Nearly Eight Million Displaced By Sudan War: United Nations

The ongoing civil war between rival generals in Sudan has now forced close to 8 million people from their homes; the United Nations refugee agency disclosed this week. UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi, currently visiting Ethiopia, urgently appealed for more international support.

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“I heard heartbreaking stories of loss, displacement and immense hardship,” Grandi said after meetings with refugees. Most have lost family, friends, homes and jobs in the brutal conflict that erupted last April between Sudan’s military chief, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his former deputy, General Mohamed Hamdan Daglo.

Over 100,000 refugees have fled into Ethiopia alone. Chad is hosting over 500,000 displaced Sudanese after an average of 1,500 cross the border daily. Aid groups are struggling to provide food, shelter and basics to the flood of traumatized arrivals.

Grandi warned that “without further donor support, it will be extremely difficult to deliver much-needed help” for both refugees and host countries. Diplomatic efforts have failed to halt the fighting in Sudan or reach a ceasefire. Both Burhan and Daglo’s forces stand accused of atrocities like shelling civilian areas.

Analysts say the open warfare shows no signs of abating in the near future. As a result, Sudan’s neighbours are taking on an unsustainable burden. In South Sudan, still recovering from its own civil war, over 500,000 refugees have arrived – placing immense strain on the fragile country.

Jan Egeland, head of the Norwegian Refugee Council, condemned global inaction on the crisis. “We cannot look away while unspeakable violations are taking place in Sudan, and neighbouring countries shoulder a burden they cannot bear,” he stated. With only limited aid, the fate of millions of displaced Sudanese hangs in the balance.