As fighting rages on in Sudan, neighboring countries like Chad, South Sudan, and the Central African Republic face overwhelming challenges in supporting refugees.

The United Nations has issued a dire warning about the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Sudan’s neighboring countries, where thousands of refugees are fleeing the ongoing civil war. Over 110,000 Sudanese have crossed into nearby nations, seeking safety from the deadly conflict between the Sudanese army and paramilitary forces, which has displaced more than 330,000 people within Sudan.

Countries like Chad, South Sudan, and the Central African Republic are already grappling with severe food insecurity, ongoing conflicts, and strained resources, making it increasingly difficult for them to accommodate the influx of refugees. In Chad alone, more than 30,000 Sudanese refugees have arrived since mid-April, with estimates suggesting that up to 100,000 more could cross the border in the coming weeks. This places immense pressure on an already stretched system in one of the world’s least-developed countries.

The UN’s World Food Programme (WFP) is racing against time to position food supplies in strategic locations, particularly in refugee camps like Farchana in Chad’s eastern region, ahead of the upcoming rainy season. Roads will become nearly impassable once the rains arrive, and aid workers are urgently working to ensure that refugees do not go hungry during this critical period. The rainy season, combined with the lean season between harvests, threatens to deepen the crisis.

In neighboring South Sudan, nearly 30,000 refugees have arrived in recent weeks, many of them returning to a country they had fled years earlier during the brutal civil war. South Sudan, like Chad, is grappling with widespread hunger and instability, making it an extremely difficult environment for incoming refugees. The Central African Republic, which is already home to a sizable refugee population, has received about 6,000 Sudanese refugees and faces similar challenges.

Matthew Saltmarsh, spokesperson for the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), underscored that humanitarian operations in these countries are critically underfunded, making it harder to provide the necessary aid and support. He called on the international community to urgently raise funds and help ensure that aid reaches those in desperate need.

The situation remains volatile, with the threat of more refugees arriving as the conflict in Sudan shows no sign of abating. The international community faces a race against time to prevent a full-blown humanitarian disaster in the region.