(Adnkronos) – Since the outbreak of the war, on April 15, 2023, in Sudan, over 12 million people have been displaced, and of these, almost 4 million have sought refuge across the border, in countries such as Egypt, Chad, and South Sudan, which are already facing strong humanitarian pressures. This is according to a note released by Coopi, Cooperazione Internazionale, which explains that almost a third of the Sudanese population is displaced, and half of them are children. To aggravate the picture, there is the food crisis, which affects 24 million people, and the water emergency, which forces 270,000 people, including 130,000 children, to have difficulty finding drinking water. Basic services are also compromised: in the areas most affected by the conflict, only 25% of health facilities have remained operational, while the lack of water and poor hygienic conditions are favoring the spread of diseases such as cholera, dengue, and malaria.
”One of the most serious humanitarian emergencies of our time is underway in Sudan – underlines Ennio Miccoli, Director of Coopi Cooperazione Internazionale, a humanitarian organization present in the country for over twenty years – Despite this, in a global context marked by high-intensity conflicts, the Sudanese one has remained on the sidelines of international attention, despite having devastating effects on a national and regional scale.” In two years, the conflict has caused almost 29,000 victims, including 7,500 civilians, and has generated a dramatic escalation of violence against minors, with an increase of 480% in serious violations against children.
In 2024, Coopi operators carried out 10 projects to support the population, reaching almost 150,000 people in the states of North Darfur, Gedaref (where the Tuneydba and Um Raquba refugee camps are located), Khartoum, North and River Nile. ”We have been present in Sudan since 2004 and in 21 years we have carried out 119 projects, supporting 4 million and 200 thousand people. In this emergency, we have reorganized our presence in the country to respond more effectively to the ongoing crisis – explains Miccoli – we have focused above all on guaranteeing drinking water and distributing basic necessities, such as water containers, kitchen utensils and materials for building temporary shelters, which are essential for life in refugee camps”.
In particular, in the Mellit district, where 50,000 displaced people live and a famine is underway, Coopi has launched the “Early Action for Integrated Response to the Food Crisis in North Dafur State” project, with the aim of guaranteeing access to agricultural seeds and drinking water. The organization has also distributed goats to vulnerable families, particularly those headed by women among internally displaced persons. ”Despite the difficulties of access to Mellit, a highly isolated area, Coopi, together with its local partners, has continued to provide humanitarian aid, reaching both displaced people and host communities, hard hit by the conflict and famine”, underlines Miccoli.
