Sudanese child killed in Chad refugee camp attack

A Sudanese child was shot dead in the Ibetenki camp for Sudanese refugees in eastern Chad, with another refugee sustaining injuries from stray bullets on Monday. 

Sources told Radio Dabanga, heavy gunfire erupted during violent clashes within the market area of the Ibetenki camp, resulting in casualties not only among the refugees but also claiming the lives of several Chadian nationals from neighbouring villages.

The clashes, reportedly driven by tribal tensions, plunged the camp into a state of terror and panic among its inhabitants. The situation escalated until the Chadian army intervened to quell the unrest.

Chad currently provides refuge to over 700,000 individuals who have fled various conflicts, ranging from the Darfur war to the ongoing clashes between the army and the RSF. 

Despite being hosted in several camps, Sudanese refugees express mounting concerns over the deteriorating security conditions, increased attacks, and declining services. They are urgently calling on relevant authorities to step in and ensure their safety.

Centres overwhelmed

As reported by Radio Dabanga in December, Darfuri refugees, who have sought shelter in eastern Chad due to the ongoing war, are grappling with food shortages, inadequate housing, and a scarcity of health facilities. The influx of people escaping from Darfur has overwhelmed the Adré reception centre.

Abdelmonim Adam, a Darfur refugee and human rights activist who found refuge in Adré, not far from the border with Darfur, reported “persistent struggles despite the efforts of the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and organisations operating in the camps”.

“Refugees in Adré, near the border, experience a shortage of services, particularly in terms of insufficient food supplies and inadequate housing,” he explicated.

The surge in arrivals from the Darfur region has strained the refugee reception centre in Adré. Currently, some 10,000 families who sought refuge in the area await transfer to permanent camps.

“Since the onset of the war in April 2023, the UNHCR has responded by establishing five new camps to accommodate refugees from Darfur, with plans underway for a sixth camp”, Adam said, adding that the total number of Sudanese refugees relocated to eastern Chad by the UNHCR since the beginning of the war “stands at around 400,000”.

According to the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) Sudan weekly snapshot covering December 7 to 13, about 594,000 Darfuris crossed the border to eastern Chad since the outbreak of the war in mid-April making Chad the country hosting the highest number of refugees from Sudan.