In Chad, Women Face Danger Collecting Firewood
By Lane HartillChad is running out of firewood. In the east of the country, where thousands of Darfur refugees live, the situation is dire. The country banned the use of charcoal and the cutting of living trees. That means the local population and refugees compete for the little dead wood that remains.
Usually the collection task falls to women and girls. They are sometimes forced to travel dozens of miles away from the camps to find wood. Away from the protections of the camp, the women risk physical and sexual abuse. Find out how Catholic Relief Services' partners are helping protect women from the risks of leaving camps to collect firewood.
Lane Hartill is Catholic Relief Services' regional information officer for western and central Africa. He is based in Dakar, Senegal.
