4.8 people displaced by conflict in Sudan, says UNOCHA
August 31, 2023 (KHARTOUM) – About 4.8 million people have been displaced inside and outside Sudan due to the conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the United Nations said.
An estimated 1 million people, according to the UN humanitarian agency (OCHA), have crossed into neighbouring countries while at least 2 million children have been forced from their homes since the conflict in Sudan erupted in mid-April.
There are also concerns that as the conflict between SAF and the paramilitary RSF continues, civilian displacement and humanitarian needs will steadily increase.
OCHA, in its latest bulletin, also noted that the 2023 Sudan Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) is only 26.4 per cent, with $676.9 million received as of 31 August.
Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) has reported 3,046 suspected measles cases and 84 associated deaths in White Nile, Blue Nile, Gedaref, Kassala, Aj Jazirah, West Kordofan, River Nile, North Darfur and Red Sea states of Sudan.
The UN humanitarian agency said people have been displaced across all 18 states, citing River Nile, East Darfur, Northern, South Darfur, Sennar and White Nile.
“Nearly 72.3 per cent of internally displaced people (IDPs) are originally from Khartoum,” partly notes the report.
In addition, about 963,000 people have crossed the border into neighbouring countries as of 2 August, including Central African Republic, Chad, Egypt, Ethiopia and South Sudan, according to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR).
Apart from conflict hotspots like Darfur and Khartoum, the fighting has reportedly now spread to other populated areas, including in South and West Kordofan, limiting the delivery of and access to life-saving services for those in urgent need.
Up to 20.3 million people across Sudan are acutely food insecure and need food and livelihood assistance during July and September, according to the latest update from Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) on Sudan.
(ST)