Refugees

The increase in displacements has raised fears of an escalation in violence despite ceasefire talks being held in Saudi Arabia.

Air strikes and ground battles are continuing in the capital Khartoum.

Entire neighbourhoods have become empty as residents flee their homes.

Khartoum had a population of 5.4 million, but the once-peaceful city has been devastated by the conflict that broke out on 15 April between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

Reuters reports hundreds of people have been killed and thousands wounded over 16 days of battles since disputes between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) erupted into conflict on 15 April.

There seems little prospect of a quick resolution to the crisis, which has unleashed a humanitarian disaster, damaged swathes of Khartoum, risked drawing in regional powers, and reignited conflict in the Darfur region.

President Joe Biden said the US was temporarily suspending operations at its embassy in Khartoum but remained committed to the Sudanese people, reiterating calls for a ceasefire that have so far gone largely unheeded.

"The belligerent parties must implement an immediate and unconditional ceasefire, allow unhindered humanitarian access, and respect the will of the people of Sudan," Biden said in a statement.

One of the attackers held a gun to the head of one of the refugees while the other two were armed with bush knives.

The stolen items included mobile phones, laptops and speakers.

Refugee Action Coalition spokesman Ian Rintoul said no one was injured in the attack at the Koki Apartments, but the refugees had been further traumatised.

The refugees came from the Australian offshore detention camps in Manus (Papua New Guinea) and Nauru, and were brought to the mainland for medical treatment.

They are being held at the Park Hotel in Carlton, where 22 of them now have Covid-19, with one hospitalised.

The Refugee Action Coalition's Ian Rintoul claimed the proper protocols of separating the infected from those without the virus had been ignored by Australian officials.

He said the Australian government has created a Covid incubator in the Park Hotel.

Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews said resettlement arrangements with both countries were only open to refugees, and the family was not legally considered to be refugees.

The family has been detained on Christmas Island since 2019.

They were removed from their home in the regional Queensland town of Biloela in 2018 by Australian Border Force officials after their visas expired.

Almost all are single men and are Afghan, Pakistani or Rohingya.

In a statement, the Refugee Action Coalition says there is one Sri Lankan family (with four children) and one Bangladesh refugee.

“This will bring the total to 84 people who have flown from Nauru to the US since resettlement began last September,” says Ian Rintoul, spokesperson for the Refugee Action Coalition.

“At least one more flight of refugees to the US is expected by the end of February.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern promised the money last the month after restating the offer to resettle 150 refugees from Australian offshore detention.

Deputy secretary Jeff Langley from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade said there are a number of different ways the money could be channelled including to the Red Cross and other NGOs operating on the island.

He said the ministry is also talking to the Papua New Guinea government to identify needs created by the refugee population on the island.

Hundreds of men have refused to leave the Manus Island centre since it was shut down on 31 October, citing fears for their safety.

On Thursday, multiple men inside the centre said that PNG police had given them a one-hour deadline to leave.

Australia said it was a PNG operation.

Under a controversial policy, Australia has detained asylum seekers who arrive by boat in camps on Manus Island and Nauru, a small Pacific nation.

Without water, catering, power and medical services, about 600 men are occupying the decommissioned centre, where they have been interned by Australia since 2013.

The centre was closed on October 31 when companies providing services walked away from their contracts with the Australian government, following sustained public pressure.

The court found the services were available for the refugees at up to three alternative sites in the island's main town, but the refugees say they will not swap one prison for another.