Statement on the Deteriorating Conditions and Protection Risks Facing Sudanese Refugees in Eastern Chad.

The Sudanese Alliance for Rights (SAR) expresses grave concern over the deteriorating humanitarian and protection conditions facing Sudanese refugees in eastern Chad, who continue to endure prolonged displacement with inadequate access to food, healthcare, education and livelihood opportunities.

Since the outbreak of the conflict in April 2023, Sudan has experienced one of the world’s largest displacement crises, forcing millions from their homes within Sudan and across its borders. Chad has borne a significant share of this regional displacement. More than 941,000 Sudanese refugees have crossed into Chad since April 2023, with the majority hosted in the eastern provinces of Ouaddaï, Wadi Fira, Sila and Ennedi Est.

Despite the length of their displacement, refugees continue to report deteriorating conditions in the camps, including difficulties accessing adequate food, healthcare and education. Limited livelihood opportunities have left many families struggling to meet basic needs.

Reports received by SAR indicate that some refugees face beatings, insults and confiscation of tools when leaving the camps to collect firewood or seek income. These reports raise serious concerns about the safety and protection of refugees who are being forced to leave the camps in search of basic necessities.

No refugee should have to choose between remaining in a camp without sufficient access to basic necessities and risking violence or abuse in order to obtain food, firewood or a means of livelihood.

Chad has an established legal framework for refugee protection. Its 2020 Asylum Law recognises refugees’ rights to education, healthcare and public assistance, alongside protections relating to employment, freedom of movement and access to justice.

The conditions reported by refugees must therefore be understood not only as a humanitarian crisis, but also as a protection and human rights concern. Where refugees face violence, harassment or the confiscation of livelihood tools while attempting to meet basic needs, their security and ability to exercise their rights are placed at risk.

These concerns also arise within a wider protection crisis. UNHCR has identified protection risks affecting Sudanese refugees in Chad, while the scale of the response continues to place significant pressure on humanitarian services and host communities.

The situation warrants sustained attention from the United Nations Human Rights Council and relevant UN human rights mechanisms. The human rights consequences of Sudan’s conflict do not stop at its borders, and the protection needs of refugees who have fled to neighbouring countries must remain part of the international response.

The Government of Chad must ensure the safety and protection of refugees on its territory and address reported abuses. At the same time, Chad cannot shoulder the consequences of Sudan’s prolonged displacement crisis alone. The international community must provide sustained support, predictable funding and protection assistance to both refugees and host communities.

SAR calls on the Government of Chad to strengthen protection measures for Sudanese refugees, particularly around refugee settlements and along routes used to collect firewood, access markets and pursue livelihoods. Reports of beatings, harassment, intimidation and confiscation of livelihood tools must be investigated, and those responsible must be held accountable.

SAR urges the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the World Food Programme (WFP) and humanitarian partners to ensure that refugees can safely access essential assistance and services, including food, healthcare, education, water, shelter and livelihood opportunities. Protection monitoring and referral mechanisms must be strengthened, particularly for refugees exposed to violence and exploitation when seeking basic necessities.

SAR calls on the African Union (AU), the United Nations (UN), the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission for the Sudan, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and international donors to sustain attention and support for Sudanese refugees in Chad. This must include documenting and responding to reported abuses, engaging relevant Chadian authorities, and providing predictable resources for both immediate humanitarian assistance and longer-term access to education, healthcare, livelihoods and protection for refugees and host communities.

Sudanese refugees in eastern Chad have endured more than three years of war, displacement and uncertainty. Their continued struggle to access basic services, livelihoods and protection cannot be allowed to become a permanent feature of their lives.

Refugees are rights holders entitled to safety, dignity and protection. Prolonged displacement must not become prolonged neglect.

SAR calls on the Government of Chad, humanitarian agencies, regional institutions and the international community to act urgently to address the conditions facing Sudanese refugees and ensure that their rights and dignity remain at the centre of the response.

Sudanese Alliance for Rights (SAR)
22 September 2026