United Nations, Oct 17 (IANS) Nearly 3 million refugees and returnees have fled Sudan after 18 months of the war, crossing borders to seek safety in neighbouring countries and further afield, mainly fleeing to the Central African Republic, Chad, Egypt, Ethiopia, Libya, South Sudan and Uganda, according to the UN Refugee Agency.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said on Wednesday that it is deeply concerned about people continuing to be displaced by conflict in several parts of Sudan, as reported by Xinhua news agency.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) estimated that some 40,000 people were newly displaced inside Sudan in the first half of October alone, amid escalating hostilities in some parts of the country as the rainy season ends. This brings the total number of internally displaced in Sudan since the conflict began in April last year to nearly 8.2 million people.

In West Darfur, an estimated 27,500 people were uprooted by insecurity and attacks in the town of Selea and surrounding villages in Jabal Moon earlier last week, IOM reported.

Due to the intensifying conflict in Darfur, close to 25,000 people arrived in eastern Chad in the first week of October alone, the highest number of new arrivals within a single week in 2024. Chad is host to 681,944 Sudanese refugees, more than any other country, OCHA said.

Calling on all parties to the conflict to stop the fighting, protect civilians, and facilitate humanitarian access, OCHA said that with the rains subsiding and more roads now passable, this is a crucial time for aid organisations to move vital supplies to areas where needs are most acute.

Meanwhile, the United Nations and its partners are working with Sudanese health authorities to scale up the cholera response, including through large-scale immunisation, raising awareness, and providing access to safe water and sanitation, the office said.

As of Tuesday, more than 24,000 cholera cases, including about 700 related deaths, have been reported in the country since mid-July, OCHA said.

According to OCHA, the appeal of the Regional Refugee Response Plan for the Sudan emergency for US$1.5 billion to support refugees, returnees and host communities in the Central African Republic, Chad, Egypt, Ethiopia, Libya, South Sudan, and Uganda is only 27 per cent funded, stretching the ability of humanitarian partners to protect and assist people in dire need.

--IANS

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