Sudan: 500 days of conflict, 500 days of suffering

As the conflict enters its 500th day, Sudan is facing an unprecedented humanitarian crisis, with children bearing the brunt.

Millions of children are suffering from mass displacement, severe hunger, deteriorating mental health and a disturbing increase in gender-based violence, according to a new report released today by international aid organization World Vision. The urgent need for protection and support for these vulnerable children has never been greater.

The report, entitled: Unprecedented hunger, mental health disasters and gender-based violence: the crisis for children and families in Sudan, reveals that 26 million people in Sudan are expected to face acute food insecurity, hunger and malnutrition as a direct result of the ongoing conflict. This is more than half of Sudan’s population and a figure comparable to almost the entire population of Australia. One million of these people are expected to face life-threatening famine-like conditions between October and December 2024.

In April 2023, conflict broke out in Sudan, throwing the country into disarray and creating a humanitarian crisis of epic proportions. As we approach the 500th day of the conflict, the crisis is only getting worse. Children and their families are being forcibly displaced from one location to another as the frontlines shift, creating the worst child displacement crisis in the world. Since the beginning of the conflict, more than seven million children have fled violence in search of food, shelter and safety. Most have been internally displaced, while others have fled to neighbouring countries.

John Makoni, National Director of World Vision Sudan said:

“Children are particularly affected by high rates of food insecurity and this is World Vision’s biggest concern in Sudan right now. Nationwide, four million children under the age of five are expected to go hungry by the end of 2024, and 730,000 are expected to experience severe acute malnutrition. The world can no longer look the other way; the time to act is now.”

Furthermore, hunger and conflict are rapidly fueling a mental health crisis that will affect children and families long after peace is restored. According to the report, an estimated 15.7 million children and their families affected by the crisis in Sudan are at risk of mental health disorders due to the interlinked crises of conflict and hunger. An estimated 1.4 million Sudanese who are expected to suffer from serious mental illness in the aftermath of the conflict are likely to continue to struggle with hunger long after Sudan returns to stability.

Phiona Koyiet, Senior Technical Advisor for Mental Health and Psychosocial Issues at World Vision, said:

“World Vision recognizes the importance of mental health for resilience and recovery from crises and is implementing mental health and psychosocial support programs, but the needs are greater than our resources. It is not just the immediate impact, but also the long-term mental health consequences that this crisis will have on a generation of Sudanese. An estimated 40% of people with severe mental illness are food insecure. Even after peace is restored, people in Sudan will urgently need long-term mental health and psychosocial support.”

Adding to the crisis, World Vision’s report reveals that millions of women and girls in Sudan are unsafe because sexual violence has been weaponized, with women’s and girls’ bodies treated as battlefields. The presence of armed actors, displacement, weakened social and protection networks, and inadequate access to services create an environment where women and girls are at acute risk of gender-based violence and its damaging effects.

Koyiet said:

“We are seeing reports that up to 65% of women in South Sudan experience intimate partner and/or sexual violence, a rate that is twice the global average. While we do not have data for Sudan due to the conflict, we fear that the numbers there are similar. Communities are also increasingly turning to specific forms of gender-based violence, such as sexual exploitation and child marriage, to cope with insecurity and increasing humanitarian needs. It is a deeply worrying trend that must be addressed immediately.”

Makoni concluded:

“The significant shortfall in international support is unacceptable. The global neglect of Sudan is a devastating indictment of a failure of international solidarity and foresight. The situation in Sudan and the subsequent refugee flows threaten to overwhelm the entire East African region and beyond. The window of opportunity to turn the tide in this humanitarian crisis is rapidly closing and collective action is urgently needed to protect the next generation of Sudanese children.”