According to the United Nations, more than 100,000 people have fled Sudan as a result of fighting between government forces and a rebel militia, and the number of war refugees could potentially surpass 800,000.
During a Tuesday press briefing, Olga Sarrado, a spokesperson for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), detailed the growing refugee crisis, telling reporters that Sudan’s neighbors are simply not equipped to handle the massive exodus of people.
“The majority continue to be severely underfunded.” Asylum countries will require more assistance to give protection and assistance,” she added, saying that they will need assistance with food, water, shelter, healthcare, and child protection services, among other things.
While host countries are already struggling to care for more than 100,000 Sudanese refugees, Sarrado predicts that number will soon exceed 800,000, emphasizing the need for more international assistance.
Farhan Haq, UN Deputy Spokesperson, warned that “many will die” due to a lack of basic services and products, adding that Sudan is also in desperate need of assistance.
“Medical supplies are critically low in conflict-ravaged areas, including the capital Khartoum and West and Central Darfur.” And the cost of basic necessities, including as gasoline, food staples, and bottled water, has soared by 40 to 60% or more in some locations,” he stated at a separate press conference on Tuesday.
According to the International Organization for Migration, more than 300,000 people have been internally displaced in Sudan since hostilities erupted last month. According to the UNHCR, Sudan had previously hosted more than 1.1 million foreign refugees, the highest in Africa, in addition to a pre-existing population of approximately 4 million internally displaced Sudanese.
According to the Sudanese Health Ministry, at least 528 people have been killed and over 4,500 have been injured in the fighting, including both civilians and combatants.
Sudan’s security situation has deteriorated dramatically since April 15, when hostilities erupted between the government and the country’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The RSF was instrumental in the 2019 overthrow of Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, who had been in power for 30 years prior to the coup, but the militia group has since refused formal absorption into the military, sparking a power struggle that eventually erupted into fighting.
