More than 4 million people have fled Sudan since civil war erupted in April 2023, marking what the United Nations now calls the world’s most devastating displacement crisis.
Speaking at a press briefing in Geneva on Tuesday, UNHCR spokesperson Eujin Byun described the milestone as a “devastating” indicator of the war’s growing humanitarian toll. “Now in its third year, the 4 million people is a devastating milestone in what is the world’s most damaging displacement crisis at the moment,” she said.
Byun warned that continued conflict could force thousands more to flee, threatening both regional and global stability. Sudan borders seven nations — Chad, South Sudan, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, the Central African Republic, and Libya — many of which are already grappling with their own challenges.
Chad has received more than 800,000 of the refugees, but shelter conditions there remain dire due to severe funding shortfalls. UNHCR’s Dossou Patrice Ahouansou said only 14% of the agency’s funding appeals have been met. “This is an unprecedented crisis that we are facing. This is a crisis of humanity,” he said, calling attention to the urgent need for international support.
Ahouansou also highlighted harrowing accounts from refugees. He recounted meeting a seven-year-old girl in Chad who lost her leg during an attack on Sudan’s Zamzam displacement camp, where her father and two brothers were killed. Her mother had died in an earlier attack.
Other survivors described being stripped of their horses and donkeys by armed groups, then forced to transport family members in carts themselves as they fled violence.
As the crisis intensifies, the UN is calling for increased international attention and funding to support those displaced and prevent further humanitarian catastrophe.
Written By Rodney Mbua
