Tuesday, 20th August, 2024
Author: Cosmina Craciunescu Timofte
Country: London, England, The United Kingdom
Photo credit: https://images.app.goo.gl/peBLLXFYSnPtw7L19
SUMMARY
One of the key border crossings used for humanitarian aid “to enter Sudan will be reopened” (Dean, Mian, 2024), in the midst of the war unfolding in the area. The conflicts are “causing a growing number of people in the country to need food, water, shelter and medical care” (Dean, Mian, 2024).
The Sudan Council “announced it will open the Andre crossing, on the country’s border with Chad, for a period of three months” (Dean, Mian, 2024). According to the sources, the main reason for the border’s closing was the facilitation of weaponry exchange in between the parties of the conflict. As a consequence, there is significant need for humanitarian aid, especially “in Sudan’s Darfur region, as civil war between the SAF and the paramilitary RSF (Rapid Support Forces), continues to ravage the country.” At the moment, Sudan is experiencing “a breaking point” (Dean, Mian, 2024)
BACKGROUND
With the occasion of an United Nations Security Council meeting that took place “on August 6, the United States accused the SAF of <<restricting humanitarians from accessing supplies through the critical Andre crossing>>”(Dean, Mian, 2024)
The reason behind the blockages of the borders are listed as being carried out by the “army-aligned Government…citing concerns that the route was being used to smuggle weapons into the RSF (Rapid Support Forces)-controlled territories” (Middle East Monitor, 2024). However, these safety concerns have a great negative impact over the area, along with its citizens.
Additionally, the “United Kingdom said the armed forces were <<obstructing aid delivery into Darfur, including the Andre crossing, the most direct route to deliver assistance at scale>>” (Dean, Mian, 2024). This conflict in significant in the given context, considering the emergency state experienced by Sudan. The United Nations is intervening, in order to save as many civilian lives as possible, and avoid the situation in which the citizens would experience crippling famine.
Darfur is known to have experienced waves of conflicts, historically, “leaving it reliant on humanitarian assistance even before the recent escalation of violence” (Ağacı, 2024). It further demonstrates the manner in which these ongoing conflicts are affecting the citizens, considering that their effects continue to linger. Additionally, the civilians feel helpless in such situations, and hope to be provided with assistance coming from international organizations, at the same time, relying on the help given by more powerful and wealthier countries.
According to an Integrated Food Security Phase Classification Report (IPC) issued in July of this year, the “famine conditions are prevalent” (IPC, apud, Dean, Mian, 2024). These were observed un the North Darfur state of Sudan, to include the camp of Zamzam, which is located in the proximity of the capital, El Fasher, also being “home to about half a million people displaced by the civil war” (IPC, apud, Dean, Mian, 2024).
Besides the Zamzam camp for internally displaced persons, the “UN Famine Committee recently reported that thirteen other areas are on the brink of famine, largely in Darfur, Kordofan, Khartoum, and Gezira.” (Schlein, 2024) This may lead to a disastrous result for the whole country to fall into an emergency state, needing assistance to save its citizens. Even worse, there had been “many, many attacks on healthcare, as in the conflict hotspots, as many as 70% to 80% of hospitals are non-functional” (Harris, apud, Schlein, 2024). From these reports, one can conclude that the attacks are directed in such a manner as to weaken the country, and force its citizens to either flee, or fall prey to the cruelty of the enemy. Disease represents a great problem for the conflict-affected areas, as “thousands of cases of cholera, measles, dengue, meningitis…have been reported in numerous states, as well as 1.7 million malaria cases” (Schlein, 2024).
At the moment “26 million people are in need of assistance in Sudan, which is more than half of the country’s population” (OHCA, apud, Dean, Mian, 2024) As a result of the ongoing crisis, more than “10 million people have fled their homes since the civil war broke out in April 2023, and over half of the population faces acute hunger” (OHCA, apud, Dean, Mian, 2024). Moreover, UNICEF declared that “Sudan’s humanitarian crisis was <<the biggest in the world>> for children” (UNICEF, apud, Dean, Mian, 2024). It is also labelled as the “world’s largest displacement crisis” (Ağacı, 2024)
North Darfur is currently “at IPC level 5, emphasizing the urgent need for sustained humanitarian interventions.” (Ağacı, 2024) It calls for urgent action from the part of the international bodies, in order to save as many lives as possible.
At present times, unfortunately, the conflict that is developing in Sudan has resulted in a “massive hunger crisis, with over 26 million people facing severe food insecurity. Some 755,000 are experiencing catastrophic levels of hunger, and hunger-related deaths have already been reported” (Sudan Tribune, 2024) This terrible situation calls for immediate action from the part of the international organizations, prompting them to step in an help the civilians. The citizens of this country are currently experiencing a severe situation that is completely unacceptable, especially in the 21st Century.
The ”Tine crossing” which is being used at the moment to deliver food, is deemed “insufficient, being longer and more expensive” (Sudan Tribune, 2024). It will soon become “inaccessible” because of the “rain season” that is expected to begin in the following weeks. (Sudan Tribune, 2024)
The ”decision by the Sudanese Government to open the Andre crossing followed the start of the US sponsored peace talks in Geneva” (Schlein, 2024). The Rapid Support Forces had sent a delegation to the location of the peace talks, in an effort to offer aid in this emergency.
REFERENCES:
Agacı, E., “Sudan Reopens Chad Border for Vital Humanitarian Aid”, The Pinnacle Gazette, World News, Published August 19, 2024, [online], available at: https://evrimagaci.org/tpg/sudan-reopens-chad-border-for-vital-humanitarian-aid-29878 , accessed August 19, 2024
Dean, S., Mian, L., “Sudanese Government Agrees to Reopen Key Border Crossing for Humanitarian Aid”, CNN, World, Africa, Published August 15, 2024, [online], available at: https://edition.cnn.com/2024/08/15/africa/sudan-border-crossing-intl-latam/index.html, accessed August 19, 2024
Memo, Middle East Monitor, “Sudan to Reopen Andre Border Crossing for Three Months to Facilitate Aid Delivery”, Africa News, Sudan, Published August 15, 2024, [online], available at: https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20240815-sudan-to-reopen-adre-border-crossing-for-three-months-to-facilitate-aid-delivery/ , accessed August 19, 2024
Schlein, L., “Sudan Opening Andre Border Crossing to Provide Humanitarian Lifeline”, VOA News, Africa, Published August 16, 2024, [online], available at: https://www.voanews.com/a/sudan-opening-adre-border-crossing-to-provide-humanitarian-lifeline/7745793.html , accessed August 19, 2024
Sudan Tribune, “WFP Urges Sudan to Reopen Chad Border Amid Escalating Darfur Hunger Crisis”, [online], available at: https://sudantribune.com/article288781/ , accessed August 19, 2024 access PDF at: Craciunescu - Timofte, C., "The Sudanese Government Agrees to Reopen Key Border Crossing for Humanitarian Aid".
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