More than 18,500 Sudanese refugees have crossed into eastern Chad in just the past two weeks, according to the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR), as violence escalates in Sudan’s Darfur region. The mass displacement follows brutal attacks by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on civilians in the Zamzam displacement camp and the city of al-Fasher, leaving hundreds of thousands scrambling for safety.
The UNHCR warns that the scale of displacement is unprecedented and overwhelming border areas in Chad already burdened with limited resources. “We didn’t expect this big influx of people,” said Jean-Paul Habamungu, head of the UNHCR sub-office in eastern Chad. “It’s terrible here at the border. Many children—some as young as nine—are arriving alone, crying, and looking for their parents.”
Desperate Conditions at the Border
The humanitarian situation at Chad’s border is dire. Families are arriving with little more than the clothes on their backs, many suffering from severe malnutrition and trauma. Among the new arrivals are pregnant women, the elderly, and children who have trekked long distances with no food or medical support.
Habamungu described meeting a 14-year-old boy and a nine-year-old child, both separated from their families and visibly traumatized. “There are so many with specific needs—malnourished, exhausted, and frightened. People are dying on the journey from Zamzam to Tawila and Tiné—dying from hunger,” he said.
The UNHCR estimates that more than 76% of the recent arrivals have endured violent experiences, including sexual assault, extortion, and theft during their flight. Humanitarian agencies fear that the worst is yet to come, with more refugees expected to follow.
Chad Overwhelmed as Refugee Numbers Soar
Chad, already one of the poorest countries in the region, is under immense strain. It currently hosts around 1.3 million refugees, including nearly 800,000 who have fled Sudan since civil war erupted in April 2023. Humanitarian groups report that essential services such as clean water, food, healthcare, and education are stretched thin.
“The arrival of tens of thousands more refugees will put enormous pressure on our limited resources,” Habamungu added. “Shelters are overcrowded, and clean drinking water is scarce. We are doing our best, but we urgently need more support.”
Zamzam Camp Massacre: A Turning Point in the Conflict
The most recent wave of displacement was triggered by a brutal assault on the Zamzam camp for internally displaced people, located in North Darfur. On April 11, the RSF launched a three-day raid on the camp, which was home to half a million residents before the attack. According to aid groups and survivors, the RSF killed at least 400 people and left the camp in ruins.
Witnesses reported horrific scenes of violence. Men and women were gunned down in the streets, others were beaten or tortured, and women and girls were subjected to rape and sexual violence. “It was a bloodbath,” one aid worker said anonymously. “The RSF rampaged through the camp, destroying everything in their path.”
Zamzam’s only medical center, operated by Relief International, was destroyed during the attack. Nine humanitarian workers were killed. Much of the camp’s southern and eastern zones were burned to the ground, according to the General Coordination for Displaced Persons and Refugees in Darfur.
The RSF, which has yet to respond publicly to these allegations, has faced repeated accusations of war crimes and crimes against humanity since the conflict began.
The Humanitarian Toll and Call for Action
The UN and other international agencies are warning of a looming humanitarian catastrophe. In Darfur and surrounding areas, civilians are caught in the crossfire of a brutal power struggle between Sudan’s regular army and the RSF. The latest attacks signal a worsening pattern of ethnic violence and targeted assaults on civilian populations.
Aid workers say many of those fleeing are in advanced stages of malnutrition, including pregnant and breastfeeding women. “We are seeing people arrive with sunken eyes, skeletal bodies, and no strength left to speak,” a nurse in a border clinic reported. “Many collapse upon arrival.”
UNHCR has called for an urgent scale-up of international assistance to Chad and neighboring countries taking in Sudanese refugees. “The situation is untenable,” said a UNHCR spokesperson. “The international community must respond quickly and generously to prevent further loss of life.”
A Region in Crisis
Sudan’s war, now in its third year, began with a failed power-sharing arrangement between the military and the RSF, both of which vied for control after the ouster of longtime dictator Omar al-Bashir. The conflict has since devastated major cities and displaced over eight million people, making it one of the world’s largest displacement crises.
While attention initially focused on Khartoum and western Darfur, the conflict is now impacting more remote regions, further destabilizing the broader Sahel area.
Chadian officials have urged the international community to do more, warning that regional stability is at risk. “We cannot bear the burden of Sudan’s war alone,” one government representative said. “Chad needs food, funding, and security support immediately.”
Hope Fading for Sudan’s Displaced
As international aid slowly trickles in, hope is fading among many Sudanese families who have already endured years of displacement. “We have lost everything—our homes, our families, our future,” said Fatima, a 32-year-old mother of three who arrived at the border last week. “Now we just want safety and something to eat.”
Aid workers continue to stress the urgent need for protection measures, including safe spaces for women and children, medical care for the injured, and psychological support for those who’ve suffered unspeakable trauma.
Without a significant international response, experts warn, the crisis could spiral even further out of control—turning what is already a massive humanitarian emergency into a full-blown catastrophe.
