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last week, The International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported. 10.7 million People have been forced from their homes in Sudan, including 9 million internally displaced persons, two-thirds of the total since the conflict erupted in April 2023. Sudan currently has the highest rate of internally displaced people in the world, even surpassing Syria’s 7.2 million people. This dismal record should serve as a wake-up call.
Behind these numbers are many stories of personal upheaval and devastating decisions. A 57-year-old woman who was forced to evacuate after the town of Wad Madani was attacked by raiders said: “We had to leave everything behind. Old and sick relatives who could not travel, as well as our home and belongings.” I had to leave it behind.” She is one of the two parties to the conflict in Sudan (RSF) in December. “My father is almost 80 years old. Another relative has chronic heart disease and another has an amputee. They couldn’t handle the long journey.” More than 500,000 people evacuated About half of them have already had to flee the fighting in Khartoum in search of safety after the attack. Wad Madani.
The overall outlook is catastrophically bleak. According to the United Nations, 20.3 million people face severe hunger in Sudan, more than 70 percent of hospitals in conflict areas are not functioning and 19 million children are out of school.
The parties to the conflict in Sudan are responsible. Neither the RSF nor the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) show any regard for civilian lives. For nine months, Human Rights Watch and journalists have documented widespread abuses by the RSF, including indiscriminate SAF bombing, targeting of activists, and looting and rape in connection with residential occupations. Both SAF and RSF actively disrupt the delivery of aid, with SAF blocking or outright denying access to aid workers and supplies, and RSF repeatedly looting humanitarian supplies. There is.
Despite the horrific human toll, the international response to the conflict has prioritized the protection of civilians and has failed to ensure that parties to the conflict are held accountable for their blatant disregard. international humanitarian lawor at least allow civilians to receive assistance.
Humanitarian efforts are woefully underfunded. The Sudan Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan (HNRP) 2024 calls for US$2.7 billion to implement related activities across Sudan, but only 3.1% of this is funded. Almost overnight, the UN Security Council announced that the Integrated Transition Support Mission in Sudan, for which civilian protection was a key pillar, was canceled without a suitable alternative or adequate discussion of the country’s civilian protection needs. allowed to be abolished.
These numbers show that global inaction costs lives. Concerned governments need to step up funding for local response groups and others. It also ultimately requires parties to conflicts to allow free and safe humanitarian access and to take concrete action if they again violate fundamental principles of international humanitarian law. It is necessary to apply pressure.
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