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Communities in Salamat struggle with severe shortage of safe drinking water

July 11, 2026

By Djinodji SOLMENGAR Rodrigue

Residents in several villages in Chad’s Salamat Province tell our correspondent in place they continue to face severe shortages of safe drinking water.

People in Dabdabaï, Ardep, Himemit and Assiref rely on ponds and streams after years without reliable access to clean water. Many travel long distances each day to collect water, increasing the risk of waterborne diseases.

‘We are suffering greatly. We hope that one day we will have permanent access to safe drinking water,’ said Oudah Abdelkerim, a representative of the chief of Assiref village.

Residents are calling on the government and development partners to provide lasting solutions, including new boreholes and water towers.

Local officials say one borehole already serves the area, but its capacity is far below demand. According to them, it supplies only about 175 jerrycans of water per day, which is not enough for three villages.

Djinodji Solmengar

Djinodji Solmengar

Djinodji Solmengar Rodrigue is a journalist with MRTV English, Chad’s first English-language media outlet, where he led English-language news coverage at its launch. Based in N’Djamena, his reporting explores political, economic, and social developments, with particular attention to everyday realities, informal sectors, and cultural life. His work also extends to football and broader societal issues, approached through field reporting and in-depth storytelling. Beyond reporting, Djinodji regularly conducts interviews focused on education, including the teaching of English in Chad, as well as conversations (with AFROTRONIX, to name a few) on culture and music. He is also active as an English–French interpreter, working alongside international media professionals. In this capacity, he recently supported and interpreted for a delegation of foreign journalists, including BBC representatives, during the PND Chad Connexion 2030 mission. Alongside his professional practice, Djinodji is pursuing a PhD, with research centered on the presence of China and Russia in Africa as portrayed in selected Commonwealth online media. His academic interests lie at the intersection of media, geopolitics, and discourse analysis. Earlier in his career, he taught English and authored a Master’s thesis examining the contextualization of English language teaching in Chad, reflecting a sustained engagement with educational challenges and policy.

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