Sudanese refugee crisis (2023–present)

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Sudanese refugee crisis
Part of the Sudanese civil war (2023–present)
Screengrab of refugee camp from Number of Refugees Who Fled Sudan for Chad Double in Week.jpg
A Chadian camp for displaced people who fled violence in Darfur at the Chad-Sudan border where over 90,000 people have fled and thousands have been displaced.
Date15 April 2023 – present
Location
Displaced12 million [1] [2] [3]

An ongoing refugee crisis began in Africa in mid-April 2023 after the outbreak of the Sudanese civil war. By June 2024, around 2.1 million people have fled the country, while around 12 million [4] [5] have been internally displaced within Sudan; these numbers include at least 75,000 migrant returnees and other third-country nationals, making the refugee and displacement crisis in Sudan the largest in African history. [6] [7]

Contents

The vast majority of these civilians entered the neighboring country of Chad with the United Nations reporting most of these people came from Darfur and Khartoum, but thousands more moved to other countries. By May 2024, the UN reported at least 675,000 refugees in South Sudan, 500,000-550,000 in Egypt, 75,000 people in Ethiopia, 30,000 in the Central African Republic, 600,000 in Chad, and 3,500 in Libya. [8] Several people were reportedly stuck or displaced across the country due to the increase in violence and a humanitarian crisis which had affected 25 million people, equivalent to more than half of Sudan’s population, across the whole country. [9]

Background

On 15 April 2023, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) launched a surprise attack on multiple Sudanese Army bases across the country, including in the capital Khartoum. [10] RSF forces claimed to have captured Khartoum International Airport, Merowe Airport, El Obeid Airport as well as a base in Soba. Clashes between the RSF and the SAF erupted at the Presidential Palace and at the residence of General al-Burhan, with both sides claiming control over the two sites. In response, the SAF announced the closure of all airports in the country, and the Sudanese Air Force conducted airstrikes on RSF positions in Khartoum with artillery fire being heard in different parts of the city. [10] Fighting continued in the following weeks and spread to the Darfur region, which was recovering from an internal conflict and genocide in the 2000s, and in the Kordofan region, where remnants of South Sudanese separatist groups joined sides with either the SAF or the RSF.

Refugees before the 2023 conflict

Before the conflict, thousands of refugees had fled Sudan during old conflicts, mainly its civil wars or the wars in Darfur leaving at least 400,000 Sudanese across the Chadian border and hundreds of thousands more in neighboring countries such as South Sudan and Egypt. [11] [12]

Refugee movements

Internally-displaced people

The United Nations said on 23 December that the fighting in Sudan had produced 5.6 million internally displaced persons. [13] 1.7 million of them were reported to have from Khartoum alone. [14] Some of them faced difficulties such as the presence of roadblocks and robberies along the roads. [15] The Norwegian Refugee Council said that there were about 300 refugees from Khartoum who had fled southeast to El-Gadarif. [16] 3,000 refugees from Khartoum fled to Tunay bah refugee camp, which already hosts 28,000 Ethiopian refugees, in eastern Sudan, while at least 20,000 fled to Wad Madani. [17] Up to 260,000 people fled to White Nile State, which borders South Sudan. [14] Up to 37,000 people were thought to have been displaced across Nyala, the capital of South Darfur. [18] The IOM said that all of Sudan's 18 states experienced displacement, with most refugees coming from Khartoum, which accounted for about 69 percent of the total number of displaced people, [19] followed by West Darfur with more than 17 percent. [20]

More than 32,000 people were internally displaced when fighting between the SAF and the rebel SPLM-N (al-Hilu faction) broke out in Blue Nile State in June, [21] while 83,000 were displaced in South Kordofan. [22]

Countries

Chad

On 15 April, Chad reported thousands of refugees coming past the now closed border between the nation and Sudan. Over the following days the UN reported a massive influx of refugees crossing mainly from Darfur amounting to 20,000 people by 19 April, [23] more than 90,000 by late May, [24] [25] 115,000 by June, [26] and 239,000 by July. [27] The UN announced later on that the refugees lacked basic needs such as food and shelter. Reports also suggested that the majority of them were women and children. [28] More than 160,000 of them were members of the Masalit ethnic group who were fleeing ethnically-based attacks by the RSF and allied militias. [29] By August, the number of refugees had reached over 414,000, making it the single largest host country for refugees from the conflict. [8]

South Sudan

On 24 April 2023, South Sudan's Renk County reported thousands of refugees seeking shelter in the country. Authorities estimated the volume of refugees to be at least 10,000 people, three-quarters of whom were South Sudanese who had previously fled north to escape internal conflicts and the rest consisting of Sudanese and other African nationals. [30] The refugees were primarily women and children who also lacked several basic needs. [31] Authorities reported that the refugees included South Sudanese, Sudanese, Ugandan, Kenyan, Eritrean and Somali nationals. [32] By June, the number of refugees had risen to over 115,000, [6] and more than 259,000 by September. [33]

Egypt

On 23 April 2023, hundreds of civilians were reported to have arrived at the Egyptian border mainly in buses, with most of them again being women and children who had fled from war-torn cities. These people were given asylum and Egypt urged civilians to go to its land border crossing at Wadi Halfa or to Port Sudan for evacuation or safety. [34] [35] Egypt said that 42,300 people, 40,000 of whom were Sudanese, had entered the country from Sudan. [25] The number increased to 64,000 by 9 May. [36] Two camps operated by the Red Crescent were set up to provide aid to refugees. [37] By August, the UN estimated the total number of refugees in Egypt at 285,000. [8] Following the imposition of visa requirements on 10 June for all Sudanese citizens, 12,000 families were stranded in the Wadi Halfa border crossing while their visas were being processed by the Egyptian consulate. [6] Within 19 months of conflict, Egypt had received over 1.2 million Sudanese refugees. [38]

Other countries

More than 75,000 people fled to Ethiopia, [8] including 1,400 Turkish nationals. [39] The country later started receiving up to 3,000 refugees when fighting between the SAF and the SPLM-N (al-Hilu) broke out in June, [21] while 25,000 others were stranded at the Sudanese side of the border by September. [40] About 17,000 people fled to the Central African Republic, while at least 3,500 fled to Libya. [8] About 3,000 people were evacuated to Djibouti. [41]

Controversy

Criticism was levelled at diplomatic missions operating in Sudan for their slow response in helping Sudanese visa applicants whose passports were left behind in embassies following their closure during evacuation efforts, preventing them from leaving the country. [42]

On 7 May 2023, The Guardian reported that hundreds of Eritrean refugees had been taken away from camps near the Eritrean-Sudanese border. Several Eritrean civilians said the Eritrean Army had taken several civilians back into the country forcefully. Some of those detained were reported to be political refugees who had fled the Afwerki regime and forced conscription in the national army. 95 people were sentenced to prison with severe punishments ahead of them, eight being women. [43]

Ethiopians who fled to Sudan as refugees of the Tigray War would sometimes find themselves victimized again upon arrival, this time by human traffickers. A number of refugees had testified to being kidnapped, regularly tortured, and transported to warehouses in Libya, where many would die due to poor living conditions. [44] This situation worsened further after Sudan itself descended into violence in 2023, placing them at further risk of being kidnapped. [44] [45]

See also

Related Research Articles

The Janjaweed are an Arab nomad militia group operating in the Sahel region that operates in Sudan, particularly in Darfur and eastern Chad. They are also active in Yemen due to participating in the Saudi Arabian–led intervention in Yemen. According to the United Nations definition, Janjaweed membership consists of Arab nomad tribes from the Sahel, the core of whom are Abbala Arabs, traditionally employed in camel herding, with significant recruitment from the Baggara.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">War in Darfur</span> Genocidal conflict in Southwestern Sudan

The War in Darfur, also nicknamed the Land Cruiser War, was a major armed conflict in the Darfur region of Sudan that began in February 2003 when the Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) and the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) rebel groups began fighting against the government of Sudan, which they accused of oppressing Darfur's non-Arab population. The government responded to attacks by carrying out a campaign of ethnic cleansing against Darfur's non-Arabs. This resulted in the death of hundreds of thousands of civilians and the indictment of Sudan's president, Omar al-Bashir, for genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rapid Support Forces</span> Sudanese paramilitary force formed in 2013

The Rapid Support Forces is a paramilitary force formerly operated by the government of Sudan. The RSF grew out of, and is primarily composed of, the Janjaweed militias which previously fought on behalf of the Sudanese government. Its actions in Darfur were deemed crimes against humanity by Human Rights Watch.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hemedti</span> Sudanese military officer, former warlord and Janjaweed mercenary

Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, generally referred to mononymously as Hemedti, is a Sudanese military officer and the current head of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). A Janjaweed leader from the Rizeigat tribe in Darfur, he was the Deputy head of the Transitional Military Council (TMC) following the 2019 Sudanese coup d'état. Since 2013, Hemetti has commanded the RSF. He was considered by The Economist to be the most powerful person in Sudan as of early July 2019.

The following lists events during 2023 in the Republic of the Sudan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sudanese civil war (2023–present)</span> Ongoing civil war in Sudan since 2023

A civil war between two major rival factions of the military government of Sudan, the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) under Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and its allies under the Janjaweed leader Hemedti, began during Ramadan on 15 April 2023. Three minor (neutral) factions have participated in the fighting: Darfur Joint Protection Force, SLM (al-Nur) under Abdul Wahid al-Nur, and SPLM-N under Abdelaziz al-Hilu. Fighting has been concentrated around the capital city of Khartoum and the Darfur region. As of 14 November 2024, at least 61,000 people had been killed in Khartoum State alone, of which 26,000 were a direct result of the violence. As of 5 July 2024, over 7.7 million were internally displaced and more than 2.1 million others had fled the country as refugees, and many civilians in Darfur have been reported dead as part of the Masalit massacres.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Khartoum (2023–present)</span> Ongoing major battle of the Sudanese civil war

The battle of Khartoum is an ongoing major battle for control of Khartoum, the capital city of Sudan, with fighting in and around the city between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), and the Sudanese Armed Forces. The battle began on 15 April 2023, after the RSF captured Khartoum International Airport, several military bases, and the presidential palace, starting an escalating series of clashes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Geneina</span> Major battles and massacres of the Darfur campaign of the Sudanese civil war

The Geneina massacre, also the Battle of Geneina, was a series of major battles for control of Geneina, the capital of West Darfur in Sudan, between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and allied militias against Masalit self-defense militias and the Sudanese Alliance. The battles primarily lasted between April 24 and June 14, 2023, with major attacks and massacres by the RSF and allied militias on Masalit civilians in the city. After the killing of West Darfur governor Khamis Abakar on June 14, thousands of Masalit civilians were slaughtered in the city between June 14 and June 22 by the RSF and allied militias.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Darfur campaign</span> Ongoing military offensive in Sudan

The Darfur campaign or Darfur offensive is a theatre of operation in the war in Sudan that affects five states in Darfur: South Darfur, East Darfur, North Darfur, Central Darfur and West Darfur. The offensive mainly started on 15 April 2023 in West Darfur where the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) forces captured Geneina, the conflict came after several days of high tensions between the forces and the government.

The following is a timeline of the Sudanese civil war (2023–present) in 2023.

The Battle of Nyala was a battle for control of Nyala, the capital of South Darfur in Sudan, between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), and the Sudanese Armed Forces during the ongoing Darfur campaign. The first battle occurred between 15 and 20 April 2023, during which hundreds were reported dead. A civilian-brokered ceasefire paused the fighting by April 20. Sporadic clashes broke out between May and July. In August 2023, the RSF launched an offensive on the city. The SAF launched air campaigns against the RSF in Nyala, with many civilian casualties in Taiba and El Matar. In late September, the RSF besieged the headquarters the SAF's 16th Infantry Division headquarters, capturing it on October 26.

The humanitarian crisis following the 2023 Sudan conflict was further exacerbated by the violence occurring during a period of high temperatures, drought and the conflict starting during the latter part of the fasting month of Ramadan. Most residents were unable to venture outside of their homes to obtain food and supplies for fear of getting caught in the crossfire. A doctors' group said that hospitals remained understaffed and were running low on supplies as wounded people streamed in. The World Health Organization recorded around 26 attacks on healthcare facilities, some of which resulted in casualties among medical workers and civilians. The Sudanese Doctors' Union said more than two-thirds of hospitals in conflict areas were out of service with 32 forcibly evacuated by soldiers or caught in the crossfire. The United Nations reported that shortages of basic goods, such as food, water, medicines and fuel have become "extremely acute". The delivery of badly-needed remittances from overseas migrant workers was also halted after Western Union announced it was closing all operations in Sudan until further notice.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Deportation of Eritreans during the Sudanese civil war (2023–present)</span> Ethnic deportation of Eritreans in the Sudan

The deportation of Eritreans from Sudan is the ongoing forced transfer of nearly an estimated 3,500 Eritreans and Sudanese-Eritreans from Sudan mainly at the border between both countries in the war in Sudan. On 7 May 2023, reports by The Guardian were released stating that hundreds of Eritreans had been taken away from their refugee camps near the Eritrean-Sudanese border. Several of the citizens being deported were reported to be Eritrean men who had fled the Eritrean army after being conscripted. Several women were also reported to be arrested.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Siege of El Fasher</span> 2024 military engagement during the third Sudanese civil war

The siege of El Fasher is an ongoing battle for control of the town of El Fasher in North Darfur during the Sudan conflict. The first battle for the city took place between 15 and 20 April 2023, and resulted in a ceasefire that held until 12 May. Clashes broke out again between 12 and 29 May, and ended with a more stable ceasefire that lasted until August. By September, the city had become a haven for refugees across the region, without enough food and water.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Treaty of Jeddah (2023)</span> 2023 two-week long treaty for peace in Sudan

The Treaty of Jeddah or Jeddah Declaration is an international agreement that was made to make peace in Sudan. The Treaty of Jeddah, which was signed by the United States, Saudi Arabia, and Sudan and representatives of both warring sides on 20 May 2023, entered into force 48 hours later on 22 May 2023. The agreement was intended to facilitate a week-long ceasefire and the distribution of humanitarian aid within the country. The agreement expired suddenly after a surge of clashes on 23 May 2023, a day after the agreement came into effect. With the actual date of expiry being 27 May 2023, the nations agreed on an extension for five days but was shortened due to the agreement's ineffectiveness.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">War crimes during the Sudanese civil war (2023–present)</span>

The civil war in Sudan, which started on 15 April 2023, has seen widespread war crimes committed by both the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), with the RSF being singled out by the Human Rights Watch, and the United Kingdom and United States governments for committing ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity.

The following lists events during 2024 in the Republic of the Sudan.

The Battle of Wad Madani was a battle in the Sudanese civil war over the control of Wad Madani, the capital of Gezira State in east-central Sudan, between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The battle ended in an RSF victory on 19 December 2023.

The following is a timeline of the Sudanese civil war (2023–present) in 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wad An Nora massacre</span> 2024 massacre of villagers by the Rapid Support Forces

The Wad Al-Noora massacre started at around 05:00 (GMT+2) on 5 June 2024, when the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) attacked the village of Wad Al-Noora in Al-Jazira state twice, killing at least 100 civilians. The massacre followed after the RSF sieged and opened fire on the village.

References

  1. ↑ "Sudan Conflict Fuels World's Largest Internal Displacement | Human Rights Watch". 31 January 2024. Retrieved 6 April 2024.
  2. ↑ Hirons, Rachel (20 March 2024). "Sudan 2024 - the world's largest internal displacement crisis". Medair. Retrieved 5 April 2024.
  3. ↑ https://saharareporters.com/2024/06/12/sudan-worlds-largest-humanitarian-crisis-12-million-displaced-people-who
  4. ↑ https://saharareporters.com/2024/06/12/sudan-worlds-largest-humanitarian-crisis-12-million-displaced-people-who
  5. ↑ "Survivors of Sudan's brutal war have been forgotten". NRC. Retrieved 4 June 2024.
  6. 1 2 3 "Sudan Emergency: Regional Refugee Response, June 2023 - Progress report". reliefweb.int. 18 June 2023. Retrieved 18 June 2023.
  7. ↑ Omer, Sevil (19 March 2024). "Sudan crisis: Facts, FAQs, and how to help". World Vision. Retrieved 6 April 2024.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 "UN: One million people flee Sudan as situation 'spirals out of control'". Aljazeera. 16 August 2023. Retrieved 19 August 2023.
  9. ↑ "As Sudan war rages, rival sides accused of looting, diverting aid". Al Jazeera . 16 June 2023. Retrieved 25 June 2023.
  10. 1 2 "Sudan: Army and RSF battle over key sites, leaving 56 civilians dead". BBC News. 15 April 2023. Archived from the original on 15 April 2023. Retrieved 24 April 2023.
  11. ↑ "UN says up to 20,000 have fled Sudan fighting for Chad". Yahoo Sports. Archived from the original on 25 April 2023. Retrieved 24 April 2023.
  12. ↑ "Violence in Sudan's Western Darfur forces 2,500 into Chad: UN refugee agency | UN News". news.un.org. 11 August 2020. Archived from the original on 25 April 2023. Retrieved 24 April 2023.
  13. ↑ "War in Sudan: more than 7 million displaced - UN". Africanews. 23 December 2023. Retrieved 23 December 2023.
  14. 1 2 "Sudan fighting sparks communications blackout in Khartoum, disease outbreaks". France 24. 14 July 2023. Retrieved 14 July 2023.
  15. ↑ "A three-hour trip now takes 12 hours: AJ correspondent". Al Jazeera . 20 April 2023. Archived from the original on 20 April 2023. Retrieved 20 April 2023.
  16. ↑ "Hundreds arrive in Gadarif from capital to escape fighting". Al Jazeera . 23 April 2023. Archived from the original on 23 April 2023. Retrieved 23 April 2023.
  17. ↑ "Humanitarian workers: Scale of displacement in Sudan difficult to measure". Al Jazeera . 26 April 2023. Archived from the original on 26 April 2023. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
  18. ↑ "Sudan fighting prompts 'chaotic' wave of displacement". Al Jazeera . 28 April 2023. Archived from the original on 28 April 2023. Retrieved 28 April 2023.
  19. ↑ "Sudan conflict displaces more than 5 million people: OCHA". Sudan Tribune. 7 September 2023. Retrieved 8 September 2023.
  20. ↑ "Sudan's raging war forces more than two million from their homes". Al Jazeera . 14 June 2023. Retrieved 19 June 2023.
  21. 1 2 "Sudan army claims victory over rebel fighters in Blue Nile region". Radio Dabanga . 28 June 2023. Retrieved 15 July 2023.
  22. ↑ "South Kordofan's displaced in Kadugli 'denied aid'". Radio Dabanga . 26 September 2023. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
  23. ↑ Ramadane, Mahamat (22 April 2023). "UN agency in Chad expects more Sudan refugees". Reuters. Archived from the original on 23 April 2023. Retrieved 25 April 2023.
  24. ↑ Sy, Lalla; Hujale, Moulid (24 May 2023). "Sudanese refugees fleeing violence flock to Chad". unhcr.org. Chad. UNHCR. Retrieved 11 June 2023.
  25. 1 2 Davies, Lizzy (5 May 2023). "Sudan's neighbours have little to offer refugees, warns UN". The Guardian. Retrieved 9 May 2023.
  26. ↑ Nashed, Mat (17 June 2023). "Fears of ethnic cleansing mount in Sudan's West Darfur". Aljazeera. Retrieved 19 June 2023.
  27. ↑ "War in Sudan has displaced over three million people, says UN". France 24. 12 July 2023. Retrieved 13 July 2023.
  28. ↑ Presse, AFP-Agence France. "UN Says Up To 20,000 Have Fled Sudan Fighting For Chad". www.barrons.com. Archived from the original on 25 April 2023. Retrieved 25 April 2023.
  29. ↑ de Waal, Alex (13 July 2023). "Sudan crisis: From Ruto to Sisi, leaders vie to drive peace process". BBC . Retrieved 13 July 2023.
  30. ↑ "South Sudan receives about 10,000 refugees". Al Jazeera . 24 April 2023. Retrieved 25 April 2023.
  31. ↑ "South Sudan receives about 10,000 refugees fleeing Sudan fighting". The Times of India. 24 April 2023. ISSN   0971-8257. Archived from the original on 25 April 2023. Retrieved 25 April 2023.
  32. ↑ "10,000 refugees flee to South Sudan as conflict rages". Hindustan Times. 24 April 2023. Archived from the original on 25 April 2023. Retrieved 25 April 2023.
  33. ↑ "Sudan conflict displaces 259,000 people into South Sudan: OCHA". Sudan Tribune. 10 September 2023. Retrieved 11 September 2023.
  34. ↑ El-Din, Mai Shams (24 April 2023). "Fear and exhaustion: A family's flight from Sudan to Egypt". Reuters. Archived from the original on 25 April 2023. Retrieved 25 April 2023.
  35. ↑ "Sudan fighting: On a bus to Egypt with Mario the pug". BBC News. 25 April 2023. Archived from the original on 25 April 2023. Retrieved 25 April 2023.
  36. ↑ "Sudan fighting in its 24th day: A list of key events". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 9 May 2023.
  37. ↑ "'Children are crying every day… it is a crisis'". BBC . 26 April 2023. Archived from the original on 26 April 2023. Retrieved 26 April 2023.
  38. ↑ SudanTribune (10 November 2024). "Egypt struggles with influx of 1.2 million Sudanese refugees". Sudan Tribune. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
  39. ↑ "Thousands fleeing Sudan arrive in Ethiopia". BBC . 27 April 2023. Archived from the original on 26 April 2023. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
  40. ↑ "CAR grapples with Sudan refugee crisis, UN chief appeals for int'l aid". Radio Dabanga . 10 September 2023. Retrieved 30 April 2023.
  41. ↑ "Thousands of Sudanese evacuated to Djibouti". Al Jazeera . 29 April 2023. Archived from the original on 29 April 2023. Retrieved 30 April 2023.
  42. ↑ "Sudanese stuck as passports locked in abandoned Western embassies". Al Jazeera . 29 April 2023. Archived from the original on 29 April 2023. Retrieved 30 April 2023.
  43. ↑ Salih, Zeinab Mohammed (7 May 2023). "Eritrea accused of forcibly repatriating civilians caught up in Sudan fighting". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 7 May 2023.
  44. 1 2 Harter, Fred (15 May 2023). "'I saw many bodies': having escaped one conflict, Tigray refugees face new terrors". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 15 August 2023.
  45. ↑ Bociaga, Robert (23 May 2023). "Sudan crisis traps Ethiopians displaced by Tigray war between two conflicts". Arab News . Archived from the original on 2 July 2023.
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