Chad
Since war broke out in Sudan in 2023, close to 740,000 people, mostly women and children, have sought refuge in neighbouring Chad. Sexual violence has been used as a weapon of war by all parties to the conflict.
In 2024, GSF was to Chad invited by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) to share expertise on our survivor-centred approach with humanitarian partners. We explored opportunities to partner with organisations working in Adré and Aboutengé refugee camps, home to more than 200,000 people, including an unknown number of victims of conflict-related sexual violence.
We are working with MSF to strengthen survivor-centred responses to conflict-related sexual violence in Chad. Our work aims to improve survivors’ access to essential services, strengthen available psychosocial and medical support, and support community-based solutions to address sexual violence. Working with humanitarian actors allows us to reach a larger number of survivors, enhancing opportunities for reparation.
In early 2025, we started providing emergency support to Hope and Haven for Refugees in Adré. This has helped the organisation strengthen services offered at its Women’s Trauma Centre, including psychosocial support, therapy, and legal assistance. The centre also serves as a safe space for women and a venue for establishing a registry of victims, aiding future documentation and reparation efforts. Survivors also receive direct financial assistance and design their own livelihood projects.
In the capital, N’Djamena, our partner Association de la jeunesse pour la paix et la non violence will provide comprehensive care for Sudanese survivors and refugees, including counselling, medical and psychological care, and sessions on HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment. Participants will also receive vocational training and partake in peer support groups and awareness sessions on their rights as refugees.
GSF is currently considering how to expand our work for Sudanese survivors in other countries.We continue our advocacy work on conflict-related sexual violence committed in Sudan, and the need to establish a registry of victims so that survivors can eventually access full reparation.