The conflict in Sudan continues to intensify, leaving millions of people displaced and seeking refuge in neighboring countries. Among the most affected, Chad hosts nearly 420,000 Sudanese refugees who fled the fighting in the Darfur region. This unprecedented humanitarian crisis shows no signs of slowing, with hundreds of refugees continuing to cross the border every day.
Faced with this alarming situation, the Chadian authorities deplore the lack of adequate humanitarian response. This is why the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) announced the establishment of a strategy to take care of these refugees and ensure their protection. This announcement comes after a visit by ICRC President Mirjana Spoljaric Egger to the Sudanese refugee camps in Adré and Farchana, located on the border with Sudan.
Conditions in these camps are dire, with a growing population, skyrocketing prices of basic foodstuffs and diseases such as malaria spreading rapidly. Refugees, mainly women and children, recount the daily abuses they suffer in areas controlled by paramilitaries and associated Arab militias. The situation is all the more worrying as many family members have been killed or are missing just a few kilometers from the camps.
The ICRC, in collaboration with the Chadian Red Cross, wishes to strengthen its assistance in different sectors, notably access to water and the reunification of separated families. But for this, it is necessary to obtain additional resources, beyond what is already done. The President of the ICRC therefore calls for greater mobilization to deal with this unprecedented humanitarian crisis.
Meanwhile, General Abdel Fattah al-Bourhane, head of the Sudanese regular army, is trying to rally international support for his war against General Hemetti’s rapid support forces. His latest visit to Uganda aims to strengthen support and find diplomatic solutions to end the conflict.
The tragedy of the Sudanese refugees in Chad is a tragedy that must be taken seriously. It is essential that the international community mobilizes and provides significant assistance to alleviate the suffering of these displaced people. Chad, already facing its own challenges, cannot face this humanitarian crisis alone. The urgency is to find lasting solutions to end the conflict and allow refugees to return home safely.