More than 100,000 people have fled from Sudan to neighboring countries and beyond. That’s according to the UNHCR, which expects a total of more than 800,000 people to flee Sudan, including up to 200,000 people who previously had sought refuge in Sudan.

The UN body stressed that these figures are projections, which is uses for its own financial and operational planning. The UNHCR also said that it will launch an Interagency Regional Refugee Response Plan that will include financial needs.

Last week, the UN deployed additional emergency teams to assist Sudan’s neighboring countries with this sudden influx.

Assistance needed in all areas

According to UNHCR, the countries neighboring Sudan impacted by the current emergency are already in charge of hosting large existing populations of refugees and internally displaced people.

These countries will need additional support to provide protection and assistance, including help with delivering water, food, shelter, health care, relief items, gender-based violence response and prevention, as well as child protection services.

UNHCR noted that the most significant cross-border movements so far in the conflict have been Sudanese refugees arriving in neighboring Chad and Egypt, and South Sudanese nationals returning from Sudan to South Sudan.

Most new arrivals in Chad and South Sudan are reported to be women and children.

Aid delivered throughout region

In Chad, some new arrivals are still sleeping rough or staying makeshift shelters close to the border, the UNHCR said. More than 21,000 refugees have so far been counted and identified there.

In South Sudan, those arriving at the border notably also include older people, people with disabilities, pregnant women as well as female heads of households with young children and large families. UNHCR has set up a transit center there for new arrivals to receive essential protection services, child protection, family reunification and telecommunication services.

In the Central African Republic, UNHCR estimates that approximately 6,000 refugees have crossed the border by now, while in Ethiopia, most arrivals have reportedly been third-country nationals.

In Egypt, UNHCR and other UN agencies are currently undertaking a mission to assess the needs of almost 45,000 people arriving from Sudan. Aid is being delivered by the UN and distributed by the Egyptian Red Crescent to those who arrive. This includes water, hygiene and sanitary products, wheelchairs, food and masks and gloves.