Adre, Chad – Under the blistering sun, Awatef Adam Mohamed has crossed the permeable desert frontier between Sudan and Chad in search of refuge.

She reached Chad on June 8, joining the tens of thousands of civilians running from the nightmare that war has imposed on Sudan’s Darfur region.

But more recently, another calamity is propelling people out of Sudan—a severe famine threatening millions of lives.

Looking for Safety and Nourishment

Since a violent power conflict broke out between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on April 15, 2023, the country has been thrust into a massive crisis.

About 10 million individuals are displaced—the highest number globally—and famine-like conditions are spreading nationwide.

Approximately 756,000 individuals are enduring "catastrophic hunger levels," with an additional 25.6 million facing severe food shortages, per the United Nations’ Integrated Food Security Phase Classification.

This has forced people to move in search of safety and sustenance, with more than 600,000 arriving in Chad, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

Most are reliant on the World Food Programme (WFP) for food aid to survive.

Nevertheless, funding shortages have compelled the WFP to cut food aid, reducing caloric intake for refugees by almost 20 percent in the past two months, explained Vanessa Boi, a WFP emergency officer in Chad.

Only 19 percent of WFP’s funding calls have been addressed, and as more refugees flood into Chad from Darfur daily, WFP might further cut food aid for each refugee.

“The impact of the reduction is evident as more people become malnourished,” stated Boi.

Malnutrition results from a lack of essential nutrients, not just calories.

Refugees sometimes trade their WFP rations designed to provide balanced nutrition for less nutritious but more filling food, which can last a few more days.

Omima Musa, 27, trades her food kit for white rice at the market to extend her ability to feed her children, she explains while gently rocking her baby.

Although Omima's baby might be less hungry, she remains malnourished, making her vulnerable to illnesses like malaria.

Musa Maman, overseeing medical activities for Doctors Without Borders (MSF), noted that the rainy season, prime for malaria, has begun and will last for at least two more months.

“We expect a spike in malaria cases. August is typically the worst month,” Musa told Al Jazeera.

Pain and Uncertainty

Awatef’s children, too, are malnourished, prompting her, like many Darfuris, to walk miles to eastern Chad using any means of travel available.

Now, safe from violence, the Masalit tribeswoman stands in the shade, her colorful thobe contrasting with the dark circles under her eyes.

The Masalit are among the largest tribes in Darfur, typically sedentary and focused on farming, and often referred to as "non-Arabs." The RSF frequently targets the tribe.

Awatef clutches her baby, wrapped in a red shawl, as her four other children gather around her, appearing listless.

Her husband vanished when the RSF and allied militias raided her Masalit village in West Darfur months ago, seeking to kill men and teenage boys.

During the raid, two of her brothers were murdered before her eyes.

“They were martyred at home,” she says stoically, avoiding details. “I witnessed their killing.”

After the attack, Awatef struggled to feed herself and her children, forcing her to head to eastern Chad.

There, they joined countless women and children braving the hot desert to register with the UNHCR for food and medical aid.

Constrained Aid and Rising Tensions

Human rights groups assert that the RSF and the army are perpetuating the food crisis in Sudan.

The RSF has ransacked cities and markets and devastated harvests by displacing farmers, while the army has obstructed aid groups from reaching besieged populations in RSF-controlled areas.

In March, the Sudanese army barred aid groups from transporting food across the Chadian border to West Darfur for "security reasons," claiming the route had been used to arm the RSF.

The army later permitted food shipments via Tina, Chad, which adjoins North Darfur where both army and RSF troops are present. However, this did not assist West Darfur, where hundreds of thousands struggle to find food, likely prompting more refugees into Chad, explained Boi.

“[The WFP] can’t distribute aid on the other side due to difficult access, so [refugees] come to [Chad] knowing assistance is possible,” she added.

The RSF originated from the government-endorsed Arab tribal militia, the "Janjaweed," who fought in Darfur’s conflict. Accused of war crimes during the Darfur war, they rebranded as the RSF in 2013 under President Omar al-Bashir.

Now, the RSF targets non-Arab communities in Darfur, a region under its near-total control. Even Arabs are fleeing to Chad due to the hunger crisis.

Yassir Hussein, 45, came to Adre from Ardamata Camp in West Darfur, where RSF and allied militias killed some 1,300 Masalit men in October 2023.

“The [RSF] didn't harm me [in Ardamata] because my Arab features were apparent,” Yassir told Al Jazeera, adding he sought food and shelter in Chad.

Adre’s Governor Mohamad Issa worries that the arrival of Sudanese Arabs could escalate the Darfur conflict into Chad.

He emphasized the need for more humanitarian assistance for all refugees and impoverished Chadian communities to reduce ethnic strife.

“Ethnic conflicts between Arabs and Masalit might cross into Chad. Some Arab refugees are fleeing famine [in Sudan], which could ignite tensions,” Issa told Al Jazeera.

Yassir hopes to avoid conflict in Chad. He claims to have "no issues" with the non-Arab Masalit and desires peace.

“We are no different,” he told Al Jazeera. “In God's eyes, we are equal.”