In Eastern Chad, Play and Movement Help Refugee Children Heal from Conflict
In a simple open space in eastern Chad, children play, move and laugh in small groups. For many, it is the first moment of calm they have known since fleeing violence across the border from Sudan. After months of displacement, loss and fear, they are beginning to recover a sense of safety and connection.
Wadi Fira province in eastern Chad—where many of these children have arrived—is among the areas most affected by the recent inflows of Sudanese refugees. Humanitarian needs have surged since mid‑April 2025, when intensified fighting and attacks in Darfur forced families to flee. Many of the new arrivals are children, among them unaccompanied and separated minors who have faced traumatic experiences both before and during their displacement. Without timely support, they are particularly vulnerable to distress, anxiety, depression and social withdrawal.
The children’s activities are part of TeamUp, a movement‑based psychosocial support programme now being implemented across Wadi Fira province. TeamUp is one of the first evidenced-based interventions under the Greentree Acceleration Plan, a new United Nations initiative to expand mental health and psychosocial support in humanitarian crises worldwide.
A global plan with local impact
The Greentree Acceleration Plan stems from the UN Secretary‑General and Deputy Secretary‑General’s priority to elevate mental health as a core pillar of humanitarian response. Developed and reviewed by more than 50 experts from academia, international NGOs, civil society, governments and the UN system, the Greentree Acceleration Plan offers a holistic approach to expanding mental health and psychosocial services in crises.
While global in ambition, the Plan is designed to take root in communities. It recognizes that meaningful change often begins with modest, focused investments delivered through strong partnerships on the ground.
The Wellcome Trust was the first partner to support its implementation in Chad and Lebanon with an early investment helping translate evidence‑based approaches into practical support for people affected by conflict. While local structures have responded with commitment, resources for specialized mental health and psychosocial care remain limited.
TeamUp: healing without words
TeamUp is a preventive psychosocial intervention developed by War Child Holland, Save the Children and UNICEF Netherlands. Designed for children and adolescents aged 6 to 18, it uses structured play, sports, movement and body‑awareness activities to support emotional well‑being without relying on verbal language—making it accessible across cultures and languages.
Since December 2025, more than 1,600 refugee children, 75 per cent of them girls, have participated in TeamUp sessions in Wadi Fira. The intervention is supported by an initial grant from the UN Foundation through the UN Office for Partnerships. The programme is implemented by Action Against Hunger and the World Health Organization, with five safe and accessible spaces established in community centres, schools and child‑friendly areas.
To ensure sustainability and community ownership, 34 community leaders, including refugees, were trained to facilitate sessions, identify signs of psychosocial distress and refer children to specialized services when needed. TeamUp activities are coordinated with local education, child protection and mental health networks, embedding the intervention within existing systems.
Laying the groundwork for scale
Partners are preparing for the broader roll out of the Greentree Acceleration Plan. Additional support is being mobilized, including the deployment to UNHCR of an expert from Niger, funded by the Netherlands through the Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) Surge Mechanism to strengthen coordination and build the capacity of Chadian psychologists in Wadi Fira.
The early experience in Wadi Fira demonstrates how global commitments to mental health can deliver real impact on the ground. Through strong partnerships and evidence‑based support, the Greentree Acceleration Plan is helping make mental health care a core part of humanitarian response in the places where it is needed most.
About the Greentree Acceleration Plan
The initiative emerged from a UN-led convening on mental health in humanitarian settings held in November 2024, convened by UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed and co-hosted by Julia Gillard (Chair of the Wellcome Trust and former Prime Minister of Australia) and the UN Office for Partnerships, in collaboration with WHO, UNICEF, UNHCR, and OCHA. The gathering brought together global leaders, practitioners, researchers, and advocates committed to mental health in crisis response.
Learn more here.