An unimaginable humanitarian crisis is unfolding in Sudan as an escalating conflict displaces millions of people.
According to UNHCR Director of External Relations Dominique Hyde, over 4.5 million people have been internally displaced within Sudan since April. Additionally, 1.2 million have fled to neighboring countries such as Chad, Egypt, South Sudan, Ethiopia, and the Central African Republic. The majority of refugees (nearly 90 percent in the CAR) are women and children.
Recent fighting in Darfur has caused further displacement, leaving thousands of people without shelter or access to essential services like food, water, and healthcare. The situation is particularly dire in White Nile State, where more than 433,000 internally displaced persons are living.
Millions are in desperate need.
— Dominique Isabelle Hyde (@DominiqueHyde) November 7, 2023
I met some of them personally in Sudan and South Sudan this past week.
We know what we need to do.
But we don't have the funds to respond. pic.twitter.com/WOPIbkJivH
The surge in displaced people has overwhelmed essential services, including schools and hospitals. In White Nile State, schools have been shut down for the past seven months, and more than 1,200 children under five have died due to a measles outbreak exacerbated by malnutrition.
The exodus of Sudanese refugees to neighboring countries is accelerating, with new arrivals in Chad reaching 700 per day. In South Sudan, the number of Sudanese refugees crossing the border has increased sharply, with over 20,000 arriving in a single week.
WARNING – Tragic Massacre in West Darfur: 773 African Civilians Brutally Slain by Janjaweed Militia. pic.twitter.com/WykFwuNqnH
— Simon Ateba (@simonateba) November 7, 2023
Relief agencies like UNHCR are overwhelmed and urgently need funding to meet the escalating humanitarian needs. The Regional Refugee Response Plan for neighboring countries is only 39 percent funded, while the appeal for Sudan’s humanitarian needs is only one-third funded.
"We need a cease-fire. We need a political solution so that these people can go home safely and go back to school, go back to their jobs and start their life again," said UNHCR's @DominiqueHyde on the crisis in Sudan.
— UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency (@Refugees) November 8, 2023
"This simply cannot continue." pic.twitter.com/CqwkhCPQwN
The UN calls for an immediate end to all gender-based violence, including sexual violence as a tactic of war. Accountability for these crimes is essential, as is medical and psychosocial support for survivors. The parties must put in place mechanisms to prevent recurrence of such violence.
The Jeddah talks offer hope for a ceasefire and a resolution to the conflict, but urgent action is needed to address the unfolding humanitarian crisis.