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Hope amidst hardship in Zabout camp

How Scottish funding will transform the lives of Sudanese refugees seeking safety in Chad.

Written by Jen Clark | 23 Jan 2025

A woman is sat cross-legged on the ground in front of a wall built from wood and plastic sheets.

Scottish funds will support Fatna who was forced to flee to Zabout refugee camp. Credit: Tearfund partner

In the parched lands of eastern Chad, Zabout refugee camp is a haven for more than 50,000 people who have fled the violence in Sudan. But life here is far from easy. For many families, survival feels like an unending battle against hunger, loss and despair.

Sudan’s brutal civil war broke out in April 2023, triggering a massive humanitarian crisis. The conflict has devastated critical infrastructure, displacing millions and leaving more than 25 million people in need of urgent help. Widespread violence, including targeted attacks on civilians, has forced families to flee their homes, leading to severe shortages of food, water, shelter and healthcare. 

Hope is breaking through

Thanks to the Scottish Government’s Humanitarian Emergency Fund, hope is beginning to break through. Tearfund, working with our local partner PEDC, is providing life-saving support to 1,500 of the most vulnerable households in Zabout camp – reaching about 9,000 people with food assistance and supporting communities to rebuild lives of dignity and peace.

Fatna’s story: ‘An endless series of suffering’

‘Back home in Sudan, we were shopkeepers. We had everything we needed, and our children went to school,’ says Fatna, a mother with three children in the camp. ‘But here, we have nothing. Even buying a pair of shoes for the children feels impossible. Most days, feeding them is an act of grace.’

Fatna and her family fled Sudan’s brutal conflict, leaving behind their home and livelihood. Despite their best efforts – such as planting a field to grow food – their crops were destroyed by floods. Now, life in Zabout camp is a daily struggle.

‘It feels like an endless series of suffering,’ she says. ‘Our children go hungry on a regular basis, and we feel destitute and deprived of almost everything.’

Fatna's family has been hit hard by the consequences of displacement. Tearfund’s project will provide cash assistance to enable them to meet their urgent needs and regain a sense of dignity and stability.

Youniss’s story: ‘We just want the means to provide for ourselves’

Youniss once supported his family through farming and delivering water to schools in Sudan. But when violence swept through his hometown, he and his family fled for their lives.

‘Here, everything is different,’ he says. ‘I want to work, but I have no tools, no equipment, no land. Last year, the land offered to us was six hours away on foot, and even if we could farm it, the floods would have destroyed everything.’

Now, Youniss relies on sporadic aid to feed and clothe his six children. ‘The most urgent thing for us is cash support to start a small business. Food runs out. Clothes wear out. But if we had the means to work, I’d be able to provide fully for my family again and we would regain our dignity.’

A family stand in front of a temporary shelter.

Support for Youniss and his family will help him provide once again. Credit: Tearfund partner

How the project is helping

With funding from the Scottish Government, Tearfund and PEDC have begun addressing the urgent needs of families such as Fatna’s and Youniss’s. The project will provide unconditional cash assistance to families, enabling them to meet their immediate food and other essential needs. This approach restores dignity and stimulates the local economy, giving refugees the freedom to make choices based on their own priorities.

In addition to providing immediate relief, the project promotes peacebuilding and community cohesion. Refugees and host communities come together for weekly dialogues led by trained Gender and Peace Champions, fostering understanding and reducing tensions. This initiative focuses on the inclusion of women, with specific support for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence, helping them rebuild their lives after trauma.

Bee Roy, Head of Tearfund Scotland, reflects on Scotland’s role in this vital work:

‘This funding from the Scottish Government’s Humanitarian Emergency Fund comes at a crucial moment. So many families in Zabout camp are struggling to survive, and through Tearfund’s partner we can help meet some of the most urgent needs right now. By providing cash support, promoting peace and supporting women, we are not just responding to the crisis – we are restoring hope and dignity.’

A message of gratitude

Seid Zebe, Tearfund’s Country Director in Chad, highlights the immense impact of this project:

‘The conflict in Sudan has displaced more than 11 million people, and many of them have sought refuge in Chad. Zabout camp is home to thousands of women and children who face severe hunger and trauma. We are hugely grateful to the Scottish Government for this life-saving funding. It enables us to provide food relief, foster peace and offer much-needed psychosocial support.’

Bringing hope to those who need It most

The challenges in Zabout are immense, but with this support, families who have lost everything have an opportunity to hope for more than their current circumstances allow. 

Please pray with us at Tearfund for people far from home such as Fatna and Youniss, for provision and continued sustenance in their time of need, and for peace to be restored.

Written by

Written by  Jen Clark

Tearfund Scotland Media and Communications Manager

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