Funding gap threatens aid for over one million Sudanese refugees in Chad

More than one million Sudanese refugees in Chad risk losing access to critical aid, including food and water, unless donors step in to close a funding gap of over $400 million, UN agencies warned on Thursday.

According to a joint statement by the World Food Programme and the UNHCR, current resources are insufficient to meet the growing needs of refugees fleeing the conflict in Sudan.

More than 1.3 million Sudanese refugees are currently in Chad, most having arrived since fighting broke out in April 2023 between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces. 

The agencies said a funding shortfall of $428 million could force further reductions in assistance in the coming months. "With less than half the resources we require, we cannot deliver sufficient food to the people who need it most," said WFP Chad Country Director Sarah Gordon-Gibson. "This ​will force them into devastating coping strategies and put lives at risk." 

The UNHCR says it can ​only help four of every 10 refugees in Chad, leaving ​many without ⁠access to shelter, while most classrooms have over 100 children for every teacher.

Water shortages are acute in some areas, particularly in eastern Chad, where refugees are surviving on less than half the minimum daily requirement.

The Norwegian Refugee Council has also highlighted worsening hunger, noting that about 70% of refugee families surveyed reported reducing their meals in the past month.