United Nations, Dec 4 (IANS) – The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has announced the release of $5 million in emergency funding to support Sudanese refugees in Chad, as the ongoing conflict in Sudan continues to displace thousands.
Humanitarian Assistance for Refugees and Host Communities
UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher allocated the funds from the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to assist both refugees and local communities in Chad.
The funding will help provide essential services, including:
Healthcare
Clean water
Food assistance
Shelter support
OCHA highlighted that the escalating violence in Sudan's Darfur region has significantly increased the influx of refugees into Chad, with over 70, 000 new arrivals recorded in September and October alone.
Since the start of the conflict in April 2023, more than 700, 000 people have fled from Sudan to Chad, intensifying the humanitarian crisis in the region.
Violence in Sudan’s Zamzam Camp
Meanwhile, in Sudan, Clementine Nkweta-Salami, the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, expressed grave concern over the ongoing violence near the Zamzam camp in El Fasher, western Sudan.
Zamzam camp is Sudan’s largest camp for internally displaced persons (IDPs), sheltering over 500, 000 people.
The camp came under attack on Sunday and Monday, resulting in at least five deaths and 18 injuries, according to aid organizations.
Nkweta-Salami emphasized the urgent need to protect civilians and called attention to the 232-day-long siege of El Fasher, urging the international community to respond swiftly to the deteriorating situation.
The UN’s latest funding underscores the growing urgency to address the humanitarian needs of both Sudanese refugees in Chad and internally displaced populations in Sudan amid escalating violence.