In Chad, drought and floods have stripped the land of its fertility, leaving families without crops to harvest or food to eat.
For children, the impact is devastating. With little to eat, their bodies are weakened by severe acute malnutrition – the most life-threatening form of hunger. A condition forces them into the fight of their lives.
Over the past year, 388,000 children in Chad have faced severe acute malnutrition. Hunger, poverty, conflict and the worsening effects of climate change have catapulted Chad into a health crisis.
But despite the challenges of extreme hunger, hope still burns brightly in Chad. The expert care you help us provide, combined with the unwavering determination of parents, offers a lifeline to children on the brink.
“Children are referred to us from our mobile units or local partners once an initial diagnosis has been made. We look at each child, review their data, and set up a treatment plan.”
Here, we share the stories of Achta, Moustafa and Koubra. Three children who overcame the odds against severe acute malnutrition thanks to your support. Just a glimpse of what’s possible when care, resilience, and action come together.
Achta’s story: strength in the face of adversity
At just four years old, Achta was battling severe acute malnutrition. A crisis that had stolen her away from childhood joys.
When Achta arrived at our hospital in Mao, western Chad, her condition was so critical that our medical team had inserted a feeding tube so she could the nutrients she desperately needed.
By the tenth day, Achta’s transformation began to take shape, with the doctor checking in on her progress daily. We kept a close eye on her and our team adapted treatment methods to meet her needs.
“Before when I brought her, she didn’t talk, she didn’t move. Now she’s much better, she’s well recovered, she’s moving—there’s really a change.”
Thanks to her mother’s love and our expert team’s treatment, Achta finally regained her strength. Two months after being discharged from hospital, Achta is now smiling and playing with her favourite toys again, her mother still by her side.
Moustapha’s story: healing through a mother’s love
Two-year-old Moustapha faced added complications on top of his severe acute malnutrition. Oedema, a painful swelling caused by fluid retention, left his skin peeling and painful.
At the hospital in the local village, our team quickly acted. To reduce the swelling around his eyes, they treated his symptoms with specialist injections. The doctors also gave his mother ointment to treat his painful skin.
“They gave us ointment to apply on his skin, and it really has helped, says Moustapha’s mum Achta.
Our team prescribed Moustapha ready-to-use therapeutic food, used to help children recover from severe malnutrition.
“Since we left the hospital, he’s in great shape. Sometimes he asks for food, makes choices, looks for himself to eat. He is really well.”
With his mother beside him day and night, and support from Action Against Hunger, Moustapha is now back home. We’re also providing ongoing psychological support to help them through – and the future now looks bright.
Koubra’s story: a mother’s determination
At just two years old, Koubra’s life hung in the balance. Severe acute malnutrition had left her dangerously weak. Her mother, determined to save her, made the urgent journey to Mao Hospital. A journey that could have meant the difference between life and loss.
Inside the hospital, Koubra received ten days of life-saving care from our specialist medical team. Throughout Koubra’s stay, her mother remained by her side.
Like Moustapha’s mother, Koubra’s mother visits the local clinic to pick up ready-to-use therapeutic food.
“I will do everything to maintain my child and give her what she needs for her health. After weighing, I am given the right quantity of ready-to-use therapeutic food according to her weight. She eats it with a little bread. She received it well, and it’s good for her.”
Now safe and healthy at home, Koubra is thriving. Her laughter fills the air and her smile is brighter than ever.
Through the love and determination of her mother, paired with our teams’ medical expertise, Koubra is living proof of the resilience of children and their families fighting malnutrition worldwide.
Your support, their strength: a shared story
Achta, Moustapha and Koubra’s stories are united by resilience, love, and the expert medical care you helped us provide.
Action Against Hunger’s life-saving programmes have reached hundreds of thousands of children across the world. In Chad alone, we’ve treated 27,000 children with life-threatening in the past year.
But we’re still fighting.
With your support, we can reach more children on the brink and bring them back to health. Your generosity fuels the hope and resilience of families fighting hunger and malnutrition.
Together, let’s continue to fuel resilience – one child, one family, and one future at a time.
