The UN urges governments to allow the entry of Sudanese and not return them to their country

The fighting in Sudan causes a mass exodus, but also leaves thousands of people trapped in border areas.

Hanadi Al-Sir is one of thousands of Sudanese who rushed to Port Sudan, in the north of his country and on the Red Sea coast, hoping to get on a ship or a plane that will take him somewhere. from neighboring nations such as Egypt, Saudi Arabia or Ethiopia.

All in an attempt to escape the fierce fighting between the Army and the Rapid Support Forces (FAR), which has been plaguing their nation for nearly three weeks.

But, like many others, he has been stuck in the port city in sweltering heat, waiting in tents and shelters for a ticket.

“I sleep on the floor and I don’t have money to reserve a hotel room. There are no services here,” says the 37-year-old man.

The city, which in calm times has been a tourist destination, is overwhelmed by the crowds of Sudanese who have arrived in recent days, adding to the Syrians and Yemenis who arrive every day affected by the conflicts in their own countries.

Rooms cost up to $100 a night, a high figure for many who flee impoverished countries leaving everything behind, forced to sleep outdoors, in public parks, under trees or outside government buildings.

Delegations from the United Nations and some foreign governments have established bases there. Saudi Arabia, which sits across the Red Sea, says it has evacuated nearly 8,000 people in recent days.

But many complain about seeing their passage to other places hindered, for which reason small protests have already been registered.

“All I receive are promises, but I don’t know when we will be evacuated,” said Sudanese engineer Ahmed Hassan, who lives in Saudi Arabia and was in his country when fighting broke out on April 15.

Sudan’s neighboring countries have “little to offer”

In the midst of this panorama, the United Nations Agency for Refugees (UNHCR) urged the different countries to which Sudanese citizens flee to allow their entry.

He also asked not to deport those who were already taking refuge abroad to their home nations. UNHCR highlights that at least 845,000 Sudanese migrants are in exile, mainly in neighboring nations, but also in countries in Europe, North America and Malaysia.

“Refugees and migrants abroad, even if they are not part of the asylum system, should not be returned or expelled, even if they have expired visas or passports,” UNHCR’s Director of International Protection Elizabeth told reporters in Geneva. So.

The collapse of refugees is already evident and the UN also highlights that Sudan’s neighboring countries have “little to offer.”

sudan limits to the to the north with Egypt, to the east with the Red Sea, Eritrea and Ethiopia, to the south with South Sudan and to the west with the Central African Republic, Chad and Libya, nations with great economic difficulties, drought problems, food security and that have even faced their own armed conflicts for years.

The United Nations Organization estimates that in the nearly three weeks of conflict at least 330,000 Sudanese have been forced to leave their homes. Of these, around 110,000 have crossed into other countries, but the number of those who go into exile may rise to at least 800,000. A scenario that will put more pressure on refugee crises.

‘No one cares’: Sudanese lament being forgotten as parties breach truce

Meanwhile, on the ground, the two opposing parties are breaking the most recent seven-day truce for the second consecutive day.

Loud gunfire rang out again in Khartoum on Friday, with no sign of a break in the fighting.

Civilians trapped in the capital say their situation is being ignored by both the army and its rivals in the FAR.

“It has been four days without electricity and our situation is difficult (…) We are victims of a war that we are not part of. Nobody cares about the citizen,” laments Othman Hassan, 48, a resident on the outskirts of Khartoum. .

Despite multiple ceasefire announcements in recent days, none have been respected and the two sides continue to fight for control of the capital and surrounding areas, before eventual talks mediated by the leaders of South Sudan, Kenya and Djibouti.

But publicly the leaders of both factions have shown little willingness to negotiate as fighting escalates.

The Army and the FAR, which cooperated in coups in recent years and until recently co-led the nation in the absence of a government, sustained months of tension.

Finally, the open dispute for power erupted on April 15 amid disagreements over a plan for the transition to an administration with civil parties. Among the disagreements was the schedule for the FAR to integrate into the regular Armed Forces and determine when the Army would be formally under civilian supervision.

With Reuters and EFE