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Hundreds of thousands of Sudanese refugees, primarily women and children, are enduring a dire humanitarian crisis in Chad's desert camps, grappling with rising malnutrition and a severe lack of medical care.
October 8, 2025
Source:
NPR
Displacement Crisis Overwhelms Chad
Sudan's ongoing war has ignited one of the world's most severe displacement crises, forcing millions from their homes and pushing neighboring countries to their limits. Chad, in particular, is facing a staggering humanitarian challenge.
As of September 2025, Chad is hosting over 1.2 million Sudanese refugees. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), more than 878,000 of them have arrived since the conflict escalated in April 2023.
A Crisis of Women and Children
The demographics of this crisis are stark. Women and children make up an estimated 87% of the refugee population. They often arrive alone, malnourished, and traumatized by the violence they have fled.
Many have suffered severe rights violations.
Children have lost family members to bombings and face grave injuries.
The journey itself is perilous, leaving deep physical and psychological scars.
Within Sudan, the situation is even more catastrophic, with an estimated 12 million people displaced internally, further destabilizing the region.
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Source:
The New York Times
Life in the Desert Camps
Refugees are settled in remote areas of eastern Chad, an arid and underdeveloped region where resources are exceptionally scarce. Essential services are either nonexistent or dangerously out of reach.
Malnutrition and Healthcare Collapse
Access to food and clean water is severely limited, causing malnutrition rates to soar, especially among children and pregnant women. "I have searched and searched for help," one woman reported, a sentiment echoed across the camps.
Medical assistance is often a life-threatening journey away. The story of Makka Ibraheem Mohammed, who endured a traumatic ambulance ride with a ruptured uterus while in labor, highlights the lethal distances involved. The few health facilities that exist are completely overwhelmed, leading to preventable deaths.
No Livelihood, No Hope
There are virtually no opportunities for work in the isolated settlements. Families are left entirely dependent on humanitarian aid, which is dwindling due to funding shortfalls and logistical challenges. This leaves thousands living a hand-to-mouth existence with no clear path to self-sufficiency.
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Source:
CARE
A Failing Humanitarian Response
While aid agencies are on the ground, their efforts are being crippled by a severe lack of funding. The scale of the crisis far outstrips the resources available, leaving critical gaps in food, shelter, and medical care.
Regional Pressures Mount
The crisis extends beyond Chad. Other neighboring countries are also struggling to cope:
Egypt: Hosting 1.5 million Sudanese refugees.
South Sudan: Hosting 1.2 million refugees.
Chadian Returnees: An estimated 270,000 Chadians have returned from Sudan, adding further pressure on local resources.
Protection and Systemic Failures
In many host countries, refugees lack official documentation, restricting their movement and access to services. They are often forced to compete with local communities for overstretched resources, creating a volatile environment.
The international community's response has been insufficient to address the crisis. Without a significant increase in funding and diplomatic pressure to end the conflict in Sudan, the suffering of millions will only worsen, warns the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
How are the refugees in Chad being supported medically?
Medical support for refugees in Chad is critically insufficient. The few available medical facilities are overwhelmed and often located a life-threatening distance away from the camps. This lack of access leads to increased maternal and child mortality and untreated illnesses. Humanitarian agencies are providing what care they can, but resources are severely limited.
What are the main challenges faced by women and children refugees in Chad?
How has the influx of Sudanese refugees affected the local communities in Chad?
What kind of aid is being provided to the refugees in Chad?
How are the living conditions in the refugee camps in Chad?
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