UN migration agency urges action as 20,000 people displaced daily in Sudan

By Beyza Binnur Donmez

GENEVA (AA) - The International Organization for Migration (IOM) on Friday called for international action as 20,000 people are forced to flee their homes in Sudan each day.

According to the latest Displacement Tracking Matrix report, young people under the age of 18 belong to 53% of the daily figure, the IOM said in a statement.

Over the past year, the agency said that more than 8.6 million people have been forced to flee their homes over the past year as fighting spreads in the country, including many who were previously displaced multiple times.

"Sudan is on a tragically fast track to becoming one of the world's biggest humanitarian crises in decades, and the conflict that has engulfed the country is creating pressure throughout the region. Millions of people are displaced, hungry and vulnerable to exploitation and abuse, but their plight is being ignored by too much of the world," IOM Director General Amy Pope said.

"We implore international leaders to rise to the moment, help us bring humanitarian aid to Sudan and use their influence to help bring peace," Pope said.

The agency also called for "stronger international action to bring the fighting to an end and significantly boost funding for humanitarian operations to respond to the mounting needs" as the war in Sudan enters its second year.

The humanitarian response in Sudan is critically underfunded, exacerbating the "largest internal displacement" crisis globally - only 5% of the $2.7 billion humanitarian response plan seeking to reach 14.7 million people has been secured, according to the IOM.