Food crisis in Chad: assessment of the needs by ACTED

The light and irregular rainfalls of the 2009/2010 agricultural season have a strong impact today on the food security of the whole Chadian population. According to the UN, 2 million people, that is 18% of the population, are “food insecure” in Chad. In the Sahelian region and in some areas of Sudan, populations remain highly vulnerable: the child malnutrition ratio is high, the 2009/2010 agricultural year’s crops are almost depleted and the seeds which were kept for the next planting season have been eaten. In this context, ACTED will assess the situation and needs of the affected populations in the south-west departments of Tandjilé and Mayo Kebbi, where child malnutrition reaches an acute level of 12%, in order to set up a suitable response to the food crisis.