More than 9,000 people killed as fighting continues in Sudan

October 7, 2023 (KHARTOUM) – Over 9,000 people have been killed since fighting broke out in mid-April between the Sudanese army (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED) said Friday.

The latest figure was also corroborated by the local “resistance committee”, one of the volunteer groups that used to organize pro-democracy protests in Sudan.

ACLED is a non-governmental governmental organization that mainly specializes in disaggregated conflict data collection, analysis as well as crisis mapping.

The UN humanitarian agency (OCHA) said about 5.5 million people have fled their homes and sought refuge within Sudan or in neighbouring countries since April 15.

In Al Jazirah State, it said in its latest bulletin, 245 primary schools, five secondary schools and 25 education facilities are currently inhabited by displaced people, affecting attendance when schools open.

Measles, malaria, dengue fever and cholera outbreaks have been reported nationwide.

The UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan, Clemente Nkweta-Salami condemned the killing of displaced civilians caught in the crossfire during fighting in or near residential areas, admitting that no aid has been distributed to millions of Sudanese who fled to northern and central parts of the country.

Sudan now has the largest number of internally displaced people in the world.

Over 1 million refugees and returnees have fled the country, while another 4.3 million people have been displaced inside Sudan, mostly in northern and eastern Sudan.

Further, 24.7 million people or half of the Sudanese population now require humanitarian assistance and protection as the conflict, displacement, and disease outbreaks threaten to consume the entire country, the UN said.

(ST)