February 2, 2024
People displaced by conflict walk with their belongings in Wad Madani, the capital of al-Jazirah state, Sudan, December 16, 2023. © 2023 AFP via Getty Images
Cited article by Human Rights Watch
HRRC strongly emphasizes the critical necessity for immediate international intervention to address the deepening humanitarian crisis in Sudan. We urgently call for swift action to ensure the protection of civilians, particularly those internally displaced, and to hold the warring parties accountable for their grave violations of international humanitarian law.
News Brief
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) recently reported that Sudan is facing an unprecedented humanitarian crisis, with 10.7 million people displaced, including 9 million internally displaced since the outbreak of conflict in April 2023. This surpasses Syria's internal displacement, making Sudan the world's leader in this grim statistic. Behind these numbers are heartbreaking stories of families forced to abandon everything due to attacks by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF). The situation is dire, with 20.3 million people in Sudan facing severe hunger, over 70 percent of hospitals in conflict zones non-functional, and 19 million children out of school.
Human Rights Watch and journalists have documented indiscriminate bombings, attacks on activists, and widespread abuses by the RSF, including pillage and rape. Both parties actively impede aid delivery, with the SAF hindering access and the RSF looting humanitarian supplies. Despite the alarming human toll, the international response has fallen short in prioritizing civilian protection, holding warring parties accountable for violating international humanitarian law and ensuring access to assistance for civilians.
Compounding the issue is the woefully underfunded humanitarian effort. The 2024 Sudan Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan requires $2.7 billion, yet only 3.1 percent of this is funded. The United Nations Security Council's abrupt scrapping of the Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan, without a suitable alternative or sufficient discussion on civilian protection needs, further exacerbates the crisis. Urgent action is needed from concerned governments to increase funding, support local response groups, and apply substantial pressure on warring parties to allow unhindered humanitarian access and adhere to international humanitarian law. The global inaction highlighted by these numbers has severe consequences, costing countless lives in Sudan.