A French NGO, Action Contre La Faim (ACF), has issued a warning about the urgent humanitarian crisis in Chad, where approximately 3.4 million people are in desperate need of assistance.
The situation has been exacerbated by the influx of Sudanese refugees fleeing conflict, particularly in the eastern provinces of Chad, which already faced challenges with poor access to basic services.
According to ACF, the arrival of refugees has further intensified the need for humanitarian aid in these vulnerable areas.
In March, the United Nations had already raised concerns about the looming halt in life-saving food aid for hundreds of thousands of Sudanese refugees unless international funding was secured.
The UN World Food Programme (WFP) has appealed for $242 million in donations to sustain its operations and continue supporting 1.2 million Sudanese refugees in Chad.
With the rainy season approaching, there is a risk of road access being cut off for humanitarian deliveries, further complicating the situation in eastern Chad.
Chad, one of the poorest countries in the world, has been grappling with internal displacement and refugees from neighboring countries, with 1.4 million people displaced internally or from neighboring countries even before the recent influx of Sudanese refugees.
ACF’s Chad director, Henri-Noel Tatangang, emphasized the urgent need for sustainable financing of the humanitarian response, as current funding only covers 4.5 percent of the requirements.
The conflict in Sudan’s western region, which began in 2003 and reignited in April last year, has resulted in the displacement of eight million people, with over 400,000 refugees fleeing to Chad between 2003 and 2020.
The number of refugees has since risen to 900,000, with women and children constituting 88 percent of them.
ACF also raised concerns about the alarming number of severe child malnutrition cases, with an estimated 480,000 cases expected in the year leading up to September 2024.
In response to the crisis, Chad’s transitional president, Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno, declared a “state of food and nutritional emergency” across the country in February.
As the humanitarian situation continues to worsen, urgent action and international support are required to alleviate the suffering of millions of people in Chad.
