Open Letter to the International Community as the Sudan Conflict Enters Its Third Year : Two Years of Crisis: How the Sudan Conflict Has Disrupted Millions of Lives in Eastern Chad

Nearly one million people have sought refuge in Chad’s eastern provinces over the past two years—a staggering figure. Yet, even before this massive influx, two out of three people in Ouaddaï, Wadi Fira, and Sila provinces were already in need of humanitarian assistance, according to joint analyses by the Chadian government and humanitarian organizations in early 2023. The outbreak of the Sudan crisis on April 15, 2023, dramatically worsened this situation, with the number of people in need rising from 1.1 million in January 2023 to nearly 2.4 million by January 2025.

Two years on, the ripple effects of Sudan’s crisis have been devastating for Chad, a country already on the frontlines of the climate crisis, battling recurrent floods and droughts. These conditions have only deepened food insecurity and malnutrition. Today, in Chad’s eastern provinces, access to water, land, and essential services is more strained than ever. Host communities report losing agricultural land to spontaneous refugee and returnee settlements and express growing frustration as their own vulnerabilities escalate while international attention remains focused on the displaced.

Yet, in the face of overwhelming challenges, the people and government of Chad have demonstrated extraordinary compassion and resilience. They have kept their borders open, welcoming Sudanese refugees, asylum seekers, and returning Chadians with open arms. The Chadian government has also facilitated cross-border humanitarian operations into Sudan, a lifeline for millions of people in desperate need.

Since April 15, 2023, UNHCR and IOM have recorded the arrival of over 769,000 Sudanese refugees and 216,000 Chadian returnees into Chad, adding to the 400,000 refugees who had fled Darfur in waves since 2003. This year alone, escalating violence and widespread hunger in Sudan have already forced nearly 50,000 more refugees and 24,000 returnees to seek safety in Chad—numbers that could climb to 250,000 and 40,000, respectively, by year’s end.

The needs of those arriving are immense and heartbreaking. Many have endured or witnessed unimaginable violence on their journey to safety. Most arrive with nothing but clothes on their backs, in desperate need of shelter, clean water, food, and medical care.

In response, the 2025 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan aims to assist over 2 million people in Chad’s eastern provinces. The plan seeks to mobilize urgent support for life-saving interventions, including nutritional aid for 577,000 children and breastfeeding women, food assistance for 726,000 people, water and sanitation support for 580,000 people, and shelter for 112,000 people.

On this grim anniversary, my colleagues in the humanitarian community and I are deeply concerned about the global landscape, where multiple crises are competing for attention amid widespread cuts to aid budgets.

As the conflict enters its third year with no resolution in sight, I urge the international community to stand with Chad and support peace efforts in Sudan. Millions of lives are at stake.

Together, we can bring hope and relief to those who need it most.

François Batalingaya

Humanitarian Coordinator in Chad