The United Nations Office at Geneva
Multimedia Newsroom
Displacement from Sudan conflict exceeds 4 million: UNHCR
The UN Refugee Agency, (UNHCR) warned on Tuesday that health conditions in Sudan are
rapidly deteriorating due to the forcible displacement of over four million people.
Refugee camps, as well as border entry points and transit centres in neighbouring countries are
experiencing worsening conditions due to the arrival of people who have been forced to flee.
“The situation is untenable,” UNHCR spokesperson, William Spindler told a briefing in Geneva.
“Needs far outweigh what is humanly possible to deliver with available resources.”
According to Mr. Spindler over 144,000 newly displaced refugees from Khartoum arrived in all
10 refugee camps in White Nile state since the conflict started.
But “a lack of essential medicines, staff and supplies is severely hampering health and nutrition
services there”. Across borders, “the situation is equally grim”. The health and nutrition status of
those arriving from Sudan “has deteriorated sharply since the conflict started in April and
continues to worsen,” he added.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has also reported chronic shortages in health staff, as
well as attacks on personnel which have significantly compromised the quality of health care
across the country.
Echoing Mr. Spindler’s concerns, WHO spokesperson Christian Lindmeier condemned an
attack on Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) staff on 20 July in Khartoum; “Attacks on health care
are a gross violation of international humanitarian law and the right to health. They must stop.”
According to Mr. Lindmeier, WHO has verified 53 attacks on healthcare officials, resulting in 11
deaths and 38 injuries, between 15 April and 31 July.
The UNHCR has found that since the start of the conflict, nearly 700,000 refugees and asylum-
seekers fled to neighbouring countries, and 195,000 South Sudanese were forced to return to
South Sudan. Giving more detail on the numbers, Mr. Spindler pointed out that over three
million people have been internally displaced, including more than 187,000 refugees already
residing there. The UNHCR spokesperson warned that with many families on the move for
weeks with very little food or medicine, there have been “rising malnutrition rates, disease
outbreaks and related deaths…”. In addition, “severe cholera and malaria cases are expected in
the coming months due to flooding from the continuing rains and inadequate sanitation
facilities”.
According to the UNHCR, underfunding is severely hampering the response in South Sudan.
The UN agency has reported 57 deaths among children from measles and malnutrition in Renk.
The majority of the children were under five years old, and of these, 15 died in the last week.
Similarly, the UNHCR reported that in Chad only 17 mobile clinics are operational across 15
locations at the border sites and refugee camps where people are arriving. Over 2,400 wounded
refugees and returnees have arrived, requiring urgent medical attention, with approximately 130
casualties admitted daily in June. The Organization has called for more desperately needed
funds to support the provision of health care and other life-saving aid. Of the 566 million US
dollars required to provide assistance in countries neighbouring Sudan, just 29 per cent has
been received. The inter-agency response inside Sudan is only 24 per cent funded, UNHCR
warned.
ends
STORY: SUDAN DISPLACEMENT
TRT: 03:03”
SOURCE: UNTV CH
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH /NATS
ASPECT RATIO: 16:9
DATELINE: 08 AUGUST 2023, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
SHOTLIST
1. Exterior wide shot, United Nations flag flying.
2. Wide shot, Assembly Hall briefing.
3. SOUNDBITE: (ENGLISH) William Spindler, UNHCR spokesperson:
“With more than four million people now forcibly displaced by the Sudan crisis, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is deeply worried about deteriorating health conditions across the country including in refugee camps as well as at border entry points and transit centres in neighbouring countries, where people forced to flee are arriving.”
4.Close of journalists at briefing.
5. SOUNDBITE: (ENGLISH) William Spindler, UNHCR spokesperson: “The situation inside Sudan, where UNHCR teams are present, is untenable as needs far outweigh what is humanly possible to deliver with available resources. In White Nile state, a lack of essential medicines, staff and supplies is severely hampering health and nutrition services in all 10 refugee camps, where over 144,000 newly displaced refugees from Khartoum have arrived since the conflict started.”
6.Mid side view of journalists at briefing.
7. SOUNDBITE: (ENGLISH) William Spindler, UNHCR spokesperson: “As many families have been on the move for weeks, with very little food or medicine, rising malnutrition rates, disease outbreaks and related deaths continue to be observed. In addition, severe cholera and malaria cases are expected in the coming months due to flooding from the continuing rains and inadequate sanitation facilities."
8. Screen showing UNHCR and WHO spokespersons.
9. SOUNDBITE: (ENGLISH) Christian Lindmeier, WHO spokesperson: “WHO condemns in the strongest terms the attack you may recall on MSF (Médecins Sans Frontières) staff on 20 July in Khartoum as they were carrying out their life-saving duties. Attacks on health care are a gross violation of international humanitarian law and the right to health. They must stop. Humanitarian workers need assurances of safety and security in order to continue delivering critical humanitarian and health response.”
10.Mid of attendee at briefing.
11. SOUNDBITE: (ENGLISH) Christian Lindmeier, WHO spokesperson: “Between 15 April and 31 July, 53 attacks on health care have been verified by WHO, resulting in 11 deaths and 38 injuries.”
12. Mid of UNHCR spokesperson on screen.
13. SOUNDBITE: (ENGLISH) William Spindler, UNHCR spokesperson: “Across borders, the situation is equally grim. The health and nutrition status of those arriving from Sudan has deteriorated sharply since the conflict started in April and continues to worsen.”
14. Wide of attendees at briefing.
15. SOUNDBITE: (ENGLISH) William Spindler, UNHCR spokesperson: “Within Sudan, over three million people have been internally displaced, including more than 187,000 refugees already residing in the country at the start of the crisis.”
16. Close of speaker at briefing.
17. Close of attendees typing.
18. Mid of attendees at briefing.
Similar Stories
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
UN Human Rights Office spokesperson Seif Magango today told the bi-weekly UN press briefing in Geneva of more details that are emerging on the atrocities committed in El Fasher, in Sudan during and after its takeover by the Rapid Support Forces.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
UN Human Rights Office spokesperson Seif Magango made the following comment on Friday at the bi-weekly press briefing in Geneva.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
UN Human Rights Office spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani made the following comment on Friday at the bi-weekly press briefing in Geneva.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , WHO
Sudan: UN Raises Alarm Over Mass Atrocities in El Fasher as Survivors Report Executions, Killings and Rapes
More details continue to emerge about atrocities committed during and after the fall of El Fasher to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Sudan on 23 October. Since the powerful paramilitary group made a major incursion into the city last week, the UN Human Rights Office has received “horrendous accounts of summary executions, mass killings, rapes, attacks against humanitarian workers, looting, abductions and forced displacement,” said Seif Magango, spokesperson for the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).
1
1
1
Edited News | OCHA
Ukraine: Russian attacks on energy terrorize population as winter starts; could trigger major ‘crisis within crisis’
The UN’s top aid official in Ukraine expressed concern on Friday about “continuous attacks” on energy production sites and distribution facilities.
1
1
1
Edited News | HRC
Navi Pillay Retires After Decades Defending Human Rights and Pursuing Justice
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
The telecommunications shutdowns in Afghanistan in September had serious and far-reaching impacts on people’s lives, according to a briefing paper published today by the UN Human Rights Office and the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA).
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
UN Human Rights Office spokesperson Jeremy Laurence at the UN Geneva press briefing made the following comment on the ASEAN declaration on the right to a healthy environment.
1
1
1
Edited News | IFRC , OCHA , WMO
‘Catastrophic’ Hurricane Melissa hours from landfall in Jamaica as humanitarians rush to save lives
Millions in Jamaica and across the Caribbean are bracing for massive impact from Hurricane Melissa on Tuesday as the UN and partners are warning of a “severe” and “immediate” humanitarian threat.
1
1
Edited News | WHO
‘We need all routes to open’: in Gaza WHO calls for ramp-up of medevacs, easier access for essentials
Two weeks since a ceasefire agreement entered into force in Gaza the World Health Organization (WHO) noted progress on the flow of aid while calling for more evacuations of critical patients and eased entry for essential medicines and supplies.
1
12
1
1
Edited News | WMO , UNITED NATIONS
UN chief urges boost to life-saving weather warning systems, stresses role of climate change science
No country is safe from the devastating impacts of extreme weather — and saving lives means making early-warning systems accessible to all, UN chief António Guterres said on Wednesday.
1
1
1
Edited News | WFP
Gazans’ response to food distributions ‘overwhelming’ as humanitarians scale up under fragile ceasefire
In Gaza, the ceasefire is enabling UN humanitarians to reach more desperate people with life-saving food, but greater access is needed to contain the spread of famine.