“Displaced women, children and men are dying of hunger, malnutrition and disease. This is a clear indication of the fragility of people forced to flee, many of them multiple times over”, stated Mamadou Dian Balde, Regional Refugee Coordinator for the Sudan situation, in the beginning of August. He’s also UNHCR’s Regional Director for the East and Horn of Africa and Great Lakes region. “The warning signs were there for months. Now we have the tragic confirmation that there is famine in Sudan’s North Darfur region.”
This has exacerbated the biggest humanitarian disaster in the world today. The situation of the more than 10 million people who have had to flee their homes since the war broke out in April 2023 is becoming increasingly critical. And the risk of this catastrophe spreading to the entire region is growing. “The arrival of millions of refugees and internally displaced people is stretching host communities to a breaking point”, adds Mamadou Dian Balde.
And it’s not only the famine that is causing the refugees and internally displaced people to suffer more and more: Heavy rains and flooding have already impacted tens of thousands of people across Sudan, causing further displacement, injuries and deaths. This includes many families who recently arrived in the eastern Kassala state after fleeing violence in Sennar state and who were sheltering in five gathering sites and reception centres. Some have been displaced three or four times since the start of the conflict. They have lost their belongings, including food rations, and are facing significant challenges in accessing clean water and sanitation facilities, increasing the risk of waterborne diseases, such as Cholera. More than 400 shelters have also been damaged in Shagarab refugee camp, leaving already vulnerable people destitute.
UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, and partners are on the ground making every effort to assist the most vulnerable. Together with state authorities, new land has been identified where tents are being set up to accommodate the affected families. On August 21, UNHCR trucks were able to travel from Chad to Darfur. They brought kitchen sets, blankets, solar lamps and other necessary utensils to make life easier for the displaced people there.
The climate crisis is making those displaced even more vulnerable and aggravates the famine: Flooded land means people are unable to grow crops and graze their livestock, adding to food insecurity in areas also affected by drought and conflict.
Mamadou Dian Balde, Regional Refugee Coordinator for the Sudan situation and UNHCR’s Regional Director for the East and Horn of Africa and Great Lakes region, urges action to prevent further deaths and suffering. The brutal war must end immediately and humanitarian aid workers must be given access to save lives. And he addresses the donors: “It is vital that we all stand together now with the people in need in Sudan. They have already suffered enough!”
You too can help the displaced persons from Sudan by making a donation. Thank you very much for not forgetting these people!
You can also find out more about the emergency situation in Sudan here.
And a few months ago, we were able to conduct an interview with Mamadou Dian Balde. Please read about the poignant fates of the displaced people in Sudan and the hope that UNHCR can give them.