Sat Sep 21 11:44:02 UTC 2024: ## Sudan’s “Forgotten War” Drives Thousands Across Border to Chad
**Adre, Chad** – Tens of thousands of Sudanese refugees, mostly women and children, are fleeing the brutal civil war and seeking safety in neighboring Chad. The humanitarian crisis at the border is described as a “forgotten war” by aid organizations, with the United Nations estimating over 2 million Sudanese have fled to neighboring countries.
NPR’s Fatma Tanis reports from Adre, a town on the Sudan-Chad border, where she witnessed a constant stream of refugees arriving, many carrying only meager belongings. “They cross a shallow stream of water and then are received by aid organizations waiting to register them,” she explains.
The refugees paint a harrowing picture of violence and atrocities in Sudan. One woman recounted the RSF (Rapid Support Forces) lining up and shooting 120 men in her town, with no survivors. Others describe widespread sexual violence and the disappearance of men, leaving women and children to flee alone. “They want the world to know about what’s happening in Sudan,” Tanis shares.
The makeshift camp housing over 215,000 refugees is a vast sea of tents constructed from tarps and sticks. Conditions are dire, with limited access to clean water, food, and sanitation. The refugees receive basic necessities, including a hygiene kit, a plastic sheet for shelter, a mosquito net, and four days’ worth of food rations, but the struggle for survival is real.
Despite the trauma and hardships, many refugees express a deep desire to return to Sudan and rebuild their country. “They want their children to have a good future,” Tanis observes, highlighting the resilience of the women she spoke to.
The situation at the Sudan-Chad border highlights the urgent need for increased humanitarian aid and international attention to the ongoing crisis in Sudan.
First Piper 