By Matiyas Seifu
According to International Organization for Migration (IOM), majority of Sudanese are suffering due to manmade crisis, i.e. conflict for palace. It is widely prevalent across the Continent where settling difference by bullet than ballot. Indeed, Sudanese have experienced such violence since their independence in early 1950s. The current situation is also not quite different per se. IOM operates within the nexus, utilizing a conflict-sensitive approach to deliver comprehensive humanitarian aid during emergencies, while also promoting disaster risk reduction, emergency preparedness, and resilience-building efforts. The efforts made by IOM cannot be undermined yet it is far from final ending the conflict.
The ongoing conflict between the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudanese Armed Force (SAF) since April 15, 2023, has had severe consequences for the civilian population in Sudan. It is estimated that by December 2024, approximately 24.8 million people will require humanitarian assistance (Sudan HRP 2024). This has resulted in Sudan becoming the largest displacement crisis globally. According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in March 2024, there are over 8.3 million internally displaced individuals in Sudan, with 6.4 million being recently displaced due to the conflict. Additionally, there are nearly 1 million refugees who were already residing in Sudan before the April 2023 conflict.
Majority of displaced Sudanese have arrived in Chad (37%), South Sudan (31%), and Egypt (25%), and the remaining to Ethiopia. Delivering support for the needy is an immediate response as magnitude of the problem at hand as result of remoteness in area and lacking in necessary resources. If the conflict persists, it is anticipated that over 3.2 million refugees and migrants impacted by the crisis in Sudan will require life-saving aid in the neighboring countries throughout 2024, representing a 50 percent increase from the projected population in need for December 2023. According to sources, Sudanese became playing ground for palace politics of the two big elephants supported by external actors.