South Sudan: Thousands of displaced and injured as war intensifies in Sudan

Over 5,000 people have crossed into South Sudan each day since the beginning of December, as the fighting escalates near the border in Sudan’s White Nile, Blue Nile and Sennar states. The influx of people into Renk town and surrounding areas has overwhelmed already scarce resources, leaving displaced people in crisis.

“We have added 14 tents around the hospital to make space for the war—wounded patients that are arriving at Renk County Hospital,” says Emanuele Montobbio, MSF emergency coordinator in Renk. “There is no place for other tents in the surroundings, while patients and their families keep coming to the hospital."

"We are working alongside the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to treat war-wounded patients and manage the growing influx of critical cases and the mass casualty response in pre- and post-operative care wards, but the situation is completely overwhelming and it’s not enough," he says. "Just a few dozen people have been treated with surgical interventions and tetanus vaccinations in recent weeks, while over 100 wounded patients, many with serious injuries, still await surgery.”

Outside the transit centres within Renk and in informal settlements, thousands are forced to live under trees or in makeshift shelters, with limited access to food, clean water, healthcare or any other basic services. The poor water and sanitation conditions are heightening the risk of disease outbreaks at a time when Renk is already experiencing an ongoing cholera outbreak.

"Immediate action must be taken,” says Roselyn Morales, MSF deputy medical coordinator in South Sudan, following the team's assessment on the ground. "Thousands of people are living in dire conditions under the open sky in informal settlements, facing critical shortages of food, clean water, shelter and healthcare"

"We urgently call on both South Sudanese authorities and international organisations to rapidly scale up their response in Renk and beyond, ensuring that the essential and lifesaving needs of the affected people are addressed without delay,” she says.

The two transit centres in Renk, which are designed to accommodate a maximum of 8,000 people, are now sheltering over 17,000. While most returnees and refugees initially entered South Sudan through the official Joda border crossing, an increasing number are now crossing through informal routes to the east of Renk. More than 82,000 new arrivals have been recorded in areas including Joda, Duku Duku, Jerbana, Shemmedi, Gosfami, and Atam.  

“Our village was in flames,” says Alhida Hammed, who is displaced from Sudan’s Blue Nile state and is currently under treatment for a gunshot wound at Renk County hospital. “The houses were blazing, and everyone was running in different directions. We have been displaced and now live under a tree. I have no desire to return home. Home is no longer a home—it is filled with bad memories.” 

“I used to only hear about air raids, but recently, it became a reality,” says Bashir Ismail, who is from Mosmon in Blue Nile state. “I was at the market buying some items when the bombing started. Something hit me in the chest—it was the most painful experience of my life. I was so disoriented that it felt like I had lost my memory. The next thing I knew, I was in Renk County Hospital.”

How is MSF responding

MSF is deploying mobile clinics to provide primary healthcare in informal settlements in Gosfami, Atam, Jerbana and Joda, where displaced people are concentrated. On 17 December alone, MSF teams conducted over 250 medical consultations in Gosfami and referred severely ill people to Renk County Hospital. We are also launching activities in response to the urgent need for water and sanitation in Atam and Jerbana. 

Additionally, relief items have been delivered to these areas for distribution to 2,500 displaced families. However, despite these efforts, the response remains insufficient due to the absence of other humanitarian organisations in these informal settlements, which has left a significant gap in support for the displaced population.