LEAN SEASON IN CHAD A CRITICAL TIME Every year, Chad confronts the lean season (the period between harvests, from June to September). During these months, households have little or no food stocks and vulnerable people resort to negative coping strategies that are harmful for their health (reduction of number and quality of meals) and that are likely to undermine their fragile livelihoods, such as selling productive assets. WFP Chad’s assistance is critical to curb this cyclical food and nutritional crisis. NUMBER OF BENEFICIARIES (BY THE WORST LEAN PROVINCE) SEASON IN NINE YEARS Urgent action is needed to counter the devastating effects of the lean season in Chad. The number of food insecure people is expected to increase from nearly 4 million (March-May 2021) to 5.1 million from June to August 2021, when food is scarce before the next harvest. The overall situation is particularly alarming due to the decrease in crop production in the Sudanese region and low water resources in the Sahel and Sudanese zones, also impacting pasture availability. In KANEM the midst of the Covid-19 crisis and B.E.G. WADI FIRA against the background of a political 110,375 90,045 transition 24 departments are on 175,013 crisis phase in 2021, compared to BATHA 15 in 2020. LAC 109,993 The March 2021 Cadre Harmonisé, 168,160 a joint food security analysis released under the auspices of the Permanent Interstate Committee GUERA for Drought Control in the Sahel 30,362 (CILSS), estimates that more than 1.7 million people will be severely food insecure (IPC Phases 3-5), Departments by province: while nearly 3.3 million will face B.e.G.: B.e.G Nord, B.e.G South, B.e.G Ouest | Batha: Batha Ouest, difficulties to meet their daily eating Fitri | Guera: Mangalme | Kanem: needs (IPC Phase 2). About 165,410 Kanem, Nord Kanem, Wadi Bissam people during the lean season will | Lac: Mamdi, Wayi, Fouli, Kaya | Wadi Fira: Biltine, Dar Tama, Kobe, be facing emergency levels (IPC Megri. Phase 4). LEAN SEASON IN CHAD ADDRESSING IMMEDIATE NEEDS To prevent vulnerable communities from sliding deeper will be systematically done through the food and nutrition into food insecurity and malnutrition, WFP and its partners assistance platform to facilitate early detection and will provide food and nutritional assistance to reach most referral of moderate and acute malnutrition cases to the vulnerable people throughout the lean season. WFP plans nearest health facilities. to provide life-saving food and nutritional support to WFP wants to make sure that food insecure families will some 689,948 vulnerable Chadians across six provinces again be able to meet their essential needs by themselves in the Sahelian belt (Barh el Gazal, Batha, Guera, Kanem, after some time. The aftermath of this harsh lean season Lac, and Wadi Fira) with emergency food assistance. is the right time to support households to gradually Among them, some 86,244 people-at-risk (51,746 children become independent from assistance. As such, WFP will aged 6-23 months and 34,497 pregnant and lactating continue to pursue an approach based on geographical women) will receive specialized nutritious foods and convergence, leveraging the potential of bringing social behaviour change measures on key nutrition and together school meals, nutrition, food-for-assets, water health family practices to prevent malnutrition. Screening and sanitation and livelihoods activities. IN A NUTSHELL A TURNING POINT An effective humanitarian response is critical to curb the endemic food and nutritional crisis in Chad. This will prevent vulnerable people from resorting to survival strategies that are harmful for their health and that will most probably undermine their fragile livelihoods. In spite of continuous fundraising efforts, WFP has only been able to mobilize 25% of the required USD 53 million needed to assist food insecure Chadian families during the lean season and to deliver nutritional assistance. With available funding, WFP will only be PEOPLE IN NEED able to assist 535,000 people with half rations (1,050 kcal/person/ day) for three months. This size of FOOD INSECURE IN CRISIS/EMERGENCY ration is not enough to cover their essential eating needs. As additional 5.1 m 1.7 m resources are confirmed, it is WFP’s priority to include the remaining 155,000 people in the planned lean WFP’S RESPONSE season caseload. FOOD ASSISTANCE NUTRITION SUPPORT As per mobilized resources to date, nutritional assistance during the lean season would reach 27,666 690,000 86,000 people (19,416 children between 6 to 23 months and 8 250 PLW) over three months. This only represents RESOURCE OUTLOOK 32% of the planned beneficiaries and WFP would not be able to cover NEEDS GAPS the needs of 56,578 people-at-risk $ 53m $ 39.9m (32,330 children / 26,247 PLW). LEAN SEASON IN CHAD PRIORITIZATION WFP has a targeting plan, that will gradually increase WFP to purchase and transport commodities to affected assistance throughout the Sahel, as additional resources departments and/or to work with traders. WFP races become available. Moreover, WFP assesses which are the against time to preposition food in the Eastern part of the most suitable modalities in each department in provinces country by early June, as rain will impede access. targeted bases on markets survey conducted in March Given the political transition and instability in Chad, it 2021. Where markets are provisioned and functioning, is imperative that the lean season response addresses beneficiaries will receive cash-based transfers the needs of the most vulnerable people to halt further Timely confirmation of contributions is critical to allow deterioration of the food security and nutritional situation. CONSEQUENCES Failing to provide an adequate response could result in: A deterioration of the nutritional situation: A deterioration of the overall food security situation: • This would particularly affect children aged 6-23 months and pregnant and lactating women. • As the situation unfolds, more people could fall in IPC phases 3 (crisis) and 4 (emergency) or slide from IPC • In the worst case, this could lead to an increase in the phase 3 to 4. WFP does not foresee deterioration in number of malnutrition related deaths. IPC phase 5 (famine). Others: • Vulnerable people could resort to coping strategies • Increased migration to other provinces in Chad and/ that are harmful for their health (reduction of number or abroad, to escape the food and nutritional crisis. and quality of meals) and that will most probably undermine their fragile livelihoods, such as selling • A further worsening of the food and nutritional productive assets. situation could impact the political and security situation. • If people resort to negative coping strategies, agricultural and livestock activities could be affected, • School enrolment and attendance could also be resulting in a poor preparation for the next agricultural negatively affected, if households are unable to pay campaign and in loss of livestock. for basic fees and equipment and if children drop-out to support productive activities. .