Over 900,000 Sudanese refugees have arrived in eastern Chad since April 2023, pushing water provision in refugee camps to critically insufficient levels. Refugees in camps including Metche, Adré, and Ourang are receiving between 5.5 and 6 liters of water per person per day—far below the WHO-recommended emergency minimum of 20 liters, according to Doctors Without Borders (MSF).
The water shortages are triggering disease outbreaks across refugee settlements. MSF treated over 43,908 patients for acute malnutrition and responded to hepatitis E and typhoid outbreaks in Adré, Aboutengue, and Metche over the past two years. The organization warns that severe water scarcity combined with poor sanitation is driving preventable diseases including skin conditions, gastrointestinal infections, and acute watery diarrhea—particularly dangerous for malnourished children.
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