Sudan crisis triggers mass displacement
Since the outbreak of Sudan’s civil war in April 2023, over 4 million people have fled the violence, marking the crisis as the world's most severe displacement emergency, according to U.N. refugee agency officials.
More than 800,000 of the refugees have arrived in Chad, where their shelter conditions are dire due to funding shortages, with only 14% of funding appeals met, UNHCR's Dossou Patrice Ahouansou told the same briefing.
"This is an unprecedented crisis that we are facing. This is a crisis of humanity. This is a crisis of protection based on the violence that refugees are reporting," he said.
Additionally, the crisis continues to worsen with attacks on humanitarian aid convoys. A UN aid convoy en route to famine-stricken El Fasher, North Darfur, was ambushed in an RSF-controlled area, resulting in five fatalities and several injuries. The incident unfolded when trucks from the World Food Programme and UNICEF were awaiting approval to travel. Responsibility for the attack remains disputed, as both Sudanese army and RSF officials have accused each other of orchestrating the assault.
The conflict has also resulted in catastrophic food scarcity in besieged areas such as El Fasher, where RSF checkpoints are hampering aid deliveries. Alongside displacement and violence, Sudan faces a severe cholera outbreak centered in Khartoum and Omdurman, which has already claimed 172 lives and infected thousands. This outbreak is attributed to residents returning to conflict-damaged areas with collapsed infrastructure and limited access to clean water and sanitation. With 80% of hospitals non-operational and many lacking basic utilities, medical responses remain critically challenged.
International bodies are calling for urgent support to address these compounding crises and stress the need for a swift resolution to the conflict to prevent further regional destabilization and human suffering.
