More than 55,000 Sudanese refugees in Chad have arrived in the country’s east since the start of 2026, as renewed fighting forces more families across the border.
The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) said the pace of displacement has risen sharply in recent days.
More than 400 people a day are now crossing through areas around Adré and Tiné in eastern Chad.
That is around 20 times the daily rate recorded during previous months, according to UNHCR.
At the same time, humanitarian agencies are struggling with a major funding shortage.
Sudanese refugees in Chad rise sharply
Mamadou Dian Balde, UNHCR’s regional refugee coordinator for the Sudan situation, said more than 55,000 Sudanese refugees had fled to eastern Chad so far this year.
He told reporters in Geneva that arrivals had accelerated sharply over the previous week.
Nearly one million people have crossed from Sudan into Chad since the conflict began in April 2023, according to UNHCR.
Sudan’s conflict between the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the country’s regular armed forces has caused widespread displacement and a major humanitarian crisis.
Millions of Sudanese have been forced from their homes since the fighting began.
Fighting drives new displacement
UNHCR said conditions were particularly serious in Darfur, Kordofan and Blue Nile.
Fighting, including airstrikes and drone attacks, is forcing more families to leave their homes while also making humanitarian access more difficult, according to the agency.
UNHCR did not attribute all of the attacks mentioned in its latest briefing to a single party.
Across Sudan, around 11.3 million people remain forcibly displaced, according to UN figures cited by AFP.
That includes about 6.4 million people displaced within Sudan and millions more who have crossed international borders.
Refugees face severe conditions in Chad
The growing number of arrivals is placing additional pressure on humanitarian services in eastern Chad.
Balde said more than 190,000 refugees remain in difficult conditions near border areas.
Many are receiving less than half the minimum amount of water needed each day, according to UNHCR.
At the transit centre in Tiné, more than 4,300 people require shelter, clean water, sanitation and protection services.
UN refugee appeal only 18% funded
The humanitarian response is also facing a serious shortage of funding.
UNHCR said it has received only 18% of the $1.6 billion required under this year’s regional refugee response for the Sudan crisis.
The funding is intended to support refugees and vulnerable communities across countries neighbouring Sudan.
Balde warned that humanitarian assistance is failing to keep pace with growing needs.
Earlier this year, UNHCR and its partners appealed for $1.6 billion to assist millions of people affected by the regional refugee crisis.
Funding shortage could drive further movement
UNHCR warned that deteriorating conditions could push some refugees to continue their journeys beyond Chad.
Balde said refugees who cannot find adequate safety, legal protection or opportunities may increasingly seek other destinations, including routes towards Europe.
For now, eastern Chad continues to receive hundreds of new arrivals from Sudan each day.
With displacement accelerating and humanitarian resources under pressure, UNHCR says additional international support is urgently needed to meet the growing needs of Sudanese refugees.