A report by the UN migration agency, International Organization for Migration (IOM), said the Sudan conflict has forced around 4 million people to flee their homes in the last 108 days.
The agency estimates that the current number of displacements ever since the conflict began surpasses the total recorded for the previous four years.
Migration, Hunger, & Floods
The Sudan conflict has led 926,000 people to seek refuge in neighbouring countries: Egypt, Libya, Chad, Central African Republic, South Sudan and Ethiopia. It has left a total of 3.02 million people displaced internally.
The World Food Programme has warned that over 19 million people, about 40% of the population, are at risk of slipping into the cycle of hunger.
Sudan: Nearly 4 million people have been forced to flee their homes to escape violence since conflict broke out in April.
— United Nations (@UN) August 2, 2023
Most of them have sought refuge within the country.
Latest update from @UNmigration. ⤵️ https://t.co/Bp2hcpOyFv
According to the IOM, more than 20 million people are facing high levels of acute food insecurity in the country.
More than 13% of the population is one step away from famine, as per the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification. Meanwhile, UNICEF has highlighted that over 14 million children require humanitarian support in the country.
The World Health Organisation also warned that the health crisis has impacted the entire region. The situation is deteriorated by the rainy season, with upcoming risks associated with flooding.
Without access to many areas because of the fighting, current assessments have been based on preliminary reports or estimates.
Further, the UN said that South Sudan could face a significant economic downturn amid the crisis in Sudan.
Additionally, a report by Amnesty International stated that women and girls as young as 12 are subjected to sexual violence in the conflict, with war crimes rampant in the country.
The Conflict
The conflict in Sudan broke out on 15 April, when violent clashes broke out between the military led by General Abdel Fattah El Burhan and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) headed by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo or Hemedti.
Since then, Africa’s third-largest country has faced widespread violence and destruction, leaving thousands dead and millions displaced.
As violence continues in Khartoum, the IOM has said that leaders of the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and RSF reconfirmed their readiness to resume talks.
Burhan announced the military’s withdrawal from the talks last month, thus paving the way for a civilian government, amid protests calling for an end to the military rule.
#Sudan: After 3+ months of conflict, an already dire food security situation is growing ever more desperate.
— UN Humanitarian (@UNOCHA) August 2, 2023
The number of people driven into high levels of acute food insecurity, now about 20.3M, has nearly doubled since last year. 🆕 @theIPCinfo report: https://t.co/K85aMxsPUi pic.twitter.com/F4RC2gRtRl
The military started ruling in Sudan in 2021, when Burhan waged a coup against the civilian transition government in Khartoum.
Currently, the SAF is demanding RSF’s withdrawal from residential areas and medical facilities. The RSF, more recently, has claimed that the conflict could end if SAF leadership were removed.
A political strategy to end the war and an inclusive political process was also proposed during the two-day Forces of Freedom and Change – Central Council (FFC-CC) meeting in Cairo on 24 and 25 July.
The EU Foreign Affairs Representative Josep Borrell also released a statement confirming that a meeting with the representatives of the Sudanese people was held recently.