Podcast Summary: Into Africa – “Chad took in over a million Sudanese refugees. It can't shoulder this crisis alone.”

Host: Katherine Mzuki (CSIS Africa Program)
Guest: Abdul Rauf Nyong Konde, Director of the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) Regional Bureau for West and Central Africa
Date: July 17, 2025
Duration: ~24 minutes

Episode Overview

This episode centers on Chad’s remarkable—yet unsustainable—response to the massive Sudanese refugee crisis. Since April 2023, conflict in Sudan has forced nearly a million people to seek refuge in neighboring Chad—a country already among the world’s poorest and least equipped for humanitarian emergencies. Katherine Mzuki and her guest, UNHCR Regional Director Abdul Rauf Nyong Konde, discuss the drivers of displacement, the pressures on Chadian society and infrastructure, the moral stance of Chad’s government, emerging tensions, aid shortfalls, and the challenges facing displaced youth. The episode underscores the urgent need for international support and thoughtful, youth-centered policies for Africa’s future.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Sudan Crisis & Unprecedented Displacement

• Scope of Displacement:

  • Since April 2023, ~9 million have been displaced within Sudan, with 4–5 million crossing borders into neighboring countries (02:08).
  • Chad has received the most: nearly 900,000 Sudanese refugees since April 2023, plus 420,000 long-term Sudanese refugees from earlier waves (03:38).

    “We may well reach the threshold of 1 million Sudanese refugees since April 2023 in Chad—plus the 420,000. So, 1.4 million Sudanese refugees in one of the poorest countries in the world.” (03:54, B)

• Chad’s Demographics and Challenges:

  • Population ~20 million; 42% below the poverty line; only 11% have electricity; literacy is below 27%; life expectancy <57 years (03:54).
  • “One person in three at the border area between Chad and Sudan on the Chadian side is a refugee. One person in 14 in Chad overall is a refugee.” (04:55, B)

Chad’s Moral Choice & Open-door Policy

• Unique Regional Stance:

  • Despite being resource-poor, Chad has not closed or militarized its borders—contrary to many richer, more stable countries (05:29).

  • Host communities and authorities say their own histories as refugees inform this deliberate, moral approach.

    “We ourselves have been displaced. We have been refugees. Some of us were welcomed in Sudan… So it’s our time, and then our turn, you know, to show hospitality.” (06:24, B)

  • Chad’s legislative framework grants refugees the same access to services and opportunities as citizens.

    “Chadian authorities have decided to give access to services, to opportunities, to the refugees, just like Chadians, without any difference. It’s just amazing.” (06:59, B)

  • But, as the host points out, such generosity is fragile and must be supported to prevent public resentment and policy reversal (07:53).

Emerging Tensions & Local Pressures (08:40)

• Resource Strain Illustrated:

  • Adre, a small border town, went from 40,000 people to 240,000 “almost multiplying by six”—overwhelming infrastructure (09:25).

    “It’s like accelerated urbanization… How do you organize security, ensure access to education and health for everyone, and prevent social tensions?” (09:25, B)

• Need for Long-term Solutions:

  • Beyond immediate needs (shelter, food, medical care, trauma support), medium- and long-term interventions are required to avoid protracted crises (09:58).

Aid Cuts & Humanitarian Challenges

• Funding Shortfalls:

  • Global aid cuts, particularly to UNHCR’s regional response, have deeply affected life-saving capabilities.

    “Our resources are strained… We have difficulty to provide even emergency shelter, food, medicine.” (13:03, B)

  • “It will be a pity to have a country like Chad willing to do the right thing… and not getting the right support.” (14:09, B)

• Role of Flexible Funding:

  • Flexible donor funding is lauded for enabling a rapid, effective emergency response (15:37).

    “The beauty of that flexibility is to be in the capacity almost overnight: There is an issue, there is an emergency, quickly be there.” (15:37, B)

• International Coordination:

  • UNHCR collaborates with the World Bank, IMF, IFC, EU, and donor countries to fill funding gaps and ensure Chad is not “left alone to deal with such massive influx.” (14:11)

The Plight and Power of Youth

• Displaced Youth Demographics:

  • 65% of the population in Chad and among refugees is under 20 (16:40).

• Education as a Central Aspiration and Challenge:

  • Refugee youth are eager to continue their studies despite displacement, aware of education's importance for their futures (16:45).

    “Their dream is to get an education, a qualification. They are ready to do everything because they know how powerful the education is in their lives.” (16:45, B)

  • In border areas, basic facilities including schools are lacking. Some refugee teachers have been recruited to teach—showing capacity but also limited infrastructure (17:30).

    “Even the teachers, the majority of them, are being recruited among refugees.” (17:30, B)

• Vocational and Economic Perspectives:

  • Beyond education, vocational training and access to land (especially for agriculture) are essential for sustainable refugee self-reliance (18:28).
  • Many youth, frustrated by lack of opportunity, move onward—e.g., ~240,000 Sudanese refugees have headed to Libya, citing lack of education as a key motivator (18:50).

Migration is About Needs, Not Choice

• Migration gets highly politicized, but most forcibly displaced people desire stability, not migration; they are seeking basic dignity and livelihood (19:42).

  “Most people don’t want to leave the place that they are from… It’s almost like Maslow’s hierarchy of needs: people want education, a roof… healthcare, a way to make an income.” (19:42, A)

Vision for the Future – Investing in Youth (21:12)

• Policy & Agency:

  • The youth want “a seat at the table”; they don’t want others to decide for them. Investing in education and human capital across Chad and refugee populations is crucial for stability and prosperity.

    “If those in charge… can do what it takes to give the space, give a voice to those youth and listen to them, it will be amazing how they can quicker help the continent move ahead.” (21:30, B)

  • Raising literacy, practical skills, and job opportunities for all, not just refugees but locals too, is key to mitigating migration pressures and empowering a generation (22:16).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Chad’s Moral Policy:

  “We ourselves have been displaced… It’s our time, our turn, to show hospitality and generosity to our brothers and sisters.”
  – Abdul Rauf Nyong Konde (06:24)

• On Funding Limits:

  “It will be a pity to have a country like Chad willing to do the right thing… and not getting the right support that could, you know, make sure that that country doesn’t fall apart.”
  – Abdul Rauf Nyong Konde (14:09)

• On Education and Youth Agency:

  “They want to have a seat around the table. They don’t want others to decide for them… If we all invest in education and the human capital, they don’t want to leave. They want to stay and be useful to their own countries and communities.”
  – Abdul Rauf Nyong Konde (21:30, 22:56)

Important Timestamps

• Sudan crisis and displacement numbers: 02:08–05:29
• Chad’s policy and history as a host: 05:29–07:53
• Local tensions and resource strain: 08:40–10:57
• Aid cuts and humanitarian realities: 10:57–15:37
• Role of youth, education, and migration: 16:08–19:42
• Long-term vision and closing thoughts: 21:12–23:06

Episode Takeaways

• Chad’s open, humane response to Sudan’s refugee crisis, despite its own deep poverty, reveals both the best of human solidarity and the peril of leaving poor host countries unsupported.
• The sustainability of this model depends on immediate, flexible, and substantial international aid, coordinated long-term development planning, and prioritizing the needs and aspirations of Africa’s vast youth population.
• The conversation underscores the humanity behind migration headlines—displaced people seek stability, security, and opportunity, not displacement for its own sake.
• Investing in education, economic opportunity, and youth agency is key to Africa’s future, for refugees and locals alike.