Conflict in Sudan Forces over 400,000 People into South Sudan: UN

JUBA, (Xinhua): Months-long violent clashes between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Sudan have forced more than 400,000 people to flee to South Sudan, the UN humanitarian agency said on Thursday.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said some 406,356 people have crossed into South Sudan since the fighting began on April 15. Among them, there were 13,130 arrivals, with 93 percent coming through four points of entry in Upper Nile State in South Sudan from Nov. 18 to Nov. 24.

“Of these, 88 percent were South Sudanese returnees and 12 percent Sudanese refugees. This shows a downward trend in arrivals of Sudanese nationals compared to recent weeks,” the UN agency said in its latest update on the crisis.

It said high-energy biscuits, in-kind food, or cash assistance was provided to 374,000 new arrivals to meet their immediate food and nutrition needs on arrival.

“Partners continue to provide two or three-month food assistance to returnees in their final destinations. Since the inception of this part of the response in September, over 125,000 people have received this food ration,” the OCHA said.

The conflict has killed up to 9,000 people as of October, displacing over 6 million others within and outside Sudan and leaving 25 million in need of aid, according to the UN.