Appeal Target: US$ 650,461

Please find enclosed an appeal to respond to a group of 10,500 newly arrived and 15,000 prior caseload refugees from the Central African Republic (CAR) who have crossed into south-eastern Chad fleeing insecurity at home.

According to reports from ACT member, the Lutheran World Federation (LWF), the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) is registering the newly arrived refugees and preparing to move them from temporary locations at the border, Maya and Dembo, to a new camp at Maro. The prior caseload refugees are in a camp called Yaroungou, close to Maro, and are facing problems after their arrival in 2003 with their integration process in Chad. Many of the newly arrived refugees are women and children, some of them arriving with luggage on their heads, after their villages in the north of the CAR were burnt to the ground by militias.

Recently, the political situation in the north of the CAR has deteriorated significantly. The area is plagued by rival militia attacks and gangs of roaming criminals. Because of the tense situation and difficult circumstances, there is little hope that these refugees will return to their villages of origin in the near future. As a result most will be allocated land in Chad to settle, and be encouraged to develop some form of self sufficiency in light of the likely poor international funding available for this emergency and the dwindling food stocks from the World Food Programme.

Upon the urgent request for assistance by UNHCR, an LWF field-staff mission was organised and sent to the south of Chad at the end of February 2008 to assess the serious situation concerning the refugees from the Central African Republic. It became clear that large numbers of refugees from the CAR were present in the south-east (around Danamadji) and in the south-west (around Gore). LWF was specifically asked by UNHCR to see if they could mobilise assistance for the group of refugees in the south-east of Chad, who are considered to be in a forgotten emergency situation.

This appeal is designed to create and secure the necessary humanitarian space and the delivery of humanitarian assistance to 10,500 newly arrived refugees at Malu and the 15,000 prior caseload refugees at Yaroungou, settlement sites by addressing the psycho-social wellbeing of the refugee population concerned.

Activities have been planned to especially assist the prior caseload refugee population in realising a responsible transition from dependency towards self reliance in good harmony with their Chadian host populations.

LWF is currently implementing another appeal for Internally Displaced populations in Eastern Chad under appeal number AFCH71.

Name of ACT member: Lutheran World Federation

Project Completion Date: 31 December 2008 

Reporting schedule:

Summary of Appeal Targets, Pledges/Contributions Received and Balance Requested:

Signed by:

Robert White
Deputy Director, ACT Co-ordinating Office