Attachments
Highlights
▪ It has been over one year since the outbreak of conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Sudan has become one of the world’s worst humanitarian tragedies and one of the largest internal displacement crises globally.
▪ On 25 April, the United Nation’s Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict and the Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator said that more than a year into the battle for control of the country between rival militaries, the “barbaric acts” being committed “echo the horrors witnessed in Darfur two decades ago”. They urged Security Council members to take immediate action to ensure an end to the wave of sexual violence being carried out against women and girls in Sudan.
▪ On 27 April, UN Security Council members called on the two parties in Sudan to immediately halt the military build-up and take steps to de-escalate the situation in El Fasher, North Darfur. The call comes amid reports of an imminent offensive by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and their allied militia against the city. On 29 April, the United States ambassador to the UN, warned that more than 2 million people in El Fasher, are under imminent threat of a “large-scale massacre” and urged the international community to pressure the two warring parties to scale back. The UN Humanitarian Affairs Coordinator also warned that an escalation of hostilities there would be “catastrophic”.
Situation and Operational Response
SUDAN
Highlights
▪ During the past week, the security situation in Sudan was volatile and complex, with several concerning developments, impacting the humanitarian crisis in various regions, particularly in the Darfur States.
▪ A joint assessment mission by UNHCR, Commissioner for Refugees (COR) and JASMAR for Human Security, to Omdurman, Khartoum State, took place on 23-26 April to evaluate the humanitarian situation and urgent needs of displaced populations affected by the conflict. The mission members held meetings with local authorities, refugees, and internally displaced communities, and visited sites hosting displaced populations in Omdurman. The findings highlighted significant humanitarian needs, limited access to essential services such as food, shelter, health care, and livelihood opportunities alongside significant protection challenges, safety concerns, reports of gender-based violence, inadequate legal support, and insufficient child protection measures. The mission noted the need to strengthen partners' capacity and mobilize resources to meet the urgent needs of the displaced populations.
▪ The Inter-agency Emergency Directors’ Group (EDG) mission comprising representatives from ICVA, IOM, InterAction, OCHA, NRC, UNFPA, UNHCR, UNICEF, WHO and World Vision arrived in Port Sudan on 28 April. The mission aims to engage with the humanitarian community and local authorities to assess additional resource needs to sustain operations, support fundraising and advocacy efforts, and identify strategies to overcome access constraints and bureaucratic impediments. The delegation will also visit sites hosting people displaced by the ongoing conflict.