As Sudan’s devastating civil conflict enters its second year, the humanitarian fallout continues to spill over its borders, triggering one of the largest refugee emergencies in Africa. Since fighting erupted in April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), over 838,000 Sudanese refugees and Chadian returnees have fled into Chad, seeking safety in the provinces of Ouaddaï, Sila, Wadi Fira, and Ennedi Est, according to the latest joint data from UNHCR and IOM.
The conflict, which began as a power struggle between General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, head of the SAF, and Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (Hemedti), leader of the RSF, has since transformed into a nationwide war marked by widespread atrocities, ethnic targeting, and famine-like conditions. The United Nations now describes Sudan as “a catastrophic and largely forgotten crisis,” with more than 10 million people displaced internally and externally, the world’s largest displacement crisis today.
In eastern Chad, the National Commission for Refugees and Returnees (CNARR), UNHCR, and IOM have been monitoring and assisting the continuous influx. Humanitarian agencies, working alongside the Chadian government, have relocated 64% of refugees from spontaneous arrival sites to formal and newly established settlements, where they can access lifesaving aid, shelter, and protection services.
The Ouaddaï province hosts the highest concentration of arrivals, accommodating more than 237,000 refugees, followed by Ennedi Est, where camps such as Oure Cassoni now shelter over 55,000 people. Additional large populations have settled in Sila, notably at Zabout and Djabal, and in Wadi Fira, where border towns like Tine, Touloum, and Koulbous have collectively received tens of thousands more.
For many, the journey is marked by unimaginable hardship. “We walked for days without food or water,” said Aisha Ibrahim, a mother of four from El Geneina, the capital of West Darfur. “When we finally crossed into Chad, I thought we were safe. But now, even here, we live under plastic sheets and fear hunger more than bullets.”
The Deputy Spokesperson of the UN Secretary General Farhan Haq said Tuesday that escalating violence in North Darfur is worsening the humanitarian crisis. In the town of Tawila, UN teams met families who had walked four days to escape fighting in the besieged state capital, El Fasher, about 50 kilometres away. On Sunday and Monday alone, roughly 350 families, mostly women, children, and older people arrived in dire condition, some injured along the way. Dozens of young men who fled with the group remain missing, raising serious protection concerns. Tawila now hosts more than 600,000 displaced people from El Fasher and surrounding areas, many lacking shelter, adequate food, or safe water. Humanitarian partners have provided basic aid, but needs far exceed available resources.
The Deputy spokesperson added that the situation in El Fasher and across North Darfur remains extremely precarious, with heavy shelling striking central parts of the city, endangering thousands of civilians. Authorities report more than 109,000 people displaced across 127 sites, with limited access to food, clean water, and medical care, and several community kitchens have shut down due to depleted supplies. Elsewhere, a drone strike reportedly hit the main market in Kabkabiya town, and in Khartoum, drones struck the international airport just a day before it was scheduled to reopen for domestic flights. The UN reiterated the Secretary-General’s call for an immediate cessation of hostilities, protection of civilians and critical infrastructure, and unimpeded humanitarian access to all those in need.
Recent protection monitoring under Project 21 (October 2025) revealed worsening conditions in these settlements. Nearly one-third (32%) of displaced individuals reported physical assaults, 29% faced extortion, and 25% were subjected to illegal taxes. Documentation gaps remain a serious concern, 45% of displaced families lack any legal identification, with only 24% possessing birth certificates and 18% holding national IDs. The absence of documentation exposes refugees to exploitation, limits access to education and healthcare, and hinders legal protection.
The roots of Sudan’s displacement crisis lie in the violent fragmentation of the state itself. On April 15, 2023, gunfire and explosions erupted in Khartoum. It was the moment when a fragile alliance between the SAF and RSF collapsed, plunging the country into chaos.
For Amal, a 42-year-old teacher from the capital, that day remains etched in memory. “My son called me crying, RSF soldiers had entered his university. I told him to run and leave everything behind,” she recalled. “We thought it was just another coup. We didn’t know it was the beginning of a war that would destroy everything.”
The fighting quickly spread beyond Khartoum, engulfing Darfur, Kordofan, and Blue Nile states. Drone strikes, artillery shelling, and ethnic violence left cities in ruins. The UN reported that between October 5 and 11, 2025, drone attacks in El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, killed at least 57 civilians, including 17 children. “Hospitals, shelters, and places of refuge must not be targeted,” said Denise Brown, the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan. “These incidents demand impartial investigations, and those responsible must be held accountable.”
Stephane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the UN Secretary General, described the scale of devastation, saying, “civilians across Sudan continue to bear the brunt of this relentless violence. In El Fasher alone, the last functioning hospital, the Saudi Hospital, was severely impacted. In South Kordofan, towns like Kadugli remain under siege, with supply routes cut off and shortages worsening by the day.”
As fighting intensified, more than 3,000 people were displaced in North Darfur in a single week, and nearly 1,000 in West Kordofan, according to IOM data. Entire families fled under drone bombardments, many joining the long caravans of people crossing into Chad, South Sudan, Egypt, and Ethiopia.
The human stories emerging from the Chad-Sudan border echo themes of resilience and despair. In the Djabal camp, Adam Musa, a 28-year-old farmer from Kutum, said he hadn’t seen his wife and two children since June. “I sent them ahead to Chad. I stayed behind to search for my brother. Now I can’t reach any of them, the phone networks don’t work,” he said, clutching a tattered photo.
Aid agencies struggle to keep up with the escalating needs. “Nearly half of households need basic items like kitchen utensils and sleeping materials,” said a UNHCR field officer based in Abéché, eastern Chad. “Many children have not attended school in over a year, and clean water is scarce. Families are living in survival mode.”
Gender-based violence has also risen sharply. Monitoring shows that survivors often rely on informal networks for help, 24% seek support from relatives, 23% from NGOs, and 19% from neighbors, reflecting the limited availability of formal protection systems.
Despite the immense strain, acts of solidarity persist. In Tine, a small border town, Chadian villagers have opened their homes to Sudanese families. “They arrived with nothing,” said Fatimé Abdallah, a local shopkeeper. “We share what little food we have. Tomorrow, it could be us in their place.”
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), marking World Food Day 2025 alongside Sudan’s Ministry of Agriculture, emphasized that “food security is the foundation of peace and stability.” Sudan’s Agriculture Minister, Prof. Dr. Ismat Qureshi Abdallah, noted, “In these challenging times, ensuring every Sudanese family has access to food is not only a priority, it is our duty.”
FAO Representative Hongjie Yang emphasized that restoring local agrifood systems is essential, noting that collective efforts can help rebuild not only food security but also promote peace and dignity for affected communities.
Yet, rebuilding remains far away for millions trapped by the conflict. Agricultural fields in Gezira and Sennar states have been abandoned, and livestock looted or destroyed. The collapse of farming has worsened food insecurity, with millions now reliant on aid deliveries that often cannot reach besieged areas due to insecurity or bureaucratic restrictions.
Sudan’s war has turned its neighbors into humanitarian frontlines. In South Sudan, flooding along the Nile has worsened an already fragile situation, affecting nearly 890,000 people and displacing one-third of them. The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warns that the 2025 Humanitarian Response Plan, seeking $1.7 billion to assist 5.4 million people, is only 30% funded, hampering life-saving operations.
Meanwhile, in Chad, local infrastructure is buckling under the refugee influx. Roads are impassable during the rainy season, food prices have spiked, and water sources are drying up. Aid workers say underfunding is the greatest barrier to sustaining operations. “If funding doesn’t increase, people will go hungry, and tensions will rise between refugees and host communities,” said an IOM representative in N’Djamena.
Chad’s government, despite its limited means, continues to keep borders open. “Our country knows the pain of war,” a CNARR official said. “We cannot turn away those who flee from the same suffering.”
Analysts warn that Sudan’s crisis is being overshadowed by other global conflicts. While the war in Gaza and Ukraine dominate headlines, Sudan’s tragedy unfolds largely unnoticed. “It’s a silent catastrophe,” said a senior humanitarian analyst in Nairobi. “We are seeing entire regions collapse, but without political urgency or international spotlight.”
Neutral observers argue that the conflict’s complexity, with ethnic, political, and regional dimensions, makes mediation difficult. The United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Chad have each been accused by rivals of backing one side or the other, though all deny direct military involvement. As Alex de Waal, a Horn of Africa scholar, wrote recently, “Sudan’s war is not just a domestic struggle. it’s a regional contest for influence fought through Sudanese lives.”
In Port Sudan, where UN agencies have relocated their operations, humanitarian teams continue to push for access to conflict zones. “Despite the risks, we remain committed to supporting the people of El Fasher and all those affected by the conflict,” said Denise Brown, renewing her call for an end to attacks on civilians. “Civilians must be protected, and the humanitarian community requires access. Above all, the people of Sudan need the violence to stop.”
For millions like Aisha and Amal, hope now lies across borders, in refugee camps, schools under tents, and food lines that stretch for hours. “We don’t need promises,” said one displaced father in Abéché. “We need people.”
As the war in Sudan continues without any sign of ending, the resulting migration crisis is changing the humanitarian situation across the Horn of Africa. While global attention shifts elsewhere, refugees from Darfur and Khartoum keep crossing the desert, bringing with them stories of loss, survival, and a lasting hope for peace.