Team Zamzam Humanitarian Report, April – May 2026

Team Zamzam Humanitarian Report from the Coordinating Counselors: North Darfur – Tina Border Corridor (Sudan–Chad)

Reporting Period: April – May 2026 (translated by Gaffar Mohammud Saeneen)

Executive Summary

The humanitarian crisis along the Sudan–Chad border has entered a more dangerous phase in May 2026. Continued violence in North Darfur and repeated RSF incursions around the Tina corridor have triggered fresh waves of displacement into eastern Chad. Informal settlements are rapidly expanding, while overstretched host communities and existing refugees struggle to cope.

Civilians continue to arrive exhausted, traumatized, and injured, with minimal or no belongings. Border closures, heightened military activity, and ongoing insecurity have severely restricted humanitarian access. Without urgent, scaled-up, and coordinated international intervention, the situation risks escalating into a major cross-border humanitarian catastrophe.

1. Security and Protection Situation

Insecurity intensified across villages and displacement routes surrounding Tina during May 2026. RSF and allied militia groups continued to target civilian areas, forcing families to flee repeatedly.

Key Developments:

• Persistent attacks on civilian-populated areas.
• Increased reports of killings, injuries, looting, and property destruction.
• Growing aerial threats and fear among displaced communities.
• Severe restrictions on civilian movement due to insecurity and military controls.

Women, children, the elderly, and persons with disabilities remain the most vulnerable, facing heightened protection risks including gender-based violence and exploitation.

2. Cross-Border Displacement Trends

Population movements from Sudan into Chad persisted throughout April and May. Newly displaced families continue to arrive in Chadian Tina and surrounding informal sites.

Observed Trends:

• Steady influx of exhausted households with minimal possessions.
• Many families arriving without food, shelter materials, or resources.
• Repeated displacement for some households due to ongoing insecurity and overcrowding.
• Large numbers of children deprived of education and psychosocial support.

High population mobility and dispersed settlements continue to hinder accurate registration and comprehensive needs assessments.

3. Humanitarian Conditions in Chadian Tina

The situation in informal settlements remains extremely alarming. An estimated 35,000+ Sudanese refugees and displaced persons are currently sheltering in the Tina border zone. The majority are women, children, pregnant women, unaccompanied minors, the elderly, and war-injured civilians.

Priority Concerns:

Food Insecurity

Many households survive on one meal per day or less. Malnutrition rates among children are rising, with families reporting reduced meal frequency, lack of dietary diversity, and reliance on irregular community support.

Health Crisis

Access to healthcare is critically limited. Key issues include untreated conflict-related injuries, acute malnutrition, respiratory and waterborne diseases, maternal health complications, and widespread psychological trauma.

Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH)

Safe water remains insufficient. Poor sanitation, lack of hygiene supplies, and overcrowding significantly increase the risk of disease outbreaks.

Shelter and Protection

Most families live in makeshift shelters or sleep in the open. Protection risks are rising, including gender-based violence, child exploitation, and lack of safe spaces for women and children.

4. Team Zamzam Humanitarian Interventions

Despite severe access constraints and limited resources, the Zamzam Team continued delivering emergency assistance throughout April and May 2026.

Key Activities:

Psychosocial & Protection Support

Ongoing individual and group counselling sessions for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence, along with community protection awareness activities.

Over the past month team Zamzam provided:

13 group counseling sessions

27 individual counseling

Shelter Monitoring & Assessments

Regular field visits to assess protection concerns, shelter conditions, health risks, and urgent humanitarian needs.

Emergency Food and Nutrition Support

• Group Meals Program: Provided hot meals to 9,221 beneficiaries, with children under 12 accounting for more than two-thirds of recipients. The program also targeted pregnant women and elderly individuals. Meals (meat-based pasta and rice with meat) were distributed three times per week over three weeks through a collective kitchen.
• Children’s Breakfast Program: Reached 4,128 malnourished children with breakfast meals including milk, biscuits, and dumplings, distributed three times per week.
• Household Food Distribution: Supported 183 vulnerable families with:
• 2 kg flour
• 2 pounds sugar
• 1 kg red lentils
• 1 bar of washing soap

These interventions provided critical relief to the most vulnerable households, particularly those with children, elderly members, and injured persons.

5. Operational Challenges

• Ongoing insecurity and armed activity along the border.
• Restricted humanitarian access due to border closures and military measures.
• Limited funding and shortages of essential supplies.
• Insufficient transportation and medical capacity.
• Difficulty tracking highly mobile displaced populations.

These constraints have limited the scale and frequency of response activities despite rapidly escalating needs.

6. Priority Needs and Response Gaps

The humanitarian response remains significantly underfunded and inadequate. Immediate action is required in the following areas:

Emergency Food Assistance

Large-scale food distributions and targeted nutritional support for children and pregnant women.

Health Services

Mobile clinics, trauma and emergency care, maternal health services, and mental health/psychosocial support.

WASH Interventions

Safe water provision, emergency latrines, hygiene promotion, and distribution of hygiene kits.

Shelter and Non-Food Items

Emergency shelters, blankets, sleeping mats, and basic household supplies.

Protection Services

Establishment of safe spaces for women and children, child protection mechanisms, gender-based violence response, and protection monitoring.

Conclusion and Urgent Humanitarian Appeal

The humanitarian crisis along the Sudan–Chad border continues to worsen at an alarming rate. Thousands of displaced civilians remain in extremely fragile conditions with insufficient food, healthcare, shelter, and protection.

Zamzam Team urgently appeals to:

• United Nations agencies (OCHA, UNHCR, WFP, UNICEF, WHO)
• International humanitarian organizations
• Donor governments and regional partners

…immediately scale up emergency assistance, increase flexible funding, and work towards securing humanitarian access and civilian protection in the Tina border region.

Immediate action is critical to prevent further loss of life and alleviate the suffering of thousands of vulnerable displaced families. Any delay will have devastating consequences in the coming weeks.