The Humanitarian Catastrophe in Sudan: A Dire Situation Unfolding
Doctors Without Borders has labeled the ongoing civil strife in Sudan as one of the gravest humanitarian disasters of our age.
For over a year, violence has engulfed the nation, pitting the regular army, led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, against the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) commanded by his former deputy, Mohamed Hamdan Daglo.
Christos Christou, the international president of Doctors Without Borders (MSF), remarked, “Sudan is experiencing one of the most egregious crises the world has witnessed in decades… Yet, the humanitarian response is alarmingly insufficient.”
He further stated on social media platform X, “Suffering across Sudan has reached extreme levels, with needs intensifying daily.”
The conflict ignited in April 2023, leading to tens of thousands of fatalities and displacing over nine million people, which the United Nations classifies as the worst internal displacement crisis globally.
Both factions stand accused of committing war crimes: targeting civilians with malice, bombarding residential neighborhoods indiscriminately, and obstructing humanitarian aid efforts. As the world looks on, millions teeter on the brink of famine.
Rights organizations and the United States have voiced accusations against the RSF, alleging ethnic cleansing and other crimes against humanity.
The warnings issued by MSF represent just the latest in a cascade of grim alerts regarding human suffering in Sudan. Recently, while committing an additional $315 million in aid to the beleaguered nation, the United States sounded alarms about impending famine.
In a jaw-dropping revelation, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, expressed her grave concerns, foreseeing hunger in Sudan reaching levels reminiscent of the Ethiopian famine in the early 1980s, which claimed approximately 1.2 million lives.
U.N. agencies have incessantly flagged the dire humanitarian landscape unfolding in Sudan, warning that famine looms even as international calls for a ceasefire grow louder.
Filippo Grandi, head of the U.N. refugee agency, lamented during an interview with AFP on Wednesday, “Access for humanitarian aid fighters remains woefully lacking, although we’ve observed some minor improvements in recent weeks.”
He continued, “We urge all factions to allow humanitarian access, as our current presence falls dramatically short of what’s needed to aid those at risk of starvation.” Grandi made these comments while visiting Juba in South Sudan.
According to U.N. estimates, around five million individuals within Sudan are grappling with severe hunger. Additionally, in neighboring nations, two million Sudanese who have fled share a similar plight.
Repeated attempts led by the United States to resolve the conflict have proven ineffective. Many analysts suggest that the commanding generals believe they can secure victory through continued combat.
Various foreign powers have taken sides in this brutal confrontation. For instance, Sudan expelled diplomats from the United Arab Emirates, alleging they were stoking tensions within the RSF, while Egypt, Türkiye, and Iran have backed the national army.
The recent skirmishes in El-Fasher, the last city in Darfur not under RSF control, have resulted in over 220 fatalities, according to Doctors Without Borders.
On Thursday, the U.N. Security Council demanded that the RSF cease its siege, with all member countries voting in favor of this motion, with the sole exception of Russia, which abstained from voting.
During a Security Council session on Tuesday, Sudan’s U.N. ambassador, Al-Harith Idriss al-Harith Mohamed, publicly condemned the UAE for purportedly instigating conflict in Sudan, a claim that was firmly denied by the Emirati envoy.
Negotiations last year in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, mediated by the United States and Saudi Arabia, provided only a temporary respite from the violence. A renewed American effort to reignite the peace dialogue has thus far been unsuccessful.
The Daily Sabah Newsletter
Stay informed about events unfolding in Turkey, its surrounding region, and the globe.
SIGN ME UP
You may unsubscribe at any time. By subscribing, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. This site is secured by reCAPTCHA and is subject to Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.
