Tens of thousands of Sudanese refugees continue to pour across the border into eastern Chad, escaping a brutal civil war marked by indiscriminate drone strikes and ground combat that has devastated their homeland since fighting erupted between rival military factions in April 2023.

The exodus has created a deepening humanitarian emergency in one of the world’s poorest nations, where resources to support the influx remain desperately scarce.

Refugees arriving in Chad’s border regions describe harrowing journeys through conflict zones, fleeing homes destroyed by artillery and aerial bombardment. Many walked for days through the desert with little food or water, carrying only what they could manage on foot.

“The drones came at night,” said Fatima Ahmed, 34, who fled the Darfur region with her four children after their village was attacked. “We heard the sound, then explosions. Our neighbors’ house was gone. We left with nothing.”

Chad, already grappling with its own economic challenges and hosting refugees from multiple regional conflicts, has struggled to provide adequate shelter, food, and clean water to the new arrivals. Makeshift camps have sprung up near the border, where families sleep in improvised shelters fashioned from plastic sheeting and scraps of fabric.

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Medical care remains critically limited. Aid workers report that refugees arrive suffering from malnutrition, dehydration, and untreated injuries sustained during their escape or from violence in Sudan. Pregnant women and children are particularly vulnerable, with minimal access to maternal healthcare or pediatric services.

Mental health support is virtually nonexistent, despite widespread trauma among the refugee population. Many have witnessed killings, lost family members, or experienced sexual violence during the conflict. Without psychological services, survivors cope with trauma largely on their own.

International humanitarian organizations have appealed for increased funding and resources, warning that without substantial intervention, conditions in the camps will continue to deteriorate. The United Nations refugee agency has called the situation one of the most underfunded crises globally.

As the war in Sudan shows no signs of abating, aid workers expect the flow of refugees into Chad to continue, further straining the country’s already overwhelmed response capacity.