Tens of thousands of Sudanese refugees are fleeing violence however they can

First modification: 05/01/2023 – 15:30Last modification: 05/01/2023 – 23:48

At least 20,000 Sudanese have arrived at a makeshift camp in the Chadian town of Koufroun, fleeing violence in their country, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (Acnur), present on the ground with other NGOs.

The town is a few hundred meters from the province of West Darfur, which together with the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, is one of the areas most affected by the clashes that broke out on April 15 in Sudan.

The conflict, which has already left more than 500 dead and 4,500 injured, broke out between the forces of the army led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the paramilitaries of the Rapid Action Forces (FAR), led by his former number two, General Mohamed Hamdan Daglo.

Most of the refugees fled to the small Sudanese town of Tendelti, some 20 km from Koufroun, despite fierce fighting.

A large number of them arrive empty-handed, a sign of how quickly they were forced to flee. The UN estimates that at least 100 people have been killed in West Darfur in the past week. But the figure could be much higher due to the lack of information.

Others arrive carrying some goods on their backs under the crushing heat that characterizes this desert area.

In the shade of the acacia trees, aid workers and other refugees who passed by built small shelters, according to an AFP journalist.

In an area of ​​two square kilometers, some use women’s clothing and veils to create shade.

“I don’t have anything”

Mahamat Hassan Hamad is one of them. Under a tree he built a small room. The walls are thatched and the roof is canvas. In it he lives together with his wife and his 11 children.

“The FAR attacked very early in the morning, burned our houses and destroyed everything in their path, I grabbed my children to cross the border,” recalls this 52-year-old tailor with tears in his eyes.

Bousseyna Mohamed Arabi, 37, also remembers the moment. “They attacked our town and when some of us wanted to leave their house, they killed them, three or four of them.”

According to all the refugees contacted by AFP, the attacks were carried out by the FAR.

– Emergency kit –

Some 800 km east of N’Djamena, the Chadian capital, the refugees are dependent on aid workers, who also seem overwhelmed.

The United Nations agency for children (Unicef) distributes emergency kits with kitchen utensils, blankets and mats.

“We use emergency reserves to help these refugees who are flocking to an area that is the poorest in the world in terms of water and health facilities,” said Donaig Le Du, spokesman for the agency in Chad.

The NGO First International Emergency set up a makeshift medical base in Koufroun. Three health workers take care of the consultations daily, which are attended by between 100 and 200 people, according to Ndoumbaye Thertus, manager of the local organization.

“The main pathologies are respiratory diseases, gastroenteritis and malnutrition,” he said.

Aid workers fear that the humanitarian situation will become catastrophic in Koufroun.

“The big challenge before us is logistics, and we need to mobilize different donors to support us,” said Jean Paul Habamungu, UNHCR’s head of operations in eastern Chad.

“Let’s not lose sight of the fact that we already had half a million Sudanese refugees in Chad” before the recent conflict, he said.

Thousands more refugees could reach Koufroun or elsewhere as the fighting continues. More than 1,300 kilometers of border separate both countries.