UNICEF is urging for more international attention to what it calls ‘the forgotten crisis’ in Sudan as about 25.6 million people are facing acute hunger. Aid groups have reported dozens of civilians killed and thousands displaced in Sudan’s Gezira state after attacks by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). RSF fighters have been attacking villages and towns in Gezira, looting and vandalizing properties, leaving dozens dead. Conflict erupted in April 2023 between army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan “Hemedti” Dagalo, displacing over 10 million people and creating a severe humanitarian crisis. The Sudanese Armed Forces have been trying to retake control of areas from the RSF since September. In al-Sireha alone, at least 50 people were killed and 200 wounded, with more casualties reported in other villages. The Sudan Doctors Union described the situation in eastern Gezira as a “brutal war zone”. UNICEF and the UNHCR are calling for unimpeded access to people in need across Sudan. The conflict has led to mass displacement, with more than 14 million people forced from their homes, making it one of the worst displacement crises in the world. Atrocities such as mass rape and ethnic cleansing have been reported as war crimes and crimes against humanity, particularly in Darfur where the RSF has been carrying out brutal attacks. The UN is urging for urgent international action to address the crisis in Sudan.
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Paramilitary RSF in Sudan’s Gezira responsible for deaths of dozens, according to aid groups
