Sudanese families at a center for displaced people in Central Darfur. “The world forgets about the people of Sudan”: a year after the conflict began, the UN head called for support for the country’s population Peace and Security
April 15 marks exactly one year since the start of hostilities between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Reaction Force. An international conference to raise funds to help Sudan, organized by France, Germany and the European Union, took place in Paris today.
“This is more than a conflict between two warring parties. This is a war that is being waged against the Sudanese people,” said the UN Secretary-General, speaking to reporters at UN headquarters today.
Thousands of Sudanese civilians have been killed and tens of thousands maimed . 18 million people are hungry. Homes, hospitals and schools were reduced to ruins. The parties are committing indiscriminate attacks that can amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity, the Secretary General emphasized.
At the same time, the war in Sudan remains in the shadow of other conflicts, such as the conflict in the Middle East, to which the attention of the entire world community has been riveted over the past two days, the head of the UN noted.
“The world is forgetting the people of Sudan,” he said.
Regional consequences of the conflict
Guterres recalled about the danger of the conflict spreading beyond Sudan.
“More than 8 million people have fled their homes in search of safety, and 1.8 million have fled to neighboring countries,” the UN chief emphasized.
Most Sudanese refugees today are in Chad, Ethiopia, South Sudan and Egypt.
Escalation of hostilities in North Darfur
Over the weekend, militias linked to the Rapid Reaction Force attacked and burned villages west of the city of El Fasher in North Darfur state, causing mass displacement. Fighting continued today on the outskirts of El Fasher.
“Recent reports of escalating fighting in El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, are a new cause for deep concern,” he said Secretary General
“Any attack on El Fasher would have devastating consequences for the civilian population and could lead to full-scale intercommunal conflict throughout Darfur. It will also undermine relief operations in a region already on the brink of famine, as El Fasher has always been a critical UN humanitarian hub,” he added.
Guterres demanded that all parties facilitate the safe, rapid and unhindered passage of humanitarian personnel and supplies along all available routes to El Fasher.
International Fundraising Conference for Sudan
“Today the governments of France, Germany and the European Union held an International Humanitarian Conference for Sudan and its neighbors. The Sudanese people desperately need the support and generosity of the global community,” the UN chief said.
To date, the $2.7 billion humanitarian response plan for Sudan has only been funded 6 percent, and the regional plan to respond to the Sudanese refugee crisis by only 7 percent.
“At the same time, as reflected in the Jeddah commitments, all parties must ensure full humanitarian access – across borders and front lines – so that life-saving aid can reach where it is needed most,” Guterres said.
A political solution is the only way out
“But the Sudanese people need more than just humanitarian support,” the UN chief continued. “He needs peace.”
The only way out of this situation, the UN head emphasized, is a political decision.
“At this critical moment, in addition to global efforts to provide humanitarian assistance, we need a concerted global effort for a ceasefire in Sudan, followed by a comprehensive peace process,” said Guterres.
Material being updated…