In Adré, on Chad's border with Darfur, where more than 140,000 refugees live, the situation is critical a year after the beginning of the conflict. There is a lack of water and food for a population traumatized by disappearances, torture, and sexual violence.
Different UN spokespersons have been warning of the catastrophe for months, without managing to attract international attention. The Sudanese conflict in the Darfur region has mutated into ethnic cleansing, which together with the insufficient funds to face the largest humanitarian crisis on the planet in these moments has led to the largest hunger crisis in decades. The U.N. World Food Program (WFP) delivers food to people who have just crossed the Chadian border of Adré fleeing the Sudan war. For confidential support, call the Samaritans in the UK on 08457 90 90 90 90, visit a local Samaritans branch or see www.samaritans.org for details. In the U.S., call the National Suicide Prevention Line on 1-800-273-8255. Doctors Without Borders has been able to allocate a million-dollar budget to care for the victims of this war in Sudan and Chad. At the Adré clinic alone, they see between 350 and 500 patients daily. More than 11% of Sudanese refugees suffer from malnutrition when crossing the Chad border, and more than 40% of women and children in the camps suffer from anemia. The problem is that after being treated, boys and girls have to return to their reality, which is a life in a refugee camp. The situation is very critical because it is an emergency that affects many people. A lot of food is needed, and the WFP is facing a very serious financial crisis. If we don't do it, it is clear that cases of malnutrition will multiply and deaths will also multiply," predicts Vanesa Boi, WFP Emergency Manager in the crisis in eastern Chad.