A wave of violence and armed attacks by the Rapid Support Forces on over 30 villages and towns in parts of Al-Jazira State since on 20 October, have led to the displacement of more than 135,000 people (27,000 families) to various locations in Sudan, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
The report came as ten civilians were killed Tuesday in the central Sudanese state of Al-Jazira, in an attack blamed on the RSF, according to the Madani Resistance Committee, one of hundreds of volunteer groups coordinating aid across the country.
On Tuesday, the Sudan INGO Forum, a group of 70 international NGOs working in Sudan, said the escalation of hostilities in Al-Jazira was marked by some of the most extreme violence in the past 18 months.
The Forum urged the international community to act on the UN Secretary-General’s call for decisive action to protect civilians and ensure safe and unfettered aid delivery across Sudan.
Injured children and sexual violence
OCHA said INGO received reports of missing, unaccompanied or separated children among displaced people, children with multiple gunshot injuries and arbitrary arrests and detention of children in parts of Al-Jazira.
In addition, alarming reports of sexual violence against young girls and adolescents continue to be reported, with some yet to be verified cases of women and girls subjected to sexual assault and violence committing suicide.
“Insecurity and lack of sustained communication channels is impacting the ability of humanitarian organizations to collect information and data on the situation in parts of Al-Jazira that have been subjected to violence and attacks,” the OCHA report said.
Meanwhile, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) reported in its Flash Alert on Al-Jazira State that thousands of people have arrived in 16 localities in Gedaref, Kassala and River Nile states.
DTM field teams reported that some affected people cannot relocate to safe areas due to movement restrictions.
They said the displaced people may continue to relocate depending on the capacity of shelter sites, the establishment of new gathering sites or reception centers, and the availability of humanitarian assistance.
In Gedaref, IOM said humanitarian partners report that more than 50% of the new arrivals are women and children. It added that many individuals were moving on foot, and the majority of the IDPs were reportedly women and children.
The report also mentioned that some areas are not accessible for humanitarians, making it challenging to deliver essential services and support to the displaced people.
Difficulty to Shelter IDPs
OCHA said its humanitarian partners face challenges in tracking some of the displaced population due to high mobility and the wide geographical areas.
This is complicating efforts to map and deliver assistance effectively, leading to potential duplication of efforts and gaps, the agency noted.
According to the Gedaref Humanitarian Aid Commission (HAC), the displaced people need immediate food among other assistance, with many of them relying on the host communities to meet their basic needs.
Also, IDPs arrive in dire health conditions due to long distances travelled (up to seven days on foot) and limited or lack of access to humanitarian assistance on the way.
OCHA also showed that the majority of IDPs fled abruptly, leaving behind personal belongings and assets. As a result, over 70-95% of them have lost their identification documents. Displaced people need medicines for diabetes, hypertension, and mental health condition, it said.
Meanwhile, the agency said that humanitarian partners in Kassala and Gedaref are scaling up response and mobilizing resources to meet the immediate needs of the newly arrived displaced people from Al-Jazira.
