Source: UN News Centre

The United Nations agency tasked with trying to alleviate rural poverty today announced a $17.4 million loan and grant agreement aimed at helping some 132,000 poor people in southern Chad.

Under the agreement, the Chadian Government and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) will work with the European Union, the UN Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) and the World Food Programme (WFP) to improve access to safe water, help manage chronic food security problems, improve access to financial services and rehabilitate rural roads to link producers to markets in the administrative region of Guéra in southern Chad.

Chad is one of the world's poorest countries with about 80 per cent of the population depending on farming or herding for subsistence, the agency said.

Under the agreement signed in IFAD headquarters in Rome today, Chad will receive an $8.95 million loan and a grant of $8.45 million. With this new programme, IFAD will have financed seven projects in Chad for a total investment of $91 million. 

• Chad