The situation in Sudan is evolving rapidly and remains unsafe since intense fighting broke out in various parts of Sudan last weekend, including Khartoum, with continuing worrying reports of civilians killed and injured. We are deeply concerned about the safety and security of civilians in the areas affected by the fighting, including refugees and internally displaced people and the increasing number of people who are being forced to flee. Situation in Sudan - Despite growing calls for a ceasefire, intense fighting continues in several parts of Sudan between the army and the paramilitary group Rapid Support Forced (RSF) in Khartoum, Darfur and other locations. - UNHCR is very concerned about the safety and security of the refugees, displaced people and other civilians. Our teams are in touch with refugee leaders in various locations to advise refugee communities to shelter in place and avoid unnecessary movements. - UNHCR has temporarily suspended its activities in Khartoum, the Darfurs and North Kordofan, due to the intensity of the conflict. In other locations, operations are continuing with precautions as the situation allows. If the overall conflict continues, the humanitarian response to those in need will be further hindered. - Sudan hosts one of the largest refugee populations in Africa. Currently, there are 1.13million refugees and 3.7million IDPs registered in Sudan. Most refugees live in out-of-camp settlements, host communities and urban areas (61%), while others (39%) stay in camps in eastern Sudan, White Nile State, and Darfur. - Years of violent conflicts have also displaced many Sudanese internally, especially in Darfur and Kordofan regions. Flooding has caused further displacement. Past violence has also driven hundreds of thousands to flee mainly to Chad and South Sudan. Situation in Chad - UNHCR teams in Chad have observed 10,000 to 20,000 new refugee arrivals in the villages near the border (5km away) fleeing fighting in Sudan. We are working closely with the Government of Chad and partners to assess their needs and prepare a joint registration and response. - Most of the new arrivals are women and children. Among the most urgent needs are water, food, shelter, health, relief items, gender-based violence response and prevention, and alternative care services for refugee children and psychosocial support. - Eastern Chad is home to over 400,000 refugees from Sudan, who fled the fighting in Darfur since 2003. These new arrivals are placing additional strain on the country's already overstretched public services and resources. - In addition to the almost 600,000 refugees registered in Chad, there are almost a further 400,000 IDPs who are also in need of support. This is an emergency on top of an emergency, with many countries in the region already hosting existing large refugee and IDP populations, the UNHCR operations already severely underfunded. As of 5 April, UNHCR's 2023 operation in Sudan is 11% funded; Chad is 15% funded; Ethiopia is 11% funded; and South Sudan is 13% funded. UNHCR urges neighbouring countries to keep their borders open for those who may be in need of international protection. UNHCR remains ready to respond and support in Sudan and the region as needed.