Sudan’s Humanitarian Crisis Reaches Breaking Point Amid Escalating Conflict

John Prendergast, Co-Founder of the Enough Project: “In Sudan, the war is fought not just with bullets but with hunger. Starvation is used as a weapon of mass destruction.”

Sudan is facing an escalating humanitarian crisis, with a United Nations agency sounding the alarm on Monday, warning that the country has reached a critical breaking point. As the ongoing conflict deepens, an increasing number of people are in desperate need of food, water, shelter, and medical assistance.

The humanitarian situation in embattled Sudan is at “a catastrophic, cataclysmic breaking point,” a UN body says. pic.twitter.com/ggKAudHUVh

— The Sudan Times (@thesudantimes) August 12, 2024

Since the outbreak of violence between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) last year, more than eight million people have been displaced. The UN has described the situation as “one of the worst humanitarian disasters in recent memory,” highlighting the severe toll on the nation’s population.

Othman Belbeisi, the Middle East and Africa director for the International Organization for Migration (IOM), emphasized the gravity of the situation in a recent statement. “Without an immediate, massive, and coordinated global response, we risk witnessing tens of thousands of preventable deaths in the coming months,” Belbeisi warned. “We are at a breaking point, a catastrophic, cataclysmic breaking point,” he added, underscoring the urgency of international action.

The crisis has had a devastating impact on Sudan’s children, who make up at least half of the displaced population. The conflict has been marred by widespread human rights abuses, including ethnic targeting, mass killings of civilians, and gender-based violence, according to the IOM’s statement.

The situation is particularly dire in Sudan’s Darfur region, where the UN-backed Famine Review Committee recently declared that at least one refugee camp is experiencing famine conditions. This is only the third time in Sudan’s history that famine has been declared. Earlier this year, the World Food Programme reported that people in Darfur had resorted to eating grass and peanut shells to survive.

The humanitarian situation in embattled Sudan is at “a catastrophic, cataclysmic breaking point”, a UN body said Monday, Anadolu Agency reports.

The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) issued a warning as famine and floods “add to the catalogue of challenges” facing… pic.twitter.com/tRetUweBEX

— Middle East Monitor (@MiddleEastMnt) August 12, 2024

The IOM has projected that in the next three months, around 25.6 million people will face acute food insecurity as the conflict continues to spread and coping mechanisms become increasingly strained. The agency also warned that many other areas across Sudan are at risk of famine.

Compounding the crisis, armed forces have obstructed the delivery of urgently needed aid. The IOM has called for additional funding to reach those in need. Meanwhile, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), also known as Doctors Without Borders, reported that a key bridge used by aid workers to access Darfur collapsed last week due to severe flooding. This bridge was the only safe route for humanitarian aid to reach Central and South Darfur, adding yet another major hurdle to delivering life-saving assistance.

The dire warnings from the UN come as new ceasefire talks, led by the US and Saudi Arabia, are expected to begin in Switzerland this week. The RSF, which has its roots in the Janjaweed militia responsible for the Darfur genocide in the early 2000s, has agreed to participate in the talks. However, Sudan’s military has yet to confirm its attendance.

Over the weekend, a Sudanese government delegation met with US officials in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, in an effort to persuade the military to join the talks, but no significant progress was made. Tom Perriello, the US special envoy for Sudan, acknowledged the challenges but remained hopeful. “We’ve had extensive engagement with the SAF,” Perriello said. “They have not yet given us an affirmation, which would be necessary today for moving forward.”

🚨#Sudan is reaching a breaking point as famine and floods add to the challenges facing millions of people struggling to cope in the world’s largest displacement crisis.

Urgent funding is required to scale up the response and reach those in need.

🔗 https://t.co/kYQwJhLdXd pic.twitter.com/iznzLXIfjW

— IOM Sudan 🇺🇳 (@IOMSudan) August 12, 2024

Despite the ongoing challenges, Perriello expressed cautious optimism, stating, “We have not given up hope that SAF will attend the talks.”

Quotes

• Antonio Guterres, UN Secretary-General: “The people of Sudan are suffering from a tragedy of monumental proportions. Conflict, climate change, and economic collapse have conspired to push millions into starvation.”
• Alex de Waal, Executive Director of the World Peace Foundation: “In Sudan, hunger is no accident. It is the outcome of deliberate policies of exclusion and violence, with starvation used to break communities and bend them to the will of armed groups.”
• David Beasley, Executive Director of the World Food Programme: “We are witnessing a catastrophe in the making. The war in Sudan has created a perfect storm of hunger, where millions are on the brink of starvation.”
• Human Rights Watch (report): “The conflict in Sudan is compounded by systematic attacks on civilians and the use of starvation as a tool of war, pushing millions to the edge of survival.”

Major Points:

• Sudan faces a severe humanitarian disaster as over eight million people have been displaced due to ongoing conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
• The UN warns of a catastrophic situation, with urgent needs for food, water, shelter, and medical care, especially as children make up half of the displaced population.
• The Darfur region is experiencing famine, with reports of people eating grass and peanut shells to survive, marking one of the worst crises in Sudan’s history.
• Armed forces are blocking essential aid deliveries, and severe flooding has destroyed a critical bridge, further hampering efforts to provide life-saving assistance.
• While the RSF has agreed to participate in US and Saudi-led ceasefire talks, Sudan’s military has not yet confirmed its attendance, leaving the peace process in a precarious position.

Fallon Jacobson – Reprinted with permission of Whatfinger News