Libyan City Now Has Half of Its Population Sudanese
Follow-up — Moatinoon
Source: Al-Hurra
The number of Sudanese refugees who have fled to the Libyan city of Kufra has reached 65,000 since the outbreak of war in Sudan in 2023, which equals the original population of the city, according to local officials.
The Libyan News Agency, citing the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), reported on Sunday that between 300 and 400 new displaced persons have been arriving daily since the beginning of the armed conflict in Sudan. The report noted that the number of registered refugees with the UNHCR is "steadily increasing."
The report also anticipated that the "real figures" of Sudanese refugees in Libya, particularly in Kufra, could be "much higher" given the "difficult conditions of escaping through the desert" and the inability of many refugees to reach registration centers, making it challenging to determine the exact number.
The war in Sudan began in mid-April 2023 due to a conflict between the armed forces led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the Rapid Support Forces led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (Hemedti). The origin of the dispute dates back to longstanding competition between the two institutions over power and influence, which intensified after the ousting of former President Omar al-Bashir in 2019.
This war has left what international reports describe as "catastrophic" humanitarian consequences, with thousands of civilian casualties and millions forced to flee internally and externally. The war has also led to the collapse of essential services such as healthcare and education, severe shortages of food and water, and forced thousands into displacement.
"Tragic" Conditions
Many Sudanese refugees seek refuge in Kufra, located in southeastern Libya, as it is the nearest Libyan city to the border, about 350 kilometers from the closest Sudanese border point.
The population of Kufra is 65,000, but this number has doubled due to the influx of thousands of Sudanese refugees.
In this context, Abdullah Suleiman, director of the media office in Kufra Municipality, revealed that the number of Sudanese refugees in Kufra now equals the citys original population, highlighting that there are more than 40 refugee camps for Sudanese in the city.
The continuous arrival of refugees poses challenges, according to Suleiman, who told the Libyan website "Tawasul" that the citys institutions "are not equipped to provide services and need more support and resources," revealing that "refugees are living in tragic conditions."
According to UNHCR figures released at the end of September, more than 100,000 Sudanese have arrived in Libya. UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi, in a previous interview with AFP, warned of the consequences of the humanitarian crisis in Sudan, saying, "Unfortunately, this crisis has begun to affect the entire region in a very dangerous way."
