DINA MAHMOUD (LONDON)

Amid United Nations’ (UN) expectations that the number of people fleeing to Chad due to the war in Sudan will exceed 600,000 by the end of this year, experts in African affairs warn of the negative impacts this can have on the economic, humanitarian, and living conditions in Chad.

The eastern regions of Chad have received an unprecedented influx of 490,000 people over the past six months. This influx is a combination of the Sudanese fleeing the war and Chadians returning to their country from Sudan, following the outbreak of fighting between the army and the Rapid Support Forces, which started in mid-April last year.

According to senior officials in N’Djamena, hosting this number of individuals imposes significant pressure on the already limited resources that Chadians rely on to survive and earn their daily bread, especially since 5.7 million of them suffer from food insecurity, while another 2.1 million face severe hunger.

Moreover, the influx of refugees and returning Chadians from Sudan has led to the displacement of some Chadians themselves, forcing them to leave their towns and villages to live elsewhere. Experts say that this could destabilise the domestic scene in Chad and that more attention should be paid to where the refugees are be hosted in the future.

This coincides with the continuing issues international relief agencies face in terms of providing the necessary budget to deliver vital humanitarian supplies to Chad. So far, only 25% of this budget, which amounts to more than 920 million dollars, has been acquired.

In statements published by the “Voice of America” website, Violet Kakyomya, the UN Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator in Chad, confirmed that the country is going through the worst period of food stock depletion in a decade, preventing its people from meeting their basic food needs.

This is partially attributed to the fact that Chad is classified among the countries most affected by the consequences of climate change. The country suffers from prolonged droughts and devastating floods, which have harmed more than seven million people, out of 18 million of the country’s total population. In addition to that, this African country is situated in a troubled region, fraught with political and security crises that affect many neighbouring countries, which leads to an influx of refugees from many directions.