The Libyan municipality of al-Kufra, which has become the main center for receiving refugees from Sudan, lacks the resources to accommodate displaced people from the conflict-torn North African country, Abdullah Suleiman, the representative of the municipality, told Sputnik Africa.
"It is particularly difficult because of our geographical location: the nearest Libyan city, Jalu, is 600 km north of our administrative center. We are very remote. So everything is in short supply, not food, not hospital beds," he explained.
The absence of official checkpoints between Sudan and Libya complicates efforts to accurately quantify the number of refugees crossing the border, Suleiman noted. However, the representative said that during Ramadan, charities estimated that approximately 15,600 Sudanese refugees had sought shelter in al-Kufra.
Despite the urgent need for assistance, international organizations and other nations have been slow to support the municipality, Suleiman revealed.
"Unfortunately, international organizations and other states are not helping us. With the help of the Libyan government, it was recently decided to set up a field hospital in the south to screen Sudanese arrivals. All the necessary samples and tests must be taken from them to prevent the spread of diseases within the country," he said.
The representative added that the living conditions for Sudanese refugees in al-Kufra remain dire, with many forced to endure poor conditions on farms due to limited accommodations in the small administrative center.
"The main danger of the coming summer is scorpions. We have a lot of them. We must prepare and buy the necessary preparations," he concluded.
In April 2023, clashes broke out between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. They have since introduced some temporary nationwide ceasefires, but none have helped settle the conflict. In late October, the parties to the conflict resumed negotiations, mediated by Saudi Arabia in Jeddah, but the hostilities have continued.
The UN World Food Program warned that the ongoing conflict in Sudan poses a substantial risk of triggering the worst famine in human history, adding that the crisis has severely disrupted the lives of millions of people in the country.
Earlier this week, Western media reported that people in Sudan have begun eating soil and leaves due to severe hunger.
The International Committee of the Red Cross also said that continued hostilities could lead to disease epidemics and a catastrophic collapse of the health infrastructure.
According to the UN, the conflict has seen more than 8 million people displaced.