Attachments
HIGHLIGHTS
Over the last 2 weeks:
- 6,622 provided multi-purpose cash assistance in Wadi Halfa and Dongola, Northern state, and Shendi, Almatama, and Al Damir, River Nile State, Sudan.
- 20 women in Tongori, Ouddaï province, Chad benefitted from the provision of livelihood support activities.
- 2,699 individuals were provided onward transportation assistance from Joda at the South Sudan border to Renk. From Renk, 2,532 individuals were transported to Malakal, and 1,485 from Malakal to other destinations through the operation of 25 flights.
- 2,006 health screenings were conducted across Metema and Kurmuk points of entry (PoE), Ethiopia.
- 639 individuals received NFIs, which included clothing vouchers and dignity kits in Cairo and Alexandria, Egypt.
- 328 individuals received NFI and food assistance and attended awareness raising sessions on the risks of irregular migration in Libya.
SITUATION OVERVIEW
Sudan represents the largest displacement crisis in the world, hosting an estimated 10.8 million internally displaced as of 27 August 2024, of which 8.1 million were displaced after the outbreak of the conflict in April 2023. An additional 2.3 million mixed-cross border movements have been recorded into neighbouring countries.
The conflict has resulted in the deterioration of the protection environment with long-term negative consequences for millions of civilians in Sudan and the neighbouring countries. The extended economic crisis, the soaring food and fuel prices, and acute food insecurity exacerbates the protection crisis. Those most at-risk – including people with disabilities, pregnant and lactating women, unaccompanied and separated children, and the elderly – are increasingly exposed to protection risks and reliant on harmful coping mechanisms to survive. Protection risks include but are not limited to migrant protection concerns with increased rates of arbitrary arrest, elevated risks of trafficking in persons (TiP), gender-based violence (GBV), and grave child rights violations.
As per IOM’s Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM), 52% of IDP households reportedly needed protection services and additional security or support for vulnerable individuals. Protection needs were the highest among IDP households in Central Darfur (100%), South Darfur (97%), North Darfur (97%). East Darfur (90%), and West Darfur (83%). 40% of IDP households across Sudan, and particularly in Darfur, needed child protection services.
These concerns come on top of ongoing risks related to extreme food insecurity and famine. Between 1 June and 4 September, widespread floods across 15 states displaced an estimated 172,520 individuals – this represents an increase of an estimated 36,065 individuals since the last reporting period on 26 August. Several are experiencing secondary displacement; as per DTM data, 41% of IDPs displaced due to floods were initially displaced due to conflict.
Food insecurity remains at an all-time high, with an estimated 97% of all IDPs being reported in localities with acute food insecurity of worse (IPC Level 3+). The Darfur region is particularly impacted: nearly all households in West Darfur (99%), South Darfur, (99%) East Darfur (99%), Central Darfur (99%), and North Darfur (98%) are in need of food. IDP camps across Al Fasher, North Darfur were found to likely have IPC Phase 5 (Famine) conditions, indicating that 20 per cent of households face starvation and acute malnutrition due to the lack of food.
For the response to address the worst impacts of food insecurity, the response must be integrated, comprehensive, and multisectoral to meet interdependent life-saving needs. Food and nutrition support must be matched with WASH, health, MHPSS, protection, shelter, and livelihoods assistance to meet multidimensional needs.
To respond to the severe protection needs within Sudan and in the neighbouring countries, IOM advocates to undertake urgent actions to save lives and improve specialized protection services for those most at-risk. Within its response, IOM prioritizes protection mainstreaming, delivery of specialized protection assistance, strengthening cross-border coordination on the protection response, building capacities at the field level and reinforcing participation and empowerment of communities. To alleviate the suffering of people in Sudan and in the neighbouring countries, IOM calls for increasing funding to implement a multisectoral response to address protection needs including an urgent support to scale up counter trafficking responses at borders and continue supporting local protection actors and women led organizations in hard-to-reach locations.