Following a week-long assessment in eastern Chad, Andrew Saberton, Deputy Executive Director of the United Nations agency for sexual and reproductive health (UNFPA), described the situation as both inspiring and deeply troubling.

Sudan’s conflict spills over

During his visits to Abéché, Adré—in the Ouaddaï region—and the Iridimi refugee camp (over 1,000 km from N’Djamena)—Saberton witnessed firsthand how the conflict in neighboring Sudan is devastating refugee women and girls.

In Adré, near the Sudanese border, he toured an UNFPA-supported center where displaced women shared harrowing accounts of violence endured while leaving camps to gather firewood.

“Collecting firewood has become a moment of dread,” he noted, citing testimonials from women in another camp who face harassment, assault, and sexual violence.

Despite these dangers, Saberton praised the resilience of women supported by psychosocial care, vocational training, and income-generating activities.

In Abéché, he met a young survivor of obstetric fistula, married at 15. After three days of unassisted labor during her first pregnancy, her baby died, and her husband abandoned her. She lived with this severe complication for nearly a decade before finally receiving treatment.

“Even now, she faces pressure to remarry,” he lamented.

Critical healthcare gaps

In Wadi Fira, home to the Iridimi camp, healthcare facilities are overwhelmed by the continuous influx of refugees. Local authorities report over 333,000 displaced individuals across eight camps.

The camp’s health center handles up to 300 monthly deliveries with severely limited resources. Medical staff report shortages of anesthetics, sometimes forcing unsafe cesarean procedures.

“No woman should endure a cesarean section without anesthesia,” Saberton stressed.

The UN official also highlighted the devastating impact of reduced humanitarian funding. The UNFPA Chad office faces a 44% budget cut this year compared to 2025. Of the $18.7 million requested for 2026 to sustain maternal health and protection services, only 2.5% has been secured.

With Chad already recording one of the world’s highest maternal mortality rates—approximately 860 deaths per 100,000 live births—the agency urges the international community to bolster support immediately.

“For the women and girls in eastern Chad, aid means safe childbirth, post-violence care, and a chance to survive,” Saberton concluded.