“What is happening in Sudan is not just a humanitarian crisis. It is a crisis of humanity itself,” said Mona Rishmawi, spokesperson for the United Nations Independent International Fact-Finding Mission for Sudan, in a statement commenting on the war that has raged in the country for more than two years.
The mission condemned the widespread prevalence of sexual violence, the deaths of children due to hunger, and the obstruction of humanitarian aid. Rishmawi added, “While bombs and bullets dominate the headlines in Sudan, a quieter yet perhaps even more deadly war is being waged—against the bodies of women, girls, and marginalized communities.”
The war in Sudan broke out in mid-April 2023 between the army, led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the Rapid Support Forces, led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo.
The conflict has resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands and the displacement of 14.3 million people, the largest forced displacement in the world according to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.
The mission reported an increasing use of heavy weapons by both sides in targeting civilian areas.
The head of the mission, Mohamed Chande Othman, said, “Civilians continue to pay the highest price,” describing a conflict that is becoming “more complex and brutal.”
Rishmawi also noted that “hunger is being used as a weapon. Humanitarian aid, as we have been informed, is not only being blocked from entering, but is also being deliberately manipulated.”
