0
0
hectares
of arable land
39M
head of livestock
head
of livestock
129M
Significant
groundwater
reserves
91.8%
of school-age children
have access to education
+4.1%
real GDP growth in 2023
Chad’s economy remains undiversified, relying primarily on crop and livestock farming, with heavy dependence on oil revenues. The country is severely affected by climate change and exposed to regional political instability. In July 2025, the number of refugees in the country surpassed 2 million.
These issues, combined with inadequate agricultural production and infrastructure, have made people significantly more vulnerable and sharply increased the risks of internal conflict. In 2023, Chad was ranked 190 out of 193 countries on the Human Development Index (HDI).
Despite its humanitarian, security, climate, and socioeconomic challenges, Chad has substantial strengths that offer considerable potential for economic development.
Located in the heart of the Sahel region, the landlocked country of Chad covers an area of 1.3 million square kilometers between North Africa and sub-Saharan Africa.
Having worked with Chad for over 60 years, AFD is changing its approach in the country to better balance security and development needs, which go hand in hand for lasting peace and improved living standards (including access to basic services, socioeconomic inclusion, and stronger governance).
A thematic approach
(area of action) rather than sectoral
An integrated territorial approach
An approach
led by stakeholders rather than institutions
A thematic approach
(area of action)
rather than sectoral
to build a comprehensive and sustainable response
to different needs.
An integrated
territorial approach
to ensure development actions put local people and places front and center to meet urgent needs while also addressing structural challenges by drawing from the specific strengths and dynamics
of the local area.
An approach
led by stakeholders rather than institutions:
the commitment of public and private stakeholders, local authorities, nonprofits, and NGOs is crucial to strengthening social cohesion and governance.
This new approach, launched as part of the Sahel Alliance,
is built upon:
Vulnerabilities & Resilience
Governance & Social Cohesion
Water & Energy
Education &
Social/Economic Inclusion
Gender Equality & Health
Agriculture, Rural Development & Biodiversity
LOGONE ORIENTAL
LOGONE OCCIDENTAL
MANDOUL
TANDJILÉ
MAYO-KEBBI OUEST
MAYO-KEBBI EST
MOYEN-CHARI
CHARI-BAGUIRMI
N’DJAMENA
SALAMAT
SILA
GUERA
HADJER LAMIS
LAC PROVINCE
OUADDAÏ
WADI FIRA
BATHA
BARH EL GAZEL
KANEM
ENNEDI-EST
ENNEDI-OUEST
BORKOU
TIBESTI
128 projects | €439.53 M
ACTION AREA 4
ACTION AREA 3
ACTION AREA 2
ACTION AREA 1
ENNEDI-EST
128 projets | 439,53 M€
128 projects | €439.53 M
Agriculture, Rural Development & Biodiversity
Gender Equality & Health
Education & Social/Economic Inclusion
Water & Energy
Governance & Sociale Cohesion
Vulnerabilities & Resilience
This series of three projects, which began with an initial stabilization project (DIZA) led by AFD with support from the Minka Fund and the European Union, made it possible to gradually build an integrated response combining development, peacebuilding, and resilience to security, economic, and climate crises.
This method for action – centered on stakeholders, territories, and thematic or global dynamics – is helpful in putting together a series of projects that reflect the needs of the territories and residents, whether they are originally from the area, refugees, or displaced persons. Since 2018, the successive DIZA, RESPECCT and NEXSUD projects illustrate this strategy for action through the implementation of triple nexus projects, which combine a humanitarian, development, and peacebuilding focus.
Cash transfers, a key measure of DIZA, aim to promote economic self-sufficiency and food security for the most vulnerable households. This mechanism, which provides unconditional cash allowances, supports consumption by sustainably increasing purchasing power and enables the development of income-generating activities.
This multisectoral project includes specific actions such as:
• the creation of local green committees to manage natural resources,
• and a new early warning system. This system enables rapid responses, as in the case of the cholera outbreak in September 2025.
The Project for Inclusive Development of Reception Areas (DIZA - 2018-2024) was implemented in eastern and southern Chad. These regions have been particularly hard hit by the conflicts in central Africa (Central African Republic, Sudan, Nigeria), which have driven hundreds of thousands of people to flee their countries and find refuge in Chad. This project improved access to basic services, bolstered economic inclusion and strengthened the capacities of local authorities to manage conflicts and promote social cohesion in areas affected by population displacement.
This laid the groundwork for a new project, the Economic and Social Resilience of Populations in Eastern Chad to Conflict and Climate Change (RESPECCT –2023-2028), which was co-developed with an strong>NGO consortium comprising Concern Worldwide (development activities), the International Rescue Committee (humanitarian activities), and Search for Common Ground (peacebuilding activities). This project, implemented in the provinces of Ouaddaï, Wadi Fira, and Sila, aims to ease tensions caused by pressures on basic services and natural resources (water, arable land, pasture, firewood) and strengthen good governance and peaceful coexistence of host and refugee populations in the 76 villages covered by the project as they cope with conflicts and climate change.
Learn more about the project (FR)
Learn more about the project (FR)
Learn more about the project (FR)
Based on lessons learned from the first phase of DIZA SUD, the NexSud project (2024-2029) seeks to consolidate the outcomes and strengthen resilience to economic and climate shocks.
It is also tackling the serious problem of sexual abuse and gender-based violence. Gender has been mainstreamed into the project by empowering women through access to resources, information, skills, and economic opportunities. The gender aspect is also covered in specific activities such as the mapping of local protection services, including for gender-based violence.
In keeping with the objectives of sustainably improving living standards, eradicating extreme poverty, and adapting to climate change, the project applies innovative methods:
• “Graduation” (bringing households out of extreme poverty for good)
• “Climate proofing” (adaptations to promote agricultural development that is resilient to climate challenges)
The aim is to ensure a sustainable, adapted response to humanitarian and environmental challenges.
The AFD’s Minka Peace and Resilience Fund is one of the financing instruments for these multisectoral projects. It was designed to prevent and stem violent conflicts in the Sahel by strengthening social cohesion between communities and building trust between people and the institutions that serve them.
A closer look:
Our goal is to address urgent needs and tackle the underlying causes of crisis in fragile areas.
In fragile areas coping with security, humanitarian, and climate challenges, this approach helps reinforce communities’ capacity for action through:
• improved access to basic services (health, education, water and sanitation, community infrastructure),
• promotion of social cohesion, by adapting to local realities and mobilizing stakeholders (communities, institutions, NGOs), international partners, and resources in an efficient way.
This approach also enables a progressive response, with successive projects that are adjusted to account for changing needs and crisis situations.
It focuses on:
• coordinated, multisectoral intervention involving various local and international stakeholders,
• greater attention directed toward the most vulnerable individuals, women, and young people to promote their social and economic inclusion.
This development method aims to provide responses tailored specifically to each territory by taking into account the multiple factors of crisis and vulnerability.
Young people in Chad make up 70% of a rapidly growing population, which means there is a substantial need for education, training, and profession integration. To improve the educational continuum (education, vocational training, employment/entrepreneurship) and meet the needs of the labor market, AFD’s activities are focused on:
• improving access to and the quality of educational opportunities by building and rehabilitating schools, training teachers, and supporting nonformal basic training centers offering innovative teaching methods,
• supporting entrepreneurship, vocational training, and employment.
7,000
people have been supported in creating a business or being self-employed
28,000
people have enrolled in vocational and technical training
123,000
children have finished primary school thanks to AFD-financed programs
660,000
people have improved housing conditions and access to public facilities
and services
185,000
people use the healthcare facilities and services financed by AFD
2.6 M
people have improved access to healthcare
Access to basic services is the cornerstone of fostering human development with a view to ensuring social inclusion of the most vulnerable and improving living standards for all. Access to safe drinking water, healthcare, basic social rights, and energy are priorities for AFD, especially for women and children, who are the most vulnerable.
• improving the drinking water network, financing sustainable urban sanitation infrastructure projects (drainage, waste management, flood control) that are adapted to climate change, and building the capacities of local actors responsible for managing and maintaining these services,
• improving access to healthcare, especially for maternal, child, and reproductive health, and empowering women (through the equipping/renovation of health centers, access to family planning services, and support for universal healthcare coverage),
• developing and securing access to energy (supplying electricity to public buildings and the most vulnerable households) through renewable energy solutions and increasing local electricity production capacities.
€85 M
committed
since
2020
85,000
people have benefited from biodiversity conservation or restoration efforts
The rural development challenges in Chad are myriad and interdependent: food security, health, biodiversity and ecosystem protection, population displacement and refugee integration, climate change, and tensions between crop farmers and herders.
• support for the crop and livestock production sectors, by assisting stakeholders and investors in leveraging economic and social capital and promoting employment, especially for young people and women,
• modernization of extensive systems (projects for ponds and wells in pastoral areas, water management, weirs, transhumance corridors, education and health pilot projects in nomadic areas) to ensure access to water for herding communities,
• promotion of joint resource management by involving local communities and authorities to ease tensions,
• support for biodiversity protection with the conservation of 276,000 hectares of diverse and fragile ecosystems.
72
local territorial management institutions have received support
€105 M
in global budgetary aid committed since 2016, i.e., 24% of AFD’s activities in Chad
In a region struck by multiple conflicts, Chad is the fourth largest host country for refugees in the world. Social peace depends on sustainable, inclusive development.
• capacity building for stakeholders at the central and local levels and the strengthening of all aspects of governance: access to civil registration, access to information, and support for communities and local institutions in conflict prevention and social cohesion (see the NEXSUD project);
• local multisectoral projects in extremely vulnerable or crisis areas (Sahel region, northern provinces, eastern and southern border regions) to empower the most vulnerable people based on an integrated territorial approach by supporting local governance processes.