Drone strikes, severely hit infrastructure, widespread starvation, thousands dead and millions displaced – the toll of the civil war in Sudan continues to mount with each passing day, pegging it as a dire humanitarian crisis. The latest among a series of attacks was artillery shelling and air strikes in capital Khartoum on Saturday that killed at least 56 people.
Genesis Of Conflict
Sudan has witnessed violence and displacement since the 2003 Darfur ethnic cleansing crisis, and has the second-highest refugee population in Africa. After Authoritarian leader Omar al-Bashir was deposed as President in 2019, Sudan began a journey of reforms as it transitioned to a new government. This included reforms in the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) .
The RSF is an independent paramilitary force, and used to fight on behalf of the Sudanese government. The RSF was founded by over 20 years ago to quash rebellions in Darfur, where they carried out a campaign of ethnic violence against Masalit communities. Reforms that would impact the RSF and SAF sparked tensions between the two factions. This also resulted in tension between Bashir and General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, who has been Sudan’s de facto leader since 2019.
Bashir’s removal in 2019 had sparked hope for civilian rule in Sudan. Two years later, al-Burhan and Lt. Gen. Mohamed Hamdan, who leads the RSF and is also known as Hemedti, united to seize power in a military coup, but the two soon fell out. Diplomats, including those from United States, attempted to broker peace, but confusion prevailed over RSF’s absorption into the army. This plunged the country into political and economic turmoil.
The conflict in Sudan began when violent clashes erupted between SAF and RSF erupted in the capital Khartoum in April 2023. The unrest soon spread to areas like Darfur, North Kordofan and Gezira state.
Millions Displaced
Between April 15, 2023, and October 25, 2024, the warring sides exchanged a total of 8,942 attacks, averaging 16 a day, according to data from the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED), a crisis mapping organisation.
The conflict resulted in over 11 million people being displaced, including internally displaced people (IDPs), asylum seekers and refugees. A large chunk of Sudan’s population now faces extreme shortages of food, water, medicine and fuel.
Nearly three quarters of health facilities are out of service and diseases including cholera, measles and malaria are spreading at a time when two thirds of the population lack access to health care.
Egypt is hosting the most Sudanese refugees (1.2 million), followed by Chad (712,288), South Sudan (190,280), Libya (180,000), Uganda (60,808) and Ethiopia (39,984). In South Sudan, most of those arriving are returning nationals (650,000) who had been living in Sudan as refugees.
Impact On Women And Children
As per estimates by the United Nations, over 3 million women and girls were at risk of gender-based violence. The civil war only compounded it. Reports of rape, sexual slavery and other forms of sexual violence emerged only days after the conflict began. Attacks on healthcare facilities, equipment and workers are further depriving women and girls of lifesaving care, with pregnant women hardest hit, according to the World Health Organization and UNFPA.
According to UNICEF, Sudan is witnessing the world’s largest child displacement crisis. The conflict has deprived millions of Sudanese children of an education, with more than 90 per cent of the country’s 19 million school-age children having no access to formal education.
Aid Delivery Restricted
Despite the catastrophic threats of famine, both the SAF and RSF are actively restricting aid delivery across Sudan. International organisations like the World Food Programme said that they cannot access 90 per cent of the people facing emergency levels of hunger.
At a high-level donor conference in Paris in April, international donors pledged more than two billion euros (or over $2.1 billion) in aid for Sudan. But by June, the United Nations said, it had raised only $430 million of the $2.7 billion it needs for Sudan.
What Is The Current Situation?
The Rapid Support Forces dominate much of Khartoum and Darfur, while Wad Madani was captured in December. Later, however, the SAF recaptured Omdurman. The military also controls most of northern and eastern Sudan, including Port Sudan on the Red Sea. The paramilitary group also surrounded El Fasher, the last city in Darfur still held by the army.
Other Disasters Exacerbate Suffering
The civil war continues amid sever droughts to floods to even a famine in some parts of the country. The conflict also exacerbated many of Sudan’s existing challenges, including ongoing conflicts, disease outbreaks, and economic and political instability.
Why Is The World Invested In The Conflict?
The third-largest African country Sudan is one of the largest gold producers of the continent and its position on River Nile gives it agricultural potential. It is also situated on the coast of the Red Sea, a busy shipping route, for about 500 miles.
Russia’s Wagner mercenaries also backed the RSF with weapons in the early months of the war, UN and Sudanese officials said, as per New York Times. The country is also receiving armed drones from Iran.