Over half of Sudan’s population needs humanitarian aid after nearly 7 months of war, UN says

The ongoing conflict in Sudan between the military and paramilitary groups has created a humanitarian crisis. The wave of destruction has left over half of the population in need of aid and has raised concerns about a potential repeat of the deadly ethnic conflict in Darfur. The situation has drawn comparisons to pure evil, according to the United Nations.

The conflict began escalating in mid-April between military chief Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan and the commander of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo. Despite a statement signed after peace talks in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, promising to protect civilians and provide humanitarian access, fighting continues to rage on.

The decimated health sector in conflict areas, combined with outbreaks of diseases and escalating violence against civilians, has created a dire situation. The United Nations coordinator for Sudan emphasized the rising hunger and malnutrition levels among children.

The UN has targeted 12 million people for aid, but funding for the 2023 humanitarian response in Sudan is just over a third funded. Access to hotspots and protecting civilians remains challenging amid the conflict.

The United Nations is particularly worried about the fighting in Darfur and the potential repetition of the conflict that occurred in the region 20 years ago. Reports of widespread killings, rapes, and destruction of villages have raised fears that the situation might escalate to the level of atrocities seen in Darfur.

The U.N. has condemned violence against women and young girls, as well as the egregious violations of human rights, particularly against the Masalit ethnic community in Darfur. This cycle of violence needs to stop, and the international community must step up to address the escalating crisis in Sudan.