GENEVA

The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) on Tuesday expressed alarm at the recent surge of people fleeing fresh violence in Sudan and arriving in neighboring South Sudan.

UNHCR spokesperson Olga Sarrado said at a UN press conference that more than 20,000 Sudanese from border villages crossed into South Sudan last week – tripling daily arrivals compared to previous weeks.

“Since Saturday, there have been an additional estimated 7,000 – 10,000 new arrivals each day, including more South Sudanese refugees leaving the camps in White Nile State where they have been residing in Sudan,” she said.

“The majority of those displaced are women and children, underscoring the impact of the conflict on vulnerable populations.”

The UN official said all those fleeing need life-saving support, with water and health care the most urgent needs, especially given an ongoing cholera outbreak.

“The transit centers in Renk are already overcrowded, sheltering nearly 17,000 people – an increase of 4,000 from two weeks ago,” said Sarrado.

“Inside Sudan, hostilities around refugee camps and areas hosting displaced Sudanese pose grave and worrying risks to civilians, including refugees and displaced people,” she added.

Sarrado said continued violence threatens the ability of the Refugee Agency and its partners to deliver life-saving protection and assistance to refugees and displaced Sudanese.

The refugee agency said since the war in Sudan began in April 2023, more than 12 million people have been displaced.

More than 3 million have sought refuge in neighboring countries, making this one of the world's largest and most pressing displacement crises.