Sudan is on course to become the world’s largest hunger crises, warned the International Rescue Committee (IRC) in a report released on Friday.
“This crisis and the humanitarian situation in the country will continue to deteriorate until parties to the conflict agree to stop the fighting, protect civilians and ensure they have unrestricted access to lifesaving humanitarian aid,” the report said.
IRC said that one year since fighting broke out between the Sudanese
Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the conflict has had a catastrophic impact on almost every aspect of day-to-day life in the country.
“We stand at a critical juncture in Sudan's history, where the choices we make today will shape the future of generations to come,” Eatizaz Yousif, IRC Country Director for Sudan said.
She added that the past year has been marked by immense challenges and hardships for the people of Sudan.
“The conflict has resulted in significant loss of life, displacement, and economic strain. Beyond the figures, our new report aims to show the very real, multifaceted, human impact of the crisis on the people that have become displaced due to an entire year of this conflict,” she said.
The ongoing fighting has resulted in significant loss of life, with over 14,700 people killed and almost 30,000 injured.
More than 8.2 million people have fled their homes since the conflict started on April 15, 2023, making the conflict in Sudan the world’s largest displacement crisis.
Also, close to 25 million people (around half of the population) are in immediate need of assistance, including 18 million people facing acute food insecurity.
“With almost two million people already displaced into neighboring countries like Chad, Uganda and South Sudan which were already struggling with meeting humanitarian needs themselves, it is critical that the low-income fragile countries who have opened their doors to refugees are better supported by the international community, especially by fully funding their humanitarian and refugee response plans,” the IRC report said.
It added that while the European Union is readying an $9 billion aid package for Egypt amid fears that the conflicts in Gaza and Sudan will raise immigration pressure on Europe, the UN’s $2.7 billion humanitarian appeal for Sudan is only 6% funded.
The report showed that as the fighting continues in Sudan, humanitarian agencies like IRC are facing impediments that prevent them from reaching and providing aid to those in need.
“The IRC's efforts to provide water, health care, and protection services to those who have fled the conflict are vital and must continue,” it said.
According to IRC, the Sudan crisis will not abate until the fighting comes to a stop, which requires a reinvigoration of diplomatic efforts to bring parties to the table to agree to a cessation of hostilities and bring forward a long-term resolution to the conflict.
In the meantime, it is critical that both parties respect their commitments to protect civilians and remove all obstacles to the delivery of humanitarian assistance, and morally incumbent that donors urgently increase the funding needed to support an expansion of operations.
The IRC said it adapted and scaled up its programming in Sudan to address increased humanitarian needs.
It is supporting people who have been displaced internally through economic empowerment services, health and nutrition, and water, sanitation, and hygiene programs.
The IRC also provided protection and empowerment services for women and children, including gender-based violence survivors in Blue Nile, Gedaref, White Nile and Khartoum states and has have established offices in new regions, including Port Sudan, and launched an emergency response in River Nile state to deliver cash assistance, safe water, and sanitation and hygiene services to vulnerable communities.
IRC is also working to establish a presence in new locations, such as Darfur, to address gaps in humanitarian coverage and expand its programming in response to the enduring humanitarian crisis in Sudan.
World Health Organization spokesman Christian Lindmeier told reporters in Geneva on Friday that time was running out to avoid a catastrophe in Sudan.
“Without a stop to the fighting and unhindered access for the delivery of humanitarian aid, Sudan’s crisis will dramatically worsen in the months to come and could impact the whole region” in terms of more refugees, the spread of disease and food insecurity.
“We are only seeing the tip of the iceberg,” he added.
Lindmeier warned that 70 to 80 percent of Sudanese hospitals and clinics were not functioning due to the conflict.
