Sudan's Displacement Crisis Worsens as Over 10 Million Flee Homes

In Summary

• Over 10 million Sudanese have been displaced due to the ongoing war, representing 20% of the population.
• More than 2.2 million have fled to other countries, while nearly 7.8 million have sought refuge within Sudan.
• The conflict has exacerbated a hunger crisis, with half the population in need of humanitarian aid, making it the world's largest displacement crisis.

Khartoum, Sudan- The International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported on Tuesday that more than 10 million Sudanese, or 20% of the population, have been displaced since the war began in April 2023. This figure underscores the severity of the displacement crisis in the east African country, which has seen half of its approximately 50 million people facing hunger and requiring humanitarian aid.

Since the conflict erupted between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in the capital, Khartoum, it has rapidly spread across Darfur and other regions. The RSF has taken control of most centers in Darfur, where hunger has now become the primary driver of migration.

According to the IOM's bimonthly report, over 2.2 million people have fled to neighboring countries, and nearly 7.8 million have sought refuge within Sudan. Additionally, 2.8 million people were already displaced by previous conflicts.

Dr. Shible Sahbani, the World Health Organization's country director, highlighted that hunger, rather than violence, is now the main reason for displacement from Darfur. During a visit to refugees in Chad, Dr. Sahbani recounted stories of people fleeing because fighters had taken all locally produced food.

In recent weeks, the RSF's activities in the southeast have displaced more than 150,000 people from Sennar state, many of whom have been displaced multiple times due to RSF raids. Gedaref state, currently hosting 668,000 people, faces challenges from heavy rains and limited shelter, with RSF incursions further complicating the situation.

Human Rights Watch warned last week of the RSF's expansion into Gedaref, which poses additional risks for the 40,000 Ethiopian refugees, primarily Tigrayans, whom the RSF accuses of supporting the Sudanese army.