Chad’s Sahelian region frequently experiences high rates of acute malnutrition during the “hunger gap”—a period of routine scarcity between harvests—2010 was particularly harsh. Insufficient rainfall over the past two years helped push nearly two-thirds of families in Chad into food insecurity, and the lack of access to arable land, water, and health care also contributed to skyrocketing malnutrition rates.
Global Hunger Index
Extremely Alarming
Population
11 million
Malnutrition in Children under 5 Years Old
33.9% in 2004
Beneficiaries
363,127 in 2011
After finding that one in four children under five in Western Chad suffered from acute malnutrition, ACF scaled up its treatment programs. Already supporting 33 nutrition centers in the arid Kanem and Bahr El Ghazal regions, Action Against Hunger extended its programs to an additional 10 health centers in areas with soaring malnutrition rates. This significantly increased the accessibility and quality of care for severely malnourished children.
To help avert future malnutrition crises, ACF supported local markets and helped struggling families regain their livelihoods by setting up grain banks for farmers to store their excess crops, establishing vaccination and de-worming programs for livestock, and training fledgling female entrepreneurs in small business management. ACF also advocated for long-term investments aimed at bolstering the country’s health care system—crippled by insufficient funding, medicine, nurses, and administrative staff—and at strengthening the country’s resilience to food shocks.
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Recent News
President Obama Promotes New Initiative to Tackle Hunger in Africa
May 18, 2012
Current Events
In a speech today, President Barack Obama affirmed the United States' commitment to being a leader in the fight against hunger and malnutrition around the world. He announced $3 billion in new private sector pledges to significantly increase agriculture and food production in Africa. ... Read
Cash Transfers a Successful Antidote to Sahel Emergency
March 7, 2012
Breaking News
Although it may seem counter-intuitive in the context of a humanitarian emergency, money can be one of the most effective mediums for saving lives during emergencies such as that unfolding across the Sahel—a crisis in which three million children are expected to become severely malnourished in the coming months.... Read
Boots on the Ground: Combating Malnutrition in Karamoja, Uganda
February 15, 2012
Impact
The Karamoja region of Uganda suffers from persistently high rates of childhood malnutrition. In this land of nomadic herders, rates of acute malnutrition routinely surpass 15 percent, while some 40 percent of the under-five population is considered underweight and at risk.... Read
A Million Children At Risk of Deadly Malnutrition in the Sahel
February 2, 2012
Breaking News
More than 10 million people are at risk of food shortages across Africa’s Sahel region, including communities in Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Chad, Burkina Faso, South Sudan, and Ethiopia.... Read
What Are You Thankful For?
December 12, 2011
Impact
As we roll into the end of the year, we’re reflecting.... Read
We're a Top Nonprofit
Action Against Hunger has been named one of the top nonprofits of 2011 by a panel of experts rating international charities.
