‘Deteriorating food rations for Sudan’s refugees’: Chad camps

The Sudanese refugees of twelve camps in eastern Chad, totalling about 300,000, face severe food shortages after aid organisations have reduced food rations to the lowest level. They have also reported a significant deterioration in health and educational services. Mohamed Dafalla, the head of the Farchana refugee camp, told Radio Dabanga that the World Food Programme (WFP) has cut the sorghum ration from 14kg per capita to 4kg. “The refugees in the camps have had to live 34 days now on 4kg of sorghum, without the WFP announcing dates for the next rations.” Dafalla accused parties, which he did not identify, of planning forced returns through decreasing health and education services, and denying food for the refugees. “The situation in Sudan does not allow them at all to go back.” Gaga camp The refugees of Gaga camp in eastern Chad are complaining of poor health services and a lack of medicines. A female refugee from the camp told Radio Dabanga that the hospital staff “usually transfers the patients to Abeche hospital in order to obtain medicines from pharmacies, as they cannot afford to buy them”.She demanded from aid organisations and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to provide medicines, food, and other services to refugees. Map: Camps in eastern Chad Related:Sudanese refugees face starvation in Chad camps (30 January 2014) WFP stops food rations for Gaga refugee camp in Chad: Sheikh (22 January 2014)