Victim assistance action points

• Improve and systematize casualty data collection.
• Increase services in all areas of victim assistance, particularly physical rehabilitation and employment, and improve survivors’ access to services.
• Enhance victim assistance coordination and align with disability-rights coordination.
• Increase investment in physical rehabilitation services.
• Adopt the revised National Plan of Action on Victim Assistance.
• Implement the law protecting the rights of persons with disabilities.

Victim assistance planning and coordination

International commitments and obligations

Laws and policies

A new National Plan of Action on Victim Assistance was developed in 2016, but it was still pending approval as of the end of 2017.[8] There was an initiative to establish a Victim Assistance Coordination Group (Groupe de Coordination pour l’Assistance aux Victimes, GCAV) once the action plan is adopted.[9] The previous National Plan of Action on Victim Assistance 2012–2014 was developed in 2010 and expired with almost none of the actions implemented despite the adoption of an implementation strategy for the plan in 2013.[10]

The Ministry of Women, Early Childhood Protection, and National Solidarity has been reported to be responsible for assuring the rights of persons with disabilities through its Directorate for the Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities (Direction nationale pour la réinsertion des personnes handicapées) and the Ministry of Public Health for physical rehabilitation. Humanity & Inclusion (formerly Handicap International, HI) worked with these ministries and the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation and Ministry of Defense.[11]

The law protects the rights of persons with disabilities and prohibits discrimination against them, however, the government did not effectively enforce the law. No legislation exists to ensure access to buildings for persons with disabilities.[12] DPOs reported marginalization of and discrimination against persons with disabilities.[13]

The 2007 law on the protection of persons with disabilities was still pending promulgation as at the end of 2017.[14]

Major Developments in 2017–2018

The ICRC finished its supporting role to the rehabilitation sector of Chad at the end of 2016, and HI assumed the role of the main international organization involved in supporting the sector.[15]

HI was implementing two relevant European Union-funded projects during the period: the Project to Support the Demining Sector in Chad (Projet d’Appui au secteur du déminage du Tchad, PADEMIN), which will end in October 2018, and the new four-year Project for Social Protection, Demining and Economic Development (Protection sociale, déminage et développement économique, PRODECO), launched in October 2017.[16]

HI identified improvements in the accessibility of health and education services following awareness-raising trainings on victim assistance and disability rights in 2016.[17]

Needs assessment

The HCND reported that no data collection and needs assessment activities were conducted in 2017.[18] However, HI conducted an identification, referral, and needs assessment pilot project that was ongoing in the provinces of Borkou and Ouaddaï, within the framework of the PADEMIN Project.[19] That project will end in October 2018 in Ouaddaï.[20] Under the new four-year project PRODECO, a survey of persons with disabilities and an assessment of their needs was being conducted in Borkou.[21]

Medical care and rehabilitation

Mine/ERW survivors and their families faced the glaring problem of access to services.[22] Health services in contaminated areas were limited, with few qualified personnel, and there were no rehabilitation services in these areas.[23]

In 2017, HI supported the strengthening of the production capacity of the Kabalaye Limb-fitting and Rehabilitation Center (Centre d’appareillage et de rééducation de Kabalaye, CARK).[24] HI also created a social fund for mine/ERW victims, persons with disabilities, and vulnerable persons.[25] It continued to build the capacity of victim assistance and disability actors, including the CND, relevant national authorities, international organizations, and civil society organizations in the provinces of Borkou and Ouaddaï.[26]

Under PRODECO, the rehabilitation center Catholic Relief and Development (Secours Catholique et Développement, SECADEV) received funds to produce prostheses for persons with disabilities and to conduct referrals.[27]

Socio-economic and psychosocial inclusion

In 2017, HI and Cooperazione Internazionale (COOPI) continued to implement a social inclusion and inclusive education project in the Lake Chad region.[28]

Cross-cutting

There were some improvements in age- and gender-sensitive health and education services.[29]

Victim assistance providers and activities