Humanitarian Crisis: Mary Dinah Foundation Raises Red Alert On CNN Over Starving Refugees

Founder and CEO of the Mary Dinah Foundation (MDF), Lady Mary Dinah has hinted that the Sudanese refugee crisis in eastern Chad has led to severe malnutrition challenges particularly affecting women and children.

Dinah highlighted this issue in a recent CNN interview from N’Djamena, Chad.

Speaking on the ground, she noted that the strain on resources in eastern Chad is severe, with global acute malnutrition rates reaching 18% in many refugee communities along the eastern border.

In worst-hit areas like Ouaddai and Ennedi, she disclosed that food is painfully scarce, while pregnant women and children—who need urgent nutritional support—are bearing the brunt of the crisis.

She asserted that malnutrition is at an all-time high even as she emphasized the added difficulties faced by pregnant women, who require more nutritional support due to scarce food supplies.

According said, “Behind every statistic is a mother or child struggling in overcrowded conditions, where displacement has worsened access to basic nutrition and increased vulnerability.

“The situation is dire, with many families relying on limited food aid that often falls short of meeting their needs. The lack of access to clean water, sanitation, and healthcare services further exacerbates the malnutrition crisis, making it challenging for women and children to recover from illness.

“The Mary Dinah Foundation’s Zero Hunger Program is working to address this issue, partnering with the US Government and local actors to provide fortified food supplies and rebuild resilience in fragile communities. The program includes integrated humanitarian response models, combining nutrition delivery with essential services like maternal and child feeding training, water and sanitation education, and immunization linkage.”

Lady Mary further emphasized the importance of holistic support, addressing immediate nutritional needs, as well as long-term resilience-building for displaced women and children.

The foundation’s efforts, the CEO opined, aim to provide survivor-centred protection services, tackling issues like sexual and gender-based violence, mental health challenges, and promoting sustainable solutions.

Through its flagship Zero Hunger Nutrition Program, MDF, she explained delivers large-scale, targeted, and structured interventions that are saving lives every day. Key components include: Integrated Humanitarian Response Models, combining nutrition delivery with essential complementary services, Survivor-Centred Protection Services, addressing immediate nutritional needs and long-term resilience-building, Maternal, Infant, and Young Child Feeding (MIYCF) training, water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) education, and immunization linkage, Ante-natal care and gender-based violence referrals

“The Mary Dinah Foundation’s efforts are crucial in addressing the malnutrition crisis in eastern Chad, and the organization continues to call for support and partnership to make a meaningful difference in the lives of those affected by the crisis,” She concluded.