After three years of war, Sudan army and RSF locked in military impasse

Sudan Teeters on Brink of Humanitarian Catastrophe

As the war in Sudan enters its fourth year, the country is on the cusp of a devastating humanitarian crisis, with millions displaced, hungry, and exhausted. The international community is scrambling to provide aid and broker peace in a conflict that has been fueled by external involvement and complicated by the presence of tens of thousands of unexploded bombs. With over $1 billion in donations sought to address the crisis, the stakes are high, and the clock is ticking. The war has already killed tens of thousands of people and displaced 11 million from their homes, with nearly twice as many facing hunger.

The conflict in Sudan began in 2023, with the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces engaging in a protracted and bloody war. The international community, including the United States, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Egypt, has been involved in diplomatic efforts to broker peace, but these efforts have so far been unsuccessful. The war has had a devastating impact on the country's infrastructure, economy, and population, with 700 civilian deaths from drone strikes since January alone.

In the midst of this chaos, a semblance of normality has begun to emerge in the capital Khartoum, where reconstruction has begun and national secondary school exams were held this week after nearly two years of widespread school closures. Around 1.7 million people have returned to the city, eager to rebuild their lives and start anew. However, danger still lurks in the form of tens of thousands of unexploded bombs, a constant reminder of the war's devastating legacy. For people like Amgad Ahmed, a 42-year-old who has lived in Omdurman, Khartoum's twin city, throughout the conflict, the war has been a never-ending nightmare. "Three years of war have worn people down," Ahmed said, describing how people have lost their work, savings, and sense of stability.

The international donor conference in Berlin aims to raise over $1 billion in humanitarian aid, with Germany's Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul expressing hope that the meeting will "give actors on the ground the opportunity to speak to each other." However, the exclusion of the Sudanese army and the RSF from the conference has raised questions about the prospects for a peaceful resolution to the conflict. As the war rages on, the humanitarian crisis deepens, with famine declared last year in North Darfur's capital El-Fasher and Kadugli, the capital of South Kordofan, and 20 additional areas at risk. The international community must act swiftly to address the crisis and broker a lasting peace, or risk condemning millions of Sudanese citizens to a life of poverty, hunger, and despair.

The road to recovery and stability will be long and arduous, but it is not impossible. With the right support and commitment from the international community, Sudan can begin to heal and rebuild. The return of 1.7 million people to Khartoum and the beginning of reconstruction efforts are tentative steps towards a brighter future, but they are only the beginning. As the war in Sudan enters its fourth year, the world must come together to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe and give the Sudanese people the chance to rebuild their lives and their country.