The International Medical Corps (IMC) has warned of an imminent humanitarian catastrophe with the influx of Sudanese refugees fleeing to Libya, if aid is not provided urgently.
The IMC presented the outcomes of the Rapid Response Team mission to the city of Kufra, where the total number of Sudanese refugees is estimated at 45,000 refugees.
According to the inspection of the Authority’s distress team, which includes a medical team consisting of a doctor, a nurse, and a field site official, it identified five sites for Sudanese refugees known as Al-Mazraa in Kufra. It has hosted approximately 15,000 people in all of these locations and receives a daily influx of between 250 to 300 new arrivals.
The International Medical Corps found, after a site survey, that their number was about 800 families, with an average of five individuals per family. Nearly 10% of them were over the age of 50, while there were about 400 children.
According to the Emergency Committee of the Libyan Ministry of Health, the number of infectious diseases among refugees has increased significantly, with more than 780 confirmed cases of hepatitis, 112 cases of HIV, and 28 cases of tuberculosis.
It expected the number of refugees fleeing from Sudan to Libya to increase significantly due to the ongoing conflict there.
Based on the analysis of the rapid needs assessment conducted, the International Medical Corps revealed that there are four main routes used by Sudanese refugees: directly from Sudan to Kufra (the most popular route), via Chad to Murzuq, via Chad to Qatroun, and the “less used route” via Egypt to Tobruk.
