More than 16,000 Sudanese have been displaced by escalating violence in just one week. The United Nations migration agency released these grim figures on Wednesday. Clashes between the General Abdel Fattah al Burhan’s army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have intensified.
The RSF lost control of Khartoum in March. They now seek to seize territory in Sudan’s distant regions. The strategy aims to disrupt army supply lines while strengthening their own.
Nearly 11,000 people fled 10 villages in South Kordofan due to “increased insecurity.” This occurred between Thursday and Saturday, the IOM reported. The town of Al Quoz is south of El-Obeid, a crucial crossroads.
Further north, 4,278 individuals were displaced near the border with Libya and Egypt. Clashes between June 15 and 17 forced these movements. The RSF seized the strategic Al-Muthallath border area on Saturday.
This 700-kilometer desert route is vital for supplies. It connects the border to El-Fasher in North Darfur. El-Fasher remains the only major Darfur town not conquered by the RSF.
An estimated 1,000 people were displaced from El-Fasher and Abu Shouk camp. This occurred between June 10 and 11. Sudan now faces the world’s largest displacement crisis.
Over 10 million people are internally displaced, creating a massive humanitarian catastrophe. Additionally, 4 million have fled across Sudan’s borders since the war began.