The Duchess of Edinburgh visits Chad

The Duchess of Edinburgh spent the weekend in Chad, becoming the first member of the British Royal Family to visit the central African country.

Sophie, fresh off the heels of an official visit to Malta with her husband, visited Chad at the request of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office from Saturday to Monday, “to bear witness to the impact of the conflict in Sudan particularly on women and girls and to help draw attention to the deteriorating situation, its impact on Chad and the escalating humanitarian crisis,” according to a media release from Buckingham Palace.

Sophie is very active in this field, having visited countries in support of the United Kingdom’s Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative, and as a global champion of the Women, Peace and Security Agenda.

The royal paid a visit to Adré, a town 400m away from the border with Sudan, and the capital city of N’Djamena.

In Adré, Sophie visited the border registration point, meeting with workers from UNICEF, UNHCR, the Chadian Red Cross, Médecins Sans Frontières, and the National Commission for the Reception and Reintegration of Refugees and Returnees who shared their experiences in helping the 400 daily refugees who flee across the border from Sudan.

Since the humanitarian crisis broke out in Sudan last April, more than 820,000 refugees have arrived in Chad. Around 87% of them are girls and women who survive in horrific conditions.

Sophie travelled to Chad with The Telegraph, and granted them an interview following her border visit. She told the reporter: “Our attention is being led by other conflicts, and that’s understandable.

“But this is a human catastrophe that is vast and Chad is having to pick up the pieces when it can ill afford to do so.”

She also shared that some of the refugees she’d spoken with had revealed that they had been raped. She said: “I daren’t even describe to you what they’ve been doing to children. People are having to exchange food and water for sex—for rape. That is violence that is being enacted through conflict; it is being used as a bargaining tool.”

And placing the conflict in context, Sophie said: “They are describing scenes that are akin to Rwanda.”

She also met with the Strategic Initiative for Women in the Horn of Africa and the Network and Darfur Women Action Group to learn more about grassroots initiatives in the area and how they support the survivors of conflict-related violence.

Next, Sophie visited the Adré District Hospital to tour the Integrated Multisectoral Services Centre, which provides holistic support to survivors of conflict-related and gender-based violence. She met with hospital staff and service providers to talk about how the Centre is servicing the community.

The UNICEF branch in Chad posted on social media about Sophie’s visit: “We were honoured to welcome Her Royal Highness, The Duchess of Edinburgh, to Adré in eastern #Chad, on the border with Sudan.

“The Duchess was deeply moved by the testimonies of refugee women on the violence, including sexual violence, they suffered & thanked @UNICEF for its work.”

Sophie’s last engagement in Adré saw her visit mobile protection units provided by Plan International and the United Kingdom. These units give newly arrived refugees the support and services they need after their arrival across the border.

In the capital city of N’Djamena, Sophie met with Prime Minister Allamaye Halina; Foreign Minister Abderaman Koulamallah; and Minister for Women, Protection of Early Childhood and National Solidarity, Amina Priscille Longoh.

She also met with organisations providing support to girls and women in Chad, including United Nations agencies, civil society organisations, and women-led organisations that help empower young women in Chad.