The IOM Director for Operations and Emergencies (DOE), Mr. Mohammed Abdiker visited the Republic of Chad from 8 to 11 June 2014.

The main objective of his mission was to discuss with Chadian authorities, the United Nations Country Team (UNCT) and donors about the IOM Emergency and Post-emergency Response to the influx of more than 100,000 returnees, refugees and other Third Country Nationals (TCNs) from the Central African Republic (CAR) in Chad and the emergency assistance needed for the Chadian migrants who fled the CAR but who are still stranded in the neighbouring countries, i.e., Cameroon and Congo Brazzaville, among others.

During his two-day mission, the IOM Director of DOE met with national authorities, namely the Prime Minister, H.E. Mr. Kalzeube Payimi Deubet, and Secretary of the State of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and African Integration, H.E. Ms. Kassire Issabelle. Mr. Abdiker likewise met with members of the UNCT, namely the Representative of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and the Representative of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). He also had meetings with the Ambassador of the United States of America (USA); the Ambassador of Germany; the Ambassador of the Republic of South Africa; the Representative of the Ambassador of the European Union (EU), and the Representative of the European Commission Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection Deaprtment (ECHO).

In addition, the IOM Director of DOE visited the Gaoui Transit Site in the outskirts of N’Djamena that is hosting some of the returnees from the CAR in Chad. He then participated in the launch of the IOM Chad qualitative study report  on ”The Phenomena of Trafficking in Persons in Chad” which was conducted in the framework IOM’s two-year project, “Strengthening Chad’s capacity to prevent and combat trafficking in persons” funded by the US Department of State.

The IOM DOE Director updated the national authorities on IOM’s contribution towards the influx from the CAR and its future intentions. To the UNCT members, the IOM DOE Director raised IOM’s concern about the future of returnees who do not have links with family members and who are currently hosted in the three transit sites in the country, i.e., Danamadji, Maigama in the South and Gaoui in N’Djamena.

The IOM DOE Director thanked the donors for their financial support to IOM’s emergency response to the influx from the CAR in Chad and in the region and has requested for more financial assistance especially for the reintegration and stabilization of returnees who have proceeded to their preferred sites in the country and to the host communities who have received them to prevent their possible return to the three existing longer-term transit sites.

Contact:

Dr. Qasim Sufi
Chief of Mission, IOM Chad
Tel.: +235 22 52 53 59/60 (Ext. 111)
Mobile: +235 62 90 06 74
Fax: +235 22 52 53 61
Email: qsufi@iom.int