Norwegian Refugee Council: Global Alarming Failure to Protect Civilians in Sudan

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An international non-governmental organization stated that the world is failing to defend civilians in Sudan, leaving weak host countries burdened with hundreds of thousands of Sudanese refugees, a burden they cannot bear. The organization urged conflicting parties to allow relief organizations to reach all needy civilians.

The Secretary-General of the Norwegian Refugee Council, Jan Egeland, said in a statement on Monday regarding the widespread displacement from Sudan to South Sudan, "So far, more than 500,000 people have fled the war in Sudan to South Sudan. This means that over 30% of all refugees, asylum seekers, and South Sudanese have been forced to flee Sudan since the war broke out in April 2023, seeking protection in one of the poorest places on earth."

The UN Refugee Agency had reported last Wednesday that the number of refugees and returnees to South Sudan reached 509,000.

Egeland added, "We are alarmed by the global failure to prevent the killing and displacement of countless civilians inside and outside Sudan. We witness complete disregard for the lives of civilians and heinous atrocities committed by the parties to the conflict. The destructive impact of the conflict has extended to neighboring areas where host communities lack the capacity to deal with mass displacement."

The international community was urged to generously donate to help civilians survive, stating, "The outside world must provide better support to South Sudan as it bears the cost of more than half a million people fleeing the conflict. We cannot turn a blind eye while indescribable violations occur in Sudan, and neighboring countries bear an unbearable burden."