What is the United Nations doing for the Sudanese?" This is a question I am often asked when I meet people inside and outside of the Sudan. And it is an important one.
Just a few years ago, in 2019, there was euphoria as the Sudan embarked on a journey of transition to civilian rule, democracy and economic development for all, with hope for the future placed in a civilian-led government. However, there were also concerning signs throughout the transition period, including the events of 3 June 2019, a painful date for many, when hundreds of peaceful protestors were killed or injured. The hope, which dimmed with the military coup of October 2021, has since dissipated, as the fighting that started in April 2023 continues and humanitarian needs keep growing.
On 15 April 2023, things took a turn for the worse in the Sudan--a country already plagued by years of protracted crisis and record levels of humanitarian need--when fighting erupted between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Khartoum. The conflict quickly spread to other parts of the Sudan, including the greater Darfur and Kordofan regions. This plunged the country into a much deeper state of human misery, with half of the population, almost 25 million people, now in need of assistance. It is hard to grapple with the fact that one in every two people across the Sudan needs help. As always in war, it is the civilians who suffer.
At the time of writing, more than 12,000 people had been killed, and clashes do not seem to be abating. Over 7.3 million people had been displaced inside the Sudan and into neighbouring countries. As more people flee across the borders, host communities in neighbouring countries are struggling. Continued conflict in the Sudan could tip the entire region into a humanitarian catastrophe.
The hostilities have also resulted in extensive damage to critical infrastructure and facilities, affecting the water supply and causing the collapse of banking and financial services, as well as frequent interruptions to electricity supply and telecommunication services. The fighting also impacts the rule of law, with widespread looting adding to people's losses. More than 70 per cent of health facilities in conflict areas are out of service, and countrywide, two thirds of the population lack access to health care. We also must not forget that the people of Darfur have undergone 20 years of conflict and displacement. Some have been displaced up to three times, with bleak prospects for returning to their homes, or what is left of them, any time soon. The Sudanese are known for their resilience and ability to overcome various challenges, but they have their limits and there is only so much anyone can take.
Meanwhile, life in parts of the Sudan that are not directly affected by conflict is no longer affordable for average citizens. People who fled to cities such as Port Sudan or Wad Madani are struggling to get by, as prices have skyrocketed. And some are forced to move back to unsafe cities such as Khartoum, despite the inherent risks, because they cannot afford to live elsewhere.
The events that have been reported and shared by those I have spoken to can only be described, as I stated in a 10 November 2023 media briefing, as "verging on pure evil". The atrocities that are taking place--ethnic killings, and women and girls being abducted and held in inhuman, degrading, slavery-like conditions, becoming victims of sexual and gender-based violence, including rape--are horrendous. Let me underscore that I am extremely concerned about what is happening, and I continue to raise the alarm in a world filled with a cacophony of alarms. I am equally concerned about our ability to protect those who need protection, particularly women and children.
To date, 3 million children have been displaced, making the Sudan the country with the highest number of displaced children globally. In addition, 19 million children are not in school. The child protection crisis that is emerging as a result of the current conflict will impact not only today's generation but most likely the next.
Against this backdrop, in 2023, humanitarian organizations reached 5.2 million people across the Sudan with some form of humanitarian assistance. This includes, among other things, food, health care, shelter supplies and protection services. However, this number represents only a fifth of those who need it. In our quest to reach the most vulnerable people with the assistance that they need, we are facing three major challenges: access, insufficient funding and a lack of attention to this crisis on the world stage.
There are some communities that we have not been able to reach since April 2023, and their conditions are deteriorating rapidly. Lack of access due to insecurity and bureaucratic impediments are hindering humanitarian organizations from helping those in need. Daily we undertake negotiations and dialogue behind the scenes to facilitate the delivery of much-needed aid and relief. We are doing everything we can to try to reach people. I have also been encouraged, witnessing how the Sudanese themselves are supporting each other and sharing what little they have with their neighbours.
Insufficient funding is another challenge in those instances where we could do more. We have to scale up our resources. In addition to access impediments and funding limitations, it has been difficult to draw the attention of the global community to what is happening in the Sudan. The world seems to be dealing with one crisis after another, many of which receive much more coverage than the crisis in the Sudan, despite it being one of the worst. Every crisis merits attention, but we must ensure that attention paid to other emergencies does not come at the expense of forgetting situations like the one unfolding in the Sudan. There is no other way out of this negative trajectory than for peace to prevail. Those who are fighting must stop before more dreams and hopes for the future are destroyed. We also need to invest in the development of the country. This is the only way the Sudan will prosper.
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The United Nations Secretary-General's call for dialogue, respect for human rights, the rule of law, and an inclusive political process that reflects the aspirations of the Sudanese people could not be more relevant. Peace, justice, equality, education and the eradication of hunger are only some of the objectives of the Sustainable Development Goals that the Sudan desperately needs to attain. This is the long-term trajectory on which the country needs to move forward.
To respond to the question I set out above, which asked what the United Nations was doing for the Sudanese people, I can report that we, the United Nations, together with our national and humanitarian partners, are delivering life-saving assistance and services to people across the Sudan. We also work to foster resilience and development where we can through support to basic services and livelihoods. We will continue to do all of this to the best of our ability, and we will not give up. My message is simple and echoes that of the Secretary-General: we are not leaving the Sudan. The United Nations remains steadfast in its commitment to serving the Sudanese people wherever they are in the country.
Clementine Nkweta-Salami is United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator Sudan.
The op-ed was initially published in the UN Chronicle.
