The United Nations will continue to deliver desperately needed relief for the Sudanese people, amid soaring needs, acute shortages of essentials and fast-rising prices, UN humanitarians pledged on Tuesday.
Ten days of fighting between rival military forces have had a devastating impact on the country鈥檚 population. The UN humanitarian affairs office () warned that people are听lacking food, water, medicines and fuel, power is limited, and the prices of essential items as well as transport have skyrocketed.
OCHA spokesperson Jens Laerke told reporters in Geneva that the people of Sudan, already 鈥渄eeply affected鈥� by humanitarian needs, are now 鈥渟taring into the abyss鈥�. He underscored that humanitarian operations were also impacted, and that there were听more reports of looting听of humanitarian supplies and warehouses.
Aid delivery 鈥榳henever and wherever feasible鈥�
Following a temporary relocation of hundreds of UN staff members and their families from the Sudanese capital Khartoum on Monday, a听UN leadership team will remain in Sudan听to oversee humanitarian operations going forward. Mr. Laerke said a humanitarian hub is being established in the Red Sea coastal city of Port Sudan.
鈥淲e and our partners continue to deliver whenever and wherever feasible鈥�, insisted Mr. Laerke, before emphasizing the听鈥渉eroic鈥� efforts of the Sudanese people themselves. He said that听civil society networks are responding听to the most urgent needs in their communities, 鈥渋ncluding mobilizing medical assistance, distributing food and water, and assisting civilians鈥�.
Before the fighting erupted, some听15.8 million people 鈥� about a third of the Sudanese population 鈥� were already in need of aid.
Rising death and injury toll
According to figures from the Sudanese Health Ministry quoted by the World Health Organization () on Tuesday, 459 people had been killed in the fighting and over 4,000 injured as of 24 April. 听
听noted that the actual figures 鈥渁re听likely to be higher鈥� as at least a quarter of all health facilities in Khartoum, where most of the fighting is taking place, are not functional.
Attacks on healthcare
The UN鈥檚 health agency has听verified 14 attacks听on health since the violence began, with 8 deaths and 2 injuries. WHO said that the attacks 鈥渕ust stop鈥� as they bar people in need from accessing essential health services.
WHO also flagged rising health concerns due to听ongoing outbreaks of dengue and malaria, as well as a looming cholera alert amid damage to water infrastructure.
鈥淎s the needs are increasing,听violence has made the delivery of aid near impossible鈥�, WHO said. The agency stressed that it has stocks of essential medicines, blood bags, and supplies for surgery and trauma care 鈥渨aiting for delivery as soon as safe access is ensured鈥�.
On Monday, UN chief听Ant贸nio Guterres made clear in the UN听Security Council听that the UN would stay and deliver, and stand by the Sudanese people, as they continue to strive towards civilian rule and a new, democratic future.
Key lab under threat
Speaking to reporters from Sudan on Tuesday, WHO鈥檚 representative in the country, Dr Nima Saeed Abid, also said that the agency is concerned about the听occupation of the National Public Health Laboratory听by one of the parties involved in the fighting.
鈥淭rained laboratory technicians no longer have access to the laboratory, and with power cuts, it is听not possible to properly manage the biological materials that are stored听in the laboratory for medical purposes鈥�, WHO said. In addition to 鈥渧ery high鈥� biological hazards, there is also a听risk of spoilage of stocks of much-needed blood bags, as the lab is also the site of the central blood bank.
Mounting displacement
The fighting has already displaced thousands of people, and听Paul Dillon, the spokesperson for the International Organization for Migration (), said the agency has activated a听displacement tracking tool听at 16 points of entry in neighbouring countries to monitor incoming flows.
Data generated by the tool is broken down by age, gender and health needs, and provided to all humanitarian actors to inform their response.
IOM warned that monitoring and relief teams are engaged in a race against time as the arrival of rainy season in late May - early June is projected to cut off large swaths of the border area between Sudan and Chad.
Cross-border movements
The UN refugee agency () told reporters on Tuesday that the most significant cross-border movements in the region have been听Sudanese fleeing to Chad, and South Sudanese refugees returning to their country.听听has received reports of听people starting to arrive in Egypt, but no numbers are available.
UNHCR said that it is 鈥渨orking closely鈥� with partners and governments in the region to assess and respond to the needs of the new arrivals. The agency also thanked neighbouring countries 鈥渇or听continuing to keep their borders open听to those fleeing Sudan 鈥� whether to seek international protection or to return to their countries of origin鈥�.
Seeking safety in Chad
UNHCR said that since the fighting started, 鈥渁t least 20,000 refugees鈥� have fled across the border into Chad, and more are expected to arrive. Speaking from Ndjamena, UNHCR Representative in Chad, Laura Lo Castro, told reporters in Geneva that in the worst-case scenario,听as many as 100,000 could cross into the country.
The agency said planning is underway to relocate the new arrivals to an existing refugee camp further from the border, 鈥渨hile a new location is being identified to host additional arrivals鈥�. Chad already hosts over 400,000 Sudanese refugees.
South Sudanese return
Speaking from Juba, UNHCR Representative in South Sudan, Marie-Helene Verney said that the agency has managed to interview and register some 4,000 South Sudanese returnees so far, amid a 鈥渧ery difficult鈥� situation at the country鈥檚 northern border.
Many听new arrivals lack the means to continue their journey, which is why UNHCR is helping facilitate their onward travel, providing clean water and setting up reception centres. The agency said that overall, there are听over 800,000 South Sudanese refugees in Sudan, a quarter of whom are in Khartoum and 鈥渄irectly affected by the fighting鈥�.
Impact on host communities
Ms. Verney also said that for UNHCR, the most likely scenario involved some 100,000 refugees returning to South Sudan, and this was the agency鈥檚 鈥渃ontingency planning figure鈥�. In addition, as many as听45,000 Sudanese could take refuge in South Sudan as well.
Ms. Verney stressed UNHCR was 鈥渧ery concerned鈥� about the impact on host communities. Some 75 per cent of the population of South Sudan are already in need of humanitarian aid.
