The dire images of famine from Sudan paint a grim picture of the year-long conflict that has plagued the nation since a violent clash erupted last April in Khartoum between military and paramilitary forces. This crisis has plunged Sudan into turmoil, leaving nearly 24 million of its people in desperate need. Despite the UN’s call for $2.7 billion in humanitarian aid, the response has been inadequate, leaving millions at risk.
Initial attempts by the United States and Saudi Arabia to mediate a resolution to the conflict proved futile. The escalation of violence in Sudan has been overshadowed by the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza since October, raising the specter of a wider regional crisis.
Humanitarian workers are raising alarms about the looming threat of a large-scale famine in Sudan, with the potential for mass casualties in the coming months. Broken food production and distribution systems have hampered aid agencies’ efforts to provide relief to the hardest-hit areas.
Reports have documented widespread atrocities, including killings, forced displacement, and sexual violence, particularly in Khartoum and West Darfur. The UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports that 37% of the population is facing acute food insecurity. Save the Children warns that almost 230,000 vulnerable individuals, including children, pregnant women, and new mothers, are at risk of succumbing to malnutrition in the near future.
Nearly 9 million people have been forcibly displaced within Sudan or to neighboring countries, according to the UN. Military forces under General Abdel-Fattah Burhan and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) commanded by General Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo are engaged in intense combat in Khartoum, leading to indiscriminate violence and chaos.
In 2021, Burhan and Dagalo orchestrated a military coup that ousted Sudan’s internationally recognized civilian government, derailing the country’s democratic transition. The situation is dire and demands swift and coordinated international action to avert a humanitarian catastrophe of even greater proportions.
For more information on Sudan’s crisis and the global response, visit the following links:
– Top diplomats meet in Paris to mobilize aid for Sudan