The president of the humanitarian organization “Doctors Without Borders” (Médecins Sans Frontières), Christos Christou, announced today, Thursday, that Sudan is experiencing “one of the worst crises the world has seen in decades,” referring to the ongoing war in the country between the army and the “Rapid Support Forces” for over a year.
The organization’s account on the “X” platform quoted its president saying that Sudan is witnessing “one of the worst crises the world has seen in decades… yet the humanitarian response is entirely insufficient.”
More than 8.8 million people have fled their homes since mid-April 2023.
Access to food remains the top priority for the displaced, followed by healthcare services, water, and sanitation facilities, particularly in the Darfur and Kordofan regions.
Since April 15 last year, Sudan has been experiencing a bloody war between the regular armed forces led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the “Rapid Support Forces” led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, causing a deep humanitarian crisis.
In a brief video clip published by the international relief organization, it stated that “the levels of suffering are unprecedented across the country and the needs are increasing day by day.”
The organization added that “there is a deliberate effort by the Sudanese government to deny permits to relief teams and humanitarian materials, preventing them from reaching combat zones.”
In the Sudanese capital, “Doctors Without Borders” reported that Al-Nou Hospital in Omdurman, south of Khartoum, which the organization supports, was “bombed yesterday, Wednesday, amid heavy shelling around the city, resulting in the deaths of three people, including a local volunteer,” and injuring 27 others.
The war has resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands, including up to 15,000 people in El Geneina, the capital of West Darfur state, according to UN experts. However, the exact death toll remains unclear, with some estimates suggesting it reaches “150,000,” according to the U.S. special envoy to Sudan, Tom Periello.
Additionally, Sudan has recorded nearly ten million internally and externally displaced persons since the outbreak of the battles, according to UN statistics. The country’s infrastructure has been largely destroyed, leaving its population threatened with famine.