- Experts have warned of a refugee crisis in Chad as escalating violence and a food crisis in Sudan compel large numbers to flee across the border.
- Since April 2023, conflict has persisted between the Sudanese army, led by the nation’s de facto leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
- Despite the challenges faced by refugees in Chad, the escalating violence in Sudan is compelling an increasing number of individuals to seek refuge there.
Refugee crisis in Chad
Refugees and aid organizations have warned of worsening conditions in the overcrowded and underfunded camps of Chad as escalating violence and a food crisis in Sudan compel large numbers to flee across the border.
In the first week of October alone, approximately 25,000 individuals, primarily women and children, sought refuge in eastern Chad, marking an unprecedented influx for a week in 2024. Chad, ranked among the poorest nations globally, is currently sheltering 681,944 Sudanese refugees, more than any other country.
The situation is incredibly challenging at the Farchana camp, according to refugees who relocated there earlier this year from the Adré camp near the border. These newcomers have joined the Sudanese who have resided in the camp since the Darfur genocide in the early 2000s.
Dire Living Conditions
The refugees have also expressed their anguish over the dire conditions. As reported by the UN, many intend to continue their journey toward Italy, other European nations, southern Africa, and the Gulf states.
Hatim Abdallah El-Fadil, designated as the Farchana camp chief by his fellow refugees, reports that some Sudanese have been forced to beg in the town’s market to feed themselves.
El-Fadil notes that many relocated to Farchana have since returned to Adré, drawn by better employment prospects. “Many here have had to sell their belongings to earn a living,” he notes. “It is hard to see how they can survive this way.”
Another pressing issue is the scarcity of educational opportunities. Younger children receive intermittent instruction from refugee teachers, utilizing books from Geneina in Darfur. Teenagers not in school are in danger of becoming “a lost generation,” as the refugees report.
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Persistent and Escalating Conflict in Sudan
Accusations of war crimes have been levelled against both parties, including the targeting of civilians and the obstruction of humanitarian aid. The conflict has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths and has left 26 million people in severe food insecurity, with a famine declared at the Zamzam displacement camp in Darfur.
The increasing number of people fleeing the area is indicative of the escalating conflict in Darfur, where the RSF has seized control of nearly all major population centres except El Fasher, which is under a prolonged siege.
Despite the challenges faced by refugees in Chad, the escalating violence in Sudan, particularly in Darfur, coupled with an intensifying hunger crisis, is compelling an increasing number of individuals to seek refuge there.
Humanitarian Crisis Amid Funding Shortfalls for Refugee Aid
Last week, UN-appointed experts accused both parties in the conflict of employing “starvation tactics” against 25 million civilians, resulting in 97 per cent of Sudan’s population suffering from “severe levels of hunger.”
“Never before in modern history have so many individuals been on the brink of starvation and famine as they are in Sudan today,” stated the group of approximately a dozen independent experts. “The world must take notice of the largest modern famine unfolding in Sudan today.”
Non-governmental organization workers in Chad have unanimously voiced concerns over a significant funding shortfall for the refugees. A UN plea for $1.5 billion to aid Sudanese refugees and their host communities in the region until the end of the year has only been 27 per cent funded.
The UN World Food Programme (WFP) provides aid to refugees at the Farchana camp. It reports receiving 8,000 Central African francs (£10) per person every two months, accounting for 50 per cent of the assistance per individual. The remaining 50 per cent is supplied as beans and rice.
Alexandre Le Cuziat, the WFP’s deputy representative for Chad, has expressed insufficient funding. He also cautioned that the influx of people into the country is expected to increase due to the escalating conflict in Darfur and decreasing water levels following the rainy season.
In a recent interview with Agence France-Presse, Mamadou Dian Balde, the UN’s regional refugee coordinator for Sudan, mentioned that it would be a grave error to assume that people’s displacement would be confined to Sudan and its surrounding areas.
He noted an increasing trend of individuals moving towards Italy, Europe, and southern Africa, with some heading to Gulf countries.
