Key Takeaways
- The UN warns of a worsening humanitarian crisis in South Sudan, with civilians displaced and facing severe challenges.
- Over 1.7 million people have been displaced in North Darfur state alone, with many facing a second displacement.
- The UN has called for $4.2 billion in funding for the humanitarian response plan this year, but has only received $552 million so far.
Juba/UN: The United Nations has warned of the worsening humanitarian situation in war-torn Sudan.
The surge in fighting in various areas across Sudan is pushing civilians out of their homes and into shelters, said Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, on Thursday.
In West Kordofan state, heightened insecurity forced nearly 47,000 people out of the towns of Khiwai and Nuhud this month, said the spokesman, quoting the International Organisation for Migration.
Many of these people were already internally displaced and now are forced to be on the move for a second time, he said.
In North Darfur state, some 1,000 people have been displaced from Abu Shouk camp and El Fasher town in the past week alone, bringing the total number of people displaced from those two places this month to 6,000. In total, North Darfur is estimated to be hosting more than 1.7 million displaced people, said the spokesman.
Soaring food prices are deepening the crisis. The United Nations is also alarmed by a surge in cholera cases in some localities in Khartoum state, he said.
The situation in the capital city of Khartoum is compounded by a near-total electricity blackout during the past week, reportedly caused by drone attacks on critical power infrastructure.
This has severely disrupted access to water and to health care. Residents are resorting to unsafe water sources, which is increasing the risk of waterborne disease outbreaks, he said.
In White Nile state, needs are increasing as more people arrive from neighboring South Sudan, fleeing insecurity and worsening conditions there. Over the past six weeks, more than 25,000 South Sudanese refugees, mostly women and children, have crossed into White Nile searching for safety, said Dujarric, quoting the UN Refugee Agency.
“Even though humanitarians are doing everything possible to assist people in need, we reiterate the urgent need for more access and flexible funding,” he said, noting that, to date, just 552 million U.S. dollars in funding has been received for the humanitarian response plan this year, which calls for 4.2 billion dollars.
