IOM: Half of the population of Sudan in urgent need of humanitarian aid

The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) estimates that half of the population of Sudan is in urgent need of humanitarian aid and protection. One-third of them are in Darfur where the situation is deteriorating dramatically. Nearly three million people have been displaced in less than three months. 

In a statement on Friday, IOM stated that more than 2.2 million people have been displaced in Sudan and nearly 700,000 others have fled to Egypt, Libya, Chad, Central African Republic, South Sudan, or Ethiopia in the past three months.

According to the latest figures by the IOM Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM), most of the people fled to River Nile state, Northern State, White Nile state, and West Darfur respectively. More than 65 per cent people fled from Khartoum and about 14 per cent from West Darfur.

The continued escalation of violence is compounding an already dire humanitarian situation in the country. “About half of the population of Sudan are in urgent need of humanitarian aid and protection, one third of whom are in Darfur where the situation is deteriorating dramatically.” the IOM stated.

More than 280,000 of the displaced are currently living in camps, public buildings, and improvised shelters, particularly in the White Nile state. They are lacking access to food and health services.

Need for ceasefire and funding

Othman Belbeisi, IOM Regional Director for Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, reiterated calls for a permanent ceasefire and the removal of bureaucratic impediments, to ensure safe and guaranteed humanitarian corridors and to enable the delivery of aid to people in hard-to-reach areas.

The war in Sudan has led to the scaling up of the response operations across the country and its neighbours.

In Chad, over 22,400 people were reached with assistance and around 37,900 people were accessed in South Sudan. In Ethiopia, more than 48,500 people received aid and about 20,800 were helped in Egypt. In Libya, IOM is preparing for the distribution of non-food items and hygiene kits.

“To meet the increasing needs across the various areas of operations in view of both the continuation of the conflict and high rate of new displacement, additional funding is urgently needed to enable IOM to maintain and continue scaling up operations across Sudan,” the statement concludes.