UN envoy visits Chad to assess humanitarian situation, meet with local leaders

The United Nations envoy for Chad has just concluded a mission to the eastern town of Dogdoré to assess humanitarian challenges there resulting from internal strife, rebel activity and a spill-over from the conflict in neighbouring Darfur.

Over the weekend, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Chad, Victor Angelo, met with local authorities and representatives of the 28,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the region, which has been attacked repeatedly by bandits since September, prompting aid workers to temporarily suspend activities.

Mr. Angelo said Chadian authorities would soon deploy gendarmes and guards to the area in an attempt to improve the security situation and allow aid groups to resume their work.

Some 180,000 IDPs and 57,000 refugees from the Central African Republic (CAR), as well as 263,000 Darfurians, are receiving humanitarian assistance in Chad.

Earlier this month, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called for 4,900 UN troops to be deployed to strife-torn areas of Chad and CAR – where a UN Mission known as MINURCAT is already operating – to replace the 3,000-member European Union Force (EUFOR), which is scheduled to leave in March.