After fleeing Sudan’s war, refugees battle thirst in Chad’s camps

What the report says

Al Jazeera reported from Goudrane and Adre in eastern Chad on July 29, 2026, that Sudanese refugees who escaped war are now facing severe shortages of safe water in overcrowded camps. At Goudrane, which the outlet described as home to about 50,000 Sudanese refugees, residents rushed a water truck after tanks had reportedly been empty for four days; its 6,000 litres were quickly exhausted, leaving some people without supplies.

The report said Al Jazeera interviewed dozens of refugees this month, including people who fled violence around el-Fasher and el-Geneina in Sudan’s Darfur region. Several described attacks, deaths of relatives, sexual violence and dangerous journeys to the Chadian border. The article noted that the war between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces began in April 2023, and cited UN figures saying more than 938,000 Sudanese refugees have entered Chad since then.

Humanitarian workers quoted by Al Jazeera warned that needs are exceeding available infrastructure and funding. A doctor in Goudrane said medical treatment is undermined when patients lack clean water, while Solidarites International said existing boreholes, pipelines, sanitation systems and treatment services are not keeping pace with arrivals and demand.

The account underscores how Sudan’s conflict has spilled into neighbouring countries through mass displacement. Al Jazeera framed the water crisis as part of a wider humanitarian emergency, with many refugees unsure when they might return home and aid agencies struggling to support camps in Chad’s arid east.