Over 610,000 people crossed to Chad from Sudan: MSF

February 19, 2024 (N’DJAMENA) – More than 610,000 people have crossed from Sudan into Chad seeking refuge, with many of them settling in Daguessa and Goz-Aschiye in the Sila region since the start of the conflict, a medical charity said.

These areas, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) said in a statement, already faced chronic food insecurity and the influx has significantly exacerbated the situation.

MSF paints a grim picture of the situation in Chad’s Sila region, where nearly 92,000 people, mostly Chadian returnees and Sudanese refugees, struggle for survival amidst limited resources and strained humanitarian responses.

“People have seen terrible things in Sudan,” Alimè, a Sudanese refugee who fled with her daughter said, adding “They lost everything and arrived here with nothing.”

MSF teams in Daguessa and Goz-Aschiye are reportedly providing critical healthcare, including mobile clinics, stabilization tents and malnutrition programs.

However, the needs far outweigh available resources, the medical charity said.

“One woman told me her children hadn’t eaten in four days,” says Goumsou Mahamat Abadida, an MSF health promoter, adding “It’s a heartbreaking reality, and healthcare alone isn’t enough.”

MSF highlights the urgent need for increased humanitarian support, including food assistance, improved access to clean water and additional healthcare services.

“The response is simply inadequate,” stressed Khatab Muhy, the MSF head of mission in Chad, adding “We urge donors and other organizations to step up and help address this growing crisis before it’s too late.”

At least 25 million people are struggling with soaring rates of hunger and malnutrition as Sudan’s crisis sends shock waves around the region, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) said Tuesday.

(ST)