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UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is raising the alarm over the deepening humanitarian emergency in eastern Chad, where the number of Sudanese refugees has more than tripled in just over two years of deadly conflict. 

Since April 2023, more than 844,000 Sudanese refugees have crossed into Chad. Prior to this latest crisis, Chad was hosting approximately 409,000 Sudanese refugees who had fled earlier waves of conflict in Darfur between 2003 and 2023. In just over two years, the country has seen this refugee population surge to over 1.2 million people, far exceeding the number received during the previous two decades and placing unsustainable pressure on Chad’s ability to respond.

The most recent influx to Chad began in late April 2025, following violent attacks by armed groups in North Darfur in early April. Assaults on displacement camps, including Zamzam and Abu Shouk, and El Fasher town killed more than 300 civilians and sent tens of thousands in search of safety. In just over a month, 68,556 refugees have arrived in Chad’s Wadi Fira and Ennedi Est provinces, with an average of 1,400 people crossing the border daily in recent days. These civilians are fleeing in terror, many under fire, navigating armed checkpoints, extortion, and tight restrictions imposed by armed groups.

UNHCR protection teams have interviewed 6,810 newly-arrived refugees since late April, uncovering harrowing accounts of violence and loss. A staggering 72 per cent reported serious human rights violations, including physical and sexual violence, arbitrary detention, and forced recruitment; 60 per cent said they had been separated from family members.

As well as a displacement emergency, there is a devastating children’s crisis unfolding.

Among school-aged children, 66 per cent are currently out of education, and 30 children have arrived with serious injuries.

Among those affected is Hawa, a seven-year-old girl who fled to Chad with her older sister after losing her mother, father and two brothers in a bombardment of Zamzam. During the attack, Hawa sustained severe injuries and one of her legs had to be amputated. Her story is just one among countless others that reflect the devastating physical and psychological toll of the ongoing war on civilians in Sudan. There is an urgent need to expand health-care provision and mental health support to address immediate suffering and lay the groundwork for recovery and reconciliation.

Despite the efforts of humanitarian partners and local authorities, the emergency response remains dangerously underfunded. Shelter conditions are equally dire. Only 14 per cent of current needs are being met, leaving tens of thousands exposed to extreme weather and insecurity. Refugees currently receive only 5 litres of water per person per day, well below the international standard of 15 to 20 litres for basic daily needs. This severe shortage forces families to make impossible choices that put their health and dignity at risk. Additionally, around 290,000 refugees remain stranded at the border, exposed to the elements, insecurity and the risk of further violence.

UNHCR also stresses the urgent need for the global community to acknowledge and act to eradicate the grave human rights abuses being endured in Sudan. The violence in and around El Fasher, the proliferation of checkpoints, and movement restrictions imposed by armed groups are making civilian movement increasingly perilous and contributing to rising risks for those still trying to flee.

As part of the Sudan Regional Refugee Response, UNHCR and partners in Chad are urgently seeking $553.7 million to respond to the life-saving needs of refugees fleeing Sudan into eastern Chad, including protection, shelter, food, water and sanitation.

Four million people have now fled Sudan into neighbouring countries since the start of the war, now in its third year – a devastating milestone in what is the world's most damaging displacement crisis. If the conflict continues, thousands more people will continue to flee, putting regional and global stability at stake. 

This is a crisis of humanity, of safety, and of childhood. The lives and futures of millions of innocent civilians, including children like Hawa, hang in the balance. Without a significant increase in funding, life-saving assistance cannot be delivered at the scale and speed required.