Chad is known around the world mainly for the great lake of Chad from which it derives its name. The lake, however, is quickly disappearing from extensive irrigation of the surrounding land which is a situation similar to that of the Aral Sea. Apart from having the second largest wetland in Africa, Chad is made up of over 200 tribes which makes it a very diverse region.

Traveling info

All visitors traveling to Chad are required to have a valid passport. Entry requirements vary depending on visitors nationality. Visitors traveling from some of the central and western African nations are exempt from visa. Citizens of Benin have the luxury of obtaining a visa on arrival at one of Chad’s airports or border crossings. Citizens of all other nations are required to obtain a visa before their travel. Visitors who wish to drive in Chad are required to have their national driving permit and an international driving permit in order to drive legally. IDP holders must beware that an IDP cannot be used alone and must always be complemented by the original driving permit.

Environmental hazards

Chad is divided into three climate zones. All of the north and part of central chad is quite inhospitable as the hot sands of Sahara reach average 40 degrees with no water to be seen in hundreds of kilometers around. Central Chad enjoys the warm semi-arid climate while the south is a tropical savannah where most vegetation, animals, and people can be found. Elephants are present in one of Chads park where they are safe from poachers. These animals are generally not dangerous and do not attack if not troubled. Their sheer size, however, makes them dangerous. When angered or startled these animals can easily trample people, flip over cars or even break trees. Hippopotamuses can be found in the waters of Chad. These are only second in size to elephants are despite their docile look, they are fiercely territorial. They will attack anyone who approaches them, even crocodiles. The black rhinoceros inhabits the savannah of Chad. These animals are very defensive mainly due to their terrible eyesight. They will attack almost anything that approaches them. Crocodiles in Chad are much smaller than their Nile crocodile cousins. West African crocodiles are much more docile and rarely attack however such instances cannot be ruled out. West African lions are also present in Chad however their numbers are dwindling. Sighting one is not as common as in other countries down south. There are several species of lethally venomous snakes including the likes of puff adder which is responsible for over 30 thousand deaths across Africa, Kaitan spitting cobra and the black neck spitting cobra. Surviving a bite often depends on the response of the emergency services which are quite unreliable or non-existent in parts of Chad or the proximity of the nearest hospital.
In Chad drought and floods are the two types of natural hazards which occur most often. Floods, however, are mostly responsible for economic damage as well as carrying the biggest death toll.

Health hazards

There is a risk of contracting yellow fever in Chad. The government of Chad requires proof of yellow fever vaccination upon arrival if you are traveling from a country with risk of yellow fever. There are several other vaccines which are recommended. These are the routine vaccines aka MMR vaccines, hepatitis A and B, cholera, typhoid, meningitis, polio and rabies vaccines. Malaria and Zika are both presents in Chad. These diseases are carried by mosquitoes and there are no approved vaccines against them. There are however alternative ways to protect against them. Since both are transmitted through mosquito bites, the use of mosquito repellents and mosquito nets is advised. There is also medicine on prescription against malaria which should be available to anyone after consulting their local general practitioner. Chad, as one of the poorest countries in Africa, struggles to provide healthcare to all of its citizens especially due to the sheer size of the country and the spread of the people. Chad is also greatly below the average with only 4 doctors per 100 thousand inhabitants complemented by only 22 nurses per 100 thousand inhabitants. This is only one-sixth of the regional average. Private healthcare facilities are exclusive to D’Jamenna whilst most of the services in some of the most remote areas as well as some urban centers are provided by charitable organizations.
In case of an emergency dial +235 225 17728. Beware that emergency services are not available everywhere in the country.

Crime

Cases of petty and violent crime increased significantly over 2017. However, year to year or geographic comparisons of trends remain difficult to assess, as there are no official crime statistics in Chad, and many cases go unreported. Expatriates have been more frequently targeted in N’Djamena, with some cases involving assaults on or shootings of victims during daylight hours in heavily trafficked areas. While home invasions directed at expatriates are rare, incidents in local communities have increased, with at least 10 cases reported to the Regional Security Office in 2017. Robberies of expatriate residences by hired local nationals have also occurred. Due to crime, travelers remain vigilant at public gatherings and any locations frequented by expatriates, including markets, hotels, restaurants, bars, and places of worship. The risk of being targeted by criminal actors greatly increases at night, especially alone or in isolated areas. There is a high risk of terrorist attack in Chad. Boko Haram has conducted numerous suicide attack and caused the displacement of over 100 thousand people. Any sort of narcotics is strictly illegal in Chad however the inefficiency of the local security forces often fails to prevent smuggling of narcotics and their distribution within the country.

Summary

Chad is currently an unsafe country with insurgency raging in the north and the possibility of terrorist attacks in the south. On top of that local infrastructure as well as the healthcare sector are in a very poor state creating a very unsafe environment for any visitors. Remember that planning your trip with Travset.com will give you the quickest information about nearest emergency services and will also help you purchase indispensable travel insurance for the trip of your lifetime. Please feel free to comment and share the experiences of your travels with Travset.com.

Sources

(Visa)
https://www.worldtravelguide.net/guides/africa/chad/passport-visa/
(Vaccinations)
https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/traveler/none/chad