UN: over one million displaced as Sudan's conflict continues

Over a million individuals have escaped the conflict in Sudan, seeking safety in neighbouring South Sudan, as reported by the United Nations.

In its most recent update on this significant displacement crisis, the UN revealed on Tuesday that over 770,000 people have crossed through the Joda border point on South Sudan's northern frontier with Sudan in the past 21 months.

Additionally, tens of thousands have entered through various other locations, pushing the total number of those who have fled to South Sudan since the outbreak of hostilities between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) in April 2023 to over a million, according to a statement from the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

“The influx of more than a million individuals into South Sudan is a striking and alarming figure that highlights the escalating nature of this crisis,” stated Sanaa Abdalla Omer from the UNHCR.

The majority of those crossing the border are South Sudanese citizens who had previously sought refuge from the civil war in their own country, the statement emphasized.

The citizens of South Sudan demonstrate remarkable kindness, opening their arms to those in distress and generously sharing their limited resources.

However, as Omer pointed out, they cannot bear this enormous burden by themselves.

In Renk County, located on South Sudan's northern border, two transit centers originally built to accommodate fewer than 5,000 individuals are now overwhelmed, housing over 16,000 people.

The United Nations has urged for increased assistance for both the displaced individuals and the local communities that are providing refuge, cautioning that essential resources like healthcare, water, and shelter in South Sudan are becoming critically strained.