From the World Food Program (WFP), Chad Country Director Pierre Honnorat said that 20,000 people entered Chad last week alone.
Speaking to journalists via Zoom from Zabout refugee camp in Goz Beida, Mr Honnorat described desperate scenes: “We can see that they have suffered, lost many family members and we don’t even dare to ask them, ‘Where are the men? ‘” The mothers’ response is often that they were killed. So you just see a lot of women, a lot of children.”
The newcomers are among more than 230,000 refugees and 38,000 returnees displaced by deadly clashes in the Darfur states of western Sudan.
“We need support, not hope”
Many were seriously injured and had harrowing tales of the violence endured, Mr Honnorat said as he asked for financial assistance for victims of the Sudan conflict, which began on April 15 and has been marked by the use of heavy weaponry and airstrikes with involvement rival armed forces.
“It’s far from over, we really need support, it’s not about hope anymore, we give them hope and reassurance, but they really need to eat every day,” said the WFP official, adding, “The situation is really critical.” ”
The UN agency needs at least US$13 million every month to scale up WFP’s assistance on the Chad-Sudan border.
Dying in feeding centers
Top priorities include treating the wounded and helping critically malnourished children make the crossing from Darfur to Chad. According to the WFP, one in ten displaced youths from Sudan is malnourished.
“Every week children are dying in the feeding centres, it’s a reality,” Mr Honnorat said. “The rate of child malnutrition is just too high right now and we need to be extremely quick in prevention to ensure those suffering from moderate to acute malnutrition get what they need urgently so they don’t end up in the worst situation advised.” Malnutrition.”
According to the UN refugee agency UNHCRThe conflict has displaced more than 2.5 million people within the country and across borders to neighboring countries. Before the crisis broke out, there were 1.1 million refugees in Sudan, mainly from South Sudan, Eritrea, Ethiopia and Syria.
Latest data from UNHCR suggests Chad has opened its borders to more than 190,000 refugees, followed by Egypt, which hosts more than 250,000 refugees.
“So little money”
In recent weeks, WFP has set up six makeshift health units, including two now being used as a makeshift hospital and medical logistics, and four as transit points for new refugees entering Chad.
“Rarely have I seen such a severe crisis with so few resources,” said the WFP country director. “I was also at the border, on the bridge, what is left as a bridge. It is a constant flow and those who are coming now are in a much worse situation than those who arrived in the first few days.”
Many of those arriving in Chad from Darfur are seriously injured. There have been reports of targeted attacks on fleeing civilians, with the ethnic dimension of the violence increasing.
