According to the United Nations (UN), over 1,053 families have fled from Sudan to Chad due to an ongoing armed conflict in the region. Laura Lo Castro, the Chadian representative of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), stated that UNHCR Chad and its partners started preliminary registration of the influx of Sudanese refugees on April 25 in eastern Chad. During the registration process, 1,053 refugee families were registered, and 102 families of Chadian returnees were identified.

Castro had previously estimated that between 10,000 and 20,000 people from Sudan had fled to Chad. She mentioned that a joint mission was conducted with the World Food Programme, UNHCR, the UN Children’s Fund, and Chad’s national commission responsible for refugees to assess the urgent needs of the refugees and create a response plan.

The UN warned last week that the new arrivals will be entering a situation marked by “soaring” humanitarian needs and “chronic” underfunding, as there was no funding for food assistance beyond May 2023 in Chad.