Every day, families fleeing the brutal conflict and famine in Sudan arrive at the Chad border, navigating a dry, dusty path to escape the ongoing violence. The scenes have left a profound impact on UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy, who visited the Adré border post on Friday to witness the crisis first-hand.
Sudan’s civil war erupted when tensions escalated between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), displacing millions of people. Many of those crossing into Chad have been separated from their families during the chaotic flight to safety, and are anxiously waiting to hear from their loved ones.
“It’s some of the most horrific things I’ve ever heard and seen in my life,” Lammy stated, visibly moved by the suffering. “Overwhelmingly, what I’ve seen here in Chad, on the border with Sudan, are women and children fleeing for their lives—telling stories of widespread slaughter, mutilation, burning, and sexual violence against them and their children. And amidst it all, famine and hunger. It’s an unbelievable plight.”

Lammy saw dozens of women, draped in multicolored shawls, crossing the border with children of all ages. Many arrived on horse-drawn carts, exhausted and carrying only a few belongings salvaged during their arduous journey to safety.
Halima Abdalla, a 28-year-old mother, expressed her relief at having made it across the border, despite the immense tragedy she had endured. She lost one of her children while fleeing Darfur, a region in Sudan that has experienced some of the worst violence over the past 21 months, much of which has been blamed on the RSF.
“I first went to el-Geneina, but I had to run again when fighting broke out there,” Halima explained. “I became separated from my husband and two other children, but I am thankful to have made it here to safety.”
As the crisis continues, many more refugees are expected to arrive in Chad, seeking refuge from the violence, famine, and loss they have suffered in Sudan.
