by Clara Johnson ’26 on November 13, 2024
Uncategorized
Conflict in Sudan and Its Impact on As war rages in Sudan between two military factions—the Sudanese Armed Forces and paramilitary group the Rapid Support Forces, it is the human beings of Sudan who are suffering from what the U.N. describes as “one of the worst humanitarian nightmares in recent history.” Since April 2023, when the violence between the two groups escalated to civil war, an estimated 20,000 people have been killed, but this does not begin to describe the humanitarian horrors faced by Sudanese people in the ongoing and escalating conflict. Despite this, many people in Sudan and across the world echo the sentiment that it seems Sudan is being forgotten.
Sudan’s recent history is marred by violence and conflict brought about by colonialism, inequitable resource allocation, and political marginalization. The current conflict in Sudan emerges from the violence of the 2003 Darfur crisis in which Omar al-Bashir, the former authoritarian leader of Sudan, founded the RSF to quell rebellion over economic and political oppression faced by the native population of Darfur. The group eventually transformed into a paramilitary force—the RSF—which collaborated with the SAF to oust Bashir in 2019. Following this, there was hope for a return to democratic civilian rule, which has been quashed among the ongoing conflict. While the SAF remains largely loyal to General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the de facto ruler of the country, the RSF rallies under the leadership of General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo.
While this conflict carries the weight of history, its ramifications are also historical, demolishing lives, childhoods, and entire worlds. The country was already in extreme need of humanitarian aid for a population afflicted by extreme weather and climate change, political unrest, and economic crisis. Now, about 26 million—half of the population—endure severe food insecurity, with the conditions in many parts of the country elevating to the level of famine. The number of people uprooted from their homes totals approximately 11 million, 8.1 million of which remain internally displaced in Sudan. In southern areas of Sudan especially, there are reports of mass killings which are considered by some to constitute ethnic cleansing of non-Arab groups, such as the Masalit tribe.
The health care system is in shambles, lacking staff, funds, and supplies and leading to more than 70 percent of healthcare facilities being rendered non-functional. Combined with the collapse of water and sanitation systems, as well as low rates of immunization, diseases such as cholera and measles afflict the population, particularly children. The conflict also worsens pre-existing economic crises, escalating inflation and shortages.
Women and children are particularly vulnerable to the humanitarian nightmare that afflicts the region. An estimated three million women and children are at risk for gender-based and sexual violence, according to reports from the U.N. In the capital of Khartoum, where the fighting is centralized, gang rape, forced marriages, and other forms of sexual and gender-based violence are rampant. One woman even reported to the Human Rights Watch that “it is not safe anymore to be a woman living in Khartoum under RSF.” Though the RSF commits a majority of this violence, the SAF holds responsibility for some and for blocking needed humanitarian aid to those in the city. This vulnerability is catalyzed by the other aspects of this crisis. Without access to healthcare, women, particularly pregnant women, are deprived of life-saving care and lack the resources to support them after experiencing violence. Because of the economic state of Sudan, 19 million children lack educational access, leaving them vulnerable to recruitment by military groups and sexual violence.
The impact of the humanitarian crisis in Sudan seems to be most exemplified by individual stories: of a man forced to survive hiding under a bed with only flour and water for months, of a woman sleeping with a knife under her pillow for fear of sexual violence, of doctors working desperately and without pay to save lives, and millions of others enduring this conflict whose struggles and stories seem to go unseen.
