2020 – PRODECO

A landlocked state in Central Africa, Chad is one of the poorest countries in the world. According to the World Bank, 55% of its 15 million inhabitants live below the absolute poverty line with less than $ 1.5 a day.

A factor aggravating underdevelopment; 34 years after the end of the Libyan invasion of the Aouzou Strip (1979-1987), the north of the country is still heavily contaminated with numerous mines and other explosive remnants of war. An estimated one million mines are stillscattered throughout Chad, of which more than 90% are located in the BET region (Borkou – Ennedi – Tibesti). In this territory covering about a third of the country, the main traffic routes are dangerously contaminated by explosive remnants of war and are regularly diverted due to the presence of landmines. The numerous accidents have forced the nomads to abandon traditional camel trade routes for longer ones, putting them and their animals at risk of thirst and exhaustion. Local authorities describe the presence of mines and explosive remnants of war as the main obstacle to development in the region over the past two decades.

Faced with this situation, the PRODECO project, funded by the European Union, has brought together the NGOs Humanity & Inclusion, Mines Advisory Group, the Swiss Foundation for Mine Action and Secours Catholique et Développement since 2017. Through an integrated approach combining demining, assistance to victims, the establishment of socio-economic activities, and capacity building of the Chadian authorities, the PRODECO project helps to save lives, promotes economic development and contributes to the stability of the region.