As the civil war in Sudan continues to rage and drive people out of the country, humanitarian needs, including access to enough food, remain critical in refugee camps in eastern Chad, which has received over half a million refugees since the outbreak of the war in April 2023.
In Aboutengue, one of the camps, nearly 44,500 Sudanese refugees—the majority of whom are women and children—are facing severe cuts to food rations and poor living conditions due to a lack of adequate shelter.
"Life here is tragic compared to Sudan [prior to the war]," says Jimiya, who arrived in Aboutengue with her family in July 2023. "At first, we were given enough food, but now the rations have decreased. Recently, we only got sorghum and oil, which are hard to cook without fresh ingredients. We don’t have enough to sustain our family, especially the children."
Since February the primary humanitarian agency responsible for food aid has progressively reduced the rations. Uncertainty about future funding has led to significant supply disruptions and delays, according to the agency.
“We are paying close attention to these recurrent shortages in food distributions,” says Danielle Borges, Emergency Coordinator for MSF in East Chad. “It would be devastating if the gaps in this humanitarian response were creating an additional food crisis in these camps.”
The geographical isolation of Aboutengue camp, located in a remote area with very few livelihood opportunities, makes refugees even more dependent on this inadequate food assistance. Without sufficient food or financial support, women have to walk deep into surrounding forests to collect firewood, which is one of the few available ways to earn money.
However, this comes with serious risks. "Sometimes, when we’re in the forest, some people threaten us, saying we’re not allowed to collect wood,” says Aziza. a Sudanese refugee, a mother of seven children, who has been in the camp since July of last year. “Some of us have even been beaten.”
A bundle of dry branches sells for the equivalent of 1 to 3 euros in the informal markets that have sprung up around the camp. The lack of resources and food means that the refugees have no choice but to continue collecting firewood in order to survive.
“One of the few livelihood opportunities that exist for women in Aboutengue camp involves collecting firewood in the surrounding forests and selling it for a handful of pounds due to the lack of sufficient food supply and financial support,” says Atsuhiko Ochiai, MSF Project Coordinator. “This activity puts the women at risk of violence, but it has become so vital for them that they have no other choice. Unfortunately, stories of women being assaulted in the forest continue.”
Decreasing food portions could lead to rising malnutrition, particularly among children. "In Aboutengue camp, MSF is treating hundreds of children each month for moderate and severe acute malnutrition,” warns Borges. “We’re concerned this situation could worsen if the food shortages continue.”
In Metché, two hours from Adré, the situation is similarly alarming. Many refugees are now surviving on just one meal a day. While in recent months food distributions have taken place both in Metché and the nearby camps of Alacha and Arkoum, refugees receive low number of calories per portion.
The inpatient therapeutic feeding center (ITFC) at MSF Metché hospital is the busiest ward, with an increase from January to August in the number of children with severe acute malnutrition with complications arriving from Alacha and Arkoum camps: 11 children in Metché have faced relapses after being discharged just between early August and September.
There is an urgent need for increased nutritional support and logistical solutions to prevent further deterioration. The refugees’ plight is compounded by the lack of sustained and planned funding for the humanitarian response. "The prevailing feeling is that this crisis is being neglected by major donors," says Borges. "Without immediate and substantial support, we risk seeing an even greater humanitarian disaster unfold in this region."
"We are grateful for the help we’ve received from the NGOs," says Jimiya, "but we need enough food, proper shelter, and work opportunities to live with dignity, like we used to."
For over a year, MSF has been providing essential medical care, water, and sanitation support to refugees in Aboutengue camp, including treating malnutrition and distributing basic supplies like soap, mosquito nets, and jerrycans. Despite being relocated to this camp 14 months ago, around 14,000 refugees still lack proper shelter and continue to live in makeshift structures under extremely harsh conditions.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Médecins sans frontières (MSF).