Key facts
- The number of Sudanese refugees fleeing to Chad has increased twentyfold in recent weeks.
- Over 400 people per day are crossing into eastern Chad.
- The UN refugee agency has received only 18% of its $1.6 billion funding requirement for the year.
- The conflict in Sudan has displaced up to 14 million people.
- Nearly 1 million refugees have crossed into Chad since the conflict began.
- Aid groups face funding shortfalls due to cuts in foreign assistance by donor countries.
The number of people fleeing Sudan to Chad has surged twentyfold in recent weeks due to ongoing conflict and dire conditions, with aid funding failing to meet the escalating needs, the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) said on Friday.
Over 400 people a day have been crossing into eastern Chad in the past week, a significant increase from previous months. These individuals are escaping fighting in Sudan's Darfur, Kordofan, and Blue Nile regions, where clashes between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces have been ongoing for over three years. Refugees report fleeing aerial bombardments and drone attacks.
Mamadou Dian Balde, UN Regional Refugee Coordinator for the Sudan Situation, stated that the severe funding shortfall means less food, less capacity to relocate people to safer areas, and less ability for them to shelter themselves. The UNHCR has only received 18% of the $1.6 billion it requires this year.
The agency warned that unmet basic needs for Sudanese refugees in Chad could lead to further displacement, with many attempting to move on towards Europe after failed attempts to find safety. The civil war has devastated large parts of Sudan, displacing up to 14 million people, ruining harvests, and decimating the economy. Drought and other harsh conditions are also contributing to population movements.
According to UNHCR data, almost 1 million refugees have crossed into Chad since the conflict began, with over 55,000 arriving this year. Aid groups like UNHCR are facing major funding shortfalls, partly attributed to cuts in foreign assistance by the administration of US President Donald Trump and other donor countries over the past year.