Full Breakdown
Sudanese Refugee Surge to Chad Highlights Funding Crisis
By Drooid · · How we work
Surge in Cross-Border Flights
On September 25 2026 the United Nations refugee agency reported that more than 400 Sudanese people a day have been crossing the Adre and Tine border points into eastern Chad. This flow represents a roughly 20-fold increase over the daily numbers recorded in recent months. Since the war in Sudan began in April 2023, nearly 1 million Sudanese have fled to Chad, with 55,000 arriving since the start of 2026 alone.
Funding Gap and Humanitarian Impact
UNHCR’s regional response plan for the Sudan crisis requires $1.6 billion this year, but only 18 percent of that amount has been received. The shortfall limits food distribution, shelter capacity and relocation options for refugees in Chad. WFP similarly faces dwindling resources; its assistance to 900,000 Sudanese refugees in Chad has been reduced, forcing the agency to prioritize newly arrived arrivals.
On-the-Ground Conditions
In the Adre border town, WFP operations head Vanessa Boi describes a “drastic reduction” in food assistance for refugees who depend heavily on humanitarian rations and have few livelihood opportunities. Women and children, many of whom have lost family members and homes, are bearing the brunt of the cuts. In the nearby Renk transit centre of South Sudan, refugee Salma and her children have gone three days without food, surviving on minimal porridge.
Official Statements & Responses
He emphasized that without greater humanitarian and development support, displaced populations will face “impossible decisions,” including premature returns to Sudan or dangerous onward journeys.
Verbatim Quotes
- “It means less food. It means less capacity for people to be relocated to safer areas. It means less capacity to shelter themselves,” — Mamadou Dian Balde
- “Without greater humanitarian and development support, the situation for the millions displaced will deteriorate further, increasing pressure on refugees to make impossible decisions, such as returning to Sudan before conditions are safe or undertaking dangerous onward journeys in search of safety and stability,” — Mamadou Dian Balde
- “We’re doing our best on the food side, but we need funding,” — Carl Skau, Acting Executive Director, World Food Programme
- “We are about to drop off the financial cliff at a time when the needs have been at their greatest level that they’ve been in the past 13,14 years,” — Matthew Hollingworth, Assistance Executive Director, World Food Programme
- “For refugees who remain heavily dependent on humanitarian food assistance and who have very limited access to livelihood opportunities, this represents a drastic reduction,” — Vanessa Boi, Head of WFP’s refugee operations in Adre, Chad
What’s Next
UNHCR and WFP continue to appeal to donor governments and private contributors for additional financing to sustain food distributions, shelter provision and livelihood projects for Sudanese refugees in Chad and neighboring countries.
