Tchad: women refugees confront violence and healthcare gaps
The Chad is under mounting humanitarian strain as over 1.3 million displaced individuals—predominantly women and children—have sought refuge in a nation already grappling with deep poverty and an underfunded healthcare system. This critical situation was highlighted by a United Nations agency following a recent assessment.
During a week-long mission to the country’s eastern regions, Andrew Saberton, Deputy Executive Director of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) overseeing operations, described the conditions as both inspiring and deeply troubling.
escalating violence linked to the Sudan conflict
Saberton’s visit to Abéché, Adré—near the Sudan border—and the Iridimi refugee camp, located over 1,000 kilometers from the capital N’Djamena, revealed the severe repercussions of the neighboring conflict on women and girls.
In Adré, he toured an UNFPA-supported center where refugees shared harrowing accounts of violence they face when leaving camps to gather firewood. The journey for fuel exposes them to harassment, assault, and sexual violence, turning a basic necessity into a perilous ordeal. Despite these dangers, Saberton praised the resilience of women participating in psychosocial support programs, vocational training, and income-generating initiatives.
A stark example emerged in Abéché, where he met a young woman who had suffered obstetric fistula after being married at 15. Left unattended during a three-day labor, her newborn died, and her husband abandoned her. For nearly a decade, she endured the condition in silence before finally receiving treatment. Even now, pressure mounts for her to remarry.
healthcare system overwhelmed by refugee influx
The Wadi Fira province, home to the Iridimi camp, faces immense strain as local health facilities struggle to accommodate the continuous arrival of refugees. Authorities report over 333,000 displaced individuals distributed across eight camps.
At the camp’s health center, midwives handle up to 300 deliveries monthly with severely limited resources. Medical staff report that shortages of anesthetics sometimes force them to perform cesareans without proper pain relief—a dangerous and unacceptable practice.
« No woman should endure a cesarean section without anesthesia, » Saberton emphasized.
The funding crisis exacerbates the situation. The UNFPA office in Chad faces a 44% reduction in resources compared to 2025, with only 2.5% of the requested $18.7 million for 2026 allocated to sustain maternal health services and protection programs. With Chad already recording one of the world’s highest maternal mortality rates—approximately 860 deaths per 100,000 live births—the agency urges immediate international intervention.
« For the women and girls in eastern Chad, assistance means safe childbirth, trauma care after violence, and a chance to survive, » Saberton concluded.
