In the far east of Chad, the border city of Adré is facing an overwhelming influx of up to 2,000 Sudanese refugees every day. Local authorities are sounding the alarm as the city is now engulfed in tents and makeshift shelters, with social services completely overwhelmed despite humanitarian efforts.
At the Sudanese border, refugees are scrambling to board HCR trucks that will transport them to Adré, away from the horrors of war. Carol Valade, a special envoy returning from Adré, paints a harrowing picture of the scene. Under the stormy sky, occasional gunshots and bullet whistles fill the air. Anane Kamis Ahmat, among the countless refugees, shares her heart-wrenching tale of running 30 kilometers while carrying her son’s lifeless body to bury him in Adré. The journey was perilous, as they faced armed men shooting at them during their escape, leaving behind countless dead and wounded.
Ali Mahamat Sebey, the prefect of Asoungah, sheds light on the dire situation: “As you can see behind me, 1,000 to 1,500 people cross the border each day, fleeing the atrocities of our neighbors in Sudan’s war. We have allocated all available school structures to these refugees, providing them shelter from the rain and other hardships.” The gravity of the refugee crisis demands immediate attention and support from the international community.