Sudan: The humanitarian catastrophe that the world ignores

By Francesca Merlo

Africa's crises are often ignored by global media. This lack of focus is blatant in the case of Sudan, where a brutal conflict between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has escalated into a full-blown catastrophe.

Staggering figures, horrific accusations

And against the deafening silence caused by the lack of international coverage, 18 months since its start, the war rages on. According to the United Nations, up to 9,000 people have been killed, more than 5.6 million have been displaced, and 25 million are in desperate need of aid

Accusations against the Sudanese military include airstrikes on densely populated civilian areas, along with widespread reports of rape and sexual violence. Meanwhile, the RSF, having gained significant ground, is being accused of genocide, ethnic cleansing, and sexual violence against the non-Arab Masalit community. Despite the scale of the suffering, and the gravity of the accusations, the world appears to remain largely uninterested.

Camp for internally displaced persons in Sennar State, Sudan

The conflict

The war in Sudan, ignited by a brutal power struggle between the army and the RSF during what was meant to be a peaceful transition to civilian rule and democratic elections, has spiralled into the world’s largest displacement crisis.

The violence erupted on April 15 between the Sudanese Armed Forces, led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the RSF, commanded by his former deputy, General Mohamed Hamdan Daglo (Hemedti). Previously, the two leaders had joined forces in 2019 to topple long-time dictator Omar al-Bashir, who has since been wanted by the ICC for crimes against humanity, war crimes and genocide in the country's Darfur region. His ousting was meant to pave the way for a democratic transition.

Children

Now, the humanitarian situation has collapsed. Most shops have been looted or destroyed, leaving a shortage of basic goods. Between mid-May and mid-September, more than 1,200 children under five died in White Nile State due to a measles outbreak and severe malnutrition. Over 3 million children are displaced making Sudan the country with the highest number of displaced children globally. In addition, 19 million are not in school.

Despite these devastating figures, the true death toll of the war remains uncertain, as the collapse of healthcare and government services, along with the lack of access for humanitarian workers, as well as the lack of media attention, overshadow the full scale of the tragedy.

Citizens in the city of Gedaref in eastern Sudan run after hearing the noise of an explosion

Pope Francis' call for peace

Pope Francis has reiterated his deep concern for the ongoing conflict in Sudan on many occasions, calling for an immediate cessation of hostilities and for the warring parties to engage in peaceful dialogue, emphasizing that "wherever fighting occurs, people are exhausted, tired of war." Ne never tires of appealing to political leaders to prioritise peace to avoid further destruction and suffering.

Sudanese women from community kitchens prepare meals for people affected by conflict and extreme hunger and are out of reach of international aid efforts