Sudan: IOM calls for increased support from donors, international community

September 2, 2024 (PORT SUDAN) – The International Organization for Migration (IOM) is calling for increased support from donors and international community to sustain response to the rising humanitarian needs and displacement in Sudan.

Aid agencies attribute the humanitarian situation in Sudan on the recent floods.

Scores of people are still missing following the collapse of Arba’at dam in Sudan’s northeastern Red Sea State due to heavy rains. An estimated 50,000 people, the United Nations humanitarian affairs agency (OCHA), have been affected.

There are concerns that up to 11 million people could be affected by heavy rains.

An estimated 47 per cent of those displaced by the floods were already displaced due to the ongoing conflict, IOM said amid warnings of devastating humanitarian crisis after 500 days of a brutal war.

In response, IOM said it is mobilizing immediate humanitarian assistance for thousands of people, including shelter, non-food items (NFIs), hygiene kits, medical care and multipurpose cash assistance.

“The scale of this disaster is staggering, and the humanitarian needs are immense,” said Mohamed Refaat, IOM Sudan Chief of Mission, adding “Our teams are on the ground, relentlessly working to deliver life-saving assistance, but our resources are limited. More substantial support from international donors and partners is needed as we respond to multiple emergencies in the country. We are facing crisis after crisis, and the people of Sudan cannot afford to wait any longer for help.”

According to IOM estimates, more than 25,000 shelters and community infrastructures were destroyed by the floods forcing some displaced individuals to shelter with host communities and in schools.

Many others, it said, are staying in the open, exposed to intense heat as well as rain.

The conflict has caused significant damage to civilian infrastructure, including telecommunication networks, water supplies, and roads, further complicating efforts to respond to humanitarian needs.

With more than 10.7 million people seeking safety within the country, an estimated 25.6 million people will face acute food insecurity as the conflict spreads and coping mechanisms are exhausted.

(ST)