'Refugee crisis' looms in Sudan as ceasefire begins on 11th day of fighting

Evacuations are under way but millions of civilians remain vulnerable

A member of the Saudi Navy carries a child from a ship at Jeddah's port during the kingdom's evacuation of civilians from Sudan. Reuters

Indian nationals evacuated from Sudan arrive at Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi. EPA

Sudanese refugees queue to receive aid from the World Food Programme near the border between Sudan and Chad in Adre, Chad. Reuters

Tunisian citizens evacuated from Sudan leave a military aircraft upon their arrival at Tunis-Carthage International Airport. AFP

Indians evacuated from Sudan arrive on a flight at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi, India. AP Photo

Moroccan nationals, who have been evacuated from Sudan, arrive at Mohammed V airport in Casablanca, Morocco. EPA

A boat with 1,687 civilians from more than 50 countries fleeing violence in Sudan, arrives at King Faisal naval base in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. AFP

RSF fighters in the East Nile district of greater Khartoum. AFP

Passengers disembark a plane from Djibouti at Roissy-Charles-de-Gaulle airport near Paris after being evacuated from Sudan. AFP

Buildings destroyed in recent fighting in Khartoum, Sudan. AP

Passengers fleeing the fighting in Sudan arrive at Wadi Karkar bus station in Aswan, Egypt. EPA

Ali Mazloum, a Lebanese citizen who was evacuated from Sudan, is welcomed upon his arrival at Beirut airport. Reuters

A woman helps another after fleeing clashes between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and the army in Khartoum. Reuters

Soldiers attend to Greek citizens evacuated from Sudan as they disembark from a military aircraft in Attica, Greece. EPA

People carry hibiscus juice and cold water for those being evacuated from Khartoum to Port Sudan. Reuters

Thais wait to be evacuated by boat at a port in Sudan. EPA

Greek citizens arrive from Sudan on a military plane in Elefsina, south of Athens. AFP

Japan's senior Vice Foreign Minister Shunsuke Takei welcomes his country's citizens in Djibouti after they were rescued from Sudan. AFP

A member of the Saudi Royal Navy carries a child who was rescued from Sudan, in Jeddah. Reuters

A military plane carrying evacuees arrives at Ciampino Airport near Rome, Italy. Reuters

Italy's Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani greets the country's ambassador to Sudan, Michele Tommasi, as he arrives at Ciampino Airport. Reuters

South Korea's ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Park Joon-yong, at a Saudi Air Force base in Jeddah, where he met diplomats from his country evacuated from Sudan by the kingdom's air force. Reuters

Having fled from Sudan, a South Korean nun disembarks from a military plane after landing at King Abdullah Air Base in Jeddah. AFP

People gather as they seek to escape the violence in Khartoum. Reuters

Spanish diplomatic personnel and citizens wait to disembark from a military plane after being evacuated from Sudan, in Djibouti. Reuters

A closed pharmacy and shops in the south of Khartoum as battles rage in the capital between the army and paramilitaries. AFP

Passengers from Sudan disembark from a Spanish Air Force plane at Torrejon Airbase in Madrid. AP

People evacuated from Sudan arrive at a military airport in Amman. AFP

Jordan was among those countries to have rapidly flown its citizens in Sudan to safety. AFP

This child was one of those to have arrived safely in Amman. AFP

A building in Khartoum burns as violence rages in Sudan. EPA

Italian citizens are flown out of the Sudanese capital on a military aircraft. Reuters

The fighting has caused heavy damage to parts of Khartoum. EPA

Indonesian citizens travel on a bus during an evacuation operation in Khartoum. EPA

A Spanish military aircraft takes off from Khartoum as European countries rescue citizens from Sudan. Reuters

Jordanians arrive at a military airport in Amman after their evacuation from Sudan to escape the fighting. AP

French troops arrive at an air base in Djibouti to prepare to evacuate about 100 people from Sudan. AFP

Smoke rises from buildings during clashes between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and the Sudanese army in Khartoum. Reuters

Saudis are met by Saudi Royal Navy staff as they arrive at Jeddah on the Red Sea after being evacuated from Sudan. Reuters

The streets of southern Khartoum bear the scars of fighting between two factions of the Sudanese military. AFP

A convoy leaves Khartoum for Port Sudan as fighting between military factions in the Sudanese capital continues. AFP

A civilian convoy leaving Khartoum for Port Sudan. AFP

Saudi citizens and people of other nations are evacuated by the Saudi Royal Navy from Port Sudan to escape the conflict. Reuters

A photo from October 2017 of the US embassy in Khartoum. AFP

Saudi citizens are met by Saudi Royal Navy staff as they arrive at Jeddah after being evacuated from Sudan. Reuters

Smoke hangs over Khartoum as factions belonging to the Sudanese Army and the Rapid Support Forces go back to trading gunfire after a ceasefire failed. AP

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The massive movement of people in Sudan out of capital Khartoum and to the country's borders could be the beginning of a major crisis, the Norwegian Refugee Council told The National on Tuesday.

A ceasefire brokered by Saudi Arabia and the US began at midnight on Tuesday. It is the fourth attempt at de-escalation among the warring sides, the Rapid Support Forces paramilitary group and the army, which started fighting on April 15.

So far, more than 420 people have been killed, the UN said, a toll that includes 300 civilians, the Sudanese Doctors' Union said.

“What we're witnessing is an unprecedented catastrophe in Sudan where people are forced to flee to borders but also many more fleeing from Khartoum,” Karl Schembri, regional media adviser for East Africa and Yemen at the NRC told The National. “The fighting is making it impossible for them to stay there.

“This is unfolding at a very rapid rate and it's extremely concerning because hundreds of thousands now are in desperate need of food, water, essentials and shelter and trying to seek safety.

“This might be the start of a refugee crisis.”

Mr Schembri and members of other humanitarian groups are calling for neighbouring countries to keep their borders open as evacuations ramp up and civilians sound the alarm.

“Sudanese people are running out of money. In most cases, they can't access their own money,” Sudanese citizen Hamid Khalafallah wrote on Twitter.

“Banks are closed and mobile banking isn't working and it's very difficult to receive transfers from abroad.”

Germany, France, the UK, the Netherlands, the US, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, Tunisia, Russia and Japan are among the countries evacuating citizens and others in the last few days, including on Tuesday.

Speaking to Al Jazeera, Norway's ambassador to Sudan Endre Stiansen warned that the situation in the country could become more dangerous for civilians once foreigners leave.

The UN estimates there are around 800,000 refugees in Sudan.

Social media has been invaluable for Sudanese civilians trying to arrange medical assistance and transportation out of the country.

Sarah Siddig used her Twitter account to ask people for help in looking for her father who had been missing for over 24 hours.

“He left Omdurman Al Molazmeen wearing a blue shirt, grey pants and these glasses,” she wrote along with a photo of her father, Sadiq Tahir.

Others living abroad like Mahmoud Hisham said he is looking to help people cross the border.

“We can provide meals, have nurses on site, give advice on where to go, facilitate their transportation to Cairo and other cities,” said. He asked the Sudanese public to contact him and provide numbers for NGOs already in the country.

Although the ceasefire has held relatively better than the three previous attempts, residents reported explosions and shelling on Tuesday morning.

In the state of Gadaref, one resident told The National he had heard explosions but did not know where they were coming from.

The NRC's Mr Schemri said millions were still caught in the fighting.

“The coast is not clear,” he said. “The fighting groups are responsible for the well-being of civilians and have to spare civilian infrastructure including schools, hospitals and houses which we know they haven't.”

“The evacuation of foreigners should in no way make the (warring sides) feel like they could go all out at war.”