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More Sudanese refugees fleeing as far as Europe, UN refugee agency says

More Sudanese refugees fleeing as far as Europe, UN refugee agency says
Olga Sarrado, U.N. refugee agency spokesperson, told a press briefing in Geneva that some 484 Sudanese had arrived in Europe in January and February, up 38% from the same period last year. (REUTERS)
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Updated 11 April 2025

More Sudanese refugees fleeing as far as Europe, UN refugee agency says

More Sudanese refugees fleeing as far as Europe, UN refugee agency says
  • Olga Sarrado, UN refugee agency spokesperson, told a press briefing in Geneva that some 484 Sudanese had arrived in Europe in January and February, up 38 percent from the same period last year

GENEVA: Over a thousand Sudanese refugees have reached or attempted to reach Europe in early 2025, the United Nations’ refugee agency said on Friday, citing growing desperation in part due to reduced aid in the region.
Some 12 million people have been displaced by the two-year conflict between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces that has fueled what UN officials call the world’s most devastating aid crisis.
While some have recently returned home to Khartoum, millions of others in neighboring countries like Egypt and Chad face tough choices as services for refugees are being cut, including by the United States as part of an aid review.
Olga Sarrado, UN refugee agency spokesperson, told a press briefing in Geneva that some 484 Sudanese had arrived in Europe in January and February, up 38 percent from the same period last year.
Around 937 others were rescued or intercepted at sea and returned to Libya — more than double last year’s figures for the same period, she added.
“As humanitarian aid crumbles and if the war does not abate, many more will have little choice than to join them,” she said.
Migrant deaths hit a record last year, the UN migration agency said, with many perishing on the Mediterranean crossing which is one of the world’s most dangerous.


Rubio expresses concern West Bank violence could hurt Gaza peace efforts

Rubio expresses concern West Bank violence could hurt Gaza peace efforts
Updated 13 November 2025

Rubio expresses concern West Bank violence could hurt Gaza peace efforts

Rubio expresses concern West Bank violence could hurt Gaza peace efforts
  • The latest spate of violence in the Israeli-occupied West Bank could undermine US-backed peace efforts in Gaza, Rubio concerns

WASHINGTON: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed concern on Wednesday that the latest spate of violence by Israeli settlers in the Israeli-occupied West Bank could spill over and undermine US-backed peace efforts in Gaza.
“I hope not,” Rubio told reporters after a meeting of Group of Seven foreign ministers in Canada, when asked whether the West Bank events could endanger the Gaza ceasefire. “We don’t expect it to. We’ll do everything we can to make sure it doesn’t happen.”