Barham Salih, UN High Commissioner for Refugees from Chad: What is happening in Sudan is a massive humanitarian catastrophe

During his first official mission abroad as High Commissioner, Saleh met with Sudanese refugee families who fled fierce fighting in Darfur a few days ago, many of whom have been displaced multiple times since the outbreak of the conflict, as they described years of violent attacks and human rights violations.

The High Commissioner said in a statement issued on Friday that Saleh spoke with women who had been raped, and with people whose fathers had been killed, and who arrived in Chad with only what they could carry and their hope of reaching a safe place.

Saleh said: “What is happening in Sudan is a massive humanitarian catastrophe. Chad’s generous welcome to refugees is nothing but an expressive gesture of solidarity.”.

He added: “By keeping its borders open to refugees and protecting them, Chad provides these people with security, dignity and legal status. These are the foundations on which solutions can be built to enable refugees to rebuild their lives and contribute to society.”.

Lack of funding

UNHCR reminded that since April 2023, more than 900,000 Sudanese refugees have arrived in eastern Chad, with new numbers arriving every day.

Sudan is now considered the largest and most dire displacement crisis in the world, with 12 million people displaced so far, including more than 4.3 million refugees throughout the region.

The High Commissioner noted that the people of eastern Chad are in dire need of assistance, but due to lack of funding, the assistance provided does not even meet the minimum required.

He added: “The responsibility for hosting these refugees falls on Chad, but other countries must come together to support it, as it cannot be left to bear this responsibility alone.”.

Meeting with students, doctors and teachers

The High Commissioner visited programs designed to build self-reliance for both refugees and their host communities.

In Iridimi camp, he spoke with refugee students who are gaining digital and language skills to support their education and enter the job market. In Farshana camp, he visited farms whose crops both refugees and host communities benefit from and sell together. In Absha, he met a group of lawyers, doctors and teachers who had been displaced from Sudan and who were now able to practice their professions in Chad.

In the capital, N’Djamena, Saleh met with President Mohamed Idriss Déby Itno, where he reaffirmed UNHCR’s commitment to supporting refugees and their host communities alongside the government, praising the communities that generously welcomed refugees despite economic difficulties and environmental pressures.