The UN announced on Thursday that it was preparing for an exodus of 860,000 people from Sudan’s war-torn country, adding that it would take $445 million to support them just through October.
The UN refugee agency said in a statement that it had earlier in the day presented its appeal to donor countries, and the money would go to people fleeing into the Central African Republic, South Sudan, Egypt, and Chad.
Since deadly urban combat between Sudan’s de facto leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, who commands the regular army, and his deputy turned rival Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, who leads the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), broke out on April 15, more than 100,000 people have already fled the country.
According to UN statistics, there have been an additional 330,000 internal displacements within Sudan, and the situation is getting worse.
The announcement on Thursday came as Khartoum was rocked by gunfire and explosions for the 20th day in a row, shattering the most recent ceasefire attempt.
Even prior to the outbreak of hostilities, the UNHCR reported that less than 15% of the average funding requirements for 2023 had been met in the majority of Sudan’s neighboring countries.
Raouf Mazou, the head of operations for assistance at the UN agency, stated in a statement: “We urgently need timely, new funding to address the mounting needs.”
“There are many challenges and great needs. The region’s peace and stability may be in jeopardy if the crisis persists.
‘Tragic’ situation in Sudan
UNHCR claimed that 134 partners, including other UN agencies and domestic and international non-governmental organizations, contributed to the development of its response strategy for the escalating refugee crisis.
The UN does not necessarily anticipate that 860,000 people will flee, but it does believe that it is a possibility and is making operational and financial preparations to handle the enormous needs that might materialize.
Approximately 580,000 Sudanese people are expected to leave their country, and 235,000 refugees who were previously hosted in Sudan are expected to return to their home countries, according to the UNHCR.
It stated that an additional 45,000 refugees being hosted by Sudan could leave for other nations.
The plan predicts that South Sudan and Egypt will receive the greatest number of arrivals.
“The humanitarian situation in and around Sudan is tragic; there are shortages of food, water, and fuel, as well as limited access to electricity, communications, and transportation, according to Mazou.
“UNHCR and partners have emergency teams in place and are assisting authorities with technical support, registering arrivals, carrying out protection monitoring, and strengthening reception to ensure that urgent needs are met,” the official said.
This is just the beginning. More assistance is urgently required.
