The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), which claims to speak for the Sudanese government, have recently taken steps that provide optimism in the midst of a terrible humanitarian crisis. Deliveries of much-needed food supplies to places hit by acute starvation were made possible earlier this week when the SAF allowed fifteen UN assistance trucks to travel into Sudan from Chad. Despite the fact that this could pave the way for a larger relief operation, many humanitarian organizations and assistance workers are skeptical about it, thinking it could just be a show rather than a real answer.
How Widespread the Crisis Is
Over the past few months, the humanitarian crisis in Sudan has been becoming worse. A portion of Darfur, the most western province of Sudan, has reportedly been experiencing famine conditions, as per the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) methodology. Given the current situation, this development should not be surprising. More than half of Sudan’s 45 million people have been impacted by the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. Nearly two million have sought sanctuary in neighboring nations like South Sudan, Chad, and Egypt, out of over twelve million displaced people. If things continue as they are, food security experts predict that 2.5 million people could be hungry by the end of the year.
The Use of Starvation as a Militant Tool
Beyond the immediate factors, there are underlying causes of the ongoing famine in Sudan. Centuries of economic mismanagement, long-running wars, and a climatic catastrophe making dry conditions worse are where they lie. But using malnutrition as a weapon is the direct cause of the continuing famine. Tensions have been building between General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan’s SAF and Paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) since April of last year, under the command of General Mohamed Hamdan Dagolo, alias “Hemedti.”
Communities throughout Sudan have been devastated by the fighting. Reports have surfaced of the RSF robbing and damaging vital facilities, such as schools and hospitals, in Khartoum and other parts of the country. Gezira and Sennar, two towns along the Blue Nile that were formerly famous for their abundant agriculture, have been completely destroyed, Which
Hemedti is the leader of the RSF paramilitary group fighting the army
has led to an unusual level of hunger in places that were previously thriving.
Obstacles and Efforts in Humanitarianism
Supply cuts to rebel-held areas have long been used as a tactic by the Sudanese Armed Forces. During the protracted war in southern Sudan, this tactic was successful in its goal of depleting the opposition’s resources. Nevertheless, this strategy has devastating effects on innocent people, especially in besieged regions such as el-Fasher in Darfur. Extreme famine danger has befallen the city due to its dependence on precarious supply channels.
Substantial relief is still insufficient, even though there have been recent exceptions for restricted aid access. A disturbing pattern of blocking is evident in the SAF’s decision to allow 15 out of 131 UN assistance trucks to pass through. Relief workers are worried that bureaucratic red tape may severely impede their efforts. The magnitude of the problem in Darfur necessitates thousands of trucks per week to alleviate it, and the present flow of help is not enough to fulfill this demand.
Power in Diplomacy and the Region
The latest round of peace talks in Geneva failed to yield any substantial results in their attempt to end the conflict. The discussions, which were organized by the US and Saudi Arabia and hosted by Switzerland, sought to bring the warring parties together for direct negotiations. The RSF has been prevented from engaging in substantive engagement due to General al-Burhan’s (SAF head) refusal to join or send a senior delegation, as well as other preconditions.
Things are already complicated enough without adding the geopolitical animosity between Saudi Arabia and the UAE. A tangled web of regional interests has emerged, hindering peace attempts due to the purported sponsorship of the RSF by the UAE and the SAF by Saudi Arabia. A settlement will not be reached until these two important regional actors engage in higher-level negotiations, even if representatives from both nations are present in the Geneva talks.
In summary
The humanitarian situation in Sudan is a multidimensional calamity driven by both internal strife and external pressures. There has been some movement on the part of the SAF to permit limited aid access, which is encouraging, but there are still significant challenges. The international community should prioritize resolving the political and regional crises in Sudan in addition to meeting the urgent needs of the Sudanese people. Millions of Sudanese would suffer greatly if the situation deteriorates without immediate and extensive humanitarian operations and a real peace agreement.
