More than 100,000 people have fled Sudan due to fighting between government forces and a rebel militia, the United Nations has said, warning the number of war refugees could eventually top 800,000. At the same time, Sudan’s neighbors are not equipped to handle the massive exodus of people.
A spokesperson for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said, “Asylum countries will need additional support to provide protection and assistance,” noting they would require help with food, water, shelter, health care, and child protection services, among other things.
The International Organization for Migration also estimates that over 300,000 people have been displaced in Sudan since fighting erupted last month. Despite the latest bout of violence, Sudan was already hosted more than 1.1 million foreign refugees, the most in Africa, in addition to a pre-existing population of internally displaced Sudanese of nearly 4 million.
