Sudan: At the heart of the world's worst humanitarian crisis

The devastating war that has raged for more than a year and a half between the government-backed Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, as well as allied armed groups on both sides, has led to global violence. worst humanitarian crisis. The tragedy continues to worsen, sinking even deeper into an abyss with no end in sight, despite the desperate efforts of local civil society and some international organizations to try to stop the cataclysm.

Since September, with the end of the country’s rainy season, the war has intensified again, fueled by increasingly evident foreign interference. The military began to retake previously lost territories amid a chaotic storm of abuse, destruction and death. The war is now focused on three fronts: the area surrounding the capital, Khartoum; Gezira State in the center; and the North Darfur state capital, El Fasher, to the west.

The humanitarian situation in Sudan is catastrophic due to the scale and complexity of the crisis. The war has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives, including deaths and injuries, while widespread abuses such as sexual violence and torture continue. Conditions incompatible with life – extreme malnutrition, a failing health system and a blockade of aid – are driving up mortality rates from preventable causes.

Despite these challenges, some humanitarian organizations have tried to take advantage of the end of the rains to expand their operations in Sudan, according to sources and data consulted by EL PAÍS. However, this improvement still remains meager compared to the overwhelming needs. “Any increase in aid to Sudan is welcome, but it must be more than just a drop in the ocean,” says Christopher Lockyear, secretary general of Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF).

Multitude of crises

Sudan is now home to the world’s largest displacement crisis. Since the start of the war, more than 8.7 million people have fled their homes in search of safer places, and more than 3 million have crossed the border into neighboring countries such as Egypt, Chad, South Sudan and Libya. Before the current conflict, more than 3.8 million people were already displaced in Sudan, largely due to previous conflicts in peripheral regions such as Darfur and Kordofan.

In recent months, one of the main factors driving the increase in displacement has been the rise in violence in Gezira and North Darfur states. In these areas, the war was accompanied by terror inflicted by paramilitaries and indiscriminate bombing by both sides in civilian areas.

Amid this crisis, more than 24 million people, half of Sudan’s population, face high levels of food insecurity. The latest report from the leading international expert committee on food security, released on December 24, identified famine in at least five regions in the west and south, and predicted that five more regions will experience famine in the coming months. come. Famine is not only the result of food shortages, but also the collapse of health systems, livelihoods, local economies and the social structures of entire communities.

Speaking by telephone from Zamzam, the largest IDP camp in North Darfur, where famine broke out in August, Saddam Abkar Safi, a member of a local volunteer group, describes how conditions have deteriorated in recent years. recent months. “It is becoming very difficult, especially in Zamzam and (the neighboring regional capital) El Fasher, due to the siege imposed on us. In Zamzam, many displaced people cannot afford to buy enough to survive a day,” he says.

The multiplicity of crises is compounded by an overwhelmed national health system. In the areas most affected by the fighting, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that between 70 and 80 percent of health facilities are closed or only partially functioning, while in other parts of the country, this figure is around 50%. Since the start of the war, the WHO has documented more than 120 attacks on medical facilities, services and personnel, although the real number appears to be much higher.

This collapse of the national health system, coupled with the severe damage to other essential services such as drinking water and electricity, has created fertile ground for health crises that could normally have been avoided. Since the summer, Sudan has been grappling with a worrying cholera epidemic, triggered by a particularly intense rainy season and widespread flooding. The floods mainly affected regions with high population density and large numbers of displaced people, which were previously little affected by the fighting, such as areas in the east of the country.

Limited response

Despite the scale of the crisis, humanitarian organizations have faced numerous setbacks and obstacles since the start of the war. These include widespread insecurity and efforts by warring parties to exploit the aid. Humanitarian agencies also face constant bureaucratic and logistical challenges, particularly from military authorities, who have been particularly inflexible when found on the defensive on the front lines.

The arrival of the dry season has facilitated road transport, which constitutes the main means of transporting supplies. This has allowed humanitarian agencies to increase the number of shipments to various parts of the country since October, using cross-border routes and, to a lesser extent, routes crossing territories controlled by different factions of the conflict, according to data from the United Nations Office. for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

Much of the increase was made possible by the World Food Program (WFP), which announced in late November that it had received authorization from the military government to send more than 700 trucks to areas suffering from or at risk of famine. Leni Kinzli, WFP’s communications officer, said it was part of a “broader plan” to reach remote areas and continue to increase the regular flow of monthly aid.

Kinzli says the end of the rainy season has allowed more supplies to be brought in by road. In addition, he adds, Sudanese authorities have granted more authorizations to deliver aid, which coincides with a change in the dynamics of the conflict since September and the first significant advances by the army. “This increase (in aid shipments) will allow us to reach more people, especially those at risk of famine and who have been difficult to reach, (including) Darfur, Khartoum and Gezira,” says -he.

In the four months between August and November, the number of trucks carrying aid across borders and front lines in Sudan was less than 1,000. For comparison, in October alone, during the period where the least aid entered Gaza, 1,166 humanitarian trucks arrived, according to UN data.

Cross-border convoys to Sudan use two main crossing points between Chad and Darfur: Adré, the main passage, and Tine. However, their future remains uncertain. The UN only allowed shipments from Chad with the approval of the military government, citing the need to respect the country’s sovereignty. Yet military authorities are reluctant to send aid to areas beyond their control, such as much of Darfur, and continue to deny the existence and risk of famine, despite the overwhelming evidence.

“In Sudan, we find ourselves in a situation where the survival of the population has been sacrificed under the pretext of sovereignty,” says Lockyear of Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), one of the most active organizations in Sudan and one of the rare still operates in besieged areas. “Much more could have been done, much more can be done and much more should be done now to challenge these restrictions, both practically and politically,” he adds.

Implicitly recognizing the severity of the crisis, the military government’s Humanitarian Aid Commission (HAC) announced on December 24 that it would distribute hundreds of tons of humanitarian aid throughout the country – likely influenced by concerns over the international pressure. However, these supplies will a priori be directed to areas controlled by the army. The HAC did not respond to requests for comment from EL PAÍS.

Despite the current increase in deliveries, many of the worst-hit areas are still receiving only the bare minimum of supplies needed to avoid famine, and even that is not always enough. According to the WFP, the 700 trucks announced in November could feed around 1.5 million people for a month. However, in Zamzam alone, MSF estimates that around 100 trucks would be needed each month to provide a month’s worth of emergency rations of around 500 calories per day.

The challenges facing humanitarian actors have highlighted the growing importance of local self-help initiatives, which are mainly supported by the Sudanese diaspora and have proven to be very effective in areas isolated by the ongoing conflict. “As I speak to you, I have a WFP delivery due to leave the warehouse tomorrow. We try to distribute the aid, even if it is interrupted, discontinuous and scarce,” explains Abdallah, a member of the emergency response unit in the southern belt of Khartoum, who also helps at a medical center free.

However, these grassroots groups are among the most vulnerable to violence, often the target of attacksand the continuation of their operations remains uncertain. “We are facing great challenges due to the indiscriminate bombings that are currently happening and the difficulty in providing aid,” says Safi, a member of the emergency response unit in Zamzam. “We ask that humanitarian aid be provided in all possible circumstances,” he adds.

For many, what is desperately needed is much greater political commitment. “We are seeing a global humanitarian failure in terms of collective response,” Lockyear says. “The presence of the UN and international NGOs is very weak, even in areas that are relatively easy to access,” he laments.

Lockyear further emphasizes that “the supply of humanitarian aid must be increased by all means available,” but also emphasizes that “humanitarian response is about more than counting trucks and planes.” “We need humanitarian personnel on the ground; I was surprised by the lack of humanitarian presence in the places I visited in Darfur,” he adds.

WFP’s Kinzli agrees. “We continue to look for different ways to get aid or assistance to people, even if we can’t get trucks (to some parts of the country),” she said. “The needs in Sudan are so immense that one in two people face acute levels of hunger,” she emphasizes. “This means that almost everyone needs some form of help. »

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