A/HRC/42/42/Add.1 mercenaries and armed groups and now find themselves in prolonged situations of poverty and neglect. Reportedly, mercenaries are involved in human rights violations involving trafficking in persons, weapons and drugs. It is difficult to effectively control and address trafficking, given the vast desert landscapes that the routes pass through. 60. As a result of the civil wars in Chad, and the devastation caused by surrounding conflicts and armed group activities, Chad today hosts over 400,000 refugees and asylum seekers from neighbouring countries, including the Central African Republic, the Niger, Nigeria and the Sudan. Around 70,000 Chadian returnees have also re-entered the country in search of safe refuge. 61. Some of the most basic needs of those who live in conflict-affected parts of the country’s 23 regions are not being met. Health-care and education facilities are virtually absent. In addition, they face recurring violence and deteriorating climate conditions, and often face a lack of food supply or even famine. Poor agricultural investment, market forces, difficult access to arable land and a lack of technical support to farmers are some of the causes of food scarcity in Chad.3 62. Those fleeing violence from abroad have found the situation in Chad to be extremely challenging. The scale of human suffering is significant, and the delegation noted the difficulty faced by the Government in addressing these issues, given its own economic and resource constraints. 63. The efforts of Chad in this respect have included its participation in the Multinational Joint Task Force, helping to counter the armed group activities that are affecting Cameroon, the Niger and Nigeria. 64. Despite those efforts, in 2015, Boko Haram instigated a series of violent attacks against villages, camps for internally displaced persons and military operations in Chad, heightening security concerns more than ever. They included three suicide attacks on 15 June, which killed around 33 people. On 27 June, a police raid resulted in the deaths of six members of Boko Haram and several policemen. The following month, a suicide bomber killed around 15 people in the main market in N’Djamena. In November that year, suicide bombers killed and injured several people in the Lake Chad region, after military troops were withdrawn. 65. The Boko Haram insurgencies have resulted in countless human rights abuses. These include the killing of over 30,000 people, torture, abductions and repeated attacks that have resulted in irreparable damage to communities. In the Lake Chad region, around 2 million people have been internally displaced and around 10 million people are in dire need of humanitarian assistance. 66. People continue to flee the escalating violence in the Lake Chad area, disrupting agriculture, trade and fishing, with serious economic and social consequences. The volatile security situation continues to exacerbate food insecurity.4 Outbreaks of cholera and measles are frequent, while malaria is the leading cause of infant mortality and is prevalent in many of the country’s regions. Maternal mortality is among the world’s highest. Lack of sufficient health facilities is an obstacle to proper health care. Access to primary health care is impeded by structural weaknesses such as a lack of personnel, equipment and coordination. 67. Transhumant movement of cattle, which had been a major source of livelihood for many in the country, was also severely hindered by the closure of areas and limitations on movement imposed in the Lake Chad region. What had been a bustling, vibrant economic centre for decades, serving the Lake Chad region as a whole, is now a monitored zone controlled by security forces, which has adversely affected the livelihoods of the local population. 3 4 10 See Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, “Sahel - Overview of humanitarian needs and requirements” (December 2016). Available at: https://reliefweb.int/report/nigeria/2017-sahel-overview- humanitarian-needs-and-requirements. Amnesty International Report 2016/17: The State of the World’s Human Rights (2017, London), p. 116.