Sudan refugee crisis: How safe spaces help children heal in Eastern Chad  

But with trauma-informed care, nutritious food and accessible support, his life today is completely transformed. In an SOS Children’s Villages child-friendly space in Arkoum, he is surrounded by friends, playing games and participating in creative activities adapted for his abilities.  

“When I arrive at the child-friendly space, I feel surrounded by friends and brothers,” he said. “It makes me feel safe and happy.” 

Abdoulaye is one of more than 39,000 children that SOS Children’s Villages Chad has reached with emergency aid. His story highlights the positive healing and growth possible when children receive the humanitarian support and protection they desperately need. 

Children in crisis 

In the parched plains of eastern Chad, hundreds of thousands of children have crossed the border from Sudan with little more than the clothes they wear—many without parents to guide or protect them.  

Since civil war erupted in Sudan in April 2023, more than one million people have sought refuge in Chad. The majority are women and children, fleeing gunfire, shelling and devastation in Darfur. For many families, the journey to Chad means leaving behind homes, livelihoods, schools and communities—everything that once provided stability and security. 

For children who have lost parental care or are at risk of losing it, the situation in eastern Chad remains extremely precarious. Many have been separated from their families during the frantic flight from Sudan or arrived completely alone. Others are living with host families or distant relatives who themselves struggle to meet basic needs. 

Children are already the most vulnerable in crisis, and in overcrowded refugee camps with limited access to food, clean water and education, children face life-threatening dangers—like malnutrition, illness, early marriage and exploitation.  

“Children are anxious and cut off from everything that once gave them safety,” says Alain Routoumbaye, project coordinator of the SOS Children’s Villages Chad team in Ouaddaï. “Our role is to help them feel like children again.” 

A humanitarian emergency facing severe funding gaps 

The humanitarian emergency in eastern Chad is one of the fastest-growing and least-funded in the world:  

— Nearly two million people require urgent humanitarian aid. 

— 850,000 children are out of school. 

— 30% (and climbing) malnutrition rates have been recorded in some refugee camps. 

— 10% of the national humanitarian response plan was funded. 

The consequences of this funding gap are devastating. Several international organizations have been forced to scale back or suspend their programs, leaving enormous gaps in child protection and education services. Children who have already lost everything now face the daily risks to their immediate safety. 

Despite these immense challenges, SOS Children’s Villages in Chad continues to provide life-saving support. Since 2022, the organization has reached more than 43,000 people, including over 39,000 children, through emergency programs in Ouaddaï and the Lake Chad region. 

 Child-friendly spaces: Where healing begins 

In Ouaddai province, SOS currently operates nine child-friendly spaces—safe, welcoming places where children can play, learn and begin to heal. 

These carefully designed environments are tailored to protect and help children process the traumas of conflict, natural disasters and other humanitarian crisis. In these spaces, staff trained in trauma-informed care create an atmosphere where children can rebuild their sense of safety, routine and normalcy.  

Here, children take part in informal education, games, music and theater, including movement-based sessions that help them process stress and rebuild confidence.  

Learn more about the importance of continuing education in emergencies. 

Trained staff provide psychosocial support and continuously monitor for protection risks like exploitation, abuse, or signs of severe psychological distress. 

For children who have witnessed violence, lost family members and experienced the traumas of conflict and displacement, child-friendly spaces are invaluable—a place where children can simply be children again.  

“Safe spaces are not a luxury,” says Cyrille Roassoum, humanitarian coordinator at SOS Children’s Villages Chad. “For children who have lost everything, they are a bridge back to routines and hope.”  

Family reunification and support 

The best place for children to grow up is in the safety of a loving family. 

Through comprehensive family tracing and reunification efforts, SOS has assisted more than 1,000 unaccompanied or separated children—successfully reuniting dozens of children with relatives and ensuring families’ and children’s essential needs are met.  

Parents and caregivers also receive training in positive parenting, helping strengthen family bonds and prevent further separations—even under the extreme stress of displacement.  

Healing from gender-based violence  

Many women and children arriving from Sudan have endured horrific violence. Sexual and gender-based violence is widespread, especially in camps lacking lighting, water and sanitation facilities. Overcrowding and lack of privacy create dangerous conditions where exploitation and abuse can thrive.  

In response, SOS provides comprehensive psychosocial care and referral services for survivors. Staff members conduct community awareness campaigns on preventing abuse, including early marriage, working to shift harmful social norms and create protective environments for women and girls. 

Batoul, a young mother living in Gaga camp, sought help from an SOS psychosocial worker after surviving intimate partner violence.   

“A neighbor told me about the listening sessions run by SOS,” Batoul said. “I went to confide in the psychosocial worker. She helped me a lot through her advice and the support she gave me.”  

Now, Batoul is not only healing—she’s become an advocate for other women. 

“I used to think it was my fault, but this time I know I’m not to blame. That’s why I share my story—to say loud and clear that SOS [Children’s Villages] services are very important for all the women in the camp,” she says.  

Her story is one of many showing how access to compassionate counselling and practical support can transform lives—not only facilitating healing from trauma but also breaking cycles of abuse. 

Strengthening child protection in emergencies  

Beyond direct assistance, SOS works to strengthen community protection mechanisms.  

Local child protection committees, youth clubs and women’s groups identify children at risk, provide peer support and advocate for safety measures within camps.  

More than 400 community child protection workers have been trained to respond to cases of neglect, exploitation and violence.  

In a region where funding cuts have forced many organizations to withdraw, these community networks are vital lifelines. They ensure that children without parental care are not invisible and that families under extreme pressure receive support before relationships collapse. 

How you can help children in Chad 

With need growing and resources dwindling, the situation in eastern Chad grows more precarious. Every day without adequate funding means more children go hungry, more children miss school and more children face devastating violence and exploitation.  

Every child deserves the chance to heal, to feel safe and to build a future free from conflict and trauma.  

Together, we can help children heal, learn and thrive—no matter the state of the world around them.