The UN reports that the people of Sudan are trapped in a hell of brutal violence and famine. By September 2024, 2.5 million people could die of starvation, experts from a Dutch think tank warned in a May report. The food security situation has rapidly deteriorated due to logistical disruptions caused by the conflict, crop depletion, reduced imports, and rising food prices.
“Time is running out for millions of people in Sudan,” warned the UN and humanitarian organizations in a joint statement.
Additionally, Alice Nderitu, the UN special adviser, issued a statement warning that indicators for genocide are present.
And the world remains silent.
What’s the conflict in Sudan about?
The Sudanese conflict began on April 15, 2023. That’s when the powerful paramilitary group, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), launched attacks on the Sudanese army (SAF). The main points of contention were plans to integrate the 100,000-strong RSF into the army and who would command the new forces. Since then, thousands of people have been killed, and nearly 9 million displaced. The BBC has determined that in the early days of the war, both sides carried out airstrikes and artillery shelling on hospitals while patients were still inside the building. This is a potential war crime.
“Warning of an impending airstrike to give all civilians the opportunity to evacuate the hospital before the strike is a very clear obligation under the law of war,” said Christian de Vos, an expert in international criminal law at the NGO Physicians for Human Rights.
The fighting continues the tensions following the 2019 ousting of long-time President Omar al-Bashir, who had come to power thirty years earlier. At that time, massive street protests called for an end to his nearly thirty-year rule, and the army staged a coup to remove him. Initially, the demonstrations sparked great optimism for a return to civilian rule in Sudan. A joint military-civilian government was formed, but it was overthrown in another coup in October 2021, when General Burhan (Sudanese Army) took power. Since then, the rivalry between him and General Dagalo (RSF) has intensified.
The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) were formed in 2013 from the structure of an armed Muslim militia that fought in the Darfur War. RSF soldiers were responsible for fighting the rebels and terrorizing the civilian population. In previous years, International Criminal Court prosecutors had accused government officials and militia leaders of genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity.
The current fighting between RSF and SAF has spread across the country, especially in areas such as western Darfur. Alice Nderitu, the UN Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide, issued a statement saying, “Civilians are being attacked and killed because of the color of their skin, their ethnicity, and who they are.”
Middle East Eye reports that the city of El-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, may become “the next Srebrenica,” where the local population, held captive, faces the threat of mass slaughter by the RSF, which has already committed similar atrocities against the non-Arab population in Darfur. The battle for El-Fasher could lead to mass ethnic killings. In April, a coalition of “non-Arab” armed groups abandoned neutrality to support the army against the RSF.
Humanitarian aid blocked
The violence between the army and paramilitary forces is hindering aid efforts. Organizations on the ground are unable to operate due to escalating and widespread attacks. The transportation of supplies and the movement of humanitarian personnel have been hampered by the fighting, denial of permits, and numerous restrictions imposed by the warring parties, including a ban on the use of surgical materials. These factors have pushed Sudan’s healthcare system to the brink of collapse.
The situation is particularly critical in the aforementioned El-Fasher. More than a million people from across Sudan have sought refuge in the city, which is controlled by SAF. It has been besieged and repeatedly attacked by the RSF under the command of General Dagalo.
According to Doctors Without Borders, at least 145 people have been killed and over 700 wounded in the city since May 10. “We are witnessing a massacre in El Fasher,” said Claire Nicolet, the organization’s emergency response manager in Sudan.
Famine
The risk of a devastating famine across Sudan is increasing exponentially. According to a recent UN report, “the sharp and rapid deterioration of the food security situation over the past six months has pushed the war-torn nation of northeastern Africa to the brink of an unimaginable disaster.”
More than eight million people in 14 of Sudan’s 18 states are currently facing food shortages that could result in acute malnutrition and death. Around 750,000 of them are at immediate risk of starvation. According to an analysis by Save the Children, about 16.4 million children – three out of four in the country – are now facing “crisis,” “emergency,” or “catastrophic” levels of hunger, compared to 8.3 million in December of last year. According to UNICEF, Sudan is one of the worst places in the world for children.
Yet despite the imminent threat of an unprecedented humanitarian disaster, the international community, especially the so-called Western world, shows little interest in Sudan and its prolonged conflict, notes Al-Jazeera. “Where are the headlines? Where are the protests? Where are the campaigns, interventions, and calls for accountability?”
Against the Silence
Even before the fighting, Sudan was experiencing a severe crisis. Long-term political instability and economic pressure meant that 15.8 million people were in need of humanitarian aid. The conflict has only worsened these conditions, leaving nearly 25 million people – more than half of Sudan’s population – in need, according to www.rescue.org.
What the international community must do is fully support all aid organizations operating in Sudan while also stripping the Sudanese generals of the license they’ve been given to kill civilians and gamble with lives through politics, concludes The New Humanitarian.
Among the organizations still providing aid to Sudanese people are UNICEF and the International Rescue Committee. On the websites of these organizations, information can be found about ongoing fundraising campaigns and other forms of support.
Given the current scale of the crisis, Sudanese people urgently need not only food and essential supplies but also for the international community to speak out loudly about what is happening in the country. Armed conflict, attacks on civilians, famine, and signs of genocide – none of this should or can be ignored.
Translated by Marcin Adamczuk.
