SGGP
At least 800 people were killed in just 72 hours over the past weekend in fighting between the Sudanese army and the opposition paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
The consequences of the conflict, which has lasted from April until now, are that more than 9,000 people have been killed and over 5.6 million have been forced to flee their homes.
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| Saudi Arabian and other citizens leave a Sudanese port on April 22. Photo: Reuters |
According to estimates by the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), 20.3 million people are currently facing severe hunger and are dependent on humanitarian aid in Sudan, equivalent to 42% of Sudan's population. WFP data shows that 6.3 million people are on the brink of starvation, the highest number ever recorded in the country. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) estimates that more than 8,000 people fled Sudan to neighboring Chad just last week. This number may be significantly lower than the actual figure.
Escalating violence in Sudan prompted the United Nations to warn on November 12th of the risk of a new genocide. According to Politico, UN High Commissioner Filippo Grandi compared the current violence to the previous genocide in Darfur (western Sudan), in which an estimated 300,000 people died between 2003 and 2005.
“Twenty years ago, the world was shocked by the atrocities and horrific human rights violations in Darfur. We fear a similar phenomenon may be happening again. An immediate end to the war and unconditional respect for civilians from all sides are crucial to avert another catastrophe,” Grandi urged.
The most recent negotiations between the warring parties in Sudan took place on October 26th in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The aim was to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid and establish a ceasefire leading to a permanent end to hostilities. Unfortunately, the negotiations yielded no progress. Previous attempts at reconciliation between the factions in Sudan also resulted only in temporary ceasefires, which were systematically violated shortly after being reached. With a call for the international community not to remain silent in the face of violence in Sudan, the United Nations wants the world to prevent history from repeating itself.
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