Nearly 7,000 People Reported Missing Since Start of Sudan Conflict
Nearly 7,000 people have gone missing in Sudan since the conflict began in April 2023, most of them after being detained by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), according to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) representative in the country, Hussein Ibrahim Rassoul.
“Most people disappear after being arrested by the Rapid Support Forces. Some were released after paying ransom, others died from hunger and lack of medical care in detention centers. However, the fate of the majority remains unknown,” said Hussein Ibrahim Rassoul, quoted Thursday by the Sudan Tribune.
In total, the ICRC “has recorded nearly 7,000 missing persons since the start of the conflict in Sudan on April 15, 2023, up to today,” the representative noted.
The conflict between the Sudanese army and the RSF has caused tens of thousands of deaths, millions of displaced people, and plunged the country into the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, according to the UN.
Most displaced people from El Fasher are heading toward a refugee camp near the town of Tawila. This camp currently hosts 655,000 people. Three-quarters of them live in informal shelters and open-air gathering sites.
“Most are women, children, and elderly people,” the ICRC representative said. “Their situation is extremely difficult. They suffer from hunger, thirst, shock, and exhaustion. Some are wounded or sick and have lost contact with their families,” he added.
