Aid Cuts Threaten the Survival of Sudanese Refugees in Chad
In eastern Chad, near the Sudan border, the Ouré-Cassoni camp is now home to over 117,000 people. As families keep arriving to escape the war in Sudan, the daily needs of Sudanese refugees in Chad are growing rapidly. However, the money meant to help them is dropping.
In this isolated camp, the lack of aid is hitting families hard. Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)
is urging leaders to make this camp a top priority before the situation gets worse.
Sadia, who fled the violence in Sudan, now works in the camp as an MSF health promoter. “I arrived here as a refugee, and today I work with other refugees,” she explains. “I know what it means to wonder what tomorrow will bring.”
The Struggle for Food and Clean Water
Since the war started in April 2023, massive waves of people have arrived at the camp. But the resources to help them have not kept up with the crowds.
When food handouts are cut, families simply cannot feed their children. Salwa, a mother living in the camp, says, “When food is reduced, we just have to survive on very little. The whole family suffers.”
Because of these food shortages, malnutrition is rising. More and more children are showing up at local health facilities
needing urgent nutritional support. Parents are being forced to make impossible choices every day.
Water is another major crisis. Right now, Sudanese refugees in Chad living in the camp only get about two liters of water a day. This is dangerously lower than the 15 to 20 liters needed to stay healthy in an emergency. Less funding means less clean water is pumped and treated for the camp. As a result, illnesses like diarrhea are spreading quickly among the Sudanese refugees in Chad.
Poor Shelter and Health Risks
Beyond food and water, finding a safe place to sleep is a desperate challenge. Thousands of families live in makeshift tents built from whatever scraps they can find. These poor living conditions lead to serious breathing problems and other health issues.
To make matters worse, the camp only has one main health center. If someone needs special medical help, they have to leave the camp, and only the most critical emergencies get paid for by aid groups.
Safety is also a major worry, especially for women and girls. They often have to leave the safety of the camp to find wood and water, which puts them at a high risk of assault. MSF treated over 90 survivors of sexual violence in just the first half of the year, highlighting the extreme vulnerability of Sudanese refugees in Chad.
A Call for Immediate Action
Despite this massive crisis, the Ouré-Cassoni camp was left out of the main humanitarian response plans
for the coming year. For MSF, the gap between what people need and what they are actually getting is terrifying.
“This camp must be a priority for donors,” warns MSF project coordinator Joshua Ayuba Mpato. “We are talking about more than 117,000 people with huge needs. The situation we are seeing here cannot continue. Without urgent help, the suffering of Sudanese refugees in Chad will only get worse.”
