The spokesperson for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), William Spindler, warned of the worsening forced displacement crisis in Sudan and neighboring countries as hundreds of thousands flee due to recent fighting in the Gezira state, southeast of Khartoum.
According to the UN Media Center, Spindler pointed out that the fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces has reached Gezira state for the first time since the conflict erupted in the Sudanese capital in April this year. The city of Wad Madani is hosting about half a million people fleeing violence in Khartoum.
As reported by the International Organization for Migration, between 250,000 to 300,000 people have fled from Wad Madani and surrounding areas since the start of the recent clashes.
Spindler also mentioned the civilian casualties and further displacement resulting from renewed fighting in the city of Al-Fashir in North Darfur on December 16. He stated, “The renewed fighting was followed by looting of homes and shops and the arrest of young people.”
The UNHCR is working to urgently deliver and distribute essential relief materials to the new displaced people from Gezira to the states of Sennar and Al-Qadarif. Despite the efforts of national and international humanitarian organizations and local actors, the overall humanitarian situation remains dire.
Since the outbreak of the war in Sudan on April 15, 2023, over 7 million people have fled their homes in Sudan, with many being displaced multiple times in search of safety. This repeated displacement illustrates the devastation the conflict has wrought on the civilian population.
Spindler expressed deep concern that the extension of the fighting to the White Nile state could significantly impact the work of the UNHCR and other humanitarian organizations providing vital aid to more than 437,000 South Sudanese refugees and about 433,000 internally displaced Sudanese there.
