Written by Cove Johnson Rabidoux
Since 2023, Sudan has been experiencing a violent civil war that has displaced nearly 8 million people, but this huge humanitarian crisis has garnered virtually no attention from the media. Why is that and what are the details of the war?
On April 15th, 2023, a civil war broke out between two rival branches of the military in Sudan. The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) is on one side under the control of Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, while the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) are on the other side under the leader Hemedti. This conflict has a long history, however, it began in Sudan’s capital Khartoum. But the conflict now isn’t contained in Khartoum, rather the entire country of Sudan has been impacted.
Families across the country have been forced to flee their homes due to horrific attacks, violence, and kidnapping. But those aren’t the only problems caused by this war, starvation is running rampant through Sudan with millions of people just one step away from famine. In fact, the amount of people experiencing starvation in Sudan is about to make it the world’s largest hunger crisis in history. Since Sudan's war began in April, nearly 18 million people across the country are facing acute hunger. Gender-based sexual violence and trafficking have also spread across the country. The UN reports that there have been over 300 females who have been victims of these appalling crimes. But in an online article, the United Nations also notes that “the scale and seriousness of violence committed against women and girls are also grossly’ underreported, as many survivors cannot come forward out of fear of reprisals and stigma.”
As a result, women and children are among the majority who have left or are seeking to leave Sudan. In total, 1.5 million people have fled Sudan. Many of those who have fled Sudan have entered neighboring countries such as Chad, Egypt, or Ethiopia. But, unfortunately, it is difficult and not entirely safe to reach Egypt as there are many reports of RSF fighters robbing and looting cars at gunpoint. This leaves more than 6 million people in Sudan who are internally displaced. This signifies that they have been forced to leave their home but they haven’t crossed an international border — meaning they may be residing in nearby cities or shelters/camps within their country.
Despite the country facing these horrifying levels of violence, it is receiving little to no attention from the media. The United Nations Human Rights website states that “the crisis is being entirely ignored. There is a prevailing climate of impunity.” This could be due to many reasons, one being that the Sudanese people aren’t seen as “worthy” victims. An article by Stan Cox and Priti Gulati Cox in The National points out that, “white Europeans now being killed, wounded, or rendered homeless by Russian troops are victims worthy of media attention, while Sudanese facing similar fates aren’t.” As a result, it is critical that we seek to help those in Sudan. Whether it is spreading awareness online or donating to aid groups, we must take action to support those affected by the war in Sudan.