Monthly Food Security Update for Chad: March 22, 2002
Monthly Food Security Update for Chad: March 22, 2002 A joint report by FEWS NET and the National Nutritional Center for Nutrition and Food Technology (CNNTA) Summary In the context of food security monitoring, FEWS NET and the National Center for Nutrition and Food Technology (CNNTA) organized a small-scale anthropometric survey from February 27 through March 12 in the eastern Sahelian zone, visiting Rural Biltine, Arada, Kalait, Iriba, Guereda, Tiné and Bahai sub-prefectures. Preliminary results indicated that the rate of global acute malnutrition, calculated as a percent of the median, was less than 5 percent in about half of the survey villages (results from other villages are still expected). On the basis of these results, the overall food situation is considered good in the survey areas. Cereal availability and accessibility are good in most departments of the country. However, accessibility remains difficult for households in Borkou, Ennedi and Tibesti Departments (known as BET) in the far northern part of the country that do not produce cereals. These departments get their food supplies from neighboring Biltine and Ouaddai Departments. Nonetheless, transportation to and from the BET is difficult due to the rugged condition of desert roads. Current off-season farming activities include tending market gardens and harvesting produce, and harvesting berbéré (off-season, flood-irrigated sorghum) in the berbéré producing zones of Mayo Boneye, Mayo Dalla, Dar Sila and Salamat Departments where the crop harvests are reasonably good. Irrigated wheat in the modern sector polders of Lake Chad is nearing maturity while some wheat is already being harvested in the traditional polders.
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