Monday, April 15, 2024, marked the grim anniversary of a year-long conflict in Sudan.
Sudan plunged into conflict on April 15, 2023, when simmering tensions between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) exploded into open fighting in the capital, Khartoum, and the rest of the country.
Thousands of civilians have been killed, although death toll estimates are highly uncertain, and each side has been accused of committing war crimes. Both sides have largely denied the accusations against them.
A great number of people have fled Sudan, many to neighbouring Chad.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk warned in a statement on Monday of a further escalation in violence in Sudan “as parties to the conflict arm civilians, and more armed groups join the fighting.”
Since the start of the civil war, thousands of homes, schools, hospitals, and other vital civilian structures have been destroyed, “plunging the country into a severe humanitarian crisis, and creating the world’s largest displacement crisis,” his office said.
“Nearly 18 million people face acute food insecurity, 14 million of them children, and over 70 percent of hospitals are no longer functional amid a rise in infectious diseases,” Türk added.
Islamic Relief, a humanitarian and development agency, also painted a stark picture of Sudan’s situation, warning that it is on the brink of mass famine, with young children facing the prospect of starving to death.
The United Nations said recently Sudan is experiencing “one of the worst humanitarian disasters in recent memory” and “the largest internal displacement crisis in the world.”
It has made a call for $2.7bn for aid inside the country, where 25 million people need assistance, and another $1.4bn for assistance in neighbouring countries that have housed hundreds of thousands of refugees.
Last week, US Special Envoy, Tom Perriello called the international response so far “pitiful.”
“We’re at 5 percent of the needed amount,” he said.
Germany To Provide Aid To Sudan
Also on Monday, Germany pledged to provide 244 million euros ($260m) in humanitarian aid to Sudan.
This came as European diplomats met in France to mark the anniversary of the conflict.
“We can manage together to avoid a terrible famine catastrophe, but only if we get active together now,” German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said, announcing the pledge of funds.
She added that in the worst-case scenario, one million Sudanese could die of hunger this year.
Other European countries are also expected to pledge more funds.
At the conference, France is seeking contributions from the international community and attention to a crisis officials say is being crowded out of the global conversation by ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza.
“For a year the Sudanese people have been the victims of a terrible war,” French Foreign Minister, Stephane Sejourne said.
He added that yet they had also suffered from “being forgotten” and “indifference.”
“This is the reason for our meetings today: to break the silence surrounding this conflict and mobilise the international community,” he stated.
Donors will hopefully pledge “well over a billion euros” ($1.07bn) at the conference, a French diplomatic source told a news agency, without specifying where the rest of the money will come from.
Meanwhile, the United Kingdom announced sanctions against businesses linked to the warring parties in Sudan.
The foreign office said that “strict measures” would include an asset freeze on companies linked to the SAF and the RSF.
British Foreign Minister, David Cameron stressed, “We continue to see appalling atrocities against civilians, unacceptable restrictions on humanitarian access and an utter disregard for civilian life.”
He noted, “The businesses that support the warring parties must be held to account, alongside those responsible for human rights abuses.”
“The world must not forget about Sudan. We urgently need to end the violence,” he added.
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