The number of Sudanese fleeing into Chad has surged twentyfold in recent days as escalating violence, aerial attacks and deteriorating humanitarian conditions drive more civilians from their homes, the United Nations refugee agency warned on Friday.
More than 400 people a day crossed into eastern Chad over the past week, compared with an average of around 20 daily arrivals in recent months, according to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
The new arrivals are escaping violence and worsening living conditions in Sudan’s Darfur, Kordofan and Blue Nile regions, where fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has intensified.
Mamadou Dian Balde, the UN’s regional refugee coordinator for Sudan, said people arriving in Chad described fleeing armed clashes, aerial bombardments and drone strikes.
Speaking to reporters in Geneva via video link from Nairobi, Balde warned that the humanitarian response was struggling to meet the growing needs of displaced Sudanese.
Funding crisis threatens refugee assistance
UNHCR said it had received just 18 percent of the $1.6 billion required for its Sudan refugee response this year, leaving critical assistance severely underfunded.
The funding shortfall is limiting the agency’s ability to provide food, emergency shelter and transportation to safer locations for people escaping the conflict.
Balde warned that dwindling resources were leaving refugees increasingly exposed to hunger, insecurity and further displacement.
The agency also cautioned that inadequate assistance in Chad could push more Sudanese refugees to undertake dangerous journeys towards Europe.
According to UNHCR’s analysis, refugees who repeatedly fail to find safety and adequate support are more likely to move onwards in search of better conditions.
Nearly one million Sudanese seek refuge in Chad
Almost one million Sudanese refugees have entered Chad since the war erupted in April 2023, including more than 55,000 who have arrived since the beginning of 2026, according to UNHCR figures.
The conflict has displaced up to 14 million people, devastated agricultural production and severely damaged Sudan’s economy.
Alongside the fighting, drought and increasingly difficult living conditions are forcing more families to abandon their homes.
The latest influx comes as humanitarian organisations face mounting financial pressure following substantial foreign assistance cuts by the administration of US President Donald Trump and other international donors.
UNHCR warned that without additional funding, its ability to respond to the growing refugee emergency will deteriorate further, leaving hundreds of thousands of displaced Sudanese without adequate support.
