Nineteen months into the violent power struggle between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces over transitioning to civilian rule, more than three million Sudanese have fled the country, according to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR). UNHCR’s Director of External Relations, Dominique Hyde, highlighted the severe humanitarian crisis, describing it as “unimaginable suffering” compounded by “brutal atrocities and widespread human rights violations.”
After visiting displaced communities in Chad, Hyde depicted the country as a critical refuge, hosting 700,000 Sudanese refugees. She shared harrowing accounts from individuals who witnessed family members being murdered and targeted solely for their ethnicity. Hyde explained that, despite establishing six new settlements and extending ten others in Chad, many families are still awaiting relocation.
The conflict has strained neighboring countries like South Sudan, Ethiopia, Egypt, and the Central African Republic, which have extended support and refuge to those fleeing the violence. Despite being the world’s most severe civilian protection crisis in decades, it remains largely ignored globally, Hyde insisted.
In Chad’s border town of Adre, originally home to 40,000, some 230,000 Sudanese refugees now wait in challenging conditions for relocation. In October alone, 60,000 people fled to Chad due to escalating conflict in Darfur. Hyde recounted the tragic experience of a group fleeing El Geneina, where merely 17 of 180 survived, with all female survivors reportedly raped and six subsequently committing suicide.
The $1.5 billion Refugee Response Plan, aiming to assist 2.7 million people in neighboring countries, is only 29% funded. Hyde emphasized the generosity of Chad but stressed, “We need that support. We need support now.” The ongoing crisis demands urgent international attention and aid.
Original Story https://news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2024/11/1156711
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