Sudan is on the brink of becoming a failed state, with civil society collapsing amid rampant violence from armed groups, according to Jan Egeland of the Norwegian Refugee Council. Over 10 million people have been displaced, facing starvation and humanitarian crises exacerbated by insufficient aid. Egeland warns that immediate international intervention is necessary to prevent further suffering and mitigate a potential refugee crisis.
War-torn Sudan faces the imminent threat of devolving into a failed state, as civil society deteriorates and armed groups proliferate. Jan Egeland, the head of the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), expressed these concerns during an interview with the BBC, highlighting the rampant violence perpetrated not only by the primary combatants, the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), but also by various smaller ethnic militias. He stated, “The parties are tearing down their own houses, they are massacring their own people,” underscoring the gravity of the situation.
The violent power struggle, which has persisted for nineteen months, has displaced over 10 million individuals and has pushed the nation toward starvation. Following his recent visit to Sudan, Mr. Egeland remarked, “All that I saw confirms that this is indeed the biggest humanitarian emergency on our watch, the biggest hunger crisis, the biggest displacement crisis.” The World Health Organization has also indicated that starvation is an omnipresent crisis within the country, leading to the closure of soup kitchens due to insufficient funding, creating a dire humanitarian landscape.
Egeland lamented, “Most of Sudan is starving, it’s starving,” adding that starvation tactics are being utilized as instruments of warfare. Alarmingly, food security specialists project that as many as 2.5 million individuals may perish from hunger by the year’s end. He cautioned that the international community is failing Sudan, emphasizing the urgent need for increased aid and protection efforts to prevent an exacerbation of the crisis, especially to stave off potential refugee flows into Europe.
He indicated that the operation lacks funding despite being deemed the “world’s biggest emergency”. Thousands have lost their lives during the civil unrest, with human rights organizations escalating fears regarding ethnic cleansing and genocide. Peace negotiations between the RSF and the army have yielded no fruitful results. Mr. Egeland concluded, “The war will stop when these warlords feel they have more to lose by continuing fighting, than by doing the sensible thing.”
The ongoing conflict in Sudan stems from a power struggle primarily between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which escalated into violence in April 2023. This unrest has precipitated widespread humanitarian crises, including mass displacement, food shortages, and a lack of basic healthcare. The civil society in Sudan has been severely impacted by the proliferation of armed groups, leading to concerns over potential ethnic cleansing and a lack of adequate international humanitarian response amidst alarming reports of starvation and related health crises.
In summary, Sudan stands at a critical juncture, facing the dire threat of becoming a failed state due to ongoing civil strife. The head of the Norwegian Refugee Council, Jan Egeland, has called for urgent international attention, as the humanitarian crisis deepens and starvation looms. With millions displaced and numerous lives at stake, it is imperative for the global community to increase support in striving for peace and stability to avert further tragedy in Sudan.
Original Source: www.bbc.com
