Many readers of this blog will be aware of my long links with both Sudan and South Sudan. I spent several years travelling in and out of both Khartoum and Juba, before and after the South seceded, and still maintain links with believers in both countries, mainly through my dear friend Bishop John Kongi, who is based in Kampala, Uganda.
Though almost completely ignored by the western press because, after all, Sudan is an African country, a civil war has been raging in Sudan for the last 11 months, with no signs of ending. Bishop John recently sent me this well-informed update on the situation there, along with some pictures of the great city of Khartoum, a wonderful city I know well, as it is today, and of displaced refugees arriving at a camp in Uganda.
Amidst mass displacement and reports of mass killings, humanitarian access has been severely curtailed, making it extremely hard for aid to reach vulnerable communities. The crisis is expected to deteriorate through 2024, driving further displacement and increasing risks across the region.
Inside Sudan, the humanitarian situation remains dire due to ongoing fighting and shortages of food, water, and fuel, limited communications and electricity, and very high prices of essential items. Health care has been critically affected and there are severe shortages of medicines and vital supplies.
As of 21 January 2024, at least 13,000–15,000 people had been killed and 33,000 others were injured. As of 21 March, over 6.5 million were internally displaced and more than two million others had fled the country as refugees, and many civilians in Darfur have been reported dead as part of the 2023 Masalit massacres.
More than 15.000 now are in the refugees camp in Kiryandongo Bwyale, Uganda, and still increasing everyday leave alone those who are leaving outside the camps all over Uganda.
Acute food insecurity: Conflict, violence, and economic decline have pushed 17.7 million people, or 37% of Sudan’s population, into acute food insecurity, with 4.9 million at the “emergency” level and 12.8 million at the “crisis” level.
According to the United Nations, more than 13 million people in Sudan are facing acute food insecurity. This means that they are unable to meet their basic food needs and are at risk of hunger. The situation is particularly dire in some areas, such as Darfur and South Sudan.