UN warns of growing suffering, displacement as Sudan humanitarian crisis deepens

In the midst of renewed conflict in Darfur, thousands of Sudanese are being forced to flee their homes, and a senior United Nations official has emphasized the urgent need to address the plight of the millions who have already been displaced. According to Mamadou Dian Balde, the top regional official for the UN’s refugee agency (UNHCR), over the past six months, a staggering six million people have been compelled to relocate, averaging one million per month, resulting in immense suffering.

The ongoing war between Sudanese army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhane’s troops and General Mohamed Hamdane Daglo’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has, as per a UN report, claimed the lives of more than 9,000 individuals since April. Among the nearly six million displaced, 1.2 million have fled the country, finding themselves in dire circumstances, including a state of destitution. This dire situation has been brought to attention by the UN official, who also cautioned that, amid global focus on other conflicts, the number of Sudanese fleeing their homes is once again on the rise as RSF forces advance toward Nyala, the second-largest city in Darfur.

Furthermore, another UN official in the region, Dominique Hyde, conveyed via social media that she had witnessed distressing scenes at the Sudanese border, with an influx of 10,000 people seeking safety in just three days.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed deep concern over reports of an imminent large-scale attack by Sudan’s paramilitary forces in El-Facher, the capital of North Darfur.

The situation has prompted more and more people from Darfur to move southward, with recent movements to Chad and now South Sudan. The UN’s humanitarian response plan outlined in August called for approximately $1 billion in funding, anticipating 1.8 million refugees by the end of 2023.

However, the plan has only secured 38 percent of the necessary funding, despite growing needs. The UN official stressed that most refugees are heading to the poorest regions of South Sudan and southern Chad, where local communities are struggling to absorb them. As a result, the UN is compelled to establish new refugee camps, an undesirable but necessary measure due to the dire conditions faced by those at the border. Additionally, the UN official stressed the importance of investing in these areas to support local communities, as a failure to do so could lead to tensions and potential violence.