Alert: 5 Million Lives At Risk As War Ravages Sudan, Warns UN

Sudan has been in an ongoing war for 11 months (started in April 2023) and it is taking a toll on its economy, citizens, and politics, due to which the UN claimed that 5 million people in Sudan are at risk of starvation if the war continues. Owing to the escalated damage and severity of the situation, the United Nations Security Council broke its year-long silence and passed a resolution on March 8, 2024, to "call for an immediate cessation of hostilities in Sudan during the month of Ramadan, which begins soon." UNSC comprises 15 members, of whom 14 voted in favour and 1 abstained (Russia). The UN has continued to send humanitarian aid and call on the nation to resolve the conflict for the sake of its people, yet there has been no progress. 

Civilians embroiled in this hellish reality have borne witness to unspeakable atrocities, as rape, ethnic violence, and street executions depict a haunting tableau of despair and anguish. As the turmoil unfolds, the world watches with bated breath, struggling with the magnitude of one of the most ardent humanitarian crises in recent history.

Sudan On The Brink

The conflicting factions in Sudan—the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) led by the army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) led by Mohamed Hamdan Daglo—have been urged to adopt a more sustainable method of "fighting through dialogue." According to a harrowing report obtained by the UN, an alarming 18 million Sudanese citizens already grapple with acute food insecurity.

The most concerning issue remains the status of its citizens. UN News also mentioned, "In the resolution, the Security Council expressed grave concern over the deteriorating humanitarian situation, including crisis levels or worse, acute food insecurity, particularly in the Darfur region, as well as ongoing reports of violations of international humanitarian and human rights laws, including cases of sexual violence in conflict." Even though there has been a constant supply of aid to Sudan, the underlying issue here is the cross-border transaction of aid, which is tedious. Since some regions in Sudan are under the RSF, which was formerly under the government of Sudan, they have not been receiving adequate aid.

Since the eruption of civil war last April, Sudan has become a battleground marked by violence, displacement, and despair. The once-thriving streets of cities like Khartoum and Omdurman now bear the scars of conflict, with mortar explosions and gunfire echoing through the air as reminders of the relentless strife that plagues the nation.

The government of Sudan has restricted the flow of aid to regions that fall under RSF's paradigm, which has led to the deaths of thousands. According to Human Rights Watch, Sudanese authorities notified the UN in March that they would only permit limited cross-border movement through specific checkpoints controlled by military-affiliated forces, "On March 6, Sudanese authorities informed the UN that they would allow limited cross-border movement exclusively through specific crossings under the control of forces allied to the military. Sudanese authorities have also blocked cross-line aid movement to RSF-controlled territory, which has put Khartoum under a de facto aid blockade since November 2023 at least." The resolution also highlights its concern over limited or denial of cross border aid transactions by requesting both factions to remove obstructions and ensure "safe and unhindered humanitarian access."

The food security issue is not just about the transfer of aids but about those aids reaching the hands of starved people. The aid workers and refugee teams on the ground work tirelessly to ensure that, yet it is very difficult to ensure it reaches people safely. One such incident was when RSF (Rapid Support Forces) looted a UN warehouse and destroyed it, which could have fed thousands of people. It is not just this, but many countless incidents that take place on a daily basis. The capital of Sudan, Khartoum, has seen the worst, with people killed and starving. The region mainly remains under the RSF's territory as of now.  

Amidst the chaos, aid agencies sound the alarm, warning of an impending humanitarian catastrophe on a scale unseen in recent memory. With millions on the brink of famine and children suffering from severe malnutrition, the need for urgent intervention has never been greater.

Children At Risk

As the conflict rages unabated, the most vulnerable members of Sudanese society bear the brunt of its devastating impact. Shockingly, nearly 730,000 Sudanese children, including a staggering 240,000 in Darfur alone, suffer from severe malnutrition, adding to the situation. Doctors Without Borders raised the alarm on malnutrition in Zamzam camp in North Darfur, warning that “an estimated one child is dying every two hours.” 

Jill Lawler, emergency chief for UNICEF in Sudan, recounts the sobering reality witnessed during recent missions, where the magnitude of children's needs is beyond comprehension. With an estimated 14 million children in dire need of humanitarian assistance and four million displaced from their homes, the urgency of the situation cannot be overstated.

While the UN continues to draft countless resolutions, their needs to be a collective international  effort to restore Sudan. There have been many policy failures, and while this happens in closed rooms, innocent children, women, and men lose their lives every day.