Geneva/N’Djamena – As many as 20,000 people – among them Chadians, Sudanese, and foreign nationals – fleeing the violence in Sudan have arrived so far in neighbouring Chad; a country that shares a 1400km-long border with Sudan.

“The majority of those arriving are in dire need of basic humanitarian aid, namely food, water and adequate shelter,” explains Anne Kathrin Schaefer, IOM Chad Chief of Mission.

“While registration is ongoing by humanitarian actors including IOM, we believe a considerable number of those arriving are Chadians as well as nationals from other countries, who lived in Sudan and will require immediate assistance to return to their communities of origin and reunite with their families,” she adds.

IOM teams have been deployed in Eastern Chad at the border with Sudan and are working around the clock in support of the national and humanitarian efforts to respond to the arrivals. A considerable number of Chadian returnees have already been identified and joint IOM-UNHCR pre-registration is underway in three displacement sites in Adre, in the Ouaddai province, to inform rapid solutions, including cash assistance, to help the returnees reach their communities of origin.

IOM is also working closely with the Chadian Government and partners to ensure migrants from other countries receive immediate assistance including, but not limited to, voluntary humanitarian return for those who wish to return home.

In coordination with authorities, IOM will also be providing logistical support including consular support, post-arrival assistance and onward transportation to migrants evacuated from Sudan.

Sudan hosts a record 1.3 million migrants according to UN DESA. Due to its geographical location, it is an important country on the migration route linking the Central, North and Horn of Africa Regions.

As the violence escalates, so do the needs of those most vulnerable. The Government of Chad has already requested IOM’s support with the evacuation of more than 300 Chadian students stranded without food and water in Khartoum. There are also 50 Chadian pilgrims and several people requiring urgent medical attention trapped in the violence.

“We need the international community to urgently step-up financial support to help us provide a critical and rapid response to the growing needs, in terms of logistics and operational support, as well as protection, health, and mental health and psychosocial support,” adds IOM’s Anne Schaefer.

“Unfortunately, the rainy season is around the corner, and it will render access to the border area complicated, making it even harder to provide relief to those who need it most.”

See IOM Sudan’s External Situation Report here. 

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For more information, please contact

In Chad: Francois-Xavier Ada, fadaaffana@iom.int, +235 98 98 56 02/60 95 14 45.

In Geneva: Safa Msehli, smsehli@iom.int, +41794035526 or Paul Dillon, pdillon@iom.int, +41796369874