Latest
Press Release
26 September 2024
Türk sounds alarm over hostilities in El Fasher, warns of serious human rights violations
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Press Release
26 September 2024
The Humanitarian Country Team in Sudan is deeply alarmed by a rise in conflictrelated sexual violence
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Press Release
25 September 2024
Readout of the the Secretary-General’s meeting with H.E. Lt. General Abdel-Fattah Al-Burhan Abdelrahman Al-Burhan, President of the Transitional Sovereign Council of the Republic of the Sudan
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Latest
The Sustainable Development Goals in Sudan
The Sustainable Development Goals are a global call to action to end poverty, protect the earth’s environment and climate, and ensure that people everywhere can enjoy peace and prosperity. These are the goals the UN is working on in Sudan:
Publication
29 September 2024
Women and girls of Sudan: Fortitude amid the flame of war
This publication provides a detailed analysis of the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Sudan, focusing on its disproportionate impact on women and girls. As the country faces the largest internal displacement since the Syrian civil war, millions of Sudanese, particularly women and children, are grappling with severe challenges.This report highlights key data on displacement, malnutrition, lack of access to healthcare, gender-based violence, and food insecurity. It also explores how deeply entrenched gender inequality exacerbates the vulnerabilities of female-headed households and the critical barriers women face in accessing essential resources. It also offers a comprehensive overview of the socio-economic and health impacts on women and girls, drawing from recent assessments and data.The report emphasizes the need for targeted humanitarian interventions. We consider it as an essential resource for understanding the gender dimensions of Sudan’s humanitarian crisis and calls for focused action to mitigate its effects.
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Speech
25 September 2024
Humanitarian Coordinator for Sudan calls for end of hostilities, protection of civilians, and unimpeded access
Port Sudan -- As world leaders gather for the United Nations General Assembly in New York, the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan, Ms. Clementine Nkweta-Salami, urged Member States and the international community to focus on the plight of millions of people in Sudan who have endured more than 17 months of brutal conflict, which has resulted in the world’s fastest-growing civilian displacement and humanitarian crisis.“Humanitarians across Sudan are calling on the international community to step up to end the devastating conflict and ensure unrestricted access so that more than 150 aid organizations operating in the country can reach the millions of people facing acute hunger and disease – and staring down famine,” Ms. NkwetaSalami said.The crisis in Sudan and the region will take centre stage at UN Headquarters on Wednesday, 25 September, when Member States join together with the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and the UN Refugee Agency, to call for urgent and collective support to address the humanitarian catastrophe and push for peace.“This is exactly why the UN was created: to prevent war and alleviate human suffering,” the Humanitarian Coordinator added. "Each passing hour means women and children in parts of El Fasher, Khartoum, Aj Jazirah, Sennar and other areas directly affected by conflict are likely dying from hostilities, malnutrition, or illness.”Since the conflict erupted between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in April 2023, an estimated 20,000 people have been killed and thousands of others injured. More than 10 million people – or over one in every five people – have fled their homes, including 8.1 million who have been displaced within Sudan and another 2.4 million who crossed the borders to neighbouring and other countries.In recent days, at least 1,500 people were displaced from El Fasher, capital of North Darfur State following the escalation of hostilities in the town. “Once again, I urge the parties to halt attacks on civilians, homes and essential facilities, such as hospitals, which are protected under the international humanitarian law,” Ms. Nkweta-Salami said.The situation in and around El Fasher is of particular concern, after the Famine Review Committee of the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification confirmed famine conditions in the Zamzam displacement camp in August. Another 13 areas, including two other displacement camps in North Darfur, are likely experiencing similar conditions and need urgent access and assistance.Meanwhile, the outbreak of cholera and incidences of water or vector-borne diseases are aggravating the already dire situation that malnourished people, especially children and women, are facing. According to the Sudanese authorities, the number of cholera cases reported over the past two months has reached 13,300, including 415 related deaths.Despite insecurity, access and funding challenges, humanitarian partners provided more than 8 million people across Sudan with some form of humanitarian assistance this year. Over the past week, humanitarian organizations started distributing emergency food aid for about 180,000 people in Zamzam camp.Meanwhile, following the re-opening of the Adre border point between Chad and Sudan, UN aid agencies have moved 135 trucks with essential life-saving supplies for about 520,000 people via the crossing. “The aid through Adre and food for people in Zamzam camp, where famine has been confirmed, are a testament to what the UN and humanitarian partners can accomplish,” the Humanitarian Coordinator said. “However, unrestricted access and additional funding are critical to reach more people in acute need.”Nine months into the year, the Sudan humanitarian appeal, seeking US$2.7 billion, is less than 50 per cent funded. This is constraining and limiting the response efforts of the UN, international and national NGOs on the ground, including in Darfur, Khartoum, Kordofan and other areas.
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Press Release
01 September 2024
Deputy Secretary-General's press encounter at the conclusion of her visit to Sudan
Thank you very much, and we very much appreciate the one day that we have had here in the Port of Sudan, where we have met with the Government, and we have met with many stakeholders. The visit has been at the opportunity of the Government opening up the border in Adre. The humanitarian task that we have in Sudan has been very big. It has been one that we have been consistently supporting the Government to try to address the crisis in the country.The many atrocities that we have seen [inaudible] upon men, women, children, especially, and for that, we wanted to come to speak and to support the Government in keeping that border open and aid to the people that need it most across the country. But in this particular case, this new opening gave us another opportunity.The second, of course, is to bring the international community again to see the visibility of the crisis here in Sudan. It is a huge one. There are many people suffering. It requires enormous support for commitments that have been made to the humanitarian cause, but have to be fulfilled, and they have to be done urgently.We have impending crisis around famine. We are not getting medical supplies in where there are health crises. But more importantly, we have to remember the suffering of the people, and we are here to do this with the Government of Sudan.So that really has been the main reason for coming here. This is not outside of the political processes that are being supported by the United Nations and the Personal Envoy to the Secretary-General, but we would like all of them to happen at the same time, because, of course, the suffering of the people in this country is one of the worst crises in the world today. Question: Was there any discussion about the negotiations between SAF and RSF?Deputy Secretary-General: The discussions that we had with the President and with members of his cabinet were principally around the humanitarian agenda and the urgency of this. Of course, there were discussions to say that, agreed, is the Jeddah process, and that is one that must be actioned, and we must try to do that as urgently as possible. There is consensus there, and there is no reason why that cannot be moved forward.Question: Has there been any progress on agreeing on the procedures for entering Adre?Deputy Secretary-General: Yes, there has. What we have done is to sit down with the humanitarian aid commission, and then we have had discussions on how, first of all, not to stop any of the aid that is available right now going in. But in parallel, to address legitimate concerns of the government and put in procedures that would ensure this aid gets to people where it's meant to.Question: Did you receive any commitment from the Sudan Government to open other borders for aid delivery? Because humanitarians are always speaking about others cross borders, with South Sudan, etc.Deputy Secretary-General: There are many border posts that have already been opened. I believe Adre makes it 11, if I'm not mistaken. That's a number of border openings. What we have to do is to match the openings of these borders with the aid that goes in, and that means resources, and so we need those resources, and we need them now so that we can contend with what we have. As I said, there are many challenges to getting aid to where they are needed. It will be also remiss of me not to say that we have also in consideration, the refugees and the crisis also in Chad. There are many refugees in Chad, and of course, to get through to Adre, you are in Chad. So we're also looking at that. Thank you.
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Story
05 May 2023
Escaping Sudan: Home alone, with warplanes overhead
When fighting erupted in Sudan’s capital Khartoum, 25-year-old Arafa was at home alone with her two young children.
“I spent the night in fear, unable to go out of my house, as people were being killed everywhere,” she said, worrying about how she would protect her five-year-old son and three-year-old daughter.
Panicked by the sounds of shooting and warplanes flying overhead, she tried calling her husband at work, only to learn from friends that he had been shot dead.
No time to mourn
With no time to mourn and no clear plan, she fled Khartoum with her two young children in a desperate bid to escape. Setting out by bus, she arrived in Madani, a city 135 kilometres southeast of Khartoum, where a local man offered to help them leave the country.
Together with five others, they were driven to Port Sudan, the country’s main eastern seaport. From there they walked for a whole day before finding transport towards the Egyptian border.
“I was scared, tired, and without hope,” she said, noting that she spent 80 hours without food or water. “The road was difficult, and the continued sound of gunfire was deafening. I did not think we would make it. I was holding my children in my arms, fearing the war, the journey to asylum, and the long road ahead.”
Nowhere else to go
After crossing the border, they were eventually driven to Cairo and dropped off in a square in the unfamiliar city. With nowhere else to go, Arafa and her children spent the night on the street.
Arafa said that in the morning, a South Sudanese woman was passing by and saw her.
“She advised me to go to the office of UNHCR and register with them,” she said, adding that her family is now registered for assistance with the agency and is living with the kind South Sudanese woman.
‘We are together, with the refugees’
Like the other countries neighbouring Sudan that have been impacted by the conflict, Egypt already hosts a large refugee population.
With UNHCR operations in these countries already acutely underfunded, the refugee agency said increased support will be vital to respond to the humanitarian needs of those fleeing the violence.
That includes about 60,000 Khartoum residents that have fled the city for safety.
Randa Osman, an assistant field officer with UNHCR, provided an update from the Shagarab Refugee Camp in eastern Sudan.
“Despite the ongoing conflict, we are together, hand by hand, with the refugees, listening to them, and being with the people we serve in all situations in Sudan,” she said.
Amid airstrikes, armed attacks, and urban warfare, more than 100,000 Sudanese have already reportedly escaped into neighbouring countries, with their harrowing stories echoing the plight of tens of thousands of others who are frantically fleeing, since fierce fighting between rival military groups began on 15 April.
Devastating chaos
For Marwa, who was preparing breakfast for her 11-month-old son in their home near Khartoum airport on that morning, life changed in an instant. The humanitarian worker had planned on that Saturday to welcome home her husband from a trip ahead of Eid celebrations.
Instead, after days of devastating chaos, shooting, and violence, she wended through embattled streets to find a way to escape.
Grabbing a few belongings, including some medication and some clothes, she joined thousands of other families fleeing for safety.
Her journey from Khartoum to Egypt was a stressful, exhausting mix of heat, hunger, fear, sleepless nights, and mosquito bites, she said.
Now in a safe place, Marwa said she feels helpless, unable to help those who have remained behind.
“As a person working in the humanitarian field, it was very hard for me to see this situation but be unable to help,” she said. “My husband is still in Kassala, and we have no idea how we’ll be reunited. We’re still trying to work that out.”
Fleeing with nothing
“We fled Sudan for Chad,” said Halime Issakh Oumar, who is now a refugee. “We want to be safe. There is no security. We came with nothing, not even food or something to drink.”
The stories of Arafa, Marwa, and Halime mirror those of almost 21,000 Sudanese who sought refuge in neighbouring Chad. Another 10,000 Sudanese have fled to Central African Republic, and, as of Thursday, 47,000 have escaped to safety in Egypt, according UN reports.
In these countries as well as neighbouring Ethiopia and South Sudan, thousands of men, women, and children are arriving, some after perilous journeys, according to the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) and other UN entities.
Assisting growing numbers of refugees
Africa’s second largest refugee-hosting country, Sudan hosts more than 1.14 million refugees. Before the onset of the conflict, more than 3.7 million people were internally displaced, and now, there are many more, UNHCR said.
As the warring military factions have repeatedly broken fragile ceasefire agreements, several UN agencies say the numbers of refugees will continue to grow.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) is currently recording more than 1,000 daily arrivals in Ethiopia, where the majority – 39 per cent – are returning Ethiopians, and 17 per cent are Sudanese and third country nationals from more than 50 other countries.
Raghuveer Sharma, who moved to Sudan from India in 2021, had worked at a steel plant outside Khartoum at the outset of the conflict. For a full week, armed groups had entered the premises daily, looting and firing weapons indiscriminately, taking a hostage, and demanding vehicles and mobile phones, he told UN News.
“We made a plan that as soon as armed groups entered the guest house, we would not let them come inside,” he said. “As long as we had vehicles and mobile phones, our lives would be spared.”
Grateful for being evacuated, he said he hopes the situation in Sudan returns to normal soon.
A ‘perfect storm’
The UN estimates that as many as 270,000 Sudanese could end up crossing the seven international borders of the 48 million-strong nation – the third largest country in Africa.
UNHCR said on Thursday that the agency is expecting an outflow of 860,000 refugees and returnees from Sudan.
The World Food Programme (WFP) warned of “a perfect storm” in Chad, where the influx of refugees is unfolding weeks before the onset of the lean season between harvests, which is expected to leave an estimated 1.9 million people severely food insecure.
Pounding rains arriving about the same time, threaten to turn swathes of desert into rivers, imperiling deliveries of key food assistance to the refugees and other vulnerable groups, the agency said.
“It’s a perfect storm,” said Pierre Honnorat, WFP Country Director and Representative in Chad. “The lean season coming in June, and the rainy season that will cut off all those regions.”
Everything lost ‘in the blink of an eye’
The Sudanese people’s stories paint a somber picture of how conflict can instantaneously shatter lives.
A 16-year-old Sudanese girl had made it across the Chadian border to safety.
“I would love to go back to my country,” she said, “but only if we are safe there.”
While many have managed to escape the fighting and reach safety, Arafa said her own family’s future feels far from secure.
“I can’t believe I am here in Egypt now, but I am still afraid of everything,” Arafa said. “I need help. I am afraid of the future. I lost my home, my husband, and my country in the blink of an eye. I don’t want to lose my children too. I want them to be safe.”
UN in action
Across the border towns lacing Sudan, UN agencies are working to help those in need. Here is a snapshot of some of what is happening on the ground:
In Chad and Sudan, UN agencies are bringing in more than 70,000 core relief items from its global stockpiles.
In Egypt, the UN is conducting an assessment mission on the needs of people fleeing Sudan.
The UN and the Egyptian Red Crescent are delivering water, food, wheelchairs, and hygiene and sanitary kits to new arrivals.
A social media account and website run by UNHCR offers up-to-date information for refugees in Egypt.
UNHCR launched a preliminary inter-agency regional refugee response plan on Thursday to address urgent financial needs as soon as possible, which requires $445 million to support the displaced until October.
At border crossings, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) provides families with essential items and medical services.
IOM is providing such support services as transportation and accommodation to refugees and returnees at border areas, where the agency has set up transit centres.
The UN Population Fund (UNFPA) continues to support partners to provide life-saving health care, distribute supplies for safe births, and to manage obstetric emergencies through a network of midwives.
WFP provides assistance in the region, and it is urgently appealing for emergency funding, including at least $145.6 million to continue supporting newly arrived and existing refugees in Chad, along with host communities.
This article first appeared in UN News.
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Story
09 December 2023
Sudanese women advocate for peace at conference in Uganda
We must work together to formulate a clear vision to achieve the aspirations of the Sudanese people, bringing back security, peace, and the establishment of a civil state where all citizens are equal, and opportunities are provided regardless of their gender, ethnic, religious, or tribal backgrounds.
Those are the words of Samia Argawi, a lawyer and founder of “Women Against War” and member of the “Peace for Sudan Platform”, a peacebuilding initiative by Sudanese women-led organizations and initiatives supported by UN Women.
Since fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces broke out on 15 April 2023, hundreds of people have been killed and thousands injured. UN reports have found that gender-based violence has increased during the conflict, and the humanitarian situation has significantly worsened, with food prices peaking and limited access to water and electricity.
The Peace for Sudan Platform comprises more than 49 women-led peace initiatives, humanitarian initiatives, and civil society organizations, featuring representatives from across the different regions of the country.
Soon after fighting broke out, UN Women and partners including the African Union, the African Women Leaders Network, at the request of the Peace for Sudan Platform, organized a virtual high-level solidarity mission to support and amplify calls to end the conflict, highlight its impact on women and girls, and mobilize support to women’s peacebuilding and protection efforts.
In late October, shortly after the conflict passed its six-month mark, UN Women in partnership with the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), African Union, and International Women's Peace Center organized a conference with Sudanese women peacebuilders in Kampala, Uganda.
The conference included consultations with more than 400 women across 14 Sudanese states about their priorities and demands and aimed to build bridges between women in Sudan and in countries across the region. Women joined online from Sudan and in-person, with many refugees and exiles attending.
The conference also aimed to enhance women’s leadership and highlighted the leading role Sudanese women and young women are playing in mobilizing the peace movement.
A long history of peacebuilding
“Sudanese women have their own narrative of resilience and determination as agents of peace”, said Adjaratou Ndiaye, UN Women’s Sudan representative. “Conflict and displacement have never shaken their mission for peace, as we witness this gathering today and recognize all the women-led peace initiatives and responses on the ground and in other parts of the world”.
Many women joined Sudan’s 2019 revolution, which saw the overthrow of President Omar al-Bashir after 30 years in power. Women were able to organize protests and support young people throughout the upheaval, and their activism was highlighted by alternative media outlets that arose after the revolution. But 2019 represented just one episode in a long line of women’s work for peace and justice in the country.
“Since the founding of Sudan 67 years ago, the women of Sudan have always stood out as a beacon of hope and the voice of reason during the successive crises that have faced the country”, said Workneh Gebeyehu, Executive Secretary of IGAD.
“Let us remember the wise words of our African proverbs: ‘When men go to war, it is women who must pick up the pieces’”, he said. “Together, we can empower the women of Sudan to be the agents of peace and rebuild our shared nation.”
Calls for an immediate peace
Speaking on the sidelines of the conference, Suzan Hussein, a Sudanese woman activist living as a refugee in Uganda said, “This war should stop as soon as possible not just in Khartoum, but also in different areas in Sudan”.
“For me, this conference means a platform and a [form of] resistance. A platform in which I can represent the diversity of women in Sudan”, Hussein said, adding that she hoped the conference could link “different groups of women in order to create a feminist agenda” and resist violence against women.
Women-led organizations in Sudan have the expertise and experience to work on sensitive issues including gender-based violence and to provide services to women, girls, the elderly, and those with disabilities.
“Men do not consider our participation a priority, and they do not respond to women's demands for participation in negotiations”, said one woman activist whose anonymous testimony was presented at the conference.
“We are capable of representing ourselves on any platform, and we do not want men to speak on our behalf”, she said.
Another woman whose name was not disclosed to protect her safety was quoted in testimony as saying that existing women’s programming was difficult to continue during the conflict. While she was formerly able to provide kits to sexual violence survivors, “now we cannot reach the survivors to assist them”.
The current war is a manifestation of wider political, social, and economic forces. Argawi noted that peace was intimately tied with combating “poverty, marginalization, and discrimination, [and] creating a healthy and resilient environment”.
“We also hope to work together to develop a political consensus among the components of the people, a consensus that holds the recipe for political, economic, and social success”, Argawi said.
She explained that, only by developing agreements among all political actors, could the peace process “ensure the continuity of this approach, healing wounds, mending the fabric of our society, and injecting life into the nation's veins”.
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Story
01 September 2024
UN deputy chief appeals for global solidarity as crises roil East Africa
Spotlighting crises roiling parts of eastern Africa, the UN deputy chief concluded a regional visit in Adré, Chad, on Friday, calling for global solidarity to tackle famine in Sudan, flooding and mass displacement while ensuring free-flowing aid for millions trapped in war zones and those fleeing for their lives. Chad hosts more than 1.1 million refugees, many escaping violence in Sudan, where rival militaries have been fighting since April 2023. At the same time, the war has also triggered colossal suffering within Sudan’s borders.“The humanitarian task that we have in Sudan has been very big,” UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed said. “It has been one that we have been consistently supporting the government to try to address the crisis. The suffering of the people in this country is one of the worst crises in the world today.”Ms. Mohammed met officials in Chad and announced $5 million allocation from the UN’s Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) as part of a rapid response towards supporting flood recovery efforts, UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric told reporters at UN Headquarters on Friday.Region in crisisChad and neighbouring Sudan have been grappling with multiple crises. That includes the ongoing Sudanese war and recent floods affecting 960,000 people in Chad and 310,000 in Sudan, according to UN agencies.Discussions between the UN deputy chief and local authorities in Chad centred on the complex challenges facing the country, including regional dynamics and key risks, and highlighted “the urgent need for global solidarity”, the UN Spokesperson said.Reaffirming the UN’s commitment, Ms. Mohammed called for “maximum solidarity and resources” to ensure the humanitarian response fulfills its mandate and supports the people of the region, urging parties “to invest more in saving lives and livelihoods”.‘Vital lifeline for aid delivery’While in Chad, Ms. Mohammed observed the humanitarian corridor operation at the newly opened Adré crossing point into Sudan and engaged with refugee representatives, women, youth and community leaders, welcoming the recent opening as “a positive step” towards providing lifesaving aid in Sudan.“This crossing is a vital lifeline for aid delivery to millions in Sudan and must remain open and accessible to facilitate large-scale humanitarian assistance while ensuring the safety of aid workers,” according to the UN Spokesperson.Shuttered for one year, this humanitarian corridor will allow UN agencies to scale up assistance to 14 areas facing famine in Darfur, Kordofan, Khartoum and Al Jazirah.‘We need resources now’The UN deputy chief underlined the critical importance of keeping the border crossing permanently open.The Adré crossing is the most effective and shortest route to deliver humanitarian assistance into Sudan – and particularly the Darfur region – at the scale and speed required to respond to the immense hunger crisis.“What we have to do is to match the openings of these borders with the aid that goes in, and that means resources,” she insisted, “and so we need those resources, and we need them now.”The UN $2.7 billion appeal is only 41 per cent funded.Sudan: War, displacement and hungerAcross the border, in Sudan, food security experts recently declared that the war has pushed parts of North Darfur state into famine, particularly the Zamzam camp, where more than half a million displaced people are sheltering.About 25.6 million people – over half of the population of Sudan – face acute hunger, including more than 755,000 people on the brink of famine and an estimated 10.7 million people are now internally displaced, according to UN agenciesWhen visiting Sudan earlier this week, Ms. Mohammed met with the country’s President and cabinet members, who agreed that the Jeddah peace process must be implemented swiftly. She emphasised that “there is consensus there, and there is no reason why that cannot be moved forward.”However, the discussion largely focussed on the humanitarian agenda and “the urgency of this”, she told reporters at a press conference in Port Sudan on Thursday.She said efforts are addressing the Sudanese Government’s legitimate concerns and setting up procedures that “would ensure this aid gets to people where it’s meant.‘Crisis around famine’“We have impending crisis around famine,” Ms. Mohammed said. “We are not getting medical supplies in where there are health crises. But, more importantly, we have to remember the suffering of the people, and we are here to do this with the Government of Sudan.”Ms. Mohammed met with displaced persons, the UN team as well as with a number of government officials.“What we have done is to sit down with the humanitarian aid commission, and then we have had discussions on how, first of all, not to stop any of the aid that is available right now going in,” she explained.
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Story
18 August 2024
‘We can still turn the tide against hunger and famine in Sudan’
Hundreds of truckloads of World Food Programme assistance are speeding this month to the hungriest parts of Sudan, as part of a massively scaled-up response after famine was confirmed at a camp for displaced people in the country’s Darfur region.Targeting an initial 3 million people this month, the WFP food-and-cash support aims to prevent more people from falling into catastrophic hunger, one of the most horrific fallouts of the conflict in Sudan. In war-torn Khartoum, we recently distributed food and nutrition assistance to a hungry population for the first time in months. WFP is also supporting community kitchens – neighborhood volunteer groups that have become a vital food lifeline for Sudanese countrywide, especially in the capital.“We can still turn the tide against hunger and famine in Sudan,” said WFP Sudan Emergency Coordinator Marco Calvacante. “We can still make it.”But reaching millions of desperate people demands unfettered humanitarian access, safe passage, and a massive influx of funds. Overall, WFP needs US$459 million for its emergency response to support up to 8.4 million hungry people in Sudan by the end of this year.“We need this conflict to end. We need unimpeded access to reach those most in need,” Calvacante said. “We need the attention of the world to focus on Sudan.”Famine confirmedIn late July, the global standard for measuring food insecurity – the Integrated Food Phase Classification or IPC – confirmed famine in Zamzam camp, which houses more than 400,000 displaced people outside the besieged North Darfur city of El Fasher. This was a first for Sudan, and it's only the third famine confirmation worldwide since the IPC was first implemented 20 years ago – 13 other areas in the country are at risk of famine in the coming months.“Our biggest challenge is the continuation of this conflict which hampers our movement as well as the safe delivery of humanitarian supplies,” said WFP Sudan Country Director Eddie Rowe. ”We call on the parties for an immediate cessation of hostilities.”Sudan's is now the world’s largest displacement crisis. Since it started 16 months ago, the war has triggered a hunger spiral engulfing tens of millions of people countrywide. The fighting has ravaged Sudanese food production, destroyed essential markets, and cut off communities large and small from vital assistance. Along with heavy fighting, the rainy season poses another major setback in delivering assistance, with flooded roads grounding dozens of WFP aid trucks.According to IPC figures for June, nearly 26 million Sudanese face acute food insecurity. Nearly 750,000 people countrywide face catastrophic food insecurity, the highest hunger level. Roughly 730,000 children are projected to experience potentially life-threatening severe acute malnutrition this year. In the Darfur region, WFP Security Officer Khalid Hamdnalla describes meeting scores of hungry, displaced people during a recent United Nations interagency mission to assess humanitarian needs. “We saw whole families, including children and elders, who don’t have enough food. Some have been displaced more than three times,” said Hamdnalla of those they met, some of whom are sheltering in abandoned schools and other government buildings. “Their main requests were for food, education, sanitation and health services.”“The host communities are hungry as well,” he adds, “because they’ve shared what they had with the displaced people.” The UN mission crossed many armed checkpoints, but heavy rains proved the biggest challenge, making some wadis, or seasonal rivers, impassable. “You cannot imagine the road conditions with the rains,” Hamdnalla says. “There are big wadis, and the current is very fast – it’s very dangerous.”Few safe optionsIn late July, WFP was able to reach Sudan’s capital Khartoum for the first time since March, allowing us to deliver two-month rations of sorghum, lentils, oil and salt to people. Many we reached are elderly or otherwise unable to flee the conflict’s frontlines. The fighting has reduced swathes of the city to rubble, including Khartoum’s iconic and all-important Omdurman market – delivering a blow to the country’s food supply and economy.Over 90,000 people in the greater Khartoum area are on the brink of famine; more than 1 million are experiencing emergency hunger levels. Yet people are trickling back to the capital – not because it is safer, but because there are few safe options after months on the run.“They starting coming back to their houses, but unfortunately they don’t have anything inside – they even don’t have a job because of the war,’ says Khalid Mohamed Elbaghir, a volunteer with one of Khartoum’s community kitchens. “So we started supplying them with food to make them stay more easily in this neighborhood.”WFP is supporting neighborhood kitchens like Elbaghir’s, which provide soup and other staples to city residents. The overall aim is to distribute up to 140,000 hot meals daily. For many elderly and other vulnerable people in the capital, it is their only meal of the day.“Often two or three days passed without us being able to go out and get food – sometimes we’d be trapped in our homes for a week,” says Maya, a former tea seller in Khartoum. “If we tried to leave, we would get beaten in the street and robbed of money and food.”Other Sudanese are seeking safety elsewhere in the country. Amna Yousif’s family fled their home in war-buffeted Sennar state, walking and hitching truck rides for eight days before reaching the relatively secure seaside city of Port Sudan. “We got up at 2 a.m. on a rainy night, carrying the children in our arms and walking through the night in the mud,” she recalled of their flight.Today, the family lives in a tent in an abandoned lot in Port Sudan.“When I left my house I left the okra flourishing and the molokhia (mallow) ready for harvest,” Yousif recalled of the local vegetables she grew – and of better times, when her family lived without hunger. “One of the good things about our village is that when you sow with your hand, you eat and drink.”WFP’s emergency response in Sudan is made possible through contributions from our donors including the African Development Bank, Belgium, Canada, Cyprus, Czech Republic, the European Commission (ECHO), France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Japan, KS Relief, Kuwait, Luxembourg, Malta, Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives (MBRGI), Netherlands, Norway, South Korea, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, the United Arab Emirates, the UN Central Emergency Relief Fund, and the United States of America.
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Story
20 May 2024
Going the extra mile to stop poliovirus spread
By Proscovia Nakibuuka Mbonye, Sara Awad and WHO Eastern Mediterranean RegionIt’s day one of the polio vaccination campaign in Sudan’s Red Sea State, where poliovirus was detected in sewage samples earlier in 2024. At the crack of dawn, vaccinators set off with their vaccine carriers filled with ice packs and vials of oral polio vaccine and vitamin A to reach children in their communities. Their goal: vaccinate every child aged under 5 years in the state over the 4 days of the campaign.
Since the conflict in Sudan began, in April 2023, health infrastructure and immunization services have been disrupted. Hundreds of thousands of children have been left unvaccinated and at risk of infection from vaccine-preventable diseases such as polio. This situation is made worse by the displacement of large numbers of people.
When news of the positive poliovirus samples was reported, the Federal Ministry of Health sprang into action with the support of WHO and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). After carrying out detailed investigations and risk assessments, a team of technical experts were deployed to identify various high-risk areas across Sudan requiring a response.
By the time the campaign was launched in Red Sea State, communities were well aware of its aims. Social mobilizers had seized every chance to visit and sensitize communities to polio vaccination. Messages played on the radio and from loudspeakers on vehicles echoed across villages, urging parents and caregivers to vaccinate all children aged under 5 years in the upcoming polio vaccination campaign. Health teams also worked with partners to reach children in displaced families. At the Agig Health Centre, Mahmoud, a health worker and vaccinator for 10 years, collects vaccines for the catchment area he is covering on day 3 of the campaign.
He plans to reach the mobile and hard-to-reach communities in Barqiq valley, in the mountains and along the border with Eritrea, where the nearest health facility is 40 km away. Until the start of May this year, these mobile communities will remain in the mountains. Come summer, they will travel to the countryside of Kassala State. "With these populations always on the move, there is a very real possibility that their children may miss out on vaccination activities,” says Mahmoud. “This means we have no time to waste in reaching these children."With the vaccines stored safely in cool boxes and vaccine carriers to maintain the optimum temperature, the team embarks on the journey from Agig to Barqiq valley. They first travel by car but switch to camels and donkeys for the last 2 hours, as the roads get rougher and narrower. Drop by drop, children are protectedWhen Mahmoud and his team arrive, parents and caregivers are patiently waiting in a makeshift straw-roofed shelter. They all share one thing in common – the desire to protect their children from preventable life-threatening diseases.
Fatima, mother to 4-year-old Mohammed, visited the health centre a few months ago. While her malnourished child received treatment, she was told about the upcoming polio campaign. She didn’t think twice about vaccinating her children, because she knows this is the best gift she can give them.
“Every time the vaccinators arrive, I take my children out to receive vaccines, and they are all doing well,” Fatima says.
Drop after drop, the team administers the oral polio vaccine to one child and then another, with the aim of protecting all the children in the shelter from polio. The disease can cause paralysis and even death if children are not vaccinated enough times.
By the end of the day, the team had covered 180 children, including 29 infants aged under 12 months and some zero-dose children, who had never previously received any vaccines. Impressed by the numbers reached, Mahmoud shares that the change in behaviour among this community didn’t just happen overnight. It is the result of years of regular health education efforts by health promoters, health workers and volunteers.
“We consistently engaged them through health education and awareness-raising sessions,” says Mahmoud, speaking of parents and caregivers. “We informed them that vaccination is a form of protection and provided examples of children from the community who did not receive vaccinations and how they suffered from diseases. As a result, they have become more accepting of vaccination.”
This was also coupled with the engagement of community leaders, like the local mayor of Barqiq valley, who have since become advocates for child health, including vaccination drives.
“These are our people and children, so we make every effort to include them in the health campaigns and routine immunizations,” says Mahmoud, a front-line hero for immunization efforts.
In total, the 4-day Red Sea State campaign provided polio vaccine and vitamin A to more than 200 000 children aged under 5 years. Similar campaigns in 8 other high-risk states of Sudan will begin in late May 2024 to ensure that all vulnerable, accessible children are protected, no matter where they are. Background to GPEI efforts in SudanAmid the war in Sudan, Global Polio Eradication Initiative partners such as UNICEF and WHO have supported the country to prevent the further spread of its polio outbreak.
UNICEF is procuring and delivering vaccines and leading social mobilization activities at the community level to increase uptake of vaccination services. It is also orienting key campaign stakeholders, such as social mobilizers, religious and community leaders and the media, on their roles.
WHO has been technically supporting the development of microplans, the capacity-building of vaccinators, and intra- and post-campaign monitoring for vaccination campaigns. This is part of WHO’s ongoing efforts to support surveillance of poliovirus and the technical response to prevent its spread and boost children’s immunity, including through the rollout of polio vaccination campaigns.
Since the conflict in Sudan began, in April 2023, health infrastructure and immunization services have been disrupted. Hundreds of thousands of children have been left unvaccinated and at risk of infection from vaccine-preventable diseases such as polio. This situation is made worse by the displacement of large numbers of people.
When news of the positive poliovirus samples was reported, the Federal Ministry of Health sprang into action with the support of WHO and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). After carrying out detailed investigations and risk assessments, a team of technical experts were deployed to identify various high-risk areas across Sudan requiring a response.
By the time the campaign was launched in Red Sea State, communities were well aware of its aims. Social mobilizers had seized every chance to visit and sensitize communities to polio vaccination. Messages played on the radio and from loudspeakers on vehicles echoed across villages, urging parents and caregivers to vaccinate all children aged under 5 years in the upcoming polio vaccination campaign. Health teams also worked with partners to reach children in displaced families. At the Agig Health Centre, Mahmoud, a health worker and vaccinator for 10 years, collects vaccines for the catchment area he is covering on day 3 of the campaign.
He plans to reach the mobile and hard-to-reach communities in Barqiq valley, in the mountains and along the border with Eritrea, where the nearest health facility is 40 km away. Until the start of May this year, these mobile communities will remain in the mountains. Come summer, they will travel to the countryside of Kassala State. "With these populations always on the move, there is a very real possibility that their children may miss out on vaccination activities,” says Mahmoud. “This means we have no time to waste in reaching these children."With the vaccines stored safely in cool boxes and vaccine carriers to maintain the optimum temperature, the team embarks on the journey from Agig to Barqiq valley. They first travel by car but switch to camels and donkeys for the last 2 hours, as the roads get rougher and narrower. Drop by drop, children are protectedWhen Mahmoud and his team arrive, parents and caregivers are patiently waiting in a makeshift straw-roofed shelter. They all share one thing in common – the desire to protect their children from preventable life-threatening diseases.
Fatima, mother to 4-year-old Mohammed, visited the health centre a few months ago. While her malnourished child received treatment, she was told about the upcoming polio campaign. She didn’t think twice about vaccinating her children, because she knows this is the best gift she can give them.
“Every time the vaccinators arrive, I take my children out to receive vaccines, and they are all doing well,” Fatima says.
Drop after drop, the team administers the oral polio vaccine to one child and then another, with the aim of protecting all the children in the shelter from polio. The disease can cause paralysis and even death if children are not vaccinated enough times.
By the end of the day, the team had covered 180 children, including 29 infants aged under 12 months and some zero-dose children, who had never previously received any vaccines. Impressed by the numbers reached, Mahmoud shares that the change in behaviour among this community didn’t just happen overnight. It is the result of years of regular health education efforts by health promoters, health workers and volunteers.
“We consistently engaged them through health education and awareness-raising sessions,” says Mahmoud, speaking of parents and caregivers. “We informed them that vaccination is a form of protection and provided examples of children from the community who did not receive vaccinations and how they suffered from diseases. As a result, they have become more accepting of vaccination.”
This was also coupled with the engagement of community leaders, like the local mayor of Barqiq valley, who have since become advocates for child health, including vaccination drives.
“These are our people and children, so we make every effort to include them in the health campaigns and routine immunizations,” says Mahmoud, a front-line hero for immunization efforts.
In total, the 4-day Red Sea State campaign provided polio vaccine and vitamin A to more than 200 000 children aged under 5 years. Similar campaigns in 8 other high-risk states of Sudan will begin in late May 2024 to ensure that all vulnerable, accessible children are protected, no matter where they are. Background to GPEI efforts in SudanAmid the war in Sudan, Global Polio Eradication Initiative partners such as UNICEF and WHO have supported the country to prevent the further spread of its polio outbreak.
UNICEF is procuring and delivering vaccines and leading social mobilization activities at the community level to increase uptake of vaccination services. It is also orienting key campaign stakeholders, such as social mobilizers, religious and community leaders and the media, on their roles.
WHO has been technically supporting the development of microplans, the capacity-building of vaccinators, and intra- and post-campaign monitoring for vaccination campaigns. This is part of WHO’s ongoing efforts to support surveillance of poliovirus and the technical response to prevent its spread and boost children’s immunity, including through the rollout of polio vaccination campaigns.
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Story
10 June 2024
Empowering Sudan’s communities to fight malaria
Sudan stands out for its unique social fabric and complex malaria landscape. Despite the conflict that has raged for more than a year, as well as many political and economic challenges, Sudan continues to try to respond to malaria. Community engagement initiatives have proved crucial to this effort.Gedaref state hosts close to 500 000 internally displaced people and bustles with volunteers and civil society organizations. Here, efforts by community members have been vital in navigating the chronic malaria burden and curbing other epidemics that have ensued since the conflict began in April 2023.For nearly 2 decades, Abdalla Adam, a teacher and farmer from Om Bileil, a malaria-stricken village in Gedaref, has been at the forefront of community efforts to alleviate malaria. “Gedaref is synonymous with malaria,” said Abdalla. “We see other diseases too: kala-azar, polio, cholera and, more recently, dengue and chikungunya. But these come and go, while malaria has been here for as long as I can remember.”He explained how community service is a strong part of his Sudanese upbringing, culture and identity: “My early days with community service were largely a spontaneous extension of my upbringing. I come from a small village and nafeer* is customary for us. We would gather to clean the neighbourhood and spray ponds with insecticides.”Abdalla shared how the scope of efforts in Om Bileil grew considerably through community awareness raising. Ms Wejdan Abdulbagi, Manager of the Malaria Control Programme in Gedaref, educated the community about vector control and the free malaria services at primary health care centres. People had previously seen cost as a major barrier to seeking health care for malaria.During vector control campaigns, each member of Abdalla’s neighbourhood is responsible for spraying the homes of their extended family. “We also conduct regular health promotion campaigns to spread life-saving messages, like ‘If you have fever, don’t just sleep on it. Go see a doctor, it’s free!’ I think we’re doing well but a lot more can be achieved with sufficient training.”Ms Abdulbagi said that malaria indicators have improved with community engagement initiatives: “It has become standard practice for us to involve the local community given the significant burden of malaria and the limited resources to battle it.“Last year, the ministry was running its therapeutic efficacy study and Gedaref’s Al-Salam Hospital was selected as a sentinel site. We were already seeing considerable improvement in the care-seeking behaviour thanks to [the volunteers’] efforts, but I wanted to ensure we finish within the designated time frame, so I reached out to Abdalla. A health promotion campaign was swiftly commenced, and data collection concluded in a timely manner”.Gedaref’s example reflects a broader shift taking place across Sudan, whereby communities are increasingly seen as pivotal in improving their own well-being. The Federal Ministry of Health is moving to institutionalize grassroots health initiatives by adopting a community health strategy. Community members are thus set to play an integral role in both the prevention and case management aspects of malaria control in Sudan.
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Story
08 March 2024
Enhancing the capacities of women in agriculture in Sudan
“I am feeling happy because I no longer have to buy maize from the market to feed my children” she said., Hawa is one of about 150 other women farmers in the area called Al-Saffarah in Al-Qalabat, about 20 kilometers southeast of Gedaref state. According to FAO -Women represent 49% of the farmers in the irrigated sector and 57% in the rainfed traditional sector in Sudan. Women in the rainfed sector are primarily subsistence farmers but they also work as seasonal wage labourers in the rainfed mechanized sector, and as hired or unpaid family labourers in the irrigated sector. Although women play a crucial role in agriculture, contributing to both the GDP and to household food security, their contribution to agriculture and the overall economic development process continues to be undervalued.Hawa comes from a poor background with nine family members. She rented land and grew agricultural produce to protect herself and her family from hunger and misery. She used to produce about 3 bags of sorghum per year, but she couldn’t plant for two years due to the difficult economic conditions. In 2023, Hawawas finally able to plant after receiving seeds and agriculture equipment from UN WOMEN in collaboration with FAO and AICS under the WE_RISE project... She planted about one and a half hectares and harvestedfour bags of a sorghum in 2024. Hawa added that the biggest challenge for her was the weed called “Buda”, which is common in the area. She had a lot of trouble fighting and eradicating it and preventing its harvest until the end of the season.Hawa is one of the beneficiaries of the WE_ RISE project, having received seeds along with 30 other women farmers in her village as part of a program funded by the European Union aim to create an environment that promotes the economic empowerment of women living in the most basic conditions in the States of Khartoum, Kassala, Gedaref and the Blue Sea.D. Awatif Nahar, Economist and Gender specialist said, “The increase in the productivity in the current humanitarian crisis is substantial to reducing the food insecurity risk and enhancing the local economy growth”.The program also aims to encourage women's economic empowerment, contribute to gender equality and women's rights by promoting social health and strengthening national capacities.
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Press Release
26 September 2024
Türk sounds alarm over hostilities in El Fasher, warns of serious human rights violations
Since May 2024, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) supported by allied tribal militia have besieged El Fasher in their conflict with the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and allied armed movements. The lack of safe routes out of the city, along with exorbitant costs and payments required to leave, have left many trapped there.“Over the past two weeks, the battle for El Fasher has escalated significantly and we have documented increasing incidents of civilians being killed as a result of shelling and airstrikes by both the RSF and the SAF,” said Türk.In the heaviest recent fighting, on 20 to 21 September, at least 20 civilians were killed by artillery shelling near the main market, and many shops were destroyed. The actual number of civilian casualties is believed to be much higher, but telecommunications blackouts have made verification difficult.In the past two weeks, in addition to rising civilian casualties, the UN Human Rights Office has documented cases of summary executions, sexual and gender-based violence, and reported abductions of at least five women and several young men in El Fasher. There have also been reports of large-scale arbitrary arrests in North and South Darfur by the RSF who accuse civilians of providing information and coordinates of their locations to the SAF.Due to targeted attacks on medical facilities, civilians also have been denied access to urgent healthcare, and food supplies are extremely limited.“From bitter past experience, if El Fasher falls, there is a high risk of ethnically targeted violations and abuses, including summary executions and sexual violence, by the RSF and allied militia,” Türk added.In particular, he highlighted concerns for residents of Abu Shouk IDP camp, which has come under sustained shelling by the RSF since May, and of Zamzam IDP camp. “People in those camps are at grave risk of retaliatory attacks based on their tribal identity, real or perceived, as coming from the same communities as leaders of armed movements aligned with the SAF,” Türk said.The High Commissioner pointed to the findings of monitoring missions to eastern Chad by the UN Human Rights Office which documented horrific patterns of ethnically targeted violations and abuses, specifically against the Masalit community, after the RSF took control of El Geneina and Ardamata in West Darfur in June and November 2023.Türk also highlighted concerns about the escalation of hostilities and increasing civilian casualties in other parts of the country, including in greater Khartoum and in Sennar state.“The fighting must stop at once. Enough is enough,” he said. “In addition to their obligations under international humanitarian law, the parties to this conflict must also live up to the commitments accepted in the Jeddah Declaration to protect civilians and engage in good faith with mediation efforts.“I also call on the international community, including through the Security Council, to take necessary, effective action to protect civilians in Sudan, notably those groups at special risk of targeted violence, and to ensure respect for international law by all parties.” ENDS For more information and media requests, please contact:In GenevaRavina Shamdasani - + 41 22 917 9169 / ravina.shamdasani@un.org orLiz Throssell - + 41 22 917 9296 / elizabeth.throssell@un.org orJeremy Laurence - +41 22 917 9383 / jeremy.laurence@un.org
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Press Release
26 September 2024
The Humanitarian Country Team in Sudan is deeply alarmed by a rise in conflictrelated sexual violence
Recent reports from Khartoum and Al Jazira indicate a disturbing rise in cases of women and girls being abducted and subjected to rape, forced marriage, and sexual captivity. We have also witnessed a staggering 288 per cent increase in the number of survivors seeking gender-based violence (GBV) case management services during the first seven months of 2024. These figures, while alarming, represent only a small fraction of the true scale and prevalence of this violence, which is believed to be far more widespread and devastating for women and girls across the country. We are also seeing alarming cases of sexual exploitation driven by food insecurity and water scarcity, along with severely limited access to essential post-rape care and support services for survivors.Women-led national organizations and female humanitarian workers are at the forefront of responding to these violations, providing life-saving services and support to survivors in some of the most affected and hard-to-reach areas. Their work is vital in ensuring that the needs of women and girls are met, despite the debilitating challenges posed by the ongoing conflict and insecurity. It is alarming that their safety and continued presence in these areas are increasingly jeopardized, as they face targeted attacks.We unequivocally condemn the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war and any actions that threaten the physical and psychological well-being and integrity of women, girls, men and boys, and humanitarian workers. Sexual violence is a severe violation of human rights and international humanitarian law. We call on all parties to the conflict to cease all acts of violence, including sexual violence, and to uphold their legal obligations under international humanitarian law, particularly protection of civilians and respect for humanitarian action and providers.We further urge the authorities, at both national and local levels where they hold influence, to take immediate action to safeguard the lives, dignity, and well-being of women, girls, men and boys, sexual violence survivors, and female humanitarian workers. All parties to the conflict must ensure unimpeded humanitarian access to post-rape care and protection support.In solidarity with survivors and those assisting them, the HCT reaffirms its unwavering commitment and support to combating the rising trends of CRSV and strengthening our collective humanitarian response. We must work together to protect the most vulnerable and ensure that no survivor of sexual violence is left behind in this crisis.The HCT in Sudan is composed of United Nations Agencies, Funds, and Programmes, along with national and international Non-Governmental Organizations.*****************For more information, please contact: ochasudan@un.org or tashtankulov@un.org
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Press Release
26 September 2024
Readout of the the Secretary-General’s meeting with H.E. Lt. General Abdel-Fattah Al-Burhan Abdelrahman Al-Burhan, President of the Transitional Sovereign Council of the Republic of the Sudan
The Secretary-General met with H.E. Lt. General Abdel-Fattah Al-Burhan Abdelrahman Al-Burhan, President of the Transitional Sovereign Council of the Republic of the Sudan. The Secretary-General expressed deep concern about the escalation of the conflict in the Sudan, which continues to have a devastating impact on the Sudanese civilians and risks a regional spillover. They discussed the need for an immediate lasting ceasefire and the importance of genuine dialogue leading to an inclusive negotiated peace settlement. They also affirmed the need for urgent action to ensure rapid, safe and unhindered humanitarian access and the protection of all civilians across the Sudan. The Secretary-General welcomed the continued engagement of the Sudanese authorities with his Personal Envoy for Sudan, Mr. Ramtane Lamamra and the Humanitarian and Resident Coordinator for Sudan, Ms. Clementine Awu Nkweta-Salami. New York, 25 September 2024
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Press Release
22 September 2024
Statement attributable to the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General - on the situation in El Fasher, North Darfur
The Secretary-General is gravely alarmed by reports of a full-scale assault on El Fasher by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). He calls on Lt. General Mohamed Hamdan 'Hemedti' Dagalo to act responsibly and immediately order a halt to the RSF attack. It is unconscionable that the warring parties have repeatedly ignored calls for a cessation of hostilities. Any further escalation will also threaten to spread the conflict along intercommunal lines throughout Darfur.
The Secretary-General underscores that a ceasefire is not only necessary, but is an urgent imperative, both in El Fasher and across all other conflict zones in Sudan. The humanitarian situation in this area is already catastrophic, with hundreds of thousands of people in acute need. The parties to the conflict have clear obligations under international humanitarian law to protect civilians, and attacks must not be directed against them or civilian infrastructure and constant care must be taken to spare them.
The Secretary-General recalls that his Special Envoy, Ramtane Lamamra, continues his efforts to advance peace. He stands ready to support genuine efforts to halt this violence and move toward peace. Humanitarian organizations also stand ready to rapidly scale up assistance in El Fasher and other areas of need across Sudan.
The Secretary-General underscores that a ceasefire is not only necessary, but is an urgent imperative, both in El Fasher and across all other conflict zones in Sudan. The humanitarian situation in this area is already catastrophic, with hundreds of thousands of people in acute need. The parties to the conflict have clear obligations under international humanitarian law to protect civilians, and attacks must not be directed against them or civilian infrastructure and constant care must be taken to spare them.
The Secretary-General recalls that his Special Envoy, Ramtane Lamamra, continues his efforts to advance peace. He stands ready to support genuine efforts to halt this violence and move toward peace. Humanitarian organizations also stand ready to rapidly scale up assistance in El Fasher and other areas of need across Sudan.
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Press Release
01 September 2024
The Deputy Secretary-General’s travel to Sudan and Chad
(Port Sudan) – The United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed, along with the Secretary General’s Personal Envoy for Sudan, Ramtane Lamamra, accompanied by an inter-agency delegation consisting of the Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator for Sudan, Clementine Nkweta-Salami, and senior officials from WFP, UNHCR, UNICEF arrived in Port Sudan today to meet with the Transitional Sovereignty Council, senior officials and the UN country team, with a focus on strengthening humanitarian efforts in Sudan. On Thursday, 30 August, the Deputy Secretary-General, and her delegation, will arrive in Adré, Chad, to draw attention to the multifaceted challenges affecting the Chad, including the regional dimensions and key risks, and to appeal for global solidarity. Throughout the trip, the delegation will engage with local authorities, as well as representatives from refugee and host communities.
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