sudan’s Escalating Crisis: A Race Against Time for Hundreds of Thousands
The situation in Sudan is rapidly deteriorating, forcing civilians into desperate flight and pushing humanitarian operations to the brink. It’s not a choice to leave their homes; it’s a desperate scramble for safety. As Mohamed Refaat, IOM Chief of Mission in Sudan, starkly put it, “People in Sudan are not moving by choice, they are running just to find safety.” The international community must urgently step up support to protect a population facing unimaginable hardship.
The current wave of displacement is fueled by relentless violence. Recent reports confirm heavy shelling of residential areas in Dilling, South Kordofan, carried out by the paramilitary Rapid support Forces (RSF) and their allies in the Sudan People’s liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N). This follows the RSF’s seizure of El Fasher, the North Darfur capital, after a brutal 500-day siege in late October.
The fall of El Fasher has had devastating consequences. Over 109,000 people have fled the city and surrounding villages, according to the IOM’s displacement tracking matrix. Many remain stranded in neighboring areas,unable to move further due to logistical nightmares and ongoing security threats. Aid teams on the ground report that essential supplies have been “completely obliterated,” leaving survivors in a truly dire situation – some resorting to eating peanut shells and animal feed.
A Widening circle of Fear
The crisis isn’t isolated to Darfur. Displacement is surging across Kordofan state, with people fleeing Babanusa, Kadugli, and El-Obeid. This isn’t sporadic movement; it’s a mass exodus driven by fear. What’s particularly alarming is who is fleeing.
“Those displacements from Kordofan are not happening sporadically, they are happening because people are scared,” Refaat emphasized. He highlighted a disturbing trend: primarily women and children are making the arduous journey to White Nile and Gedaref states in the east, leaving behind everything they know.
The situation in kadugli, the capital of South Kordofan, is particularly precarious. The recent drone attacks that tragically killed six Bangladeshi peacekeepers from the UN force in Abyei underscore the escalating insecurity. We estimate that 90,000 to 100,000 people in Kadugli are at immediate risk of displacement if fighting intensifies.
El-Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan, is on the verge of becoming the next battleground. We anticipate over half a million people will be impacted if the city comes under attack. The scale of potential displacement is staggering.
The Crippling Impact of Funding Shortfalls
The humanitarian response is severely hampered by critical funding shortages. The IOM alone has lost $83 million this year, forcing drastic cuts to essential programs.
This isn’t simply about reducing operations; it’s about making impossible choices. As Refaat explained, “Because of those cuts, we have to choose which lives we can save and which support we have to stop. So, we would go crossing places where we know that people are absolutely in dire need, but we will leave them and not be able to help them because we have to prioritize those who are absolutely dying.”
These cuts directly translate to leaving vulnerable populations without access to life-saving assistance. It’s a heartbreaking reality for aid workers on the ground and a devastating blow to the people of Sudan.
Urgent Action Needed
The situation in Sudan demands immediate and sustained international attention. All Member States and those capable of providing support must prioritize the protection of Sudanese civilians. Increased funding for humanitarian aid is not just a necessity; it’s a moral imperative.
The world cannot stand by while a nation spirals into chaos and its people face unimaginable suffering. the time to act is now, before the crisis escalates further and the cost in human lives becomes even greater.
resources:
* International Organization for Migration (IOM)
* UN News – Six Peacekeepers Killed in Sudan Drone Attack
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