Over 630,000 Sudanese refugees seeking shelter in Chad: UNHCR
WFP and other humanitarian workers speak to new Sudanese arrivals in Chad (Photo: WFP/Jacques David)
August 21, 2024 (DJAMENA) – More than 630,000 people from Sudan have arrived in Chad putting enormous strain on the nation, the United Nations said.
The Chadian government estimates that the number of refugees and returnees in Chad could reach 910,000 by the end of 2024, given the persistence of conflicts in Sudan as well as the constant influx of new refugees and returnees.
The province of Quaddai currently hosts more 445,000 refugees, while Sila province has 93,841, Wadi Fira province 85,298 and Ennedi-Est has 7,046 refugees.
Nearly 90 per cent of the refugees in Chad are women and children, with women accounting for 26 percent. Many of them lack basic health care for their families.
Since fighting broke out in mid-April last year, more than 10 million people have been forced from their homes, the largest number in the world. But while most of them are still in Sudan, about two million have crossed into neighbouring countries
Hundreds of Sudanese refugees are still fleeing across the border to Chad every day, yet dozens of the existing overcrowded camps and haphazard settlements in eastern Chad are reportedly suffering shortages of food and health care.
Heavy storms and flooding have recently destroyed many of the refugee homes.
According to reports, more than 200,000 refugees in temporary settlements in eastern Chad are still awaiting a move to permanent sites with better facilities.
There are already concerns that funding to UN agencies is far short of its targets.
The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) has appealed for about $220-million to help the refugees in eastern Chad this year, but it has reportedly received only 37 per cent of the needed funds so far. In addition, the UN’s broader appeal for funds for the entire Sudan crisis has received less than 40 per cent of what it needs this year.
(ST)