Thousands Flee Sudan Conflict, Overwhelm South Sudan Border Areas

The escalating conflict in Sudan has forced thousands to flee, overwhelming border areas in South Sudan as humanitarian agencies struggle to provide support for displaced individuals.

According to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), escalating violence in Sudan has forced over 80,000 people to seek refuge in South Sudan within a span of less than three weeks. The refugees and returnees, primarily women and children, are escaping intensified fighting occurring in Sudan’s White Nile, Sennar, and Blue Nile states.

Nyarob, a South Sudan returnee, recounted: “The situation was extremely unsafe. When the army arrived, gunfire erupted and chaos ensued. I quickly gathered my children and joined others in walking to the Joda border as we sought a safer place for them.”

Resources are stretched to their limits at the Joda border and in nearby villages. Temporary shelters accommodate those displaced, while malnutrition rates surpass emergency levels. The severe shortage of clean water and sanitation facilities heightens the risk of disease outbreaks.

Silva Alkebeh, Chief of Supply Logistics at UNHCR, stated: “Just two weeks ago, this area was nearly empty. We constructed the reception center to house a few hundred individuals. Now we have over 5,000 refugees and returnees staying at the border and many more along the roadside. They are all sharing extremely limited resources.”

Even with efforts to increase assistance, the response is still significantly underfunded. The UNHCR cautions that without more resources, life-saving aid and support for displaced individuals and host communities will continue to fall short of needs.