Chad: Psychosocial support heals the invisible wounds carried by Sudanese refugees

Since 2024, the ICRC has been working with the Red Cross of Chad to put in place a psychosocial support programme in transit centres in the provinces of Ouaddaï, Sila and Wadi Fira. The programme aims to support people who have been left traumatized by the violence they have experienced in the past, difficult displacements and the loss of loved ones.

The programme offers individual and group psychological support sessions, training sessions and awareness-raising activities for the community, relaxation techniques and activities specifically designed for children. These sessions are led by psychologists, community representatives and Red Cross volunteers, and they give these refugees an opportunity to express the pain they are feeling and to share their experiences, as well as helping them to feel less isolated in their suffering. They provide a place where people can relax, talk and gradually regain some stability.

In a corner of the counselling centre at the Djabal refugee camp, bursts of laughter break the silence. Around ten children are drawing, playing and running around. These recreational activities organized by the ICRC are not mere distractions – they are an essential form of therapy.