The humanitarian organization Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), commonly known as Doctors Without Borders, recently published a report exposing the severe toll of the ongoing conflict in Sudan on civilian lives. The report, titled “A war on people – The human cost of conflict and violence in Sudan”, highlights the extensive casualties, gender-based violence, and ethnic violence perpetrated by both the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
Since the conflict commenced in April 2023, Sudanese civilians have faced unprecedented violence. At Al Nao hospital in Omdurman alone, MSF-supported facilities reported treating 6,776 war-wounded patients between August 2023 and April 2024, resulting in at least 399 deaths. Similarly, teams at Bas-ha’ir Teaching Hospital in Khartoum addressed 4,393 trauma-related cases within the same timeframe. The report indicates that the violence experienced extends beyond physical injuries, deeply impacting mental health and leading to widespread trauma-related symptoms, including instances of self-harm.
A particularly alarming aspect of the report is the underreported yet pervasive sexual and gender-based violence. From July to December 2023, MSF facilities in Chad documented 135 instances of rape, abduction, and exploitation, with 90 percent of these atrocities committed by armed men. Ethnic-based violence has also been significant in regions such as Western Darfur and South Darfur, specifically targeting the Masalit tribe, resulting in over 800 patients treated by MSF in Chad within a three-day period in June 2023.
The report calls on the SAF, RSF, and other armed factions to adhere to international humanitarian law by protecting civilians, halting attacks on residential areas, ensuring safe passages for refugees, safeguarding infrastructure, and facilitating humanitarian access. Additionally, MSF urges the international community, including the UN and African Union, to press the warring parties for a humanitarian intervention and to support asylum seekers and refugees.
Vickie Hawkins, General Director of MSF, underscored the compounded violence caused by bureaucratic obstructions: “The violence of the warring parties is compounded by obstructions: by blocking, interfering and choking services when people need them most, stamps and signatures can be just as deadly as bullets and bombs in Sudan.”
As the conflict between the two armed groups in Sudan stretches into its second year, humanitarian concerns continue to rise. In February 2024, the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) reported thousands of human rights violations, including attacks on densely populated areas and widespread sexual violence. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has also estimated that over 10 million civilians, equating to more than 20 percent of the population, have been displaced, with many seeking refuge in neighboring countries such as Chad, South Sudan, and Egypt.