Sudan: The World’s Worst Crisis—UN Warns of Unimaginable Catastrophe

Sudan, already ravaged by over a year of civil war, now faces the additional crises of famine and flooding. The United Nations’ International Organization for Migration (IOM) issued a dire warning, emphasizing that these challenges will only worsen if the ongoing conflict continues and humanitarian access remains restricted. The country, experiencing one of the largest displacement crises globally, is at a “catastrophic, cataclysmic breaking point,” according to the IOM.

Famine Conditions and Food Security Crisis:

• Famine conditions have been reported near Al Fashir in northern Darfur, where more than half a million displaced people are suffering from severe food shortages.
• The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) has highlighted the severity of the situation, with many individuals dying or experiencing malnutrition.
• IOM’s Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa, Othman Belbeisi, warned, “Make no mistake, these conditions will persist and worsen if the conflict and restrictions on humanitarian access continue.”
• The situation is so critical that it is estimated that 2.5 million people could die of hunger by September 2024.

Impact of Seasonal Rains and Flooding:

• Since June, heavy seasonal rains and flooding have affected thousands across 11 states in Sudan.
• These conditions have led to further displacement, injuries, deaths, and increased starvation, exacerbating the already dire humanitarian crisis.
• More rainfall is expected, which will likely worsen the situation further.

The Ongoing Civil War:

• The civil war in Sudan began on April 15, 2023, between two military forces: the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF).
• The RSF, led by Mohamed Hamdan “Hemedti” Dagalo, has been accused of perpetrating ethnic cleansing, massacres, and genocide against the Masalit ethnic group in Darfur.
• There are allegations that the RSF has committed war crimes and crimes against humanity, including sexual violence in Khartoum, with reports of rape, gang rape, forced marriages, trafficking, and sexual slavery.
• General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the leader of the Sudanese Armed Forces, has refused to negotiate, stating, “We will not retreat, we will not surrender, and we will not negotiate.”

Humanitarian Crisis and Displacement:

• Sudan is currently experiencing one of the largest and most extreme hunger crises in the world, with 10 million people displaced.
• 2.3 million have fled to neighboring countries, while 10.7 million remain internally displaced, many of whom have been forced to move multiple times.
• The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported that 65% of the country lacks proper medical care, and 19 million children are at risk of missing out on education.

International Response and Upcoming Talks:

• US Special Envoy Tom Perriello announced that talks would begin in Geneva this week, although the Sudanese army has indicated it will not attend unless specific conditions are met, including the implementation of the Jeddah agreement.
• Hiba Morgan, reporting from Khartoum, noted that the talks are intended to “launch the process” rather than immediately start ceasefire negotiations.
• International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) President Mirjana Spoljaric Egger expressed hope that the talks would result in “solid humanitarian steps” to remove obstacles blocking a ceasefire, describing the situation as a “humanitarian disaster.”
• IOM’s Othman Belbeisi further stressed, “Without an immediate, massive, and coordinated global response, we risk witnessing tens of thousands of preventable deaths in the coming months.”

sources:

1. https://www.jurist.org/news/2024/08/uns-migration-agency-warns-of-multiple-crises-in-sudan/
2. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/8/12/us-says-sudan-peace-talks-to-proceed-while-un-warns-of-breaking-point