Sudan's Humanitarian Crisis Is Forcing Refugees To Cross Into Egypt
The situation is particularly critical at Arqin, a crossing in the middle of the desert, where buses have flooded in the past days. "The resources available on the Sudanese side are very primitive; there is not enough water, food, toilets or medical services," says Ilham Fadul, who arrived on Saturday.
Food is running out
The Sudanese-American woman waited there for four days. "During the checks, the Sudanese did not have enough people and the Egyptians wanted to verify everything," says the Khartoum resident, whose building was bombed.
The conditions described at the second crossing point at Qustal-Achkit are less difficult, because of its proximity to Wadi Halfa. Men under 50 have to go to the town to get visas.
"The locals have opened schools and mosques to refugees," says Islam Awad, who arrived in Egypt on Monday. But the situation could deteriorate if the influx increases. "The city is crowded and food is running out," he warns.
People fleeing from Sudan arrive at a bus station in Aswan, Egypt, on April 25, 2023.
Radwan Abu Elmagd/ZUMA
Four million Sudanese
Those displaced condemn the lack of humanitarian aid on the Sudanese side. In Egypt, only the national branch of the Red Cross is present. The United Nations agencies are waiting for the green light from the authorities to enter the military controlled area.
If you have money, you can escape, if not, you die.
"For now, all the aid deployed by our team of 135 staff and volunteers has come from our warehouses, but we will soon receive help from our partners in the International Federation of the Red Cross, the International Committee of the Red Cross and the United Nations," says Ramy El Nazer, the executive director of the Egyptian Red Cross.
For the Sudanese who made it across the border, this is not the end of their journey. Some have relatives waiting for them in Cairo. Some four million Sudanese now live in Egypt, according to the IOM, the largest foreign community in the country. Others already aim to head abroad.
The majority of Sudanese nationals who have arrived in Egypt since the beginning of the conflict have the means to travel. Transport prices have soared and a bus ticket to the border now costs around $400.
"If you have money, you can escape, if not, you die," says Aida, the jabana seller, whose three sons are trapped in the capital.
