Chad’s Fragile Transition Fuels Regional Crisis as Sudan’s Humanitarian Collapse Worsens

In the Sahel, Chad, nearly four times the size of Italy, remains in a precarious transition after the death of longtime ruler Idriss Déby in 2021. His son, General Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno, led the interim period and won the May 2024 presidential election with 61% of the vote. Despite a constitutional referendum promising decentralisation, the country endures persistent insecurity, including a January 2025 attack on N'Djamena’s presidential palace that killed 19 people, and frequent Boko Haram‑linked insurgent raids.

The conflict in neighbouring Sudan has poured almost a million refugees into eastern Chad, straining already limited water, food and shelter resources. Humanitarian funding is insufficient, leaving camps in dire conditions. In Sudan itself, the war has shattered essential services, toppling hospitals and halting food distribution. International medical teams, notably Doctors Without Borders, operate under constant threat, facing shortages of anaesthetics, medicines and blood supplies while treating wounded civilians and preventing cholera outbreaks. The combined displacement and health emergencies are deepening a forgotten humanitarian crisis across the region.