Ennedi Est Province

Ennedi Est Province

©Mohammed Mustafa, 2023

Located in the far northeast of Chad, along the Libyan and Sudanese borders, Ennedi Est is one of the most remote provinces in the country, with Am-Djarass as its capital. The province is sparsely populated and primarily pastoral, with camel and sheep breeding as the dominant economic activities.

Ennedi Est has development potential in livestock, agriculture, and trade. However, it faces major constraints, including remoteness, underdeveloped infrastructure, limited access to basic services, climatic shocks, and poor connectivity. The province’s isolation - more than 1,200 km from N’Djamena and lacking paved roads connecting major towns - hampers access to markets and essential services. Nonetheless, the presence of an international airport contributes to reducing its isolation, facilitating connections with the capital N’Djamena and the main eastern city of Abéché.

According to the 2009 national population census, the local population was estimated at 226,000 inhabitants (likely reaching around 300,000 since then), in addition to over 92,000 Sudanese refugees, both long-term and newly arrived. The ongoing conflict in Sudan continues to drive refugee arrivals, placing considerable pressure on the province’s limited natural resources and creating tensions between host and refugee communities. This growing demographic pressure further increases the vulnerability of all households, both indigenous and displaced.

Population Data

Data source: Ajala Platform. The Ajala Platform is a humanitarian coordination platform that collects comprehensive data for the response in Eastern Chad.

Map

Provincial Development Priorities

The 2024–2028 Provincial Development Plan (PDP) and the Annual Investment Plan Ennedi Est (PAI) 2025 outline a vision for Ennedi Est as a resilient, connected province with reliable access to water, energy, and quality basic services. The PDP outlines four strategic axes to guide public investment and coordination efforts:

Production & Infrastructure: Upgrade rural roads, water networks, and energy access to support agro-pastoral production and cross-border trade. Strengthen veterinary services, irrigation, and food processing, especially in the dromedary and onion value chains.
Basic Services Access: Improve access to health, education, and WASH services. Priorities include rehabilitating schools and health centres, deploying qualified staff, and ensuring a safe water supply in rural and semi-urban areas.
Climate Adaptation & Environment: Invest in flood protection, water retention systems, agroforestry, and climate-resilient seeds. Improve rangeland management and promote intensive livestock systems to reduce pressure on degraded ecosystems.
Governance & Financing: Strengthen planning and accountability at the provincial level. Improve budget transparency, establish coordination bodies, and mobilize resources for inclusive development.

Access to Services

Although Ennedi Est hosts fewer displaced populations compared to neighboring provinces, the region is vulnerable to external shocks linked to conflict in Libya and Sudan, climate-related and displacement pressures. Access to basic services is limited:

The average distance to the nearest health centre is 53 km.
Gross primary enrolment stands at just 25%, among the lowest in Chad.
Rural water supply is constrained by groundwater salinity and weak infrastructure.

Opportunities:

In line with the HDP Nexus approach, joint programming between humanitarian and development actors can strengthen resilience by improving access to WASH services, mobile healthcare, and education in underserved areas, while integrating displaced populations into public services and social protection schemes.
Road corridor (Abéché–Am-Djarass via Kariari, where Oure-Cassoni refugee site is located): the paving and development of this corridor is part of the national government’s broader transport infrastructure program.

Priority Area-Based Investments