Establishing Social Cohesion between Displaced Persons and Their Host Communities in Sila Region: Empowering and Rebuilding Communities with Multi-Sectoral Initiatives in Post-Conflict Chad for a Sustainable Change

Despite its abundant natural resources, Chad remains one of the poorest countries in the world. Thirty years of constant violence and conflict have resulted in massive internal displacement that has spurred tensions between host communities and internally displaced persons (IDPs). One of the most conflict-affected areas is the Sila region, located in the semiarid Sahel region south of the Sahara desert and vulnerable to droughts, water scarcity, climate change, competition over scarce resource and growing tension among communities. Additionally, lack of strong local governance has further aggravated the supply of food, the management of water and the overall health status of the communities in the Sila region. ​​

Implemented in the Sila region, the programme by reinforcing top-down mechanisms with bottom-up solutions, addresses the multiple and interrelated challenges faced by the communities in the region. More specifically, the programme aims to (i) increase access to safe water, food, health care and education; (ii) reduce poverty and enhance opportunities for better employment through the provision of trainings on vocational skills and agricultural practices; (iii) reinforce the rule of law and other support mechanisms in order to protect the human rights of vulnerable persons, regardless of legal status, origin or gender; and (iv) strengthen the social cohesion between IDPs and the host communities so as to prevent a relapse into conflict.

KEY MATERIALS​
​Programme Summary
Visibility and Communication Activities