YAOUNDE, Jan. 16 (Xinhua) -- Chadian President Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Barham Ahmed Salih exchanged views on Friday on the situation of refugees in Chad.

In a statement, the Chadian presidency said Mahamat Deby expressed concern that insufficient funding was placing Chad under an unsustainable financial and security burden.

He said refugees now account for about 44 percent of the population in some eastern provinces, particularly Ouaddai, Wadi-Fira, Sila and Ennedi East.

"The response must no longer be emergency assistance, but direct structural support for state infrastructure," Mahamat Deby was quoted as saying during the discussion.

Salih acknowledged the heavy burden placed on the Chadian government and host communities in welcoming refugees from Sudan, the Central African Republic, Nigeria, Cameroon and other countries.

The statement said the issue of relocating refugee camps along the border was raised, with Deby urging the UNHCR "to assume its share of the responsibility."

Chad is Africa's leading host country for refugees, sheltering nearly 1.3 million people, according to the Chadian presidency.