By Kielce Gussie and Jean-Benoît Harel
For two years, the entire country of Sudan has been living in dire conditions. Today, Apr 15, marks the tragic second anniversary of what has become the world’s largest and most devastating humanitarian crisis. And yet, it is a conflict that is too often forgotten.
On Sunday, Pope Francis once again appealed for a stop to the violence and asked the international community to provide vital aid to the people in need.
51 million Sudanese have been living with the consequences of this conflict between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), vying for power. The death toll is reportedly in the tens of thousands, famine is rampant, and 13 million people have been displaced.
RSF attacks have intensified in recent days and violence reigns in the country. On Apr 11, air and ground attacks on the cities of Zamzam, Abu Shouk, and Al Fasher killed many civilians. The United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan, Clementine Nkweta-Salami reported over “100 people, including more than 20 children, are feared dead, and the deaths of at least nine humanitarian personnel — killed while on a mission to support the most vulnerable — have been confirmed.”
We cannot continue to turn a blind eye
In an attempt to end the violence and restart stalled peace talks, a conference is being convened in London. Its goal? To bring ministers from 20 countries that could help achieve peace in Sudan.
On this second anniversary and ahead of the start of the Ministerial Conference, leaders of faith-based networks and religious organizations issued a statement, describing the situation in Sudan as “dire.” It warned that “without a concerted strong push for peace talks the conflict will only worsen.”
Moreover, the groups challenged the international community to action, saying they “cannot continue to turn a blind eye to Sudan. We must act decisively to bring the parties to the negotiation table and work towards a sustainable resolution of the conflict.”
Caritas Internationalis, ACT Alliance, local partners and local Caritas members have been working together to help those most in need in Sudan. At the heart of their joint appeal is “support to the Sudanese civil society and mutual aid actors who are the backbone aiding their communities.”
War affects the entire region
Despite the conflict creating such a devastating crisis for millions, media coverage has been minimal. In an interview with Vatican News, Humanitarian Director of Caritas Internationalis stressed the importance of raising awareness of the violence and advocating for peace. He warned that without peace, “I can only see a very extremely dire and catastrophic situation for the people of Sudan, and not only Sudan.”
Peace is crucial for other countries as well. About 4 million Sudanese people have crossed into neighboring countries to escape the violence. Hok explained that the more people flee Sudan, “the more they erode the dire situations that neighboring countries like Chad or South Sudan are currently facing because they are all also going through a significant humanitarian crisis.”
The only way forward for the millions of people affected by this devastating crisis is if the international community recognizes its responsibility in “protecting international, humanitarian law.”
Only through seeing the faces of human beings rather than numbers on a screen will this war that kills in silence, starves in the shadows, and devastates without witness come to an end. – Vatican News
