In the Lake province, Chad, INTERSOS integrates mobile clinic interventions, malnutrition management, access to safe drinking water, and the creation of family gardens to respond to the needs of displaced and host communities in the departments of Mamdi, Kaya, and Fouli.
In the Lake province, emergencies overlap. On top of the incursions by armed groups and the resulting population displacements—over 220,000 internal displaced persons according to the 2025 Humanitarian Response Plan—come the effects of climate change: in 2024 alone, floods affected more than 277,000 people in the province, destroying homes, food stocks, and water and sanitation infrastructure.
The impact on nutritional health is severe. Acute malnutrition reaches 11.9% in the province, while severe acute malnutrition stands at 2.8%: rates significantly higher than national averages. In informal displacement sites and island villages, health facilities are distant, under-equipped, and suffering from continuous shortages of medicines and nutritional supplements.
It is in this context that INTERSOS has been implementing, since June 2025, a project funded by the Italian Cooperation to strengthen the food and nutritional security of Chad’s most vulnerable communities.
Reaching the most isolated communities: mobile clinics
To reach the population in the hardest-to-access areas, since March 2026, two mobile clinic teams—each composed of a nurse, a nutrition assistant, and a midwife—have been operating out of Baga Sola (in Kaya department) and Liwa (in Fouli department), covering five internal displacement sites. Their work complements that of the Melea and Yakoua health centers, which are also supported by the project.
Since the start of activities, 27,845 people have been screened, including 22,663 children aged 6 to 59 months and 5,182 pregnant and lactating women. Identified cases are managed by our staff: 427 children suffering from severe acute malnutrition have received targeted treatment (321 through mobile teams and 106 at the Melea health center), while 506 cases of moderate acute malnutrition (259 children aged 6 to 59 months and 247 pregnant and lactating women) have received comprehensive care and assistance.
The intervention also relies on community support: 50 community workers, trained in malnutrition screening and prevention, carry out awareness activities and guide families, while 1,348 mothers and caregivers have received a MUAC tape—a color-coded measuring tape that checks mid-upper arm circumference to immediately detect the first signs of malnutrition, allowing families to monitor their children independently at home.
Prevention before cure
The response goes beyond treating acute cases. To prevent malnutrition, in April 2026 we ordered over 11 tons of locally produced enriched flour (22,000 sachets). To date, with the first 5 tons delivered, we have already helped 1,545 children aged 6 to 59 months, and distributions will continue in the coming months. At the same time, the Melea and Yakoua health centers promote good feeding practices for infants and young children. This is complemented by a local radio campaign to raise community awareness both on nutrition and on seasonal flood prevention.
Water and sanitation: fundamental pillars for nutrition
Because there is no good nutrition without clean water, in the village of Bouroum-Tchouloum we set up a water network equipped with two 5,000-liter storage tanks and two public tap stands. Its management was entrusted to a local committee specifically trained and equipped. To safely dispose of medical waste, eight incinerators were built, while two health centers, five mobile clinic sites, and two primary schools received emergency drinking water kits.
Family gardens to build resilience
Finally, to address the root causes of malnutrition, 200 households—represented by 200 women—were trained in market gardening techniques and compost production, receiving seeds and farm tools. Accompanied weekly by agronomy experts, these women now manage family gardens that help diversify household diets and strengthen community self-reliance.
The ProSAN project is implemented by INTERSOS from June 2025 to September 2026 in the departments of Mamdi, Kaya, and Fouli (Lake province, Chad), funded by the Italian Cooperation, co-funded by European Union Humanitarian Aid (ECHO), and in close coordination with provincial health authorities, WFP, and UNICEF.
