MSF has increased its medical and humanitarian response, but a broader humanitarian funding crisis has left people in urgent need of shelter, water and food despite support from the host community and grassroots organizations.
An estimated 40,000 Sudanese refugees have arrived in the Chadian town of Tine since April, fleeing escalating attacks and violence in North Darfur, Sudan, and suffering from dehydration, malnutrition, and psychological distress from the violence.
Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is scaling up its assistance to the newly arrived Sudanese refugees in Tine transit camp and nearby refugee camps in eastern Chad.
Many refugees suffer from malnutrition and mental distress
The humanitarian situation at the border between Chad and Sudan has again reached a tipping point, with over 70,000 new refugees arriving in Chad since April 2025. Chad is already hosting over 1 million refugees, including more than 800,000 Sudanese who have arrived since the conflict began over two years ago.
The overwhelming majority of refugees are women and children coming from El Fasher and the Zamzam displacement camp. When they arrive in Tine, some are malnourished and experiencing profound psychological distress due to the horrific violence in North Darfur and on the roads leading to Chad.
We passed through several villages to get to Tine to take refuge from the violence and bombings. We've been here for several days but we're struggling to find food and water. We've been wearing the same clothes for days.
A refugee woman
They have already endured starvation as the Rapid Support Forces, a party to the conflict in Sudan, laid siege to these areas. Famine conditions have been prevalent for months in Zamzam camp, according to the Famine Review Committee of the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification global initiative.
“We've walked a long way to get here,” said a refugee woman. “We passed through several villages to get to Tine to take refuge from the violence and bombings. We've been here for several days but we're struggling to find food and water. We've been wearing the same clothes for days.”
Tine transit camp is currently hosting over 18,000 people, many of whom are sleeping on the bare ground in 104°F heat, with no shelter and severely limited access to water and food despite support from the host communities.
29 percent of children are acutely malnourished
MSF has scaled up its medical and humanitarian activities in the transit camp and at the Tine border to increase the availability of primary health care services. MSF is providing nutritional screenings and vaccinations at border points and has carried out over 900 consultations per week in the health post at the transit camp in recent weeks. At the health post, the global acute malnutrition rate among children under five is 29 percent, including 9 percent who are severely malnourished. MSF is also providing care for pregnant women and for survivors of sexual violence and has set up referrals of critical patients to hospitals.
Vaccination efforts are a priority in the camp as cases of measles have been detected, and MSF is carrying out a mass vaccination campaign. MSF is preparing to build an additional 50 emergency latrines and to further distribute therapeutic food and essential items. MSF is also distributing 60,000 liters of water per day, but this is only half of what is currently needed.
Increased support needed to improve humanitarian situation
“Sudanese refugees arrive exhausted, and many are malnourished and require immediate assistance,” said Claire San Filippo, MSF's emergency coordinator for Sudan. “We ask donors, the UN, and other humanitarian organizations to increase the mobilization to provide or scale up support in terms of food, shelter, sanitation, and medical care including mental health services. The current humanitarian response is insufficient and the upcoming rainy season it is likely to worsen living conditions, spread disease, and exacerbate food insecurity and lack of sanitation.”
Despite the immense needs in Tine transit camp and other refugee camps in Wadi Fira, MSF is witnessing very limited aid distribution despite solidarity from the host community and grassroots organizations. The funding crisis affecting the entire humanitarian sector is clearly being felt in eastern Chad, while the war continues unabated in Sudan and more people are hoping to reach Chad.
MSF is also present in refugee camps in Wadi Fira, such as Iridimi camp, where refugees from Tine transit camp are being relocated. To help improve the dire situation in Iridimi camp which has reached its maximum capacity, MSF recently started supporting the Iridimi health center, focusing on primary health care, vaccination, epidemiological surveillance, improving patient flow, reinforcing the referral system, and improving hygiene conditions at the health center. We also run mobile clinics in Chad, along the Sudanese borders including in Kulbus and Birak.