Port sudan: The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Friday that Sudan is currently witnessing the world's largest internal displacement crisis with the number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) reaching approximately 9.3 million people.
According to Kuwait News Agency, IOM Chief of Mission in Sudan, Mohamed Refaat, speaking online from Port Sudan during a press briefing in Geneva, warned of a worsening humanitarian crisis in Sudan as the number of internally displaced persons continues to rise. He reported that events in North Darfur since 25 October, particularly in Al Fasher, have resulted in more than 109,000 people fleeing to nearby villages, noting that mounting security and logistical challenges are hindering the delivery of humanitarian assistance.
Refaat also expressed concern over the deteriorating situation in Kordofan, which has seen the rapid displacement of more than 50,000 people since late October, most of them women and children. He warned that funding cuts have forced IOM to scale down support for several of its humanitarian programs, close different health facilities, and lay off hundreds of staff despite a sharp increase in needs inside Sudan, rising from 27 million people requiring assistance last year to 33 million this year.
He revealed that the IOM appeal in Sudan is funded at only 35 percent amid donor funding cuts, including from the United States, one of the organization's largest donors. Refaat issued an urgent appeal to the international community to help prevent further escalation and deterioration of the humanitarian situation, warning that continued fighting in Kordofan could turn it into "another Al Fasher."
He also stressed the urgent need to restore funding levels to sustain the humanitarian response in Sudan.