Over 1 Mln Sudanese Flee to South Sudan

The United Nations has announced that more than one million people have fled Sudan to neighboring South Sudan to escape the ongoing conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces.

The mass exodus highlights the deepening humanitarian crisis in the region.

UN data reveals that over 770,000 individuals have crossed into South Sudan through the Joda border point over the past 21 months.

Tens of thousands more have entered through other border areas, bringing the total to over one million.

According to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the majority of those crossing into South Sudan are South Sudanese nationals who had previously fled the country’s civil war, which erupted in 2013—just two years after South Sudan gained independence in 2011.

Sana Abdullah Omar of the UNHCR commended the people of South Sudan for their generosity in hosting those in need, despite sharing scarce resources, but cautioned that the responsibility is overwhelming.

The UN statement called for increased international support for both the displaced and the host communities, highlighting the immense strain on resources in South Sudan, including healthcare, water, and shelter.

At two transit centers in Renk County, near South Sudan's northern border, facilities designed to accommodate fewer than 5,000 people are currently sheltering more than 16,000, the report added.