United States: The refugee camps in Chad face an immediate crisis because of water scarcity.
The Sudanese military violence drives about 700,000 people to seek refuge in Chad.
Several thousand camps now exist in Ouaddai province, where more than 200,000 people take refuge to obtain their resources from five established settlements.
The severe situation in Arkoum, which houses 50,000 refugees, remains the worst among all refugee settlements.
Severe Water Shortages Threaten Lives
According to Faba Djondang, LWF Area Coordinator for Ouaddai and Sila Provinces, “There simply isn’t enough water,” & “What we have doesn’t even cover 25 percent of the refugees’ needs. Families walk long distances just to find water, and even then, it’s often not enough for everyone.”
The Sahel region covers the entire span of the Chad-Sudan border area. Residents of Arkoum refugee camp, as well as other encampments, have constructed their shelters using dried grass and metal sheets on top of the sandy terrain.
Solar panels and generators generate electrical power for this area, but residents depend on seasonal rivers and boreholes for their water needs until the wet season ends despite insufficient water supply.
Shoratage of basic facillities
LWF has erected borehole wells together with basic toilet facilities in different refugee camps to provide increased accessibility to water supply and sanitary services.
The team at Arkoum recently established 50 toilets, while another organization constructed five additional units.
The LWF Area Coordinator explains that this number remains insufficient to serve a population of 50000 people.
Due to recent budget reductions, the crisis will face additional difficulties due to insufficient funding.
The shelters that house refugees contain ten to eleven people on average, making it difficult for them to maintain healthy and safe conditions.
Diseases spread rapidly throughout the population when communities lack proper access to toilets combined with clean drinking water as well as essential items like soap and detergent.
This condition represents a threat to thousands of lives. The medical facilities operate at maximum capacity because the resources are not sufficient to meet patient needs.
Medical facilities cannot provide help to tens of thousands of refugees because there are inadequate doctors and nurses and insufficient medical supplies.
The refugee population growth places rising demands on public resources found in these areas.
The environmental ban on firewood as an energy source created more difficulties for inhabitants.
Rising tensions over resources
The limitation has caused mounting stress levels to increase. Refugees are granted no validity to their food distributions or cash payments, according to the local people who experience financial difficulties.
Community water merchants have been responsible for the nighttime destruction of newly constructed boreholes that served refugee camps because they consider them as threats to their enterprise.
According to Idriss Koni Chidi, sub-prefect of the Hadjer Hadid municipality, “For 20 years, refugees from Sudan have come to our communities,” lutheranworld.org reported.
“Some of our fields are now used for the refugee camps; we must share water and firewood. Do not forget about us. Humanitarian aid should also support host communities!” Koni Chidi continued.
Despite coming from desperate situations, refugees face further struggle because their everyday shortages weaken their connections with others, Djondang points out.
Food distribution run by the World Food Programme (WFP) extends for a limited period of 10 days.
LWF created livelihood programs enabling refugees to establish food production because they needed help sustaining themselves. Further measures need to be established to achieve lasting, sustainable solutions.
“We are doing everything we can,” as Djondang stated.
“But without more support, we simply won’t be able to provide for all the families in need. Water, food, and sanitation are basic human rights. We need help—urgently.”
