(Washington, D.C.) The Sudanese civil war has exacerbated the country's humanitarian crisis, with the death toll continuing to rise. Paramilitary groups reportedly massacred approximately 2,000 people this month after capturing the last government positions in the western Darfur region, drawing international condemnation.
The long-standing conflict between the Sudanese army and the rapid support force (RSF) erupted into full-blown civil war in April 2023. The two sides have been vying for territory for the past two and a half years.
The RSF seized control of al-Fashir, the Darfur capital, at the end of October, ending an 18-month siege of the city. According to Al Jazeera on Thursday (October 30), approximately 1.2 million people were stranded in al-Fashir during the siege, forced to survive on animal feed.
The military-backed government and civil rights groups have accused the RSF of carrying out mass atrocities against civilians in the city, killing approximately 2,000 people.
Reuters recently reported that approximately 260,000 people remained in the city when the RSF launched its roundup and killings. Multiple witnesses said that people fleeing El Fasher were surrounded in nearby villages and taken away separately by gender.
Further Reading
For two and a half years, the fighting in Sudan has continued to escalate, and the front lines are expected to shift south to the Kordofan region. Analysts believe that Sudan may fall into a Libyan-style fragmentation, ultimately resulting in two independently controlled regions.
Approximately half of Sudan's population faces extreme hunger. Last year, the United States estimated that the Sudanese civil war may have killed 150,000 people. UN data shows that about half of Sudan's nearly 50 million people face extreme hunger, with famine recorded in 10 regions; approximately 12 million people have been displaced, with large numbers of refugees pouring into Chad, Egypt, and South Sudan. Humanitarian organizations have been virtually unable to access the conflict zones.
Despite this, international aid commitments to Ukraine far exceed those to Sudan. The UAE and Iran have been accused of providing weapons and funding to both sides, hindering US and Saudi Arabia's efforts to broker a ceasefire.
Germany and Britain have both strongly condemned the large-scale atrocities in El Fasher. German Foreign Minister Wadefull said the situation in Sudan is "absolutely apocalyptic, the worst humanitarian crisis in the world."
