More support needed to save lives in Sudan, as crisis worsens

Concern’s Interim Country Director for Sudan, Dominic MacSorley, says that more international support is needed as the humanitarian crisis in the country worsens, with almost seven million people left homeless since the conflict began seven months ago.

Mr MacSorley, who has just returned from battle-scarred towns in Darfur which were the scene of intensive fighting in recent weeks, acknowledges the critical funding already received to support vital health and nutrition services as well as emergency kits for 2,000 displaced families whose homes have been destroyed. But is calling for more urgent assistance.

“This is one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises,” said Mr MacSorley, who is currently in Chad, one of the world’s poorest countries where hundreds of thousands of Sudanese people have fled to for safety.

“Sudan now has more displaced people internally and externally than anywhere else in the world including Ukraine and Syria. Lives depend on our support.

“Twenty years ago the world’s attention was focused on the conflict that was raging in Darfur. The next generation of Sudanese are living through that same hell today, but attention along with the resources to provide basic humanitarian assistance to all who need it is desperately lacking.

“We recently travelled to a town called Ardamata which was the centre of some very intense fighting just over a week ago.

“It was heavily damaged with buildings and vehicles destroyed, including a health facility supported by Concern and UNICEF that was looted. 

“It was devastating to see the level of destruction. Everything in the facility was gone, including medicines and drugs used to keep malnourished children alive. 

“Our nutritional manager, who treats malnourished children, was visibly upset when I met her and told me it was like her own home was destroyed,” he said.

Concern, which has about 100 staff in Sudan where it has worked for 38 years, has resumed its assistance work in the country after temporarily suspending operations because of an increase in armed attacks.

Over 10,000 people are estimated to have been killed since this latest conflict in Sudan began on 15 April.

Around half the country’s population (24.7 million people) is estimated to be in need of humanitarian support and protection in the country. This includes over three million children estimated to be acutely malnourished, 621,000 of whom face severe acute malnutrition. These figures are expected to continue rising.

The UN has described the crisis in Sudan as “one of the worst humanitarian nightmares in recent history” with many horrifying reports of violence and people suffering from hunger and the impacts of conflict.

There has also been a near-total collapse of health, food, and economic infrastructure.

For media queries or interview requests, please contact Concern's Senior Comms Officer Darren Vaughan at [email protected].