Returnees and refugees boarding the vehicles that will take them from Joda border point, between South Sudan and Sudan, to the Transit Centre in Renk. © Kristen Poels/MSF

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said it has deployed a medical team in Renk County in Upper Nile State to provide surgical operations to an increasing number of wounded people arriving from Sudan.

ICRC Head of Operations Daniel Bunnskog disclosed that the medical team arrived in Renk on Sunday, in a press statement after meeting First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar on Tuesday.

Mr Daniel said the international aid organization is considering reinforcing the team due to the larger number of people arriving with gunshot wounds.

“We discussed the ICRC’s recent deployment of a team to provide surgical care to people who have arrived in Renk very recently wounded in the war in Sudan,” he said.

“The ICRC currently started operations on weapon-wounded patients in Renk. The team arrived on Sunday and we might be looking into reinforcing the team looking at the number of patients that’s quite high.”

The aid group further said it is ready to do more in the dire humanitarian situation and is collaborating with MSF Belgium to provide health services at Renk Hospital.

Sudan descended into deadly conflict on April 15, 2023, following longstanding tensions between army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo.

On December 8, fierce fighting erupted recently between the Sudanese army and Rapid Support Forces with both factions claiming victories.

Clashes were reported at the Joda border crossing in White Nile State near the South Sudan border in Renk – a major entry point which was used by 75% of the over 850,000 people who crossed into South Sudan in the past 18 months.

According to Sudan Tribune, RSF claimed capture of the Sudanese side of the border point while the army said it regained control after airstrikes on the paramilitary group.

On December 5, a local administrator in Renk County reported an influx of 8,000 Sudanese citizens into South Sudan following fresh fighting between the Sudanese army and RSF in White Nile State.

Kak Kuol Alnwar, the Administrative Director of Wanthou Boma, said the fighting, which persisted for four days, continues to drive civilians to flee the conflict zone.

Kuol said the displaced citizens are currently staying at the border area, and waiting to return home when the situation when the situation stabilizes.