Chad
Chad
Country Context
Chad hosts the second largest number of refugees and asylum seekers in Africa, the largest on a per capita basis, with over 1.4 million in the country. The country has hosted refugees from the Central African Republic (CAR) in the south since 2005, Nigerians and internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the Lake Chad region since 2014, Cameroonians close to N’Djamena and in the west since 2021, and the largest group, Sudanese refugees, in the east since 2003 (with around 1 million new arrivals since the start of the current armed conflict in Sudan in 2023).
The Connectivity for Refugees initiative is advancing connectivity access and digital skills training to meet the needs of refugees and host communities in alignment with the national development plan (Tchad Connexion 2030) and the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (Plan-Cadre de coopération des Nations Unies pour le développement durable du Tchad 2024 – 2026), both with a key focus on digital transformation and inclusion. The initiative is currently most active in eastern Chad which hosts more than 1 million refugees impacted by the ongoing conflict in Sudan, alongside hosting communities.
Country Statistics
Connectivity & Access
Connectivity infrastructure in Chad remains limited. Around 60% of the population is covered by 4G, and 5G is not yet available in the country.
Beyond infrastructure gaps, barriers such as the affordability of devices and mobile data, as well as low digital skills, further restrict access to meaningful connectivity for both forcibly displaced people and their host communities.
UNHCR research suggests almost 2 million forcibly displaced people in Chad face access and uptake barriers to getting online.
Our Work
Our work expands access to connectivity and digital learning opportunities in the short term while also advancing sustainable solutions, all informed by timely, refugee-specific data.
We collaborate with the Government of Chad, mobile network operators, technology partners, and other stakeholders to deliver accessible and affordable services and digital opportunities for refugees and host communities, aligned with national development plan with a key focus on digital inclusion (Tchad Connexion 2030).
Connectivity, Needs and Usage Assessment (CoNUA)
We have conducted an assessment in 15 refugee settlements in eastern Chad, hosting Sudanese refugees, to understand their access to and use of connectivity services, as well as preferences. Report will be published in Q2 2026.
Connected Community Centres
Four centres equipped with high-speed connectivity, computers, and online skills building curriculum are open in Djabal, Farchana, and Abeche settlements.
National Digital Investments
We are liaising with the Government of Chad to ensure refugees and host communities are included in national digital strategies and infrastructure investments.
Broadband Maps
ITU is mapping infrastructure to guide investment, enhance digital inclusion, and support digital transformation. This also helps identify connectivity gaps affecting refugees and host communities, enabling more targeted, inclusive connectivity planning and policy decisions. More information can be found here.
Digital and Technical Skills Building
At the Iridimi Digital Learning Centre, we are planning to pilot a technical networking training program through the Cisco Networking Academy, training 20 community members as network technicians to support the maintenance and troubleshooting of community networks.
Settlement-Wide Connectivity Access
With generous support from the Government of Luxembourg and emergency.lu, Farchana settlement now benefits from high-speed satellite internet at key points of interest supporting online activities for refugees.
Network Upgrades
In partnership with both mobile network operators, Airtel and Moov, we are strengthening network coverage in refugee hosting areas and devising additional digital inclusion approaches to be rolled out by operators to encourage broader adoption.