At least 250,000 to 300,000 people have fled Sudan's Al Jazirah state since December 15 as a result of clashes between Rapid Support Forces [RSF] and Sudan's army, the International Organization for Migration [IOM] said.
IOM’s announcement came on Monday after witnesses said RSF entered Wad Madani, Sudan's second-largest city, which is packed with displaced people and an aid hub of over eight months of war.
Videos posted by the RSF showed fighters in pick-up trucks driving along streets in Wad Madani and over a bridge across the Blue Nile that it had been fighting over with the army. Witnesses said they also raided nearby villages.
Services shut down
The African Union Commission chief Moussa Faki Mahamat called on the two sides to immediately cease hostilities and participate in negotiations towards building and sustaining peace in Sudan.
More than 12,000 people have been killed and over 33,000 wounded as a result of the conflict since April, according to the UN.
Approximately 25 million people, half of the population, need humanitarian aid.
While half a million people had sought refuge in the wider Al Jazira state, at least 85,000 were living inside Wad Madani, with more relying on the city for healthcare, aid, and government services that began shutting down in recent days.
No choice
"Fleeing again will completely deplete our resources," said Heba Abdelrahim, who had come to Wad Madani with her family from Khartoum.
"Thinking logically we will wait until we don't have any other choice," Heba was quoted by Reuters news agency as saying.
Several neighbouring families had left together on a large truck, she said. Abdelrahim said gunshots could be heard while army warplanes were flying overhead, with air strikes heard before sundown.
About 7 million people in Sudan have been displaced within the country or fled in search of security in neighbouring countries.
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