Refugee Crisis in Eastern Chad: What Operational Levers for Humanitarian Actors?

1. A Large-Scale, Entrenched Crisis

Since the outbreak of conflict in Sudan in April 2023, Chad has become the primary regional host country for populations fleeing the war. More than 927,000 Sudanese refugees have crossed the Chadian border, joined by over 330,000 Chadian returnees, bringing the total number of displaced persons in the provinces of Ouaddaï, Wadi Fira, Sila, and Ennedi Est to nearly 1.3 million. Around 87% of these populations are women and children, and 14% have specific needs related to gender, age, or disability. This crisis unfolds against a backdrop already marked by structural vulnerabilities: intercommunal tensions in the south, attacks by non-state armed groups in the Lake region, and recurring climate shocks (flooding, drought, locust invasions).

The humanitarian response remains far short of needs: Chad's 2026 Humanitarian Response Plan was funded at only 4.7% of the $806 million required, a chronic underfunding that has already led to the closure of several key programmes, directly affecting tens of thousands of refugees. At the regional level, the 2026 Sudan Regional Refugee Response Plan calls for the mobilization of $1.6 billion to support approximately 5.9 million refugees and host communities across seven countries neighbouring Sudan.

2. Operational Challenges Beyond Emergency Aid

Humanitarian organizations operating in eastern Chad — such as the International Rescue Committee, present since 2004 and having scaled up since 2023 (mobile clinics, water points, health and protection programmes) — face recurring operational constraints that go beyond programme funding alone: access to energy for the continuous operation of health facilities and cold chains in remote areas; the reliability of connectivity and information systems for beneficiary data management and inter-agency coordination; and environmental health prevention (vector control) in camps where population density increases exposure to malaria and other vector-borne diseases.

These technical constraints, while not always central to the programmatic mandates of humanitarian organizations, directly determine the quality and continuity of the services they deliver. They open a space for collaboration with local operators capable of providing technical expertise adapted to the Chadian context, in complement to organizations' internal capacities.

3. Solar Energy for Health Facilities and Reception Sites

Reliable electricity supply for health centres, nutrition posts, and community spaces remains a major challenge in refugee hosting areas, which are largely off the national power grid. Solar electrification (photovoltaic systems with battery storage, sized to specific needs) ensures the cold chain for vaccines and medical supplies, lighting in health facilities for night-time procedures (including deliveries), and the operation of communication and data management equipment in sites that are sometimes difficult to access. This expertise, developed by MEDASH through its solar electrification project adapted to the Sahelian context, can be deployed in structures managed by humanitarian organizations, on a project-by-project basis or within multi-year framework agreements.

4. Digital Technology, Identity and Reliable Beneficiary Data Management

Humanitarian response coordination relies on inter-agency information management platforms, such as the Ajala platform supporting the monitoring of the Sudanese refugee response in Chad. The reliability of these systems, the security of beneficiary personal data, and their interoperability with national registries (civil registration, birth registration for children born in exile) are sensitive technical issues, particularly in a context of continuous population flows where risks of duplication or fraud in beneficiary registration can affect the effectiveness of aid. Chadian expertise in digital trust infrastructure and electronic certification can support the strengthening of these systems, complementing the devices already deployed by UN agencies and their operational partners.

5. Vector Control in High-Density Sites

The concentration of populations in transit sites and refugee camps significantly increases the risk of transmission of vector-borne diseases, particularly malaria, which remains a leading cause of morbidity and infant mortality in Chad. MEDASH's specialized vector control division (fumigation, mosquito control, pest management) can support humanitarian organizations through targeted spraying campaigns in high-density sites, in coordination with health programmes already deployed in the field.

6. Potential Collaboration Models

Several collaboration formats can be considered depending on humanitarian organizations' needs and programming cycles:

1. One-off service contracts through competitive tenders or direct award for specific technical interventions (solar electrification of a health centre, fumigation campaign at a specific site).
2. Multi-year framework agreements for recurring interventions at multiple sites, providing greater predictability and responsiveness to rapidly evolving field needs.
3. Technical partnerships to support the strengthening of information systems and beneficiary data management, in line with data protection standards already applied by humanitarian agencies.
4. Local expertise provision combining in-depth knowledge of the Chadian context (regulatory, logistical, relational) with international technical standards — a key asset for organizations facing access and security constraints in their areas of intervention.

7. Conclusion

The refugee crisis in eastern Chad is a long-term situation, set against a backdrop of chronic underfunding that forces humanitarian organizations to optimize every available resource. Beyond emergency relief itself, the quality and continuity of services delivered depend heavily on underlying technical factors — energy, digital, environmental health — where local multisectoral operators can provide concrete added value, complementing the programmatic capacities of international organizations. For the latter, relying on reliable local expertise represents both an operational efficiency gain and a resilience lever in a context of sometimes difficult access and constrained resources.

MEDASH SARL, a consultancy based in N'Djamena active in economic and sociological studies, IT integration, and the supply of equipment and services, is available to humanitarian organizations and technical partners wishing to explore any of these tracks within their Chad programming.

Sources

• OCHA, "Chad: Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan 2026 (HNRP)", unocha.org.
• UNHCR, "Sudan Regional Refugee Response Plan, January–December 2026", data.unhcr.org, February 2026.
• UNHCR, Operational Data Portal — Chad, data.unhcr.org, June 2026.
• International Rescue Committee, "Chad", rescue.org.
• International Rescue Committee, "IRC warns the humanitarian situation at Chad-Sudan border is at breaking point", May 15, 2025.
• International Rescue Committee, "Three years on, Sudan's war has spiraled into a full-scale regional catastrophe", April 14, 2026.