Post by : Rameen Ariff

EL-FASHER, SUDAN — The violent struggle between Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the national army is plunging the nation into one of the gravest humanitarian emergencies worldwide. With tens of thousands dead and nearly 12 million displaced, millions face starvation in what the United Nations deems the largest hunger crisis globally.

Since the conflict ignited in April 2023, competition for Sudan’s precious gold and oil resources has intensified. On October 26, El-Fasher, a crucial city in western Darfur, succumbed to RSF control following an 18-month siege, marking a significant loss for the army.

Eyewitness accounts reveal chilling experiences as civilians attempted to flee the city. Sixteen-year-old Mounir Abderahmane recounted the chaos at a hospital where his father lay injured. “Seven nurses were called into a room. We heard gunshots, and I saw blood oozing beneath the door,” he reflected. Tragically, he escaped with his father, who did not survive the arduous journey towards Chad.

Amid increasing drone strikes before the city surrendered, many residents sought refuge in makeshift shelters with scarce food supplies. “Each time I stepped outside for air, I saw new bodies in the street, often people I recognized,” said 53-year-old Hamid Souleymane Chogar, detailing the anguish. Others spoke of navigating through trenches filled with corpses and encountering extortion at roadblocks, where armed groups demanded hefty fees for safe passage.

The RSF, rooted in the Janjaweed militia tied to previous atrocities in Darfur, faces severe accusations of human rights infractions, including murders, sexual violence, and looting. The military equally grapples with claims of violence, highlighting the brutal reality of this civil war.

Humanitarian groups are battling to deliver essential aid. Thousands of refugees have streamed into camps in eastern Chad, like the overcrowded Tine transit camp, where food shortages exacerbate already dire situations. Medical teams endeavor to shift refugees to alleviate crowding and meet pressing health requirements.

Experts caution that the Sudan crisis transcends regional ramifications and tests the global community’s resolve. The struggle for invaluable resources and critical cities underlines the complexity of this conflict and its devastating effects on ordinary civilians.

As the RSF and army remain locked in competition for power, the tragedy in Sudan serves as a profound lesson on the human toll of conflict and emphasizes the urgent necessity for coordinated humanitarian aid efforts.

#Global