Higher prices, less aid: how communities experience COVID-19

Since the onset of the pandemic, Chad has recorded relatively low case numbers. In the provinces surveyed by Ground Truth Solutions, there were 299 cases in Moyen Chari, 184 in Logone Oriental, 89 in Wadi Fira, 53 in Lac, and 22 in Ouaddaï. In March 2020, the Chadian government implemented a National Contingency Plan for Coronavirus Preparedness and Response, along with various restrictions. These gradually eased over the year.

Humanitarian operations had to adapt to new health needs and rising numbers of displaced people, all while adhering to government restrictions. The revised July 2020 Humanitarian Response Plan noted 76,543 more displaced people in need since its initial publication in January. Yet government measures severely affected the delivery of humanitarian assistance, particularly in health; food; education; and
water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH).4 Given that communities in Chad already endure food insecurity, the risk of terrorist attacks by Boko Haram, and climate shocks, reduced assistance has left many people unable to meet basic needs or access information.

Amid these complex crises, elevating affected communities’ voices is essential. Ground Truth Solutions – in partnership with the Core Humanitarian Standard Alliance (CHS) and with funding from the Swedish Agency for International Development Cooperation (SIDA) – supports humanitarian actors to centre their decision-making on the views of these communities, believing this will lead to more effective implementation. 

This report analyses feedback from crisis-affected people (in Lac, Logone Oriental, Ouaddaï, Moyen Chari, and Wadi Fira) on the impact COVID-19 has had on their lives, and from humanitarian staff on how they view the response to the pandemic.