The United Nations warns of a worsening humanitarian crisis as over 55,000 Sudanese refugees have fled to Chad in 2026, with daily arrivals at the border spiking twentyfold to 400 people. Driven by a three-year civil war between rival military factions that has displaced 11 million people, the influx has overwhelmed local transit centers. The UN has received only 20 percent of its $1.6 billion funding target, warning of severe water and shelter shortages and potential onward migration to Europe.
Surge of Sudanese refugees entering Chad
- ▪The number of Sudanese refugees entering Chad through the Adre and Tine border areas has risen to 400 people per day as of September 25, 2026, representing a twentyfold increase compared to previous months.
- ▪More than 55,000 Sudanese refugees have fled to Chad in 2026, with the arrival rate accelerating sharply over the past week.
Dire conditions for refugees in Chad
- ▪Approximately 31,000 Sudanese refugee families in Chad lack adequate shelter, and most refugees are living on less than half of the minimum daily water requirement.
- ▪The transit center in Tine, Chad, hosted more than 4,300 Sudanese refugees in urgent need of shelter, water, sanitation, and protection as of September 25, 2026.
Funding shortfall for refugee crisis
- ▪The United Nations has received only 20 percent of the $1.6 billion required to fund response efforts for the Sudanese refugee crisis as of September 25, 2026.
- ▪The United Nations warned on September 25, 2026, that the humanitarian situation facing Sudanese refugees in Chad will worsen unless the international community addresses a funding shortfall of $1.28 billion
Sudanese refugees migrating to Europe
- ▪More than 14,100 Sudanese refugees arrived in Europe in 2025, representing a 245 percent increase compared to 2024.
- ▪The United Nations warned on September 25, 2026, that more Sudanese refugees will make the perilous journey to Europe if additional funding is not provided.
Overall displacement from Sudan conflict
- ▪More than 3.5 million Sudanese refugees and asylum seekers have fled to neighboring countries as of September 25, 2026.
- ▪Approximately 6.4 million Sudanese people are internally displaced within Sudan as of September 25, 2026.
Origins and scale of Sudan conflict
- ▪The civil war in Sudan began in April 2023 due to a power struggle between Sudanese Armed Forces General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and Rapid Support Forces leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo.
- ▪The conflict in Sudan has persisted for over three years since April 2023, escalating into the world's largest displacement and humanitarian crisis.
Debatable claims
- ▪The international community should fully fund the UN's Sudanese refugee appeal
- ▪Funding regional refugee hubs is an effective way to curb migration to Europe
- ▪Donor neglect is the primary cause of the humanitarian crisis in Chad's camps
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