Chad struggles as new Sudanese refugees strain resources and infrastructure

Farchana refugee settlement, Chad – The Rapid Support Forces’ (RSF) capture of el-Fasher, North Darfur state’s capital, has triggered a fresh wave of violence, destruction and displacement in Sudan’s devastating civil war.

This 30-month conflict between the paramilitary group and the government-aligned Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) has created the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, displacing nearly 12 million people.

Thousands escaping the recent violence are seeking refuge in Chad, which already hosts more than 880,000 Sudanese refugees. Though now safe from immediate danger, many refugees struggle to survive as humanitarian funding continues to decrease.

Chad currently shelters almost 1.3 million forcibly displaced persons, including at least 760,000 Sudanese refugees who have arrived since April 2023. This massive influx, mostly women and children, strains a country already battling economic weakness, conflict and extreme weather events.

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) collaborates with Chad’s government to coordinate humanitarian operations, transfer refugees from border areas to established facilities, and provide essential protection services and aid, including water, shelter, food and medical provisions. Work continues to move more than 237,000 refugees from temporary settlements near Adre to locations with better healthcare and educational access.

The malnutrition ward at the Farchana Hospital is currently treating at least 80 infants and children who need urgent care. These young patients receive continuous monitoring and specialised nutritional therapy throughout their recovery. However, funding for this vital programme will expire by late 2025, putting countless vulnerable children at risk.

“We need a lot of support to provide enough medicine for both refugees and the host community. The number of people here is overwhelming, and seasonal diseases and outbreaks make the situation even more difficult,” said Mohamed Ibrahim, a pharmacist from Al Jazeera state in central Sudan, who fled the war with his wife and children and now works at the Farchana Hospital. With resources severely limited, he becomes increasingly concerned about his fellow refugees’ health.

Water demand in the Farchana refugee settlement has risen dramatically. The dry conditions and ongoing arrival of new refugees from Sudan have worsened these shortages, with at least 41,000 new refugees arriving in 2025 alone.

This photo essay was provided by UNHCR