Aid arriving in Sudan insufficient for refugees

Urgently needed aid in Umm Rakouba camp in Eastern Sudan has started trickling in for Ethiopians fleeing war in Tigray.

The first official refugee camp is estimated to have around 8,000 people and the situation remains dire.

Humanitarian agencies have started setting up in Umm Rakouba trying to help the thousands of people in the already over capacity camp.

Will Carter is the country director of the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), a humanitarian organisation that is providing aid such cash assistance and learning centres for children.

The NRC is setting up multiple learning centres for the children in the camp using supplies from the area, but setting up operations has not been easy says Carter.

"People have come in all sorts of conditions with absolutely nothing. No money. No more clothes. No food, no contact with people and it has caught everyone here off guard to help. So it is a painful first few days and weeks," he said.

Strain on humanitarian agencies from other crises in the country including flooding this summer in Sudan that affected 9 million people and also the coronavirus has put a lot of strain on funds.

The Qadarif government is due to house the over 40,000 refugees that came since the fighting has started.

Qadarif Governor Suleiman Mousa said if predictions are correct that 200,000 could arrive in the next 6 months, the state is not ready.

"We are absolutely not ready. We are going massive difficulties with supplies, with medicine. We don't even have enough medicine for the citizens. It is essential for massive interventions from United Nations High Commission for Refugees and all international humanitarian organizations to deal with catastrophic situation that is getting worse day by day," he said.

The United Nations has appealed for $200 million dollars to help with crisis.

And the NRC is working on a inter-agency appeal to receive more funding.

One of the biggest concerns is health, Mousa said.

The governor warned that disease could easily spread in the camps and spill over into Sudan.

"We are scared that disease like cholera will spread. We are scared of the spread of many diseases like for example malnutrition could happen because of the lack of proper nutrition for the refugees," he said.

Aid agencies from all over the world have started distributing aid but it won't be enough for the thousands of people in the camp.

Long lines are at every distribution station with many people walking out empty handed.

It is not enough for the refugees.

Terhas Adiso has been in the camp for 6 days and she is desperate for aid to come in.

"Help us so that we don't die. We came from war. We were scared we were going to die from the war and we came here. We don't want to die of hunger, disease," she said.