N'Djamena: The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has raised alarm over the rapid increase in Sudanese refugees arriving in eastern Chad. Approximately 20,000 refugees, primarily women and children, have arrived in the past two weeks, many suffering from exhaustion and trauma.
According to Qatar News Agency, UNHCR representative in Chad, Magatte Guisse, stated during a press briefing that the sudden influx is due to escalating violence in North Darfur, triggering mass displacement. The new refugees fled following attacks by armed groups on displacement camps, including Zamzam and Abu Shouk, as well as the city of Al Fashir, sparking panic among civilians.
Refugees have reported that thousands more are heading toward the Chad border, escaping ongoing violence, with estimates exceeding 10,000 people. Since the outbreak of conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces on April 15, 2023, Sudan has experienced the world's largest displacement crisis, with more than 12 million people forcibly displaced internally and externally.
Sudan is also facing one of the worst humanitarian crises globally, with UN estimates indicating that nearly 30 million people are in urgent need of assistance. The effects of the conflict are spilling into neighboring countries now hosting millions of Sudanese refugees.