The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has recorded the arrival of nearly 20,000 Sudanese refugees in eastern Chad over the past two weeks, most of whom are women and children, amid escalating violence in the Darfur region, particularly in the city of El Fasher and surrounding areas.
The “Tiné” border crossing in Wadi Fira province witnessed the largest influx, with around 6,000 people arriving in just two days. Between April 21 and May 6, more than 14,000 refugees were registered in Wadi Fira, and another 5,300 in the Ennedi-Est province.
The refugees are fleeing brutal attacks by armed groups on displacement camps, including Zamzam and Abu Shouk, where many reported severe abuses such as killings, sexual violence, looting, and the burning of homes. Some stated that over 10,000 people are still on their way to the border, amid dire humanitarian conditions.
Initial protection reports conducted by UNHCR and its partners indicated that 76% of the new arrivals had experienced incidents of violence or exploitation. A total of 752 at-risk children were identified, along with 22 injured individuals, as well as pregnant and breastfeeding women and elderly people in urgent need of support.
Despite local efforts to respond to the crisis, Chad’s capacity to accommodate refugees has become overstretched, as the country is already hosting more than 1.3 million refugees, including nearly 800,000 Sudanese since the conflict began.
The UNHCR continues to relocate refugees to safer locations, such as the “Iridimi” site in Wadi Fira, where nearly 1,850 people have been moved through eight relief convoys since April 23. However, the scale of the needs significantly exceeds the available resources.
The UNHCR has urged the international community to intervene urgently and increase support, as only 20% of the $409 million Humanitarian Response Appeal for 2025 has been funded.
