In the southeast of Chad, child malnutrition is worsening, with hospital admissions for children rising by 77% at the Am Timan hospital between January and June 2026. This increase has been driven by poor harvests, flooding, and the isolation of villages, which have limited access to food and healthcare. In response, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has introduced early detection and treatment strategies to prevent children from reaching a critical state that requires emergency hospitalization. Fadija Hammad, a 25-year-old farmer from the village of Angalat in Salamat province, is one of many affected by the crisis. She brought her 15-month-old daughter to the Am Timan hospital for treatment of malnutrition. Her family's income has been severely impacted by the decline in agricultural yields. "The money we have to live on comes from harvests. But in the past two years, we have almost nothing to harvest," she says. In this region, many children are arriving at hospitals in poor health after days or weeks without medical care. The rainy season and the exhaustion of food reserves have worsened the situation, leading to a sharp rise in emergency admissions. At the Am Timan hospital, MSF works alongside local health authorities to manage the most severe cases of acute malnutrition. Between January and June 2026, the number of children admitted to the hospital's therapeutic nutrition unit increased by 77%. This surge became more pronounced in April with the start of the soudure period — a critical time when food supplies run out before the next harvest. The region faces both drought and heavy rains, which damage crops and make roads impassable, isolating many villages. Malnutrition weakens children's immune systems, making them more susceptible to infectious diseases like malaria, acute respiratory infections, diarrhea, and measles. These illnesses further worsen their nutritional condition. To address these challenges, MSF has established 10 care centers near villages and three therapeutic feeding units in Ablelaye and Mina. These centers help treat childhood illnesses while detecting and managing malnutrition. MSF prioritizes early detection and treatment in the villages to prevent children from reaching a critical state before they arrive at the hospital. Between April and June 2026, MSF identified 1,676 children aged 6 to 59 months in the communities it supports. Of these, 4.8% had severe acute malnutrition, and 21.4% had moderate acute malnutrition. The most seriously affected children are hospitalized at Am Timan. To build trust with families, MSF staff explain medical procedures and reassure parents, ensuring that children receive the full course of treatment needed for recovery. This comprehensive approach, from early detection in villages to hospital care, is crucial in addressing the growing malnutrition crisis in Salamat province.