With about two million refugees on its soil, Chad ranks first in Central Africa and third on the continent in terms of hosting refugees.
The ongoing armed conflict in Sudan has increased the number of forcibly displaced people in Chad.
To mark World Refugee Day on June 20, 2024, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Chad has published statistics on the number of people seeking refuge in the country. According to these statistics, the total number of people on the move in Chad on May 31, 2024 was estimated at 1,751,708.
This includes 1,248,824 refugees, 11,445 asylum seekers, 272,046 returnees and 219,393 internally displaced persons.
According to UNHCR, this represents a total increase of 22,807 persons (2 per cent) compared to April, when the number of people on the move was estimated at 1,728,901.
At the end of March, 585,201 Sudanese refugees were forcibly displaced in the east of the country. They are concentrated in the provinces of Ouaddai (70 per cent), Sila (16 per cent), Wadi Fira (13 per cent) and Ennedi East (1 per cent).
The influx of Sudanese refugees has plunged the country into a humanitarian catastrophe. In her message to mark the day, the Minister for Humanitarian Affairs, Fatimé Boukar Kossey, called for international solidarity to help Chad cope with the influx of refugees.
CA/te/lb/GIK/APA