More than 4,500 people have been forced from their homes across Sudan’s North Darfur and Blue Nile states due to escalating violence and deteriorating security conditions, according to a report released Wednesday by the International Organization for Migration.
The United Nations agency reported that displacement tracking teams recorded significant population movements in both regions as armed clashes and attacks on civilian areas intensified over recent days.
Displacement in North Darfur and Cross-Border Movements
In North Darfur, an estimated 1,275 people fled the villages of Gorbora and Wadi Arkawi within the Um Baru locality between September 3 and September 6. The agency noted that affected families sought refuge in the neighboring Karnoy locality, while several group members crossed the international border into Chad to seek safety.
The agency described the security situation in North Darfur as tense and highly volatile. Local rights organizations reported that villages in the Um Baru locality have faced recurring raids, market lootings, and arson attacks attributed to the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces since late June.
Escalating Violence and Mass Displacement in Blue Nile State
In Blue Nile state, deteriorating security led to the displacement of approximately 3,315 individuals, representing 663 families, from multiple villages in the Geisan locality on September 7 alone. Residents from Abu Shneina, Rabaa, and Wadi Arab relocated to the Wad al-Mahi locality within the same state.
The displacement in Geisan follows an earlier movement on September 5, as well as the displacement of 1,690 people from three villages in the Kurmuk locality on September 6. The broader Blue Nile region has experienced heightened military activity involving joint attacks by the Rapid Support Forces and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North.
Sudanese military authorities in Kurmuk reported repelling a coordinated attack on the Al-Baraka area on September 4. The broader conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces, which began in April 2023, has resulted in tens of thousands of casualties and forced an estimated 13 million people from their homes nationwide.
