(MENAFN- The Peninsula)
Xinhua
Khartoum: In 2024, violent conflict continued to devastate Sudan, deepening the humanitarian crisis that has afflicted millions since the brutal clashes between the Sudanese armed forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) erupted in April 2023.
The war, which has claimed nearly 30,000 lives, has displaced more than 14 million people -- roughly one-third of Sudan's population, creating what the United Nations describes as "the world's largest displacement crisis."
Despite the staggering human toll, the conflict in Sudan has not attracted the same level of global attention as other crises, such as those in Ukraine and Gaza.
This relative neglect has resulted in a lack of effective political mediation and insufficient humanitarian aid, putting the country at risk of plunging deeper into catastrophe.
The response from the international community in the coming months will be pivotal. It will determine whether millions of Sudanese civilians will continue to suffer from displacement, hunger, and violence -- or whether there is a genuine opportunity for peace and stability to take root.
Escalating Fighting
In 2024, armed confrontations between the SAF and the RSF have continued to ravage Sudan, spreading from the capital, Khartoum, through the central Gezira and Sinnar states, and extending to North Darfur in the west. Since May, El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, has become a central battleground between the two forces.
For seven months, the city has been under siege by the RSF, enduring relentless shelling and airstrikes from both the paramilitary group and the army.
These attacks have frequently targeted densely populated areas, including camps housing displaced civilians.
On Dec. 20, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) revealed in a press release that the ongoing siege and conflict in El Fasher have killed at least 782 civilians and left more than 1,143 injured.
"The continuing siege of El Fasher and the relentless fighting are devastating lives every day on a massive scale," said OHCHR chief Volker Turk.
The UN humanitarian agency also reported last week that hostilities have spread to additional urban areas in North Darfur and South Darfur, resulting in heavy civilian casualties and the destruction of homes, markets, and medical facilities.
The Darfur region, which comprises five states, is a key base for the RSF, with the majority of its recruits coming from the region. The militia is determined to gain full control of the region, seeking to capture El Fasher, the last SAF-controlled stronghold in the area.
"It is clear that both of the warring parties want to resolve the conflict militarily, which seems far-fetched, at least for now," Ahmed Ismail, a Sudanese military expert, told Xinhua.
Deepening Humanitarian Crisis
The ongoing conflict in Sudan has displaced more than 14 million people, or approximately 30 percent of the population, doubling the figure from last December. This makes it the world's largest displacement crisis, according to UN data.
"The (internal) displacement number has hit 11 million. That's up 200,000 just since September," Director-General of the International Organization for Migration Amy Pope said in late October at a press briefing from Port Sudan, adding that "another 3.1 million people have traveled across borders to flee the fighting."
Of the internally displaced, Sudanese government figures show that 4 million are women and 3 million are children.
In addition to the displacement crisis, more than 24.6 million people in Sudan are now facing high levels of acute food insecurity, a UN spokesperson said on Tuesday.
The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, a global hunger monitor, confirmed in a report released Tuesday that famine is present in at least five areas of Sudan, including North Darfur's Zamzam camp and parts of the Western Nuba Mountains.
The crisis is projected to expand to five additional areas before May 2025.
Abdullah Ibrahim, a food security expert in Sudan, cautioned that the true scale of the food crisis may be even worse than reported. "The full impact of the war on the food situation remains unclear, and the number of people at risk of famine is likely higher than the current estimates from the UN and the Sudanese government," he said.
The crisis has also fueled a health emergency. Epidemics, particularly cholera and dengue fever, have surged during the rainy season from June to October. Sudan's war-battered medical system has struggled to cope. The Health Ministry reported over 44,000 cholera cases and about 8,500 dengue fever infections.
The UN and other relief agencies now face significant obstacles to assisting the most vulnerable, including security risks, restrictions on aid flow and personnel movement, and a funding gap.
Humanitarian aid agencies face immense challenges in providing assistance. Security risks, restrictions on aid movement, and a significant funding shortfall have hindered efforts.
The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) noted that only 30 percent of the 1.5 billion U.S. dollars needed for Sudan's 2024 response have been secured, leaving many urgent needs unmet.
Struggling to shelter themselves from the winter cold, the displaced people call for scaling up internal and international responses to humanitarian needs.
"We are suffering from inadequate services and food shortages. The tents are in poor quality and can not protect us against the cold in winter," Qismalla Awad, who relocated to a displacement camp in River Nile State, told Xinhua.
Across the border in Chad, Sudanese refugees at a camp in Adre face similar hardships. "We are struggling with hunger, food shortages, and a lack of clean drinking water," said Adam Ishaq, a refugee at the camp.
"Located in a barren area, the camp offers little respite from either the summer heat or the winter cold."
Peace Remains Elusive
In 2024, regional and international efforts to mediate Sudan's ongoing crisis continued but yielded little progress.
On Jan. 18, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), an East African bloc, convened a summit in Kampala, Uganda, aimed at addressing the crisis.
However, Sudan boycotted the event. Two days later, Sudan announced it was freezing its membership in IGAD, citing the bloc's communique as an infringement on its sovereignty.
The Sudanese government further stated it would not abide by any decisions or actions taken by IGAD regarding Sudan's internal affairs.
This setback followed previous failed attempts by IGAD to bring the warring parties to the negotiating table. A summit in June 2023 faltered after the SAF voiced objections to the support certain IGAD members extended to the RSF.
A second attempt in December 2023 was postponed due to "technical reasons."
In July, under UN auspices, both warring sides were invited to Geneva for talks focused on humanitarian aid and civilian protection. However, one side failed to attend, and no breakthrough was achieved. The United Nations did not disclose which party was absent.
In August, fresh peace talks were initiated by the United States in Geneva, which were attended by RSF delegates. The SAF preemptively declared it would not participate, citing the RSF's failure to honor previous agreements, including commitments to withdrawing from civilian homes and public facilities.
"The suffering is growing by the day, with almost 25 million people now in need of humanitarian assistance," UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told ambassadors at the UN Security Council in late October, stressing the dire conditions civilians are enduring.
"We've lost our homes, but we haven't lost our dream of peace," said Ismail Al-Hakim, a Sudanese journalist who documented the devastating impact of the conflict on civilian life. "We are still holding onto the hope of an end to this conflict and the eventual homecoming of those displaced."
For Fatima Badawi, witnessing her hometown south of Khartoum descend into a brutal battleground, the coming year carries a weight far beyond simply marking the passage of time.
"We don't want another year of this conflict," she said. "The war must end as soon as possible. We are placing our hope for peace in the upcoming year."
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