N’Djamena, October 2, 2025 — The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) is once again sounding the alarm as the number of Sudanese refugees fleeing the ongoing war has surged past 2 million, making Sudan the world’s largest displacement crisis. The majority of these refugees have crossed into eastern Chad, particularly in the provinces of Ouaddaï, Sila, and Wadi Fira, with many coming from the long-devastated region of Darfur.
New arrivals continue daily, straining an already overburdened system. Refugee camps that were originally designed to host tens of thousands are now overflowing with hundreds of thousands, forcing families to live in makeshift shelters with little access to food, clean water, or healthcare. Humanitarian officials warn that the influx shows no sign of slowing, with further waves expected in the coming months as violence escalates across Sudan.
UNHCR, working alongside the Chadian government and humanitarian partners, is racing to provide support: drilling boreholes to secure clean water, expanding latrine facilities, deploying mobile health clinics, and rushing to establish new camps. Yet these efforts remain critically underfunded. The rainy season has made relocation and construction even more difficult, leaving many families exposed to flooding, disease, and malnutrition.
Chad was already hosting over one million refugees from Sudan, the Central African Republic, Nigeria, Cameroon, and other crises before this latest wave began. The sheer scale of Sudan’s displacement crisis is now stretching local resources, social cohesion, and infrastructure beyond breaking point. Internal displacement within Chad itself adds another layer of vulnerability to communities already struggling for survival.
UNHCR stresses that the situation cannot be managed without urgent international solidarity. At least $214 million in immediate funding is required, with over $70 million specifically for Sudanese emergency response, to ensure access to lifesaving aid such as shelter, food, clean water, and medical care for both refugees and the host communities that have generously welcomed them.
The call is clear: without swift and decisive global support, millions of Sudanese refugees in Chad will face worsening hunger, disease, and insecurity. The time to act is now.
