Fleeing the Sudan Crisis

On 15 April 2023, fighting erupted between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary force led by General Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo (Hemedti).

Clashes between the two forces continue, leaving many casualties and property damages along the way. Thousands are fleeing their homes to find shelter elsewhere, whether inside or outside of Sudan. Most are fleeing from the capital city, Khartoum, which is the battle zone, witnessing the heavy violence from gunfire to air strikes. It is home to nearly 10 million people, and Sudan is home to 45.6 million people.

Sudan shares its borders with seven African countries, which are South Sudan, Egypt, Libya, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Chad, and the Central African Republic (CAR) – most of which are troubled themselves. Thousands of people have fled to neighbouring countries. For many fleeing Sudan, Egypt is the best choice.

Egypt-Sudan Border Crossings

The Egypt–Sudan border is 1,276 km in length and runs from the tripoint with Libya in the west to the Red Sea in the east.

There are two border crossings into Egypt – Argeen and Qustul-Ashkit in Wadi Halfa – both in the Northern Sudan State of Sudan, and on the west and east banks of Nubia Lake. Both crossings welcome travelers to Aswan in southern Egypt.

حالياً أكتر من 27 باص عند معبر أشكيت منتظرين يعدّوا الجانب السوداني
(الإثنين 1 مايو – الساعة 10:18 ص) #حلفا pic.twitter.com/9Gr22brCYj

— Zainab Elhaj (@Zainab_Bakry) May 1, 2023

All males between the ages of 17 and 49 go to Wadi Halfa to apply for an Egyptian visa at the consulate there.

Women and males younger than 17 and older than 49 can cross at Argeen without visas, meaning many families are separated and have to wait in Argeen for their male relatives to get through.

Update: As of 8 June 2023, all Sudanese nationals arriving to Egypt are now required to have a visa issued before entering Egypt, including those living in the GCC, or with American or EU residency.

According to the UN, 50,000 people have fled Sudan, and 40,000 entered Egypt.

El Gezeira and other states

Thousands of people have fled to other states in Sudan, especially to Wad Madani, the capital city of Al Gezira, one of the 18 states of Sudan. Wad Mani is home to more than 5 million people.

Port Sudan

Port Sudan is the capital of the Red Sea, one of the 18 states of Sudan, and a port on the Red Sea in eastern Sudan. Due to the ongoing fighting between the RSF and SAF, it is now the temporary administrative capital of Sudan.

Thousands, mostly non-Sudanese and Sudanese with dual passports, fled to Port Sudan to be evacuated via the Red Sea crossing on Saudi warships or private vessels chartered by the Saudi military. The biggest single operation took place on 30 April 2023, which carried at least 2,000 passengers.

At the processing centre for temporary visas to Jeddah, Saudi. The numbers aren’t getting any smaller. The Saudi team hasn’t arrived yet. No one knows if they will, yesterday they didn’t come. pic.twitter.com/pDxaboh06C

— dalliasd (@dalliasd) April 29, 2023

To date, more than 5,000 people of 100 nationalities have fled from Port Sudan.  

Here is a🧵 for those considering evacuating from Port Sudan. It’s a long journey but possibly the most affordable and best option for our ppl with visa restrictions i.e. men under 50 and non-Sudani African and Arab citizens. I am really tired so pls forgive typos. (1/10+) 🧵

— Nisrin Elamin (@minlayla77) April 26, 2023

Fleeing to other neighbouring countries

Thousands have fled to South Sudan or Chad.

South Sudan

The Sudan-South Sudan border extends for approximately 2,000 km from the tripoint with the CAR in the west to the tripoint with Ethiopia in the east. 

South Sudan was once a part of Sudan. It seceded from Sudan in 2011, becoming the world’s youngest country. According to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), there are more than 800,000 South Sudanese refugees in Sudan, a quarter of whom are in Khartoum. At least 10,000 people – South Sudanese and non-South Sudanese – fled to South Sudan since the start of fighting in Sudan. 

Chad

The Sudan-Chad border is 1,403 km in length, running from the tripoint with Libya in the north to the tripoint with the CAR in the south.

According to IOM, since the start of fighting in Sudan, at least 20,000 fled to Chad mainly from the Darfur region. Eastern Chad already hosts more than 400,000 refugees from Sudan.

Ethiopia

Ethiopia and Sudan share a long boundary of 744 km in length. 

At least 9,000 people crossed the Sudan-Ethiopia border, most of which were foreigners mainly Turkish. According to from the United Nations’ International Organization for Migration, more than 3,500 people of 35 different nationalities had found refuge in Ethiopia.

Related posts

Emergency Reliefs for Sudan

Al Burhan vs Hemedti: Everything You Need to Know