Refugee women in Chad face escalating violence and critical healthcare gaps
The humanitarian crisis in Chad has intensified, with over 1.3 million refugees and returnees—predominantly women and children—finding shelter in a nation already struggling with widespread poverty and an underfunded healthcare system. This alarming situation was highlighted during a recent assessment by a United Nations agency.
Humanitarian strain in eastern Chad
During a week-long mission across eastern Chad, the Deputy Executive Director of the United Nations agency focused on sexual and reproductive health, Andrew Saberton, observed a situation he described as “both inspiring and deeply troubling.” His journey took him to key locations including Abéché, Adré in the Ouaddaï region, and the Iridimi refugee camp, situated over 1,000 kilometers from the capital, N’Djamena.
The ripple effects of Sudan’s conflict
The crisis in neighboring Sudan has directly impacted refugee women and girls in Chad. In Adré, near the Sudanese border, Saberton visited a UN-supported center where women shared harrowing accounts of violence they endure when leaving the camps to gather firewood. The journey for basic resources has become perilous, with risks of harassment, assault, and sexual violence. “Collecting firewood is no longer just a chore—it’s a moment of dread,” Saberton noted, echoing the experiences of women in other camps.
Despite these challenges, he also acknowledged the remarkable resilience of the women supported by the center’s programs, which include psychosocial support, vocational training, and income-generating activities.
Unaddressed medical emergencies
In Abéché, Saberton met a young woman who survived obstetric fistula after being married at 15. Following three days of labor without medical assistance during her first pregnancy, her baby did not survive, and she was subsequently abandoned by her husband. For nearly a decade, she lived with this severe complication before finally receiving treatment. “Even now, she faces pressure to remarry,” Saberton shared, underscoring the persistent social and medical challenges these women face.
Healthcare infrastructure overwhelmed in Wadi Fira
The Wadi Fira region, home to the Iridimi camp, is grappling with a severe healthcare crisis. Local authorities report over 333,000 refugees spread across eight camps in the area. Healthcare facilities, including the camp’s health center, are stretched to their limits, with midwives attending to up to 300 deliveries each month under severely constrained conditions.
Medical staff highlight critical shortages of anesthetics, which sometimes prevent safe cesarean sections. “No woman should have to undergo a C-section without anesthesia,” Saberton emphasized. The dire lack of resources extends to broader humanitarian funding cuts, with the UN agency’s Chad office facing a 44% reduction in its budget compared to 2025. Only 2.5% of the $18.7 million requested for 2026 to sustain maternal health services and protection programs has been secured to date.
Chad already has one of the highest maternal mortality rates globally, with approximately 860 deaths per 100,000 live births. The UN agency is urgently calling on the international community to bolster its support to prevent further deterioration.
“For the women and girls we met in eastern Chad, assistance means safe childbirth, care after violence, and a chance to survive,” Saberton concluded.
