UN: War in Sudan causes displacement of 'approximately eight million' people

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, announced in a statement on Wednesday that the clashes between the army and the Rapid Support Forces in Sudan have led to the displacement of "approximately eight million" people during his visit to Ethiopia.

Since April 15, 2023, the war in Sudan between forces loyal to Army Commander Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his former deputy, the former commander of the Rapid Support Forces, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti, has resulted in the death of more than 13,000 people according to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED), a non-governmental organization based on its data collection and the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

Grandi stated in the release that the "brutal conflict in Sudan" has led to the displacement of "approximately 8 million" people and called for "urgent support (...) to meet their needs."

He added, "I have heard painful stories of losing family, friends, homes, and livelihoods, but amid this despair, I have also sensed the determination of refugees to move forward if we provide them with support and opportunities."

On December 21, a spokesperson for the United Nations estimated that the conflict constitutes the "largest displacement crisis in the world."

According to the United Nations, Ethiopia, one of the six neighboring countries to Sudan, has received over one hundred thousand people who have fled the fighting since April 2023. These individuals add to the approximately 50,000 Sudanese refugees in the country.

In a release, the UN Refugee Agency stated that "last week, the number of new arrivals in Chad exceeded 500,000 people since April of last year, and in South Sudan, an average of 1,500 people daily cross the border."

AFP