Under the blazing desert sun, Awatef Adam Mohamed found a semblance of safety beyond the porous border separating Sudan and Chad.
Arriving on June 8, she joined the swelling ranks of civilians fleeing the conflict-ridden Darfur region in Sudan. However, a new crisis is exacerbating the already dire situation – a pervasive hunger threatening millions across the country.
The civil war, sparked on April 15, 2023, by a power struggle between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), has thrown Sudan into turmoil.
As the conflict rages on, the nation faces the world’s highest displacement rate, with approximately
10 million people were displaced and famine-like conditions becoming increasingly prevalent.
According to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), about 756,000 individuals are experiencing “catastrophic levels of hunger,” with an additional 25.6 million enduring severe food shortages.
This relentless hunger, coupled with the violence, has forced over 600,000 people to seek refuge in Chad, as reported by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
These refugees, including Awatef, depend heavily on food aid from the World Food Programme (WFP) for survival.
Unfortunately, funding shortfalls have led the WFP to reduce food assistance, cutting daily calorie intake for refugees by nearly 20 percent over the past two months.
“We’ve seen the impact of the reduction as more people became malnourished,” said Vanessa Boi, a WFP emergency officer in Chad.
With only 19 percent of its funding needs met by donor countries, the WFP faces the grim prospect of further reducing food rations.
Malnutrition, a severe consequence of insufficient vital nutrients, has become rampant. Refugees often have no choice but to trade their WFP rations – which are designed to provide balanced nutrition – for bulkier, less nutritious food that lasts longer.
Omima Musa, a 27-year-old mother, trades her food kit for white rice at the market to stretch meals for her baby and two other children.
Despite this, her baby girl remains malnourished, making her more vulnerable to illnesses like malaria.
Surge In Malaria And Atrocities
Musa Maman, who oversees medical activities for Doctors Without Borders, noted that the onset of the rainy season heralds a surge in malaria cases, with August 2023 being particularly severe.
“We’re going to see an increase in malaria. August is the worst month,” Maman said.
For many refugees, the journey to Chad is fraught with trauma and uncertainty. Awatef, a 27-year-old Masalit tribeswoman, walked miles to escape the violence in Darfur.
Her tribe, largely agrarian and considered “non-Arabs,” has been a frequent target of attacks by the RSF and allied nomadic militias.
Awatef’s husband disappeared during a raid on their village, and two of her brothers were killed in front of her. “They were martyred in the house,” she said, recounting the horrific events with a stoic calm.
Now, in eastern Chad, Awatef and her children are among the countless women and children waiting for aid from the UNHCR.
The harsh desert environment offers little comfort as they endure the sweltering heat while seeking registration for food and medical assistance.
This crisis underscores the desperate situation in Sudan, where conflict and hunger are driving a massive humanitarian emergency.
The international community faces a significant challenge in addressing the immediate needs of refugees while striving for a long-term resolution to the ongoing conflict and its devastating repercussions.
While Awatef and many others wait under the scorching sun, their plight highlights the urgent need for increased humanitarian aid and a concerted effort to bring peace to Sudan.
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