Since the beginning of the conflict in Sudan on 15 April 2023 and as of 4 November 2024, the Commission Nationale d'Accueil de Réinsertion des Réfugiés (CNARR), the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) have registered 710,482 Sudanese refugees and 146,871 Chadian returnees from Sudan. 65 per cent of the refugees and 67 per cent of the returnees are children under 18. The refugees are arriving in the provinces of Ouaddaï, Sila, Wadi Fira, and Ennedi Est.
According to the Chadian Government, 910,000 refugees and returnees could arrive in Chad by the end of 2024. Chad is already hosting approximately 410,000 Sudanese refugees from the previous Darfur crisis in the same provinces.
As of 31 August 2024, UNHCR had relocated 49 per cent of refugees from spontaneous border sites to 16 sites. Due to torrential rains and flooded roads, the relocation process stopped in August 2024. On 28 October 2024, the relocation process resumed in Dougui (Ouaddaï province). However, many refugees prefer to stay along the border.
Since early October, spikes in violence in Sudan have pushed more than 49,000 people to cross into Chad. They arrived through the villages of Birak, Koulbous and Tiné in Wadi Fira province. The situation is worrying since the security situation continues to deteriorate in Sudan and more refugee arrivals are expected.
The most recent official report on the humanitarian and health crisis in Eastern Chad states a total of 2,723 suspected cases (1,226 women and 1,497 men) of hepatitis E, including 11 deaths across seven camps and refugee sites in Ouaddaï province. These figures include 40 pregnant women with three deaths among them.
There has been a decrease in case reports since the end of May 2024 and the latest WHO situation report indicates that no new cases have been reported in September.
In May 2024, a measles outbreak was reported in Adré. The cases were among the host population of Adré. No deaths were reported. In July 2024, the Ministry of Health increased routine immunization targeting the affected neighborhoods. By the end of September, one additional measles case was reported.