A collective of 50 human rights organizations has rung an alarm over the intensive humanitarian toll of the persisting conflict in Sudan, pressing upon the United Nations to adopt definitive measures. The group came forward with their statement while the United Nations Security Council had its meeting about the enduring situations in Sudan and South Sudan.
These organizations call for a consolidated approach towards Sudan, which is presently grappling with a catastrophic conflict pitting its government against the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary outfit. They have reported a surge in sexual violence and assault directed towards civilians all over Sudan.
As per the joint communique, “Over five million individuals have been compelled to evacuate their homes since April, with a large number living in camps with limited access to humanitarian aid and scarce educational opportunities. In excess of 20 million individuals are on the brink of acute food scarcity, and 6 million are nearing the state of famine.”
The release further states that amidst these atrocities, “at least 498 children have died due to hunger, and medical centers and doctors have been destroyed,” resulting in refugees fleeing to neighboring countries like Chad and South Sudan. Tribal conflicts in Darfur remain rampant, and medical facilities in Sudan’s capital, Khartoum, have suffered massive destruction.
The alliance has urged the United Nations to raise humanitarian funds for Sudan and enact a resolution to “challenge the climate of impunity” encircling the conflict.
Among the signatories of this statement are renowned organizations such as the Public International Law & Policy Group, the Secretary General of the Norwegian Refugee Council, and Kyle Matthews from the Montreal Institute for Genocide and Human Rights Studies at Concordia University. Matthews remarked to JURIST, claiming, “Sudan is at a breaking point and civilians are confronting escalating risks of atrocity crimes. While the world is focused on Ukraine, it is imperative that political attention and resources are committed to ensuring the people of Sudan are safeguarded from all types of mass violence. The country carries a history of widespread human rights transgressions, which provides us with a daunting warning of what might transpire in the near future.”
This statement was released in the same timeframe when Volker Turk, the United Nations human rights chief, observed that ethnically motivated strikes executed by the RSF and its associated militia have led to hundreds of deaths in the West Darfur region. According to reports from last month, the UK committed to providing the UN and the International Criminal Court (ICC) with proofs for investigations into war crimes in Sudan. The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) also granted an extension and redesignation of the Temporary Protected Status to nationals of Sudan, on account of the ongoing armed conflicts, alongside Ukrainian nationals.