Unraveling the Roots of Sudan's Conflict

Sudan Conflict — _{Image Credit: WFP/Marie-Helena Laurent}

Conflict in Sudan has led to the displacement of almost four million people in just over 100 days, warns the UN migration agency, IOM. The clash between the Sudanese army and paramilitaries has driven over 926,000 to seek refuge abroad, and around 3.02 million are internally displaced. All 18 states of Sudan have seen people forced to leave, with River Nile, North, North Darfur, and White Nile having the highest proportions of displaced individuals.

Most of those internally displaced, 71%, originated from Khartoum State. The current estimate of displacements in the past 108 days surpasses the total for the previous four years, according to IOM. However, many areas remain inaccessible due to fighting, and making assessments based on preliminary reports or estimates.

Almost 927,000 people have sought refuge in neighboring countries like Egypt, Libya, Chad, Central African Republic, South Sudan, and Ethiopia. Sudanese nationals constitute over two-thirds of these arrivals, while foreign nationals and returnees make up the rest, says IOM.

The conflict’s 100-day mark prompted UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi to call for an immediate end to the war. The UNHCR has reported harrowing conditions in overcrowded displacement camps in neighboring countries, exacerbated by the upcoming rainy season.

The IOM has also warned about the risk of flooding due to the rains, worsening already fragile conditions. The conflict between Sudan’s armed forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces has led to displacement, deaths, injuries, and a growing humanitarian crisis.

Amid the conflict, more than six million people in Sudan, around 13% of the population, are one step away from famine, according to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification. Over 20 million people across Sudan are facing acute food insecurity due to conflict, economic decline, and mass displacement, according to the UN Humanitarian Affairs Office, OCHA.

–Re-reported from the article originally published in UN News