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Chad
Out of the estimated population of 6.5 million in Darfur, the crisis has affected approximately 2.5 million people, including more than 230,000 Sudanese refugees in camps in Eastern Chad. UNHCR estimates that 63% of the refugee population is less than 18 years of age. As the refugees began to settle into camp life in Chad, the stories of the horrible abuses they endured while in Darfur surfaced. In particular, the systematic rape and sexual violence against women and girls in Darfur perpetrated by the Janjaweed and the Sudanese governmental forces. Public humiliation including rapes in front of the women’s and the girls’ families took place in order to dehumanise the targeted populations. Since the end of December 2007, ChildFund Ireland and CCF Chad with the support of Irish Aid and UNICEF, have been working to support large number of children affected by these atrocities. The overall aim of the project is to improve the well-being of refugee children in three refugee camps and neighbouring villages through strengthening the local protection mechanisms. This is being done by strengthening the child protection capacity through increasing the knowledge of the camp community about child protection. In addition, psycho-social support and non-formal education are being provided to the children, with follow-up and referral services to particularly vulnerable children in each camp or village.
