Chad

Working closely with the country's national demining centre, MAG is in the northern and eastern parts of the country, carrying out crucial minefield and ammunition stockpile clearance, survey and Mine Risk Education work.

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The problem

As a result of three decades of conflicts, vast stretches of Chad are contaminated by landmines and other remnants of conflict. In all, more than 280,000 of the country's 10 million population live in affected communities.

These at-risk people include communities living in areas that have been under attack from armed groups, internally displaced people (tens of thousands of Chadians have been forced by violence to flee their homes near the border with Sudan) and refugees from Sudan and Central African Republic (whose numbers total 320,000).

Remnants of conflict pose a daily threat. They maim, kill, obstruct the delivery of humanitarian aid, and impede development and reconstruction initiatives, by blocking access to pastures, water points, roads and economic hubs.

How MAG is helping

MAG is working in the northern and eastern parts of the country.

Survey: The primary aim of survey teams is to define the location and exact proportions of the suspected hazardous areas to be cleared. This will provide the Chadian national demining centre – Centre National de Déminage – with the prerequisite information needed to formulate its long-term national Mine Action plan and budget.

Mine Risk Education: Mine Risk Education (MRE) and Community Liaison (CL) work is also taking place, helping minimise the risks for people living, working and travelling through areas contaminated with landmines and/or unexploded ordnance (UXO).

Clearance: Clearance teams are clearing known mined dangerous areas and ammunition stockpiles left in bunkers – the age of the ammunition stockpiles, when combined with inadequate storage facilities poses a significant threat to local populations – as well as carrying out ad hoc emergency explosive ordnance tasks.

See these pages for detailed information on MAG's latest work in Chad:

Your donation to MAG helps us to move into current and former conflict zones to clear the remnants of conflict, enabling recovery and assisting the development of affected populations.

Beneficiaries

Local and displaced communities are given a safer living environment and improved access to their homes and agricultural lands. Clearance of water points removes a threat to their safety, and enables the wells to be used once more as a source of water for themselves and their animals.

In 2009, more than 2,500 dangerous items were cleared from Kouba Olanga in the Sahara – the last water point for at least 300 kilometres in all directions – making the town and water point safe for 2,000–3,000 members of the local and nomadic population.

Beneficiaries also include Centre National de Déminage staff, whose skills and experience are developed, and other emergency relief and development organisations who will obtain safer and easier access to communities in need in the region.