Over 10 Million displaced in escalating Sudan war, UN says
The humanitarian crisis in Sudan has reached a critical level, with more than 10 million people displaced within the country, according to the UN's International Organisation for Migration (IOM).
The civil war, which erupted in April 2023, has forced about a quarter of Sudan's 47 million population from their homes, the IOM disclosed to The Associated Press on June 10.
Just last week, the UN migration agency warned that the number of internally displaced people (IDPs) in Sudan had surged to 9.9 million across all 18 states. This figure includes 2.8 million displaced before the conflict and an additional 7.1 million since it began.
"More than half of all internally displaced persons (IDPs) are women, and over a quarter are children under the age of five," the IOM stated in a June 6 release.
According to the IOM, over 2 million people have fled Sudan, seeking refuge in neighbouring countries such as Chad, South Sudan, and Egypt.
"In total, some 12 million have been forced to flee their homes in Sudan, with more than 2 million crossing borders into neighbouring countries, principally to Chad, South Sudan, and Egypt," the organisation said.
"The question I have for you today is a painfully valid one: How much suffering and loss of life must the people of #Sudan endure before the world takes notice? Isn’t ten million internally displaced enough to compel urgent global action?" said Mohamed Refaat, head of IOM Sudan.
The conflict in Sudan began in April 2023 due to escalating tensions between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), leading to intense fighting in the capital, Khartoum, and other parts of the country. While the exact number of casualties remains unknown, reports indicate that up to 9,000 people may have been killed in the first six months of the war.
