In brief
Jan Egeland, head of the NRC, highlights that Sudan is facing an immense humanitarian crisis fueled by conflict between the army and the Rapid Support Forces, compounded by ethnic factions. Over 10 million people have fled, starvation is rampant, and the international response is severely lacking, raising alarms over potential genocide.
War-torn Sudan is teetering on the brink of failure, as civil society disintegrates with an alarming rise of armed groups, warned Jan Egeland, head of the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC). Speaking to the BBC, Egeland emphasized that not only are the main factions—the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF)—engaged in a brutal struggle, but they are also enabling smaller ethnic militias that are assaulting and looting civilians."The parties are tearing down their own houses, they are massacring their own people," Egeland stated, underlining the chaos that has enveloped the nation for the past nineteen months. This violent upheaval has forced more than 10 million people to abandon their homes, pushing Sudan closer to a hunger crisis of catastrophic proportions. Mr. Egeland, recently returned from Sudan, described this as "the biggest humanitarian emergency on our watch," alongside the largest displacement and hunger crisis seen in recent times. In September, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported that the specter of starvation looms across the country. Essential soup kitchens have shuttered due to a lack of funding, while Egeland lamented the insufficiency of humanitarian efforts which he criticized for merely “delaying deaths instead of preventing them.” He warned that 2.5 million lives could be lost to hunger by year’s end. Egeland asserted that global efforts are failing Sudan entirely, urging European nations to invest more in aid, protection, and peace initiatives to avoid a refugee crisis that could spill into Europe. "It's an underfunded operation, even though it's the world's biggest emergency," he added, alluding to the stark reality of the conflict. Thousands have died since the onset of civil strife, with reports suggesting the potential for ethnic cleansing and genocide. Despite sustained efforts for peace talks, progress remains elusive. Egeland noted that the violence would only cease when the involved warlords perceive a greater risk in continuing their fight than in seeking resolution.
