{"id":20050760,"date":"2023-08-29T13:20:37","date_gmt":"2023-08-29T11:20:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.dabangasudan.org\/?p=20050760"},"modified":"2023-08-29T13:24:35","modified_gmt":"2023-08-29T11:24:35","slug":"harsh-conditions-for-sudanese-refugees-arriving-in-chad","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.dabangasudan.org\/en\/all-news\/article\/harsh-conditions-for-sudanese-refugees-arriving-in-chad","title":{"rendered":"‘Harsh’ conditions for Sudanese refugees arriving in Chad"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Over 16,000 people have fled from Sirba in West Darfur to the Chadian area of Grena, while refugees warn that the lack of safe drinking water, food, and healthcare could cause disease outbreaks.<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chadian journalist Adam Osman told Radio Dabanga that several refugees arrived in Chad from war-torn Nyala<\/a> in South Darfur in recent days, pointing to the lack of services for refugees. He described conditions in the Adr\u00e9 and Ab\u00e9ch\u00e9 refugee camps as \u201charsh.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said that international organisations in the camps receive refugees continuously with no aid provided, due to the weak international response. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Abdelrahman Babiker, a refugee in the area, told Radio Dabanga that more refugees are arriving every day. They are living in tragic humanitarian conditions<\/a> with approximately three families forced to live in one tent. They have not received any assistance from the UN or Chadian authorities since their arrival at the end of July, he said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are several wounded adolescents among the refugees, who need to be transferred to the hospital for surgical treatment. \u201cOrganisations are providing primary care to some patients,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Babiker said a delegation from the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) and Chad’s refugee commission has visited refugees in the area and promised to provide water and repatriate refugees to fixed camps, \u201cbut promises are\u00a0yet to be fulfilled. Large quantities of millet and shelter materials were sent by Sudanese initiatives abroad.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Activist Ibrahim Shammou told Radio Dabanga that Chadian authorities and UN organisations have transported many refugees from Adr\u00e9, about half a kilometre from the Chad-Darfur border, to the Ourang refugee camp, 42 km southwest of Adr\u00e9, and the Arkoum refugee camp, which lies about 40 km from the Ourang camp. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He explained that Ourang camp currently holds 22,500 people who were moved more than a month ago. Many of them suffer from the lack of shelter from heavy rains. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cA team from M\u00e9decins Sans Fronti\u00e8res (MSF) arrived at the camp and conducted a medical survey, but they have not yet started.\u201d He explained that it is difficult to obtain drinking water, even though organisations provide water sources. Due to the substantial number of refugees, it takes two hours to obtain a jerrycan of water. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Organisations distributed a one-time food ration to last one month, which included a kilo of rice, a quarter of a kilo of sugar, and a limited amount of sorghum.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPeople are arriving with very little and with a lot of trauma,\u201d says Reka Sztopa, Concern Worldwide\u2019s Regional Director for West Africa and Sahel. \u201cThere are officially almost 192,473 refugees who have been registered in Chad, and the prediction is that it may go as high as 250,000 by the end of the summer.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n