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The United Nations warned Monday that 800,000 people could flee Sudan as rival military factions battle in the capital despite a ceasefire and foreign countries halting evacuations.
Hundreds of people have been killed and thousands injured in the 16-day war since clashes between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) erupted in conflict on April 15.
There is no prospect of a quick solution to the crisis, which has destroyed swaths of the capital Khartoum, risked a draw in regional powers, and reignited the conflict in the Darfur region.
Both warring sides agreed on Sunday to extend a widely violated ceasefire by 72 hours. But airstrikes and artillery rang out on Monday as smoke engulfed Khartoum and neighboring towns.
The UN’s deputy refugee chief, Raouf Mazou, said the agency was planning an exodus of 815,000 people, including 580,000 Sudanese citizens as well as foreign refugees currently living in the country. About 73,000 have left Sudan, he said.
Abdou Dieng, the UN humanitarian coordinator in Sudan, warned Monday that the humanitarian crisis in the country is becoming a “complete disaster.” He said civilians are fleeing in parts of Sudan less affected by the war or fleeing to neighboring countries, increasing the risk of “regional spillover effects from the crisis.”
The top UN official in Sudan, Volker Perthes, also warned of a “major humanitarian crisis” as people ran out of food and fresh water in Khartoum and the fighting damaged water systems.
Jamila, a woman who is still in Khartoum with her family, only eats one meal a day because there is very little food. RSF troops were stationed in front of the house and refused to leave. “The sound of fighting was in our ears all day long,” he said.
Egypt says 40,000 Sudanese have crossed its border, while others have gone to Chad, South Sudan, and Ethiopia, or traveled across the Red Sea in evacuation boats.
Some internally displaced Sudanese congregate in hubs such as Atbara northeast of Khartoum as they make plans or head to the Egyptian-Chad border.
More than 70,000 South Sudanese refugees who have been living in Khartoum have fled to neighboring White Nile province, living in overcrowded camps, said Mustafa Amr Abarou, a spokesman for Sudan’s refugee agency.
At least 10 truckloads a day of people fleeing Khartoum continue to arrive, straining the agency’s capabilities, he said. Sudan hosts more than 1.3 million refugees, including 800,000 from South Sudan, according to UN figures.
Sudanese people walking the streets of their homes have described scenes of desolation.
“We saw dead bodies. Industrial areas that were all looted. We saw people carrying TVs on their backs and large sacks that were looted from factories,” said Khartoum resident Mohamed Ezzeldin.
Many fear that life is in a power struggle between the army chief and the head of the RSF, which had taken control of the government after a 2021 coup but fell short of plans to transition to civilian rule.
At least 528 people were killed and 4,599 injured, the Health Minister said. The United Nations has reported a similar death toll but believes the real number is higher.
The Sudanese capital has become a war zone as two rival factions battle for control, but other countries have also played a role. McGill Associate Professor Khalid Medani and Canadian Children’s War President Samantha Nutt break down how outside forces are also helping the war.
Foreign governments have pulled out their citizens over the past week in several operations by air, sea and land, although some countries have halted efforts.
Those who remain face hardship and danger.
“I was seen working for two or three hours and then I closed because it was not safe,” said Abdelbagi, a barber in Khartoum who said he had to work because of rising prices.
Hospital under siege
Many hospitals in the capital remain out of service or inaccessible because of the fighting, while others have been taken over by warring factions, especially the RSF, said Atiya Abdalla Atiya, secretary of the Sudanese Doctors Syndicate, which tracks civilian causes.
More than two-thirds of hospitals in areas with active fighting are reported to be inoperable, with fighters looting dwindling supplies.
The United Nations and other aid organizations have cut services, although the World Food Program said it was resuming operations in safer areas on Monday after staff were killed early in the war.
The UN fears for the impact of the war on Sudan and the wider region, said Martin Griffiths, senior official for humanitarian aid and emergency issues, warning that the country is at “breaking point.”
“The scale and speed of what is happening in Sudan is unprecedented,” said Griffiths, who will visit Sudan on Tuesday. The agency imports supplies through Port Sudan, but needs security guarantees to bring them to Khartoum.
Ceasefire violations continue
Both sides said on Monday they were moving forward without commenting directly on the ceasefire violations.
Talks about a lasting ceasefire could take place in Saudi Arabia or South Sudan, Perthes said, speaking from Port Sudan. He said the former might be easier logistically, though each side would need safe passage through the other’s territory. “It’s very difficult in a situation of low trust,” he said.
Canada has suspended evacuation operations at Khartoum airfield after the ceasefire unraveled and violence escalated, but Canada is still stranded in Sudan and escape options are limited.
The army said it had reduced the RSF’s combat effectiveness by half and stopped trying to strengthen its position in the capital. The RSF says it is still in control of key Khartoum locations and that it is defeating army forces.
The news agency could not verify either party’s claims.
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