N’DJAMENA, September 8, 2023 – The World Bank and UN High Commissioner for Refugees have called for increased international support for refugees and host communities at the Chad-Sudan border. The World Bank also announced $340 million in new financing to help Chad address the multiple shocks the country is facing. This includes $90 million to respond to the influx of refugees from neighboring countries, in addition to the ongoing financing of $235 million to support refugees and host communities in Chad. The announcement was made during a joint visit by World Bank Managing Director for Operations Anna Bjerde and UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi to Chad.
During her visit to the refugee settlements in Adré and Farchana, Anna Bjerde emphasized the challenges facing Chad, including persistent poverty, climate change, food insecurity, and fragility. She stated that the refugee crisis in the east is putting further pressure on social services and natural resources. The World Bank remains committed to helping those in need and supporting the region’s long-term economic recovery and resilience through collaboration with UNHCR and other partners.
Since the start of the conflict in Sudan, over 400,000 Sudanese refugees and Chadian nationals from Darfur have fled to Chad, intensifying the need for humanitarian assistance in an already fragile and climate-affected area. With over 40 percent of Chadians living below the poverty line, the influx of refugees, coupled with weak harvest and the effects of climate change, will worsen food insecurity in the coming months.
Filippo Grandi, UN High Commissioner for Refugees, expressed gratitude to the World Bank for its support to Sudanese refugees and their Chadian host communities in Eastern Chad. He highlighted the need for both humanitarian and development support due to the magnitude and protracted nature of the crisis in Sudan. Chad cannot be left alone to deal with this major crisis, and the World Bank’s example should inspire other development actors to increase their interventions.
The resources announced by the World Bank will target national programs and provide additional support to refugees and host communities in the East. The goal is to assist the government in addressing the multiple shocks, strengthening food security and climate resilience, promoting livelihood opportunities, and expanding basic social infrastructure. The funding will also support the establishment of a unified social registry, early warning systems, and cash transfers.
These efforts will complement existing programs such as the Chad Refugees and Host Communities Support Project (PARCA), the Chad Energy Access Scale-Up Project, and the Chad Territorial Development and Resilience Project (RESITCHAD). Through these programs, over 70,000 families have already benefited from cash transfers and improved access to schools and health centers, offering them hope for a better future.
Furthermore, the World Bank-UNHCR Joint Data Center on Forced Displacement has supported the Government of Chad in conducting surveys on Chadian and refugee households. The insights from these surveys have helped in the design and passing of an inclusive Asylum Law in December 2020, which guarantees refugees freedom of mobility and equal access to health, education, and justice.
These efforts are part of a global partnership agreement between the World Bank and UNHCR that aims to strengthen the protection of forcibly displaced and stateless persons and ensure their inclusion in development programming.