About 300,000 migrants have left Sudan’s turmoil in search of safety and asylum in Chad, joining the 580,000 refugees who have previously arrived.
“Chad has been gracious in accepting Sudanese refugees, but Chad is a low-income, crisis-affected country,” says David Miliband, president and CEO of the International Rescue Committee.
According to the UNHCR, women and children make up 90% of people coming from Sudan. One-fifth of the small children that have arrived in Chad are suffering from extreme malnourishment, which might be fatal.
“The fact that women and children make up such a large proportion of the new arrivals in Chad is particularly worrying because they are often the most vulnerable groups in conflict situations,” explains Aleksandra Roulet-Cimpric, the IRC’s country director in Chad. “Women and children are at greater risk of violence, exploitation, and abuse, and they may also face difficulties accessing basic necessities such as food, water and healthcare.”
Despite the urgent need to support Sudanese refugees arriving in Chad, international donors have fallen short of funding the humanitarian response in the country.
“Out of the requested $226 million USD to respond to this crisis, only a mere 11 percent of the required funding has been raised,” explains Mwiti Mungania, the IRC’s emergency country director in Chad. “Urgent action is needed to bridge this funding gap and ensure that the necessary resources reach those in desperate need.”
