Sudan’s Silent Cries, Are We Listening?
- N.M
- Nov 1, 2023
- 5 min read
What you are about to read barely highlights the conflict in Sudan but sheds light on the suffering that the Sudanese people have endured, a reality that often goes unnoticed by the world, you.
As Hannah, a Sudanese citizen, said, 'I hope my photography helps in getting people to talk about not a conflict, but the people who are affected by the conflict.' This sentiment is said in a photograph by Ala Kheir. Check the photo here: [URL].
This picture is not taken in Sudan
Photo by Levi Meir Clancy on Unsplash
Key Points on Sudan crisis:
Conflict between the SAF and RSF broke out on April 15, 2023, in the capital, Khartoum, but over time, it has impacted various parts of the country. In Darfur, mass killings and displacement have led to reports of ethnic cleansing. (See) (See). This brutal conflict has claimed thousands of lives and displaced over 5.4 million people, nearly 4 million of whom are children, triggering the largest child displacement crisis worldwide.[1]
Health care: According to the World Health Organization, “More than two thirds of main hospitals in affected areas of Sudan are out of service, and those still open risk closure due to shortages of staff, supplies, water, and electricity.”[2] Sudan faces a health emergency with rising outbreaks of diseases such as cholera, malaria and measles.[3]
Hunger crisis: Reports from the World Food Programme indicate that the conflict has pushed 18 million people into food insecurity. About 90% of those in urgent need are in areas with restricted access due to heavy fighting. Without assistance, they face a high risk of slipping into catastrophe.[4]
Education: The conflict in Sudan has left 19 million children out of school, impacting their education and jeopardising the future prospects of the country and its people.[5]
"One time, I couldn’t afford to take my children to the hospital. The pharmacy was asking too much; my first child died on the way back home, and my second child passed away six days later”—France 24 (2024, April 13).
Said by a Sudanese mother with a tired face and eyes full of sadness. Watching that video makes you see the profound sadness in her eyes, a weariness that words alone can not capture. These eyes do not only belong to the Sudanese mothers but also to fathers, childrens, and innocent civilians. Sudanese civilians have faced the unimaginable, and their gaze seems to carry the weight of a thousand tragic, exhaustion, trauma and unshed tears.
Their voices might not speak volumes but their eyes will.
266 Days.
That is how long the people in Sudan have suffered.
266 days of displacement, 266 days of food insecurity, 266 days of disease outbreaks, 266 days of insufficient media coverage, 266 days of restricted education, 266 days of violence and 266 days of sexual abuses and trauma.
As I sit here writing this, I ask myself, what does it take for everyone to turn their eyes to Sudan? We’ve all heard the saying, “Imagine yourself in their shoes,” but do we really need to place ourselves in their situation to care? Are we so selfish that we only talk about things we fear might happen to us? Shouldn’t empathy and morality drive us to speak about Sudan, not fear or selfishness?
Shouldn’t we raise awareness because it is the right thing to do?
The people of Sudan are suffering, and their pain demands our attention and action, not because we are so afraid of it happening to us, but because no human should endure such suffering.
I’m not writing this to dictate what you should do. But I am writing this so that years from now, when asked ‘why were so comfortable in your silence’, you won’t have an excuse such as, “I didn't know what was happening.”
I am writing this for you to know what is happening in Sudan and decide what you are going to do with this information. I am writing this for the Sudanese people whose voice is going unheard.
The forgotten people, The dreamers
The people we are forgetting are those who once dreamed of achieving great things for their country, the children filled with hopes and dreams, the students whose education has been stolen by war. The people we are forgetting are individuals full of aspirations, whose futures have been disrupted. The people we are forgetting are mothers, fathers, children, and innocent civilians.
These are the people we are forgetting, these are the dreamers we have forgotten.
Portraying Sudan in words
Displacement, violence, and trauma. These words now portray Sudan.
“They came to my neighbor’s house, took the boys to be recruited and the women to be raped. We are scared and we have nothing to eat.”-- Said by a 60-year old Bizima who escaped to Chad. (Read more)
For 388 days, this is what millions of Sudanese go through. They don't get a break on weekends like we do; every day is the same, filled with struggle and fear. For them, weekends aren’t a time to reset or look forward to. What they desperately want is peace, a peace that doesn’t come with the weekends.
The world cannot remain silent. The people of Sudan need more than words—they need food, security, and a chance to rebuild their lives. The future of an entire country hangs in the balance. The future of countless children's education is hanging in the balance.
“Sudan is on the brink of becoming home to the worst education crisis in the world,” said Mandeep O’Brien, UNICEF Country Representative in Sudan.
Lets not forget the eyes, and providing help
As we look into the tired eyes of trauma survivors, let us remember what causes this.
You can help. Support organisations providing humanitarian aid, raise awareness. The people of Sudan don’t need empty words, they need food, health care and peace.
Let us not turn our backs to their suffering. Let us not forget their silent suffering. Let us be their voice and their hope.
Here are organisation assisting with:
Food
With a donation to the World Food Programme, you can help deliver lifesaving food support to children and families in need.
Save the Children has worked in Sudan since 1983. In 2022, Save the Children directly reached 2.1 million people, including 1.5 million children, with programming focused on child protection, access to quality education, health and nutrition support and responding to emergencies.
Healthcare
Doctors Without Borders continues to respond to multiple health issues during a turbulent year in Sudan, where the healthcare system is on the verge of collapse amid a devastating, ongoing conflict
International Medical Corps has worked in Sudan since 2004, offering healthcare, mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS), nutrition, and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) programs,
SAPA is on the ground right now, and your support is urgently needed to provide emergency relief to victims of this conflict. SAPA has a partnership with Sudanese-American physicians who provide medical aid throughout the country where it is needed most.
Education
DWA facilitates educational opportunities for children in Darfur and ensures women in the region have access to diverse healthcare and humanitarian resources.
Save the Children has worked in Sudan since 1983. In 2022, Save the Children directly reached 2.1 million people, including 1.5 million children, with programming focused on child protection, access to quality education, health and nutrition support and responding to emergencies.
References
[1] Hassan, Tirana. “World Report 2024: Sudan.” Human Rights Watch, https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2024/country-chapters/sudan. Accessed 27 December 2023
[2]“Sudan emergency.” World Health Organization (WHO), https://www.who.int/emergencies/situations/sudan-emergency. Accessed 20 December 2023.
[3]Sudan health emergency, 30 September 2023, https://www.emro.who.int/images/stories/sudan/WHO-Sudan-conflict-situation-report-30-September-2023.pdf. Accessed 22 December 2023.
[4]“Sudan | World Food Programme.” WFP, https://www.wfp.org/emergencies/sudan-emergency. Accessed 29 December 2023.
[5]“19 million children in Sudan out of school as conflict rages on – UNICEF, Save the Children.” UNICEF, 9 October 2023, https://www.unicef.org/sudan/press-releases/19-million-children-sudan-out-school-conflict-rages-unicef-save-children. Accessed 5 November 2023