• Over 49,000 Sudanese refugees arrived in Chad in October 2024 alone.

  • Since the crisis began in April 2023, 680,000 Sudanese refugees have fled to Chad.

  • 88% of the refugees are women and children, who arrive severely traumatised with very little provisions.

  • The Humanitarian Response Plan for Eastern Chad is only 27% funded.

Birak, Chad, October 28, 2024 —  The International Rescue Committee (IRC) is sounding the alarm on the worsening humanitarian crisis in eastern Chad. More than 49,000 Sudanese refugees have arrived in the Wadi Fira region since the beginning of October 2024, including 19,500 in just the past few days.

As fighting intensifies in El Fasher and along the Sudanese-Chadian border, refugees are fleeing en mass. These new arrivals add to the680,000 refugees who have already fled Sudan to Chad since the outbreak of the crisis in April 2023. Among them, 88% are women and children, underscoring their heightened vulnerability.

Thousands of individuals, some injured or traumatised, are arriving at the border entry points of Birak, Koulbous, and Tiné in the Wadi Fira region. Authorities continue to register new arrivals, many of whom are still waiting for family members trapped by the ongoing fighting but en route to Chad.

Mohamed Ag Tibi, IRC Senior Area Coordinator for eastern Chad, said: 

"The humanitarian situation is alarming. Refugees are arriving in extreme distress, both physically and mentally. They are destitute and living in dire conditions, requiring immediate attention to their primary health care, mental health, shelter, hygiene, and food security needs. Donors and the international community mustn't turn their attention away from this crisis, which is being forgotten. Every day matters in saving lives and restoring dignity to these people."

The IRC has established a clinic in Birak that provides primary health care, nutrition, sexual and reproductive health services, and mental health support. In parallel, an IRC mobile team, supported by an ambulance, assists refugees during their relocation to reception sites.

Despite these efforts, the emergency response in eastern Chad remains severely underfunded, with only 27% of the necessary resources mobilised. Without additional financial support, response capacity will remain limited in addressing the growing humanitarian needs.

The IRC reiterates its commitment to providing life-saving assistance to Sudanese refugees and calls for urgent international action to respond to this crisis.