UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Monday said two years into a devastating war, Sudan remains in a crisis of staggering proportions, with civilians paying the highest price.
He said indiscriminate shelling and air strikes continue to kill and maim. Markets, hospitals, schools, places of worship and displacement sites are being attacked. Sexual violence is rampant, with women and girls subjected to horrific acts. Civilians suffer from gross violations and abuses from all warring parties.
“Almost 12 million people have fled their homes, in what has become the world’s largest displacement crisis. More than 3.8 million of these have crossed into neighbouring countries,” Guterres said. “More than 30 million people require humanitarian support. Half of the population – some 25 million people – are acutely hungry. As the lean season looms, famine has been identified in at least five locations and is projected to spread further. Aid workers have been targeted: at least 90 have lost their lives since the fighting began.”
“Basic services have been decimated, with millions of children deprived of education, and less than one-quarter of health facilities are functional in the hardest hit areas. Attacks on infrastructure have left people without electricity and access to safe water,” he added.
According to Guterres, last year, the United Nations and its partners reached more than 15.6 million people with at least one form of assistance. But the needs remain overwhelming. Conflict and insecurity, coupled with bureaucratic impediments and drastic funding cuts, have kept humanitarians from increasing their presence in many areas where assistance is needed most.
“Civilians continue to bear the brunt of the parties’ disregard for human life. In addition to their obligations under international humanitarian and international human rights law, the warring parties have made commitments to protect civilians, including in the Jeddah Declaration of May 2023,” he said. “Such commitments must be translated into concrete action. Independent, impartial and transparent investigations into all reports of violations and abuses are also crucial. The only way to ensure the protection of civilians is to end this senseless conflict.”
“I am deeply concerned that weapons and fighters continue to flow into Sudan, allowing the conflict to persist and spread across the country. The external support and flow of weapons must end. Those with greatest influence on the parties must use it to better the lives of people in Sudan – not to perpetuate this disaster,” Guterres stated.
He added that comprehensive, revitalised and well-coordinated political efforts are urgently needed to prevent Sudan’s further fragmentation.
“As an international community, we must find ways to help the Sudanese people bring this unspeakable catastrophe to an end and establish acceptable transitional arrangements. Sudan remains a highest priority for the United Nations. I will continue to engage with regional leaders on means to enhance our collective efforts for peace,” he said. “This will complement the ongoing work of my Personal Envoy, Ramtane Lamamra, who will seek to ensure international mediation efforts are mutually reinforcing. He will also continue to explore with the parties ways to bring them closer to a peaceful solution and support and empower civilians as they work towards a common vision for Sudan’s future.”
“We must renew our focus on finding an end to this brutal war. The world must not forget the people of Sudan,” Guterres concluded.