UNHCR Warns of Displacement of 800,000 People Due to War in Sudan

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has warned that "more than 800,000 people" may flee Sudan as a result of the current fighting in that country.

The "UNHCR, along with Sudan's neighboring governments and partners, are preparing for the possibility of more than 800,000 people fleeing the fighting in Sudan to neighboring countries," Filippo Grandi wrote in a tweet, the authenticity of which was confirmed by his office.

"We hope this will not happen, but if the violence does not stop, we will see more people being forced to flee Sudan in search of safety," he added.

This is the first time that UNHCR has published an exact figure on the number of people who may flee Sudan to neighboring countries. The UNHCR has so far spoken of "hundreds of thousands" of people.

Sudan has plunged into chaos since a bloody power struggle erupted in mid-April between army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the commander of the Rapid Support Forces, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, nicknamed "Hemedti".