Nearly 3mln displaced by conflict in Sudan – OCHA

Addis Ababa, July 6, 2023 (FBC) – Nearly 3 million people have been displaced internally and across borders by the conflict in Sudan, in less than three months, said United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN OCHA).

Citing the latest figures by the International Organization for Migration’s (IOM) Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM), a press release from OCHA indicates that nearly 700,000 others have fled into neighbouring countries, in addition to the more than 2.2 million internally displaced persons (IDPs).

Most of the people displaced in Sudan have fled from Khartoum state (67%) and Darfur (33%) towards Northern state (16%), River Nile (14%), West Darfur (7%) and White Nile states. Food, access to health services and essential relief items remain critically lacking. While most IDPs live with the host community, over 280,000 of them are currently living in last-resort shelters such as camps, public buildings, and improvised shelters, particularly in White Nile state (DTM), the presser mentioned.

Mixed movements have been observed across the border into Egypt (40%), Chad (28%), South Sudan (21%), Ethiopia and the Central African Republic. Of the over 697,000 people who crossed into neighbouring countries, 65 per cent are Sudanese and 35 per cent are estimated to be returnees and third-country nationals (TCNs). Most are in extremely precarious conditions, the news release noted.

The continued escalation of violence is compounding an already dire humanitarian situation in the country and the region. At least 24.7 million people – about half the population of Sudan – are in urgent need of humanitarian aid and protection, one third of whom are in Darfur, where the situation is deteriorating dramatically.

“IOM reiterates calls for a permanent ceasefire and removal of bureaucratic impediments, to ensure safe and guaranteed humanitarian corridors and enable the delivery of aid to people in hard-to-reach areas,” said IOM MENA Regional Director, Othman Belbeisi.

Under the Sudan Crisis and Neighbouring Countries Response, operations have scaled up across Sudan, Chad, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Egypt, Libya and the Central African Republic. In Sudan, a large number of containers with relief items have arrived in Port Sudan, to be distributed through partners and the common humanitarian pipeline.

In Chad, over 22,400 people have been reached with assistance; in South Sudan over 37,900 people have been reached with Onward Transportation Assistance (OTA); in Ethiopia, over 48,500 people have been reached with multi-sectoral assistance; in Egypt, over 20,800 people have been reached with direct assistance and distribution of relief items, and in Libya, IOM is preparing for the distribution of non-food items (NFIs) and hygiene kits prepositioned in Al Kufra to new arrivals.

To meet the increasing needs across the various areas of operations in view of both the continuation of the conflict and high rate of new displacement, additional funding is urgently needed to enable IOM to maintain and continue scaling up operations across Sudan.

In its latest situation update, IOM indicated that more than 60,000 people have arrived in Ethiopia through multiple border crossing points in Amhara, Benishangul Gumz and Gambella Regions.