The International Rescue Committee is rushing to stop a deadly cholera outbreak in eastern Chad that killed 16 people and infected at least 288 others in just one week, mostly hitting refugee camps packed with families who escaped Sudan’s war, according to IRC latest announcement.
The disease tore through three health districts in Ouaddaï province where overcrowded camps lack clean water and proper sanitation. Chad’s health system is already stretched thin with over one million refugees, including 875,000 who fled Sudan’s fighting over the past two years.
The outbreak hit at the worst possible time. The country is dealing with floods, funding shortages, and not enough doctors or medical supplies. Refugee camps are jammed with families who have nowhere else to go, and the rainy season is spreading contaminated water everywhere.
“We’re seeing families who have already fled violence now facing the threat of a deadly disease with little protection,” said IRC Chad Country Director Alain Rusuku. “It’s heartbreaking to witness how quickly cholera is spreading in overcrowded camps where clean water and sanitation are scarce.”
IRC teams are working with Chad’s health ministry to treat patients and teach prevention in the hardest-hit camps.
Rusuku warned that without urgent investment in water systems and health infrastructure, the crisis will get worse. IRC has operated in Chad since 2004 and quickly expanded when Sudan’s war began in April 2023, setting up water stations and mobile clinics for dehydrated refugees crossing the border.
The outbreak exposes the dangerous conditions in Chad’s refugee camps, where basic services remain badly underfunded despite enormous needs created by regional conflicts.
