OCHA humanitarian report: over 225,000 displaced since January

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Sudan issued a new report on the humanitarian situation in Sudan at the moment, including figures on displacement, floods, and the economic situation.

The UN organisation explained that conflicts and violence have displaced 225,685 people in various parts of the country since January 2021. Such conflict has been reported in at least six states according to OCHA: Central, North, and West Darfur, South and West Kordofan, and Red Sea state.

In Central Darfur’s Rokoro locality, north Jebel Marra, people from Towa village were displaced to Fanga on the border of Rokoro and Tawila locality. In North Darfur, displaced people at the Sortony camp fled into the mountains and to Central Darfur.

In South Kordofan, fighting displaced hundreds of families in Abu Jubeiha and Gedir localities and in West Kordofan people were displaced due to inter-communal fighting on the outskirts of El Nahud town, OCHA writes.

Floods

Now that the rainy season in Sudan is in full swing, the flooding season has also started. According to OCHA, the water levels of the Blue Nile “have already reached alert levels in some areas and flooding levels in others”.

States currently affected by floods include El Gedaref, White Nile state, South Darfur, West Darfur, Kassala, River Nile state, and El Gezira. An estimated 12,000 people have been affected, 800 homes have been destroyed, and 4,400 homes were damaged. Over 24 people died during this year's floods.

Latrines, schools, and other infrastructure have been damaged and hundreds of hectares of farmland have been ‘inundated’, OCHA wrote. The organisation also warned that “with flooding comes the risk of water and vector-borne diseases”.

Economy

OCHA further explained that the economic vulnerability of Sudanese people increases given the high number of people affected by shocks this year, the rising food and fuel prices, combined with stagnant income. The organisation also warned that all sectors are well below their funding targets.

As of 1 August, the 2021 Sudan Humanitarian Response Plan received US$465.4 million; 24 per cent of the required amount.