‘No corner of Sudan is safe’: UN officials warn of famine and atrocities as war escalates

A month ago, Sudan marked a tragic milestone: 1,000 days of a devastating war that has ravaged the third largest country in Africa, according to Rosemary DiCarlo, Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs.

It has been “1,000 days of staggering violence and unimaginable suffering” and “1,000 days of total impunity” for the perpetrators of numerous atrocities and war crimes.

As the conflict nears its third anniversary in April, fighting continues to escalate. Ms. DiCarlo noted fluctuating front lines in North Darfur, North Kordofan, South Kordofan, and Blue Nile states, with drone attacks and aerial strikes by both the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) becoming a defining aspect of this conflict.

Severe consequences for civilians

“The consequences for civilians and civilian infrastructure are severe. No corner of Sudan is safe from the threat of attack,” Ms. DiCarlo warned.

In North Kordofan, the state capital El Obeid is besieged from three sides by the RSF, while the SAF have attempted to regain control in and around the city. “Ground fighting inside El Obeid would have catastrophic consequences and hinder prospects for a ceasefire,” she said.

South Kordofan has also experienced intensified fighting around Kadugli and Dilling. Although recent announcements suggested sieges there had been broken, humanitarian access remains uncertain.

Sudanese refugees arrive at the border town of Adré, Chad. (file)

Humanitarian crisis relentless

Edem Wosornu, Director of the Crisis Response Division at the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), indicated that the situation in much of Kordofan and Darfur has deteriorated since the start of the year.

“In recent weeks, we have seen an alarming escalation of drone attacks across the three Kordofan states, leading to more civilian deaths and injuries and forcing families to flee their homes,” she said. Over one million people are now displaced in the region alone.

Food insecurity is worsening. UN-backed food security analysis suggests that famine conditions “may be prevalent” in Kadugli and Dilling. In North Darfur, acute malnutrition rates in Um Baru and Kernoi localities exceeded famine thresholds in December.

Toll on aid workers

The toll on relief workers is increasing. Since the conflict started on 15 April 2023, approximately 130 humanitarian workers – nearly all Sudanese – have been killed.

“Aid workers and humanitarian assets must never be targets,” Ms. Wosornu stressed, noting that four incidents in 10 days recently resulted in humanitarian personnel killed or injured while delivering food.

The World Health Organization (WHO) reported that in one week this month, three health facilities were attacked in South Kordofan, killing 31 people, including children and health workers.

Violence against women and girls has reached catastrophic levels, Ms. Wosornu said. Demand for prevention and response services has surged by 350 percent since the war began, and documented cases of sexual violence have nearly tripled.