Displaced from Al-Jazirah: Forced to Flee Due to Killing, Rape, and Looting
Moatinoon
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has highlighted that the armed violence and attacks in Sudan’s Al-Jazirah State underscore the brutality of the ongoing war, which has lasted for nearly 19 months. Reports detail widespread killings, mass rapes, and looting.
In less than two weeks, fighting in Al-Jazirah has forced over 135,000 people to flee their homes, most of them seeking refuge in the neighboring states of Gedaref and Kassala.
Members of the UN Office visited displacement shelters, where aid workers provide essential support, and spoke with the displaced about their experiences.
Mr. Sayed, a 70-year-old displaced man, recounted how his children carried him during the journey due to his disability. He said:
“What forced me to leave were the violations we endured—houses destroyed, thefts, and rapes. The situation was extremely dire. My children carried me on their shoulders for 40 hours while I sat in this wheelchair.”
Pointing to the many people around him, he explained that they all came from Al-Jazirah on foot. Some walked for three or even ten days, and others died during the journey due to exhaustion and thirst.
Ms. Nidal, a 35-year-old woman, expressed the dire need for external support:
“We need beds. People are sleeping on the ground, and some are too ill to endure this situation. We need clothes—many of us left our homes wearing only what we had on. We also need blankets.”
Recalling the attacks on her area, Ms. Nidal said:
“Every house in Al-Jazirah was raided. They took clothes from the wardrobes of the poor and wore them, and stole sweets women were selling to feed their children.”
Another elderly man, aged 62, described the challenges facing the displaced:
“We suffer from hunger and thirst. Children are the most affected, and women have fallen ill too. We’ve lost so many lives, and many people are still missing.”
Adamour Tondlana, Deputy Head of OCHA in Sudan, emphasized the urgent need for a ceasefire and a return to normalcy:
“Let’s rebuild Sudan. Many children have had their education disrupted. We risk losing an entire generation. So many aspects of life have been affected, and we need to return to normalcy.”
Lukogo Peter, OCHA’s head in Kassala, noted that the past year has seen three waves of displacement from Al-Jazirah and Sennar, tripling the population of displaced people in eastern Sudan. He stressed the urgent need for humanitarian agencies and government authorities to provide shelter, water, and healthcare to those displaced in eastern Sudan.
Since the conflict began in Sudan, approximately 11.5 million people have been displaced, either within the country or across its borders.
