N'Djamena: The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has announced a fresh allocation of US$8 million from its Regional Pooled Fund to bolster humanitarian efforts in Chad, where communities continue to grapple with the fallout from regional conflicts and ongoing insecurity.
Of the total funding, $6 million will be directed toward supporting eastern Chad, where host communities, Sudanese refugees, and Chadian returnees remain in dire need of assistance. An additional $2 million will be used to address the needs of over 220,000 people displaced in the western Lac province. These individuals are fleeing sustained violence from non-state armed groups and suffering from repeated displacement due to limited access to aid and economic opportunities.
This latest funding injection—channeled largely through national humanitarian partners—follows an earlier disbursement of $14.5 million this year from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), which was also concentrated on the humanitarian crisis in eastern Chad.
Since the conflict in Sudan escalated in April 2023, Chad has absorbed nearly 860,000 Sudanese refugees along with 274,000 returning Chadians. Alarmingly, children make up more than 700,000 of the new arrivals.
Chadian authorities, working alongside humanitarian agencies, continue to provide vital aid and protection. Initiatives include relocating refugees to safer zones, distributing food, immunizing children, setting up child-friendly spaces, and offering support services for survivors of gender-based violence.
However, these efforts are falling short amid mounting needs and persistent funding gaps. With the flood season approaching, the risk to vulnerable populations is set to increase further.
Despite the latest contributions, Chad’s 2025 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan is severely underfunded. So far, only 11 per cent of the required $1.4 billion has been secured. Out of this, $835 million is urgently needed to aid 2.8 million people facing the most critical levels of humanitarian distress.
