UN officials say the “devastating milestone” indicates the damage of the evacuation crisis after two years of battle.
More than 4 million people have fled Sudan since the start of the civil war in 2023, officials at the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
“It’s now in its third year, and 4 million people are a devastating milestone in being the most harmful displacement crisis in the world at the moment,” agency spokesman Eujin Byun said at a media briefing in Geneva on Tuesday.
“If conflict continues in Sudan… we expect thousands more people to continue fleeing, bringing regional and global stability to the brink.”
Sudan shares borders with Chad, South Sudan, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, the Central African Republic and Libya.
According to UN estimates, in addition to refugees who have left the country, around 10.5 million people are displaced internally in Sudan.
UNHCR official Patrice Dossou Ahouansou said 800,000 refugees have arrived in Chad. In Chad, shelter conditions are disastrous due to a lack of funds that only 14% of fund appeals.
“This is an unprecedented crisis we are facing. This is a human crisis. This is a … protection crisis based on the violence reported by refugees,” he said.
The war is raging among the military and the rapid supportive forces (RSF) paramilitary groups in Sudan.
Over the past few months, violence has intensified in the western Darfur region, where RSF besiege the city of Elfasher, exacerbating hunger in the region.
According to the UN Children’s Aid Agency, the World Food Programme (WFP) and UNICEF Aid Convoy, which delivers food to Elfasher, was attacked this week.
“Last night, we received information about the convoy while WFP and UNICEF trucks were deployed at Alkoma, North Darfur.
Sudan has seen an increasing instability since longtime President Omar al-Bashir was removed from power in 2019 after months of anti-government protests.
In October 2021, the Sudanese army conducted a coup against Prime Minister Abdallah Hamduk’s private government, which led to his resignation in early 2022.
Sudan’s army chief Abdel Fatta al-Burhan and RSF rival Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo shared power after the coup, but began fighting in April 2023 for control of the state and its resources.
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