UN: 13 million displaced as Sudan War enters third year

Sudan’s civil war has displaced 13 million people, the United Nations reported Monday, as fighting between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) enters its third year.

The conflict, which erupted on 15 April 2023, has killed tens of thousands, driven parts of the country into famine, and fractured Sudan into areas controlled by rival warlords.

“The conflict has provoked the displacement of 13 million people, including 8.6 million internally displaced and 3.8 million refugees,” said Abdourahouf Gnon-Konde of the UN refugee agency in an interview with AFP.

The latest violence has centered on El-Fasher, the last major city in Darfur still under army control, where the RSF launched a new offensive last week. Fighting from Thursday through Sunday targeted the city and nearby displacement camps, including famine-hit Zamzam and Abou Shouk.

More than 400 people were killed in the assault, according to the UN, which cited “credible sources.” By Sunday, RSF claimed control of Zamzam, displacing some 400,000 people, the International Organization for Migration said.

Doctors Without Borders reported that around 10,000 civilians fled to Tawila, 70 kilometers west of El-Fasher, within 48 hours, many suffering from dehydration and trauma.

The civilians, mostly women and children, arrived "in an advanced state of dehydration and exhaustion and reporting horrific violence", said the international medical charity.

'Relentless nightmare'

The RSF stepped up its attacks on El-Fasher shortly after the army regained control of Khartoum, about 1,000 kilometres to the east, last month.

The war has effectively divided Sudan in two, with the army holding the north and east while the RSF controls much of Darfur and, with its allies, parts of the south.

Germany's foreign minister, Annalena Baerbock, described the conflict as "the greatest humanitarian catastrophe of our time," highlighting the widespread destruction, starvation and sexual violence.

"Entire regions have been destroyed, hundreds of thousands of families are fleeing, millions of people are starving, and women and children are being subjected to the most horrific sexual violence," she added.

Baerbock's remarks came ahead of an international conference in London on Tuesday to discuss the war's devastating impact.

Mirjana Spoljaric, president of the International Committee of the Red Cross, said civilians in Sudan were "trapped in a relentless nightmare of death and destruction" after two years of war.

The UN Fact-Finding Mission warned "the darkest chapters of this conflict have yet to unfold", amid rising ethnic violence and reprisals across the country.

"As Sudan enters into its third year of conflict, we must reflect on the catastrophic situation in Sudan and honour the lives of all Sudanese who have been lost or changed forever," said Mohamed Chande Othman, the mission's chair.