The war in Sudan has displaced more than 14 million people, or about 30 percent of the population, since it broke out over a year ago, creating the world’s largest displacement crisis this year, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) said on Tuesday.
Of those, 11 million are internally displaced and 3.1 million have fled to neighbouring countries, Amy Pope, director-general of the IOM, said in a press briefing from Port Sudan. The number of the displaced had increased by 200,000 since September, she said.
More than half are women and over a quarter are children under 5 years old, according to Pope.
"The scale of the displacement and the humanitarian needs are growing every day. Frankly, half of the population now needs help," she said, noting they have no access to shelter, clean drinking water or health care.
Disease spreading fast
As a result, disease is spreading fast and 1 in 2 Sudanese is struggling to get the minimal amount of food to survive. Famine conditions have taken hold in North Darfur, she said.
The UN this week warned that almost 25 million people require humanitarian assistance, with over 750,000 people suffering from "catastrophic" food insecurity.
The war in Sudan broke out in April 2023 when tensions between the Sudanese military and its rival paramilitary Rapid Support Forces escalated to violence in the capital Khartoum and spread out across the country.
More than 24,000 people have died, according to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data, a group monitoring the war. Atrocities and war crimes were committed, including mass rape and ethnic cleansing .
Most recently, intense fighting broke out in east-central Sudan, where 124 people were killed in attacks by the RSF fighters. The UN said Saturday that the RSF shot civilians, sexually abused women and girls and looted properties. The recent escalation in Gezeira province displaced over 46,000 people, the UN said.
Recent flooding over the summer in Sudan’s eastern Red Sea state has also caused displacement.