ON THE OCCASION OF WORLD REFUGEE DAY, THE INTERNATIONAL MEDICAL ORGANIZATION MÉDECINS SANS FRONTIÈRES (MSF) IS WARNING ON THE IMPACT OF THE WAR IN SUDAN, WHICH CONSIDERATELY INCREASES THE NEEDS OF POPULATIONS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE BORDER, IN SOUTH SUDAN. MSF CALLS FOR AN IMMEDIATE INCREASE IN VITAL AID FOR REFUGEES FLEEING WAR AND THE COMMUNITIES WELCOME THEM.
Sudan’s war, which began in April 2023, has created one of the world’s largest displacement crises, forcing more than 10 million people from their homes. Since last April, more than 680,000 people1 have found refuge in South Sudan, while the health system and existing humanitarian aid are already struggling to meet the needs of the population. In the coming months, pressure on health services and humanitarian organizations is expected to increase further. It is estimated that by July, seven million people will no longer have access to sufficient food 2.
Renk, located in South Sudan’s Upper Nile State, is about 60 kilometers from Joda, the official entry point for people fleeing war. Currently, around 13,000 refugees and returnees are stranded in the city’s transit center and surrounding areas. This number varies depending on subsequent movements, with some waiting to continue their journey through South Sudan, others hoping to return to Sudan. Living conditions there are dire, with limited access to food, water, shelter, sanitation and medical care.
Many refugees arriving at the border are injured and suffering from acute malnutrition, after walking for weeks to escape the violence. Currently, aid agencies are providing them with money to buy food for seven days, but many remain stuck at the Renk transit center for weeks or even months, waiting for transportation to continue their journey. .
About 300 kilometers from Renk, thousands of refugees and returnees are housed in the Bulukat transit center near the town of Malakal. Shortages of food, water, shelter and adequate sanitation have led to an increase in illnesses such as diarrhea and respiratory infections, according to MSF medical teams. The continued influx of refugees and returnees into South Sudan risks worsening already severe food and water shortages for both new arrivals and host communities, making access to medical care even more difficult. difficult.
Malnutrition among children increased by 200%
Before April 2023, 30 to 50 children suffering from severe malnutrition were admitted each month to the malnutrition treatment center at MSF hospital in Malakal. Since the start of the war in Sudan, this number has increased by 200%, reflecting an increasingly critical situation. Malnourished children are particularly vulnerable to other life-threatening illnesses.
“Malnutrition increases the risk of infection, especially among children under five, who are more likely to die from diseases such as meningitis, measles, yellow fever, cholera and malaria,” explains the Dr Eltigani Osman, MSF medical coordinator.
Water shortages in the region force residents to draw water from rivers. Drinking untreated water, which may be contaminated, poses additional health risks, especially in a region prone to cholera outbreaks. These risks are expected to increase with the arrival of the rainy season, which could lead to severe flooding across the region, contaminating wells and boreholes and complicating the humanitarian response. Flooding on the Sudanese side of the border could push even more people to flee to South Sudan.
Humanitarian organizations are working to respond to the crisis and help all those in need. Since April 2023, MSF has been running a clinic at the main border crossing and two mobile clinics around Renk and Bulukat, treating around 190 patients per day, while supporting Renk hospital. However, this remains insufficient given the scale of the crisis, which requires a much larger international response.
“The humanitarian response remains inadequate to the reality of needs, in a context where the health system is already under strain,” says Iqbal Huda, MSF head of mission. “We urgently call on international donors to allocate funds to meet the needs of returnees, refugees and host populations in South Sudan. This must include the provision of food, water, shelter, “sanitary and medical care facilities, as well as the means to enable people to continue their journey.”
1 UNHCR and IOM dashboards
2South IPC Acute Food Insecurity and Malnutrition Analysis September 2023-July 2024.
