The ongoing war in Sudan, which has been raging for approximately 11 months, has significantly increased the number of disabled individuals in the country. Amna Abdel Qader, the Secretary-General of the Disability Council in Port Sudan, told Al Sharq Al Awsat that the war has greatly increased the number of disabled people in Sudan, with estimates suggesting that the number may have doubled.
Abdel Qader highlighted the lack of precise statistics on the disabled population in the country, particularly concerning disabilities caused by the war. She noted that, according to 2020 statistics, the Red Sea state alone had around 7,000 disabled individuals.
Port Sudan has so far welcomed 200 disabled individuals who have fled from Khartoum due to the war, in addition to others who have moved from Al Jazirah state. Abdel Qader mentioned that efforts are being made to provide assistance to these individuals in collaboration with partners, including attempts to establish a special home for displaced disabled individuals and to launch projects for them in cooperation with Zakat institutions. However, the increasing numbers, whether due to displacement or war injuries, mean that these efforts remain limited and fall short of expectations.
In a recreational space at the headquarters of the Disability Council in Sudan’s temporary capital, Port Sudan, Mohammed Musa and Amin Omar enjoy their favorite hobby, playing goalball, a football variant for the visually impaired. Despite their visual disabilities since childhood, their condition hasn’t stopped them from engaging in sports and even winning awards for Sudan in both domestic and international competitions. Abdel Qader emphasized that sports are one of the means to integrate disabled individuals into society and mitigate the psychological, social, economic, and displacement effects of the war on them, noting that disabled persons have achieved international accolades for Sudan.
Abdel Qader appealed to the Ministry of Youth and Sports and partners to support the sporting activities of disabled individuals. She highlighted the council’s efforts in networking, advocacy, and forming partnerships with civil society organizations to serve the disabled.
Challenges include providing special needs equipment such as white canes, hearing aids, bicycles, and wheelchairs, as well as arranging transportation for mentally disabled individuals to schools, which can be prohibitively expensive, leading some families to forgo schooling for their children.
Amin Omar, a 30-year-old special education teacher with a passion for drama and children’s literature, expressed the societal challenges disabled individuals face, including a lack of acceptance. He pointed out that some families confine their disabled members at home, viewing them as a stigma. Omar Al Bashir Yousif, known as “Shalaqa” and one of the icons of the December 2018 revolution despite his disability, champions the “overcoming disability” mantra. As a celebrated rower and rapper, his physical disability and the war’s circumstances haven’t deterred him from pursuing his favorite sport, emphasizing that the disabled community is productive but requires support to overcome obstacles.
Ahmed Mahmoud, an activist in the disability sector, dedicated himself to serving disabled individuals and raising awareness to leverage their capabilities for the benefit of society and the state. He stressed that the war has significantly increased their numbers, making it imperative not to overlook them. Some disabled individuals face challenges in marriage and family formation, as many communities are reluctant to marry off their sons to disabled women or their daughters to disabled men, even if they share the same disability, under the pretext that disabled individuals cannot shoulder family responsibilities.