The World Food Programme (WFP) said on Tuesday that food assistance for hundreds of thousands of Sudanese refugees in Chad, some of whom are on the verge of starvation, may cease next month if more cash is not provided.
Over 500,000 Sudanese refugees have crossed into Chad since fighting in their country began almost a year ago; with over a million refugees in total, Chad is now one of Africa’s primary hotspots for refugees.
But the WFP says it is struggling to feed them all and many are already skipping meals. Nearly half of Sudanese refugee children under five-years-old are suffering from severe anemia.
“We’ve already cut our operations in ways that would have been unthinkable just a few years ago, leaving hungry people close to starvation,” said Pierre Honnorat, WFP’s Representative and Country Director in Chad. “We need donors to prevent the situation from becoming an all-out catastrophe.”
According to WFP, a supply route from Chad into Sudan’s Darfur, where famine is getting worse, is also under jeopardy because of a lack of funds.
More funding would enable WFP to stockpile food supplies before the rainy season, which is when some of Chad’s refugee populations are shut off from supplies by muddy rivers. To guarantee continued support over the ensuing six months, the organization is desperately requesting $242 million.
Editing by Angus MacSwan, reporting by Emma Farge
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