APA-Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) Nearly 3 million people have been displaced internally and across borders by the conflict in Sudan, in less than three months, the International Organization for Migration’s (IOM) disclosed on Thursday.
In addition to the more than 2.2 million internally displaced persons (IDPs), nearly 700,000 others have fled into neighboring countries, according to the latest figures by the IOM Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM).
Most of the people displaced in Sudan have fled from Khartoum state (67 percent) and Darfur (33 percent) towards Northern state (16%), River Nile (14 percent), West Darfur (7 percent) and White Nile states. Food, access to health services and essential relief items remain critically lacking.
While most IDPs live with the host community, over 280,000 of them are currently living in last-resort shelters such as camps, public buildings, and improvised shelters, particularly in White Nile state (DTM).
Mixed movements have been observed across the border into Egypt (40 percent), Chad (28 percent), South Sudan (21 percent), Ethiopia and the Central African Republic, IOM said
Of the over 697,000 people who crossed into neighbouring countries, 65 per cent are Sudanese and 35 per cent are estimated to be returnees and third-country nationals (TCNs). Most are in extremely precarious conditions.
The continued escalation of violence is compounding an already dire humanitarian situation in the country and the region.
At least 24.7 million people – about half the population of Sudan – are in urgent need of humanitarian aid and protection, one third of whom are in Darfur, where the situation is deteriorating dramatically.
“IOM reiterates calls for a permanent ceasefire and removal of bureaucratic impediments, to ensure safe and guaranteed humanitarian corridors and enable the delivery of aid to people in hard-to-reach areas,” IOM MENA Regional Director, Othman Belbeisi was quoted as saying.
MG/APA