Sudanese refugee camps in eastern Chad, particularly in the Adré and Aboutengué areas, are facing worsening humanitarian conditions due to severe shortages of basic necessities and public services, affecting both refugees and host communities.
Refugees in Gaga Camp have been living under heightened tension and restrictions since last week following the discovery of the body of a resident inside the camp, an incident that has increased tensions with the local community.
These developments coincided with the visit of Raouf Mazou, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees’ Assistant High Commissioner for Operations, to Sudanese refugee camps in eastern Chad last week. During his visit, he met with refugees who had fled the war in Sudan and praised their resilience despite the extremely difficult humanitarian conditions they continue to face.
Mashaweer spoke with several Sudanese refugee women, who described their difficult journeys on foot with their children after becoming separated from their families while fleeing the conflict. They also shared their daily struggles inside the camps, highlighting the shortage of basic necessities and the deteriorating security situation.
Othman Ishaq, a volunteer with one of the humanitarian organizations operating in eastern Chad, told Mashaweer that the current priority should be strengthening the local healthcare system so it can meet the needs of both refugees and host communities, rather than establishing parallel health services exclusively for refugees.
He added that several refugee-led income-generating initiatives—including the production of cooking oils and food products, as well as small-scale trading—have contributed to stimulating the local economy and creating opportunities to improve livelihoods within host communities.
