Following the halt of the United States’ financial aid, the European Union has committed to significantly enhancing its humanitarian assistance to Chad in response to the recent influx of refugees in the Ouaddai region of eastern Chad.
The EU is increasing the funding to meet the critical needs of more than 1.5 million forcibly displaced individuals, including Sudanese refugees, while also providing vital services such as food, nutritional support, protection, water supply, sanitation, and healthcare.
According to the UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), each day between 100 and 200 refugees from Sudan enter Chad. However, the European Union Commissioner for Equality, Preparation and the Management of Crises, Hadja Lahbib, has been on a “symbolic journey” to Chad since April 8, 2025. She has now announced a new envelope of European humanitarian assistance to the country.
“We are here to contribute financial assistance to the tune of 74 million euros, which will assist in supporting the UN agencies on the ground, which must unfortunately face a drastic diminution in financial aid that was up till now given by other donors, essentially the United States,” the EU official declared.
Speaking at the border town of Adre and accompanied by Zara Mahamat Issa, the Chadian Minister of Social Action, Solidarity and Humanitarian Affairs, Lahbib commended Chad’s policy of welcoming refugees since the beginning of the Sudanese conflict despite internal challenges.
“Chad has been up to the task in facing the influx of refugees, and it has been doing this in a continuous manner, ” the official noted. “Right now, there is a large number of refugees, which I can estimate at not less than 300,000 persons at the border.” Now, there is the question of relocating them into camps, which necessitates enormous resources.
The EU has outlined in a communiqué the scale of humanitarian assistance intended to support Chad in addressing the crisis of forced displacements in the Lake Chad province, as well as the influx of Sudanese refugees in the eastern part of the country.
The funds will be utilised for “food assistance and nutrition, the protection of vulnerable families and persons, health treatment and essential medicines, water, sanitation and hygiene services, shelter for displaced persons, education and multisectoral rapid response”.
While in N’Djamena, Lahbib held high-level meetings in the Chadian capital before representing the European Union at the conference for peace in Sudan on April 15 in London.
The European Union has pledged substantial humanitarian aid to Chad to support over 1.5 million forcibly displaced individuals, including refugees from Sudan, after the United States ceased its financial assistance. The EU aid, amounting to 74 million euros, will focus on providing essential services such as food, healthcare, protection, sanitation, and shelter, addressing the urgent needs of refugees and displaced persons.
Hadja Lahbib, the EU Commissioner for Equality and Crisis Management, announced the aid during her visit to Chad, praising the country’s ongoing efforts to accommodate a significant number of refugees amidst its challenges. Besides holding high-level meetings in N’Djamena, Lahbib represented the EU at a peace conference for Sudan in London, emphasizing the need for continued international support and resources for effective refugee management.