Desperation Grows in Chad’s Refugee Camps as Sudan’s Violence and Hunger Crisis Worsen
Overcrowded refugee camps in Chad are struggling to cope as escalating violence and a severe hunger crisis in Sudan force tens of thousands to flee across the border. In the first week of October 2024 alone, around 25,000 refugees—mostly women and children—crossed into eastern Chad, marking the largest single-week influx this year. Chad, one of the poorest countries in the world, now hosts 681,944 Sudanese refugees, the highest number globally.
Overcrowded Camps and Deteriorating Conditions
The conditions in camps like Farchana are dire. Many refugees relocated there earlier this year from Adré, a camp near the border, now live alongside those displaced by the Darfur genocide in the 2000s. Refugees interviewed describe harsh living conditions, with some returning to Adré in search of better work opportunities.
“Many people have sold their belongings just to survive,” said a 39-year-old father of four at Farchana. “I don’t know how we can keep living like this.”
Education is another major challenge. With formal schooling unavailable, younger children receive sporadic lessons from fellow refugees who managed to smuggle books from Geneina in Darfur. However, teenagers face the risk of becoming a “lost generation,” according to those living in the camps.
Escalating Conflict in Sudan Forces Mass Displacement
Sudan’s ongoing conflict, which began in April 2023, has created a humanitarian catastrophe. The war pits the Sudanese army, led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, against the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), headed by his former deputy, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo. Both factions have been accused of committing war crimes, including attacks on civilians and blocking humanitarian aid.
The conflict has killed tens of thousands and left 26 million people facing severe food insecurity. Famine has already been declared in the Zamzam displacement camp in Darfur. The RSF currently controls most of Darfur, with only El Fasher still holding out under a prolonged siege.
Refugees Struggle to Survive Amid Funding Shortfalls
The journey from Sudan to Chad is often the beginning of another struggle for survival. Hassan Ibrahim Yahiya, a former businessman from Geneina, now farms peanuts behind his tent in Farchana. “I’ve lost everything,” he said. “I am here without hope.”
Another refugee, Essam Abdelrasoul, once employed by Sudan’s largest engineering firm, fled to Adré with his seven children. His family remains in Kosti, in Sudan’s White Nile state, but the cost of travel to reunite with them is prohibitive. “I just want to find a job in any country and see my children again,” he said.
Despite the grim conditions in Chad, the violence and hunger crisis in Sudan continue to push refugees across the border. Last week, UN-appointed experts accused both sides in the conflict of employing “starvation tactics,” leaving 97% of Sudan’s population in severe hunger. The experts warned that the developing famine in Sudan could be one of the worst in modern history.
Aid Agencies Struggle Amid Severe Funding Gaps
The refugee crisis has strained humanitarian resources in Chad, with aid organizations warning of critical funding shortfalls. The UN World Food Programme (WFP) provides only half of the required assistance to refugees, giving 8,000 Central African francs (around £10) every two months, alongside limited food supplies like rice and beans.
Alexandre Le Cuziat, WFP’s deputy representative for Chad, expressed concern about inadequate funding and warned that refugee numbers could rise further as conflict worsens and the rainy season ends.
UN regional refugee coordinator Mamadou Dian Balde emphasized that the displacement crisis is not confined to Chad or Sudan. “Many are heading towards Europe, southern Africa, and the Gulf,” he told Agence France-Presse, adding that it would be a mistake to assume the flow of refugees will remain limited to the region.
Refugees Face Bleak Futures
For many refugees, life in Chad feels like a dead end. El-Tayeb Zakria, who once served as an adviser to the West Darfur state governor Khamis Abakar—assassinated by the RSF in June 2023—now struggles to adjust to life at Farchana.
“There are no clinics or water wells here,” Zakria said. “Living here feels like a gradual death.”
With no end in sight to Sudan’s conflict, Chad’s refugee camps continue to fill, while aid organizations appeal for more international support to prevent an even greater humanitarian disaster.
Source : Swifteradio.com
