Six months of war have plunged Sudan into one of the worst "humanitarian nightmares" in recent history, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Martin Griffiths, said on Sunday, calling on the warring parties to uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law, and urging donors to step up their support. He also highlighted the growing need for humanitarian assistance in neighboring countries, to which more than a million people have already fled.
The scale of the humanitarian disaster unfolding in Sudan is unprecedented. On April 15, 2023, conflict broke out between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), causing widespread displacement and exacerbating humanitarian needs throughout the country.
“For six months, civilians– particularly in Khartoum, Darfur and Kordofan – have known no respite from bloodshed and terror. Horrific reports of rape and sexual violence continue to emerge, and clashes are increasingly taking place along ethnic lines, particularly in Darfur,” the UN humanitarian chief said.
Access of aid workers to the people in need was hampered by insecurity and bureaucratic barriers, at the same time, vulnerable people were left with no access to life-saving aid, he noted.
“At least 45 aid workers have been killed or detained since 15 April – almost all of them are national staff”, Griffiths said.
“This cannot go on,” the UN humanitarian chief said, referring to the fighting as well as the mounting unmet humanitarian needs inside Sudan and in the neighboring countries. He strongly appealed to the warring parties.
“It is time for parties to the conflict to uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law. It is time for them to honor the commitments they made in Jeddah to protect civilians and allow humanitarian aid. It is time for them to recommit to dialogue at the highest levels to end this conflict, once and for all,” Griffiths stressed.
The revised 2023 Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) for Sudan calls for US$2.6 billion to provide lifesaving assistance to an estimated 18.1 million people inside the country by the end of this year. As of October 16, the HRP is only 34 percent funded.
“The international community cannot desert the people of Sudan,” the UN humanitarian chief said, requesting donors to step up their support.
More than 5.8 million people in Sudan have become uprooted from their homes since clashes between the SAF and the RSF erupted in mid-April. While more than 4.7 million people – Sudanese and refugees already residing in the country - are displaced within Sudan, at least 1.1 million women, men, and children have fled to neighboring countries in search of assistance and protection.
Six months into the conflict, Sudan is not only the fastest growing displacement crisis globally, but has also become the largest internal displacement crisis in the world with over 7.1 million Sudanese displaced within the country, according to the latest figures from the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
IOM reports that approximately three million of the displace people originate from Khartoum, the capital and the epicenter of the current conflict.
“The humanitarian situation in Sudan is catastrophic with no end in sight, and civilians are the ones paying the price,” said IOM Director General Amy Pope in a statement Monday. “We urge the international community not to turn their back on Sudan and to urgently support relief efforts before this leads to an even deeper humanitarian tragedy.”
Humanitarian needs across the Sudan and in neighboring countries continue to rise as the situation deteriorates. The number of people in need of humanitarian aid stands now at 24.7 million people – more than half of Sudan’s population. Among them are more than 13 million children in urgent need of lifesaving humanitarian support.
Hunger has reached record levels, with more than 20.3 million people across the country, over 42 percent of the population, facing acute hunger, including 6.3 million who are “one step away from famine.”
According to IOM, the surge of newly displaced people across Sudan has overwhelmed public services and resources, creating appalling living conditions for millions of people who face a daily struggle to survive. The situation is further exacerbated by significant damage to infrastructure, the collapse of banking and financial services, frequent interruptions to the internet, telecommunications and electricity supply and the destruction of health facilities.
Nearly 80 percent of the displaced population reported that health services are either not available or inadequate, and 86 percent lack electricity, IOM said.
The conflict has brought health care in the country to its knees, despite enormous efforts by health workers and aid agencies to continue to provide much-needed health services. Up to 80 percent of hospitals in conflict-affected states are non-functional. Some 3.4 million children under five are acutely malnourished, with close to 700,000 who are severely malnourished and 100,000 with medical complications.
On Monday, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) issued an urgent call for international support as the humanitarian crisis intensifies, and the funding gap widens
Since the conflict started in Sudan six months ago, it has put immense strain on services, where people are grappling not only with severe food shortages but also limited access to clean water, inadequate healthcare and shelter.
According to the IFRC, the Sudanese Red Crescent Society operates in all Sudanese states. In addition, Red Cross and Red Crescent national societies are operating service centers at key border points outside Sudan, providing vital services such as psychosocial support, medication, first aid, food and family reunification assistance to those fleeing the conflict.
“Many Sudanese residents have crossed into neighboring countries to start life afresh. Those that have remained continue to experience the pain of separation, sickness, lack of food and water, and much more. We must act urgently and get support to meet humanitarian needs and save as many lives as possible,” said Aida Elsayed, Secretary General of the Sudanese Red Crescent Society.
Meanwhile, a UN expert expressed concern Monday about the increased risk of recruitment and use of children by armed forces and armed groups since the outbreak of conflict in Sudan.
“Unaccompanied children and children from poor families are allegedly targeted by RSF in the outskirts of Khartoum, as well as in Darfur and West Kordofan, for recruitment into combat roles,” said Siobhán Mullally, the UN Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially women and children.
Girls have also reportedly been abducted from Khartoum to Darfur for sexual exploitation, including sexual slavery.
“The deteriorating humanitarian situation and lack of access to food and other basic services make children, especially unaccompanied and separated children on the streets, easy targets for recruitment by armed groups,” Mullally said.
She called on all parties to the conflict to return to peace talks and reach a comprehensive ceasefire agreement that would allow for the safe delivery of humanitarian assistance and ensure accountability for alleged violations.
“Urgent action is needed to address these pressing concerns and take effective measures to prevent child trafficking and provide effective protection to child victims and children at risk, in particular displaced, unaccompanied and separated children, refugee children and children with disabilities,” the Special Rapporteur said.
Further information
Full text: Sudan is reeling after six months of war - Statement by Martin Griffiths, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, released October 15, 2023
https://reliefweb.int/report/sudan/sudan-reeling-after-six-months-war-statement-martin-griffiths-under-secretary-general-humanitarian-affairs-and-emergency-relief-coordinator-enar
Full text: Sudan: UN expert warns of child recruitment by armed forces, UN Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially women and children, press release, published October 16, 2023
https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2023/10/sudan-un-expert-warns-child-recruitment-armed-forces
Full text: Sudan Faces World’s Largest Internal Displacement Crisis, International Organization for Migration, press release, published October 16, 2023
https://www.iom.int/news/sudan-faces-worlds-largest-internal-displacement-crisis