Faith Groups Urge Global Action to End Sudan’s Ongoing Humanitarian Crisis

Faith-Based Organizations Urge Global Action Amid Sudan’s Ongoing Crisis

International Christian organizations are calling for increased international efforts to address the dire humanitarian situation in Sudan, where conflict has persisted for two years.

The conflict, marked by coordinated attacks two years ago, resulted in the deaths of over 100 individuals, including more than 20 children. Among the casualties were at least nine humanitarian workers dedicated to aiding Sudan’s population.

A coalition of religious organizations, including the World Council of Churches, All Africa Conference of Churches, Caritas Africa, and the Association of Member Episcopal Conferences in Eastern Africa, issued a statement highlighting Sudan’s worsening conditions.

Currently, over 30 million people, accounting for more than half of Sudan’s population, are in urgent need of aid.

Volker Turk, the UN Commissioner for Human Rights, described the ongoing violence as “brutal and senseless,” urging international intervention to halt the conflict.

The war primarily involves forces aligned with Sudan’s Prime Minister, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and those loyal to his former deputy, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo. Smaller factions have either joined the main parties or remained neutral.

The estimated death toll from the conflict varies but is consistently reported in the six figures.

Sudan’s tumultuous history includes nearly constant civil war since gaining independence from Britain in 1956. The first major civil war lasted from 1955 to 1972, claiming over half a million lives. The second war, from 1983 to 2005, resulted in one to two million deaths.

Smaller regional conflicts and military coups have further destabilized the nation over the decades.

The joint statement, coordinated by ACT Alliance & Caritas Internationalis, warns, “The situation in Sudan is dire and without a concerted strong push for peace talks the conflict will only worsen. The international community cannot continue to turn a blind eye to Sudan. We must act decisively to bring the parties to the negotiation table and work towards a sustainable resolution of the conflict.”

Rev Dr Fidon R Mwombeki, General Secretary of the All Africa Conference of Churches, commented, “A needless war, a war rooted in human greed and quest for power. Countless number of lives have been destroyed, displaced and traumatised for no fault of theirs. It takes courageous and compassionate leaders to stop war from happening and to end it, if it happens to occur.

“As people of faith, we call for an end to this mindless destruction of lives and property and for the international community to be intentional in demanding an enforceable ceasefire and mobilise resources to respond to the dire humanitarian situation in Sudan.”