Children in Abu Shouk camp for internally displaced persons in Northern Darfur, Sudan. (File photo)
UN Secretary-General António Guterres said in a video message to the Sudan International Humanitarian Conference in Paris today that only about 6 percent of Sudan's $2.7 billion humanitarian response plan is funded. At the same time, only about 7 per cent of the $1.4 billion regional contingency plan for refugees in response to the Sudan crisis has been funded. He appealed to donors to donate generously and increase their donations to support these life-saving efforts.
The international humanitarian conference in Paris was held on the first anniversary of the outbreak of violence in Sudan and was co-organized by France, Germany and the European Union.
Since April last year, the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have been locked in a brutal conflict, with both sides refusing to heed calls for peace at the regional and international levels. During this period, humanitarian agencies have repeatedly warned about the scale and severity of the hunger and displacement crisis in Sudan.
Death and starvation
In a video message, Guterres said that more than 14,000 people have been killed and more than 33,000 injured in the violent conflict in Sudan, and more than 8 million people have fled their homes.
He noted that the conflict is a disaster for the Sudanese people and a nightmare for Sudan's neighbours, who are increasingly feeling the spillover effects of this deadly conflict.
Guterres made a special statement to reporters on the Sudan issue at his headquarters in New York that morning. He noted that over the past 48 hours, much of the world has been watching escalating tensions in the Middle East. While these developments are worrying, other major life-and-death emergencies are being relegated to the back burner. The world is forgetting the people of the Sudan.
He said that at this critical juncture, there is a global need for assistance and support for Sudan, and in addition, there is a need for a global consensus to promote a ceasefire in Sudan and then start a comprehensive peace process.
The human rights situation is worrying
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Türk said in a statement on the first anniversary of the conflict in Sudan that thousands of civilians have been killed, injured and subjected to enforced disappearances, arbitrary arrest and detention since the fighting began on 15 April 2023. There have also been reports of torture on both sides. Thousands of homes, schools, hospitals and other vital civilian infrastructure were destroyed.
Türk called on all parties to ensure safe and unhindered access for humanitarian and human rights workers to all areas under their control, to prevent further suffering for civilians, and to ensure that violations of international humanitarian and human rights law are fully investigated, that perpetrators are held accountable in fair trials, and that reparations are provided to victims.
Displacement is severe
IOM Director-General Pope said Sudan was on the brink of an irreparable catastrophe. The conflict in Sudan has created one of the largest displacement crises since World War II. The number of people in need of humanitarian assistance has reached 25 million, more than half of the total population of Sudan.
She noted that as the conflict continues to expand, countries bordering Sudan also need help. Some 2 million people, most of them Sudanese citizens, have migrated from the most conflict-prone areas of the Sudan to neighbouring countries. The international community needs to ensure that Sudan's neighbours and host communities are able to provide the necessary services to those entering the country.
She stressed that without access to humanitarian assistance, more people affected by the conflict will be displaced and more people will be desperate to cross borders.
Children bear the brunt
UNICEF Deputy Executive Director Ted Chaiban also participated in the Sudan International Humanitarian Conference in Paris. Speaking at the meeting, he said that 14 million Sudanese children were in urgent need of humanitarian assistance. With 4.6 million Sudanese children displaced by conflict and 1.1 million seeking refuge in neighbouring countries, this constitutes the world's largest child displacement crisis.
He noted that nearly 4 million Sudanese children suffer from acute malnutrition, with 730,000 of them facing severe and life-threatening acute malnutrition. Nearly 19 million children are out of school. At the same time, grave violations of children's rights, such as killing, maiming, recruiting and sexually abusing children, have increased fivefold.
"We are losing a generation of Sudanese children," he lamented. He urged all parties to the conflict to give priority to the protection of children's rights and to immediately cease all grave violations of human rights.
