Press Conference on Humanitarian Situation in Chad

 

Without adequate security or resources for education, young women and men in refugee camps would turn to prostitution or violence, the United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Chad said at a Headquarters press conference today.

Michele Falavigna, reporting on the humanitarian situation in Chad after his first three months, said the country had been at war for 40 years and had virtually “never known peace and development”.  The large number of displaced people, in the range of 300,000, from Sudan, Central African Republic and Chad itself, faced multiple challenges.

Although the camps contained some 60,000 women between the ages of 18 and 59, only half that many men were within the same age range, he said.  That meant that some 30,000 men were “doing something elsewhere”.  While a portion may be back cultivating land or simply no longer wished to be registered as refugees, others had taken up with warlords, gone into some form of trafficking, or joined criminal gangs.

It was time for the international community to look into the phenomenon, Mr. Falavigna said, pointing out that the scenario sent a message:  while humanitarian groups had an obligation to protect and care for refugees, they must also offer young men and women growing up in camps hope for a decent life.  Without it, many would not stay in the camps, he said, adding that, for young women and girls, the easiest way to survive was by entering prostitution rings.  For men, it was to find a Kalashnikov and join a gang or armed group, which put peace and security at risk.

When looking at displaced populations within Chad, the situation was more complex and required an analysis based on ethnic and community conflicts, particularly regarding land rights, he said.  However, despite its complexities there was a sign of hope.  Following consultations among the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, other United Nations system agencies as well as local and traditional authorities, areas were clearly defined and the return of refugees to their ancestral lands was now possible.

In February 2009, there had been an influx of between 15,000 and 18,000 persons fleeing the situation in the Central African Republic, he said.  They were now being cared for in the Daha refugee camp.  At a joint meeting involving the United Nations country teams in Chad and the Central African Republic, as well as the two local Missions of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, it had been concluded that an effective solution could not be found on one side of the border, but through a cross-border approach.  In that regard, the country teams were “very optimistic” that a solution could be found to the situation in Daha.

He said that while it was sometimes difficult to rehabilitate refugees for life outside the camps, incentives could be provided to the displaced population, such as programmes of economic assistance for agriculture and livestock, microcredit, and help in dealing with land-rights issues, since land left fallow for long periods were often lost or taken by someone else.

Regarding the security situation in Chad, he said 2009 had seen a very clear shift.  Since the clash between Government and opposition forces in May, the latter’s strength had been greatly diminished and many had retreated into Sudan.  However, a large number of disbanded soldiers and weapons were now loose in Chad, which encouraged criminal activity.  Organized gangs tried to make a living by attacking humanitarian actors, and two kidnappings had taken place in the past two months.  Indeed, urgent action was needed to prevent a “Somalification” of the region.

Mr. Falavigna appealed to the Security Council, donors and the Department of Peacekeeping Operations to maintain their promise of assigning and funding the troops that had been promised, to upwards of 5,000.  At the current number of 2,500, the task “simply could not be accomplished”.  With such a diffused level of criminality, when criminals “respected no flags” and were attacking “anyone who had anything”, humanitarian actors were particularly vulnerable.  Without a large presence of people in uniform to ensure law and order, there would never be any possibility of helping internally displaced persons and refugees as required.

Pointing out that Chad was one of the poorest regions in the world, he said that in addition, female genital mutilation was practised on 70 percent of the country’s women and the rate of primary school enrolment for girls was among the world’s lowest.  Still, one could not even “begin to think” about early recovery programmes or development without first addressing the key element of security.

“It was a bad year in Chad,” he said, noting that the rains had come too late, that livestock which should have been brought from the north to the south had arrived too late, and that most of them had died.  The price of food staples had gone up and malnutrition had skyrocketed.

Looking ahead to 2010, he said a combination of challenges must be tackled, including spreading criminality, malnutrition, food security, and the upcoming election.  The new appeal for Chad launched by the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs -- which was not asking for more than had been requested in previous years –- was in the range of $450 million to $500 million, most of which was for food aid and assistance to internally displaced persons.

However, he stressed that feeding and sheltering people was not enough to give them a decent life.  Although 82 per cent coverage of food aid was “fantastic”, to have just 3 per cent on health and 2 per cent on education meant that the international community was not fulfilling its mission.

Asked how various humanitarian groups in the region dealt with the need for security, Mr. Falavigna replied that without “blanket coverage” of an area with forces that could intervene quickly, the situation could not be mastered.  In fact, due to security problems, plans were underway to relocate the Bahai refugee camp, which faced attacks by heavily armed, very dangerous and hard-to-track militants on horseback.

Responding to a question about next year’s elections, he said the United Nations would provide substantive support to the electoral process, although the exact role that the Organization would play had yet to be defined.  Legislative and local government elections were likely to take place in 2010 and a new President should take office in August 2011.

Asked about the economic prospects for refugees, he stressed the need to offer alternatives to young men and women through education and vocational training.  Indeed, it seemed that Chad’s destruction through conflict from February to May, when the rains started, was becoming “a seasonal event”.  The country would benefit greatly from good plumbers, as well as workers in wood and metal.  Sadly, however, that type of training did not fit the traditional concept of humanitarian aid.  It was necessary to look at the larger perspective, and “not think for one moment” that one was providing assistance to youngsters in need if, when they came of age, they had no choice but to take up Kalashnikovs.

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For information media • not an official record