Sign up to our emails
Sign up to our emails to get the latest from ShelterBox delivered straight to your inbox.
$30
Set of solar lights
Give Light
When Shelter Means Protection
The conflict in Sudan has created one of the largest humanitarian crises in recent history. Since April 2023, millions of people have fled violence, crossing into neighboring Chad with little more than what they could carry.
Mona was one of them.
Before the war, she was studying, working, and building a future for her family. When fighting erupted, her neighborhood became too dangerous to leave. Gunfire struck homes. Criminal groups targeted communities. Food became scarce. Families lived in fear for months before making the decision to flee.
Mona and her family eventually reached Chad, welcomed by local communities but forced to start over in a refugee camp. They were given an emergency shelter, but it offered limited protection from extreme heat, heavy rain, fire, and theft.
At night, insecurity remained a constant concern. Women and girls faced particular risks, and fires could spread quickly through fragile materials.
The trauma of conflict followed her into displacement. Like many women who have survived violence and instability, Mona experienced deep emotional strain while trying to care for her children and maintain some sense of normalcy.
Even in those conditions, she stepped forward to support others. Mona became involved in a camp committee focused on protecting women and girls and raising awareness about the challenges they face. She understood that safety is not only physical. It is also social, emotional, and communal
A Stronger Shelter Changes Everything
ShelterBox, working with our local partner Help-Tchad, began upgrading emergency shelters into semi-durable mudbrick homes. These structures provide stronger walls, improved ventilation, and lockable doors that protect families from rain, wind, fire, and theft.
When Mona moved into her new shelter, the difference was immediate. For the first time since fleeing Sudan, she could close her door securely. Her belongings were protected. Rain no longer leaked inside. The constant fear of fire spreading through the camp eased.
A stronger shelter brought more than physical safety. It restored dignity and stability. It allowed Mona to focus on her children’s future and continue supporting women in her community.
For her, home represents protection, culture, privacy, and the starting point for rebuilding a life. Without it, everything feels exposed and uncertain.
Why Shelter for Women Matters
In displacement settings, women and girls face heightened risks, including gender-based violence, exploitation, and insecurity. Without solid walls and lockable doors, safety is never guaranteed.
Shelter is not only protection from the elements. It is protection from fear. It creates the conditions for women to care for their families, pursue education, rebuild livelihoods, and strengthen their communities.
Right now, ShelterBox is supporting families displaced by conflict in Sudan who have sought refuge in Chad. With your help, we can continue upgrading fragile emergency shelters into safer, more durable homes.
Your gift can help provide:
-
Semi-durable shelters with stronger walls and secure doors
-
Materials such as mudbricks, timber, roofing, and tools
-
Essential household items that support daily life
-
Community-based protection efforts for women and girls
Women like Mona have the strength and determination to rebuild. What they need is support.
Our ongoing response
In April 2023, long-simmering tensions between Sudan’s military and main paramilitary force erupted into violent clashes, risking civil war. Fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has continued. More than eight million people have been displaced since the start of the conflict on 15 April 2023. They are fleeing to safer locations within Sudan or across its borders.
Over 900,000 have fled to Chad from neighboring Sudan, leaving their homes behind. Many are without adequate shelter. It includes people who were already internally displaced by previous conflicts in Sudan, as well as refugees from other countries that had previously sought safety in Sudan. The majority of the refugees are women and children.
The humanitarian need was already significant before this conflict started. That need is rising every day, made worse by a fourth consecutive year of acute food shortages in Chad. The country is also experiencing heavy rains, which makes the movement of materials and aid very difficult. It also creates challenging conditions for the people there.
ShelterBox has supported over 22,000 people in Chad since the beginning of the Sudan conflict, and we are now partnering with HELP Tchad to improve the living conditions and support the recovery of thousands more.
ShelterBox is providing emergency shelter items like tarpaulins and rope to help with the construction of temporary shelters. We are also providing essential items. This includes solar lights, mosquito nets, blankets, sleeping mats, kitchen sets, and fuel-efficient stoves.
The items being distributed are simple but effective. Tarpaulins protect people from the weather. When there is no electricity solar lights help people to see when darkness falls. Mosquito nets help protect people from diseases like malaria.
With no end to conflict in sight, we are expecting many more people to flee to Chad from Sudan. This will only add to the need for emergency shelter in the country. We’ll be supporting new arrivals to the transit areas of refugee camps. Our shelters will provide a temporary, safe home within the camp. Families can stay there until more durable shelters are available.
Support our work
