SUDAN FACES THE BIGGEST HUMANITARIAN CATASTROPHE

Sudan is currently facing a severe major humanitarian disaster. The United Nations is calling it "the worst humanitarian crisis in recent memory". It is caused by conflict, displacement, food insecurity, and a breakdown of the health care system. More than 150,000 people have lost their lives. Sudan needs urgent humanitarian aid and international support.

The widespread destruction and displacement caused by the conflict in Sudan has forced 14 million people to go from their homes and worsened an already severe hunger crisis. Millions in Sudan are facing life-threatening food shortages.

In addition, Sudan is bearing the brunt of severe weather problems linked to climate change. Floods and droughts have adversely affected millions of people across the country, destroying crops and livestock and increasing food insecurity for families. 

 

REASONS FOR THIS SERIOUS SITUATION

 

 

The main reason for the serious situation in Sudan is the civil war that started in April 2023. This conflict is between the army and the RSF (Rapid Support Forces), which is a powerful paramilitary force. This war has further deepened the already existing political instability and economic crisis in the country.

On 15 April 2023, fighting broke out in Sudan between the Sudanese Armed Forces SAF and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which was a battle for supremacy for power. This conflict is not stopping. This conflict has caused massive displacement, a humanitarian crisis, and economic loss.

There is evidence of massacres in the western region of Darfur, where residents say they have been targeted by militias based on their ethnicity. The army has recaptured the presidential palace in the center of the capital, Khartoum which is a significant victory.

 

 

ITS CONSEQUENCES

 

 

The conflict has created a humanitarian crisis in the country. More than 12 million people have been displaced, of which 4 million are displaced within the country and the rest have sought refuge in neighboring countries. More than half of these 12 million are children. The conflict has worsened an already poor food security situation.

Often families do not have enough food to last for several days. Famine is so severe that according to the United Nations, more than 2 million people need urgent help.

The conflict has severely damaged the Sudanese economy, causing prices of basic commodities to rise and affecting people's livelihoods. Climate change, such as droughts and floods, has further complicated the situation.

The conflict has also had a serious impact on children's education, with many children dropping out of school. Gender-based violence has increased due to the war. The United Nations has appealed for $6 billion in aid. The conflict in Sudan has also fueled regional instability, as the conflict has spread to neighboring countries.

 

 

ABOUT SUDAN

 

 

Sudan is located in northeastern Africa and is one of the largest countries on the continent, with an area of ​​1.9 million square kilometers (734,000 square miles). Sudan's population is predominantly Muslim and the country's official languages ​​are Arabic and English. Sudan was already one of the poorest countries in the world. The conflict has made things even worse. Last year, Sudan's finance minister said state revenues had fallen by 80%.

 

 

WHAT IS THE MAIN CONFLICT

 

 

Following the 2021 coup, a council of generals has run Sudan, led by the two military men at the center of the dispute. General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the head of the armed forces and effectively the country’s president, and his deputy and head of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as “Hemedti”.

They disagreed over the direction of the country and the proposed move toward civilian rule. There was suspicion that both generals wanted to maintain their positions of power and did not want to lose money and influence.

The main controversy is whether or not to integrate the 100,000-member RSF (Rapid Support Forces) into the army. If so, who will lead it?

Before the current conflict began, the RSF was accused of human rights abuses, including a massacre of more than 120 protesters in June 2019. Such a strong force outside the military has been seen as a source of instability in the country.

On 15 April 2023, after days of tension, the two sides opened fire. At the time, RSF members were redeployed across the country, which the army saw as a threat.

It was hoped that negotiations would resolve the situation but this never happened. It is disputed who fired the first shot, but fighting quickly escalated in various parts of the country.

 

 

WHO CONTROLS WHERE?

 

 

The conflict began as a battle for control of key installations. However, it is now taking place mostly in urban areas, with civilians becoming unwitting victims.

The RSF has seized control of parts of Darfur, Kordofan state, and, until recently, most of the capital. El-Fasher is the last major urban center in Darfur still held by the army. The RSF has laid siege to the city, causing hundreds of casualties, flooding hospitals, and disrupting food supplies.

The army controls much of the north and east, including the major Red Sea port of Port Sudan. The army also retook the center of Omdurman, one of three towns along the Nile that make up Sudan's larger capital, Khartoum. The army sees this as a symbolic success. It also gained almost complete control of the important Gezira state.

 

 

WORLD REACTIONS

 

 

When leaving his post at the end of 2023, UN envoy to Sudan Volker Perthes accused the RSF of committing sexual violence, looting, and murder in areas under its control. He also condemned the Sudanese armed forces for indiscriminate aerial bombardment.

In the early days of the war, the BBC found that both sides had launched air raids and artillery shelling on hospitals while patients were still in the building and doctors were also attacked. Both acts are potential war crimes.

The United Nations says the war has led to the world's worst humanitarian crisis. About 25 million Sudanese people need food aid, according to Action Against Hunger, a non-profit organization.

The International Crisis Group has called diplomatic efforts to end the war "lackluster", while Amnesty International has described the world response as "woefully inadequate".

Foreign countries have also attempted to organize talks between the army and the RSF. There have been several rounds of peace talks in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain - but all have failed.

Last month, Kenya angered Sudanese authorities by hosting the RSF and allies; in retaliation, Sudan blocked all imports from Kenya, including tea, food, and pharmaceutical products.

The African Union and the United Nations have a shared priority – to establish a ceasefire and bring the army and the RSF together.

BBC News' deputy Africa editor Anne Soye reports that the military in particular has shown reluctance to work towards normalising the situation.

In May last year, the US urged the military to return to peace talks, which was firmly rejected.