Genocide in Sudan: A Crisis Ignored

The ongoing humanitarian crisis in Sudan is one of the world's most pressing issues, yet it receives little attention from the global community. Despite bipartisan agreement in the United States that the situation in Sudan constitutes a genocide, the country continues to suffer famine, ethnic cleansing, and atrocities on a massive scale. The situation is compounded by the failure of the international community, including the United Nations and Arab and African countries, to take decisive action.

Key Takeaways:

• The United Nations estimates that 25 million Sudanese face extreme hunger, and at least 12 million have had to flee their homes due to civil war.
• The Biden administration declared the killing in Sudan a genocide in January, and the Trump administration made a similar declaration in April, confirming that the situation is viewed as a genocide by the State Department.
• The killing and starvation in Sudan are a result of a two-year struggle between two warring generals, the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces, both of which have committed war crimes.
• Aid workers, including Cindy McCain, the executive director of the U.N. World Food Program, say that both sides have committed war crimes, but the Rapid Support Forces are responsible for the worst atrocities, including burning entire villages and slaughtering and raping civilians.
• Outsiders, including the United Arab Emirates, have perpetuated the war by arming both sides, with the Rapid Support Forces receiving the main support.
• The Trump administration is slashing assistance to Sudan, increasing the number of children who will starve, while the Biden administration's passivity has been criticized.
• The failure to address the situation in Sudan is a collective failure, with both the international community and individual countries, including the United States, failing to take decisive action.

Statistics:

• 25 million Sudanese face extreme hunger (U.N. estimate)
• 12 million have had to flee their homes due to civil war (U.N. estimate)
• 400,000 death toll in Sudan (estimated by Tom Perriello, former U.S. special envoy for Sudan)
• 25% increase in starvation among children in Sudan due to Trump administration slashing assistance (estimated)
• 25% of Sudan's population displaced (estimated)
• 12 million Sudanese in need of humanitarian aid (estimated)

Sources:

• Kofi Annan, former U.N. Secretary General
• Anthony Lake, former national security adviser to President Bill Clinton and former UNICEF leader
• António Guterres, current U.N. Secretary General
• Cindy McCain, executive director of the U.N. World Food Program
• Avaaz Sudan Dispatch, a newsletter that follows Sudan
• Tom Perriello, former U.S. special envoy for Sudan