The Republic of Sudan has, for the past 20 months, experienced war at an unprecedented level, resulting in, among other vices, the world’s fastest-growing displacement emergency. The conflict started in April 2023, resulting from the clash between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
The Republic of Sudan, a Northeastern African country located at the southern edge of the Sahara, is enduring a great polycrisis that has brought about large-scale internal displacement. Presently, about 20,000 people, on average, are forced to flee their homes every day.
On a visit to the Republic of Sudan, Tom Fletcher, the newly appointed UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, spoke to several communities, leaders, humanitarian partners, and UN officials, garnering insight on the situation in the nation.
Those within the heart of the crisis had one resounding message to the international community: they were not invisible, beckoning the world to come to their aid. In response to the escalating crisis, the UN relief chief has reiterated their message, calling for immediate and coordinated international action to safeguard the people of Sudan.
The situation in Sudan
The conflict between the military and paramilitary forces has also seen the nation rise to become the world’s worst hunger crisis. The availability of therapeutic food for children, animal-sourced food, and national cereal production, among others, are at an all-time low.
That is because hostilities in Sudan have caused severe damage to critical food and nutrition manufacturing facilities. Additionally, farmers have abandoned their lands, seeking to protect their families.
These events have driven food prices up by 83% compared to pre-conflict levels, pushing 750,000 people to the brink of famine, 730,000 children suffering from acute malnutrition, and leaving over 26 million people, over half of the population, facing hunger. This health crisis is further exacerbated by rising cases of cholera, malaria, and dengue fever reported across the nation.
Moreover, the Sudan polycrisis has fueled a surge in sexual violence, with widespread reports of rape, sexual slavery, and brutal assaults targeting young girls and women. The crisis has also extended beyond the Sudanese borders, posing drastic challenges for neighboring countries, which the people of Sudan now call their home.
The Republic of Chad, for instance, has hosted over 700,000 Sudanese settlers within the last two years. These numbers have significantly affected local communities in Chad.
The strain on already limited resources and worsening humanitarian challenges have burdened Sudanese and Chadians. On the whole, resolving the crisis in Sudan demands that the fighting stop. The world must deliver aid, support, and solutions to end this ongoing tragedy.