Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has warned of a looming humanitarian catastrophe at Um Rakuba Refugee Camp in Gedaref State, eastern Sudan, citing severe shortages of healthcare services and food assistance.
Um Rakuba Camp, established in 2020 following the outbreak of the conflict in Ethiopia’s Tigray region, currently hosts around 17,000 refugees. They are part of approximately 67,000 Ethiopian refugees living in Sudan, within a total refugee population of about 868,000.
MSF said that anyone walking through the camp’s hospital is met with the constant sound of newborn babies crying during childbirth, as well as children receiving treatment for malaria, malnutrition, and other medical emergencies.
«”It is the sound that pierces through everything else,” the organization said.»
According to MSF, refugees currently receive about 4 kilograms of wheat per person per month, with rations falling to as little as 2.5 kilograms during some months. Before the outbreak of Sudan’s conflict, each refugee received approximately 14 kilograms per month.
The organization also highlighted severe shortages of latrines and shelters, alongside growing protection concerns. It warned that funding cuts are undermining essential services, including water, sanitation, shelter, protection activities, and healthcare.
MSF further stated that access to treatment for HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and neglected tropical diseases remains severely limited. At the same time, recurring outbreaks of cholera, measles, malaria, and meningitis continue to threaten already vulnerable refugee communities.
