عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Arab World

UN: Over 100,000 Refugees Crossed from Sudan to Neighboring Countries

In this photo released by the UK Ministry of Defense the last evacuees and military personnel board an RAF aircraft bound for Cyprus from Wadi Seidna Air Base in Sudan, April 29, 2023. (UK Ministry of Defense via AP)
In this photo released by the UK Ministry of Defense the last evacuees and military personnel board an RAF aircraft bound for Cyprus from Wadi Seidna Air Base in Sudan, April 29, 2023. (UK Ministry of Defense via AP)
TT
TT

UN: Over 100,000 Refugees Crossed from Sudan to Neighboring Countries

In this photo released by the UK Ministry of Defense the last evacuees and military personnel board an RAF aircraft bound for Cyprus from Wadi Seidna Air Base in Sudan, April 29, 2023. (UK Ministry of Defense via AP)
In this photo released by the UK Ministry of Defense the last evacuees and military personnel board an RAF aircraft bound for Cyprus from Wadi Seidna Air Base in Sudan, April 29, 2023. (UK Ministry of Defense via AP)

More than 100,000 refugees have crossed from Sudan to neighboring countries to escape the conflict that erupted last month while hundreds of thousands have been displaced within the country, UN officials said on Tuesday.

"Over 100,000 refugees are estimated to be among those who have now crossed to neighboring countries, including Sudanese refugees," Olga Sarrado, spokesperson at United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, told reporters at a briefing in Geneva.

At the same briefing, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said that 334,053 people had been internally displaced within the country since April 15.

"In many cases, the small convoys are in a sense running the gauntlet between warring factions and it's an extremely difficult and dangerous situation for those who are embarking on these journeys," said Paul Dillon, IOM spokesperson.

UN aid chief Martin Griffiths is expected to visit Sudan on Tuesday. One of his priorities is to try to improve humanitarian access through guarantees of safe passage, his spokesperson said.

A World Health Organization official said it has delivered six containers of supplies to Port Sudan and has another 30 tons of aid stocks waiting in Dubai for delivery.

Most Viewed

 
 
Arab World

Palestinian Women Share Harsh Conditions they Experienced in Israeli Prisons

Palestinian female prisoners inside a bus on Sunday after their release from an Israeli prison (Reuters)
Palestinian female prisoners inside a bus on Sunday after their release from an Israeli prison (Reuters)
TT
TT

Palestinian Women Share Harsh Conditions they Experienced in Israeli Prisons

Palestinian female prisoners inside a bus on Sunday after their release from an Israeli prison (Reuters)
Palestinian female prisoners inside a bus on Sunday after their release from an Israeli prison (Reuters)

In the days before the release of Israeli and Palestinian female detainees as part of a prisoner exchange deal between Israel and Hamas, their treatment at detention centers became a key message.

The condition of Palestinian detainees shocked their families, with reports of mistreatment and forced hunger and thirst, especially just before their release.

Israel appeared to send a message of power to the Palestinians, showing control over their fate. At the same time, it was clear that Israel was frustrated with the deal, which it had reluctantly agreed to under pressure from US President-elect Donald Trump.

A week before the ceasefire deal in Gaza began, Israel’s prison service cut off female detainees from the outside world, leaving them without news, according to released prisoner Yasmin Abu Surour, 27, who spoke from her home in the Dheisha Palestinian refugee camp near Bethlehem.

Abu Surour, who had been arrested multiple times, including on December 26, 2023, when she was placed in administrative detention, described how Israeli authorities kept the detainees in the dark.

“For a week, we had no news. Even on Sunday morning, we weren't sure it was our day of freedom,” she said. Inside the prisons, conditions were “extremely tough,” with detainees facing hunger, abuse, and medical neglect.

Amal Shujaia, 22, a university student from Deir Jarir near Ramallah, who had been detained for seven months, shared similar experiences.

“We faced daily abuse, confiscation of belongings, freezing cold, and shortages of food and medicine. We also experienced violations of privacy, like forced strip searches. It was not just hard, it was intentionally cruel and degrading,” she said.

The freed Palestinian prisoners said they were not told they would be part of the exchange deal until hours before their release on Sunday.

Under the first phase of the ceasefire agreement brokered by Qatar, Egypt, and the US, Israel released 96 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for three Israeli women held by Hamas.

Israel currently holds over 10,400 Palestinian prisoners, not including 1,500 from Gaza under direct military custody. The second release will take place on Saturday, with weekly releases continuing for 42 days.