IOM: More than 1,000 displaced Sudanese arrive in Ethiopia daily

The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) said yesterday that more than 1,000 displaced people move daily from Sudan to Ethiopia.

The organisation explained in a statement published on its website that its Displacement Tracking Matrix has recorded more than 1,000 arrivals daily, including Ethiopians returning to their homeland.

It affirmed that “third country nationals (TCNs) from Turkiye, Eritrea, Somalia, Kenya and more than 50 other countries” were also making their way to Ethiopia, according to the statement.

“Over 12,000 people have arrived at the remote Ethiopian border town of Metema since the fughting started on 15 April,” the IOM said. It confirmed that “it is providing essential assistance to those arriving in Ethiopia, including shelter, before their return to their home countries,” According to the statement.

Since 15 April 2023, widespread clashes have erupted in states across Sudan between the Sudanese Army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

On Tuesday, the South Sudan government announced that Sudanese Army commanders Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the Rapid Support Forces leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo had agreed in principle to a new seven-day truce starting yesterday and to appoint representatives to engage in peace negotiations.

The RSF was established in 2013 to support government forces in their fight against rebel armed movements in the Darfur region, before taking on several tasks, including combating illegal migration across borders and maintaining the country’s security.

READ: UNHCR says $445m needed due to rising numbers of people fleeing Sudan