On Monday, MSF warned that thousands of Sudanese refugees who fled to Chad to avoid fighting could be shut off from humanitarian and medical aid during the rainy season.
Since April’s fighting in Sudan, more than 100,000 people have fled to Chad, and the UNHCR warned earlier this month that the number could quadruple in three months.
Audrey van der Schoot, MSF’s Head of Mission in Chad, warned that flooding might isolate refugees and host communities in eastern Sila and other border areas with Sudan this time of year.
She claimed insufficient water and sanitation would increase the danger of waterborne and infectious diseases during rains.
“We fear that with the coming rainfall, people in this border area will be trapped and forgotten,” she said, highlighting Sudanese arrivals.
Due to humanitarian aid shortages, about 30,000 refugees in Sila lack shelter, water, and food. MSF said many moved in with local host families, straining scarce resources.
Before the Sudanese crisis, Chad hosted 600,000 refugees.
At the start of June, only 16% of Chad’s $214.1 million UNHCR-required funding for displaced people was financed.
Due to the fighting, Chadian border residents cannot access healthcare or markets in Sudan. MSF stated food and commodities prices have skyrocketed in malnourished areas.
