Humanitarian organizations report that Sudan is experiencing the direst humanitarian disaster in recent memory, yet the crisis affecting this northeast African nation largely goes unnoticed by the global community.
Journalist Aengus Cox and videographer Enda O’Byrne traveled to Sudan to observe the dire situations faced by its people.
“The world has turned a blind eye to the plight of the Nuba Mountains,” laments Juma Idriss, Director of the Sudan Relief and Rehabilitation Agency (SRRA), the humanitarian arm of the military group governing the isolated mountainous region in Sudan’s South Kordofan.
Approximately three million residents inhabit this area, where they have traditionally maintained self-sufficiency through constructing their own homes and cultivating their own food.
“The crisis in the Nuba Mountains can be attributed to two factors: the influx of internally displaced persons (IDPs) and the impact of last year’s poor rainy season coupled with locusts devastating the crops, resulting in inadequate harvests,” Mr. Idriss explains.
According to Juma Idriss, hunger is claiming the lives of children.
“The little food salvaged by the host community was shared with the IDPs. Now, the IDPs are being relocated to various camps, where national and international NGOs are directing their efforts towards them, often neglecting the host population,” he adds.
This scenario is echoed throughout Sudan.
Displaced by ongoing conflict, over 12 million individuals have sought refuge in remote areas of the country.
However, as aid organizations struggle to catch up and provide assistance, the new arrivals and the local populations are left to survive with dwindling resources that are becoming increasingly scarce.
The United Nations has declared it the worst humanitarian crisis in recent history, with the scale of displacement surpassing that seen in conflicts in Ukraine or the Middle East.
Spanning a vast area, Sudan is Africa’s third-largest nation, home to 50 million people, and has been embroiled in civil warfare for the past 20 months.
Since April of last year, the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces have been locked in a fierce struggle for dominance.
This conflict has resulted in an estimated 150,000 fatalities.
In displacement camps, children are suffering due to forced evacuations caused by the ongoing fighting.
Director Idriss believes that global attention is lacking due to conflicts in other parts of the world.
“The crises in Gaza and Lebanon draw significant international focus, but the suffering in the Nuba Mountains remains largely ignored. Children are facing starvation. Just last month, we recorded 715 fatalities linked to hunger,” Mr. Idriss reports.
High in the Nuba Mountains lies the Mother of Mercy Hospital, the sole comprehensive health facility for hundreds of kilometers.
We meet its medical director, Dr. Tom Catina, who reveals that this year has seen a surge in malnutrition cases.
“In our nutrition ward, we have been witnessing a tenfold increase in cases. Typically, we see seven to nine malnourished children, but this year, numbers have surged to 60 or 70 consistently,” he shares.
Dr. Catina notes a troubling rise in adult malnutrition as well.
“This year, we have encountered numerous adults suffering from malnutrition, particularly pregnant women, who require additional calories during pregnancy. Insufficient nutrition can lead to premature labor and result in underweight infants… mothers lacking milk may see their babies become malnourished and succumb to starvation,” he continues.
“Milk is only available for one to two months during the rainy season when cows lactate. Outside this period, with no grass, cows produce insufficient milk.
“Without access to milk, families face dire circumstances, as powdered milk is scarce, and when available, it is prohibitively expensive.”
This grim reality is reflected in a nearby displacement camp.
A woman and her six children, recent arrivals after enduring days of travel, share a harrowing story.
Upon their arrival, food was nonexistent—which is not uncommon given the area’s remoteness.
For three months, they survived on wild fruits and boiled grass and leaves just to feel a semblance of fullness before assistance finally reached them.
Three of the children suffered severe malnutrition and continue to deal with its consequences.
Logistical challenges complicate the delivery of supplies, as roads are fraught with deep crevasses.
Despite its vast expanse, Sudan’s infrastructure has deteriorated.
Outside major cities, road access is nearly non-existent, transforming delivery of aid to areas like South Kordofan into a logistical nightmare.
Traveling on bumpy dirt tracks, we navigate roads filled with deep holes, water pools, and large rocks.
During the dry season (November to April), the 230km journey from the aid distribution center in South Sudan to the camps takes about ten hours.
When it rains, that time can extend beyond two days.
Ongoing conflict has severed supply lines to the north, leaving only one route available from the south.
Mandefro Aynalem, Acting Country Manager of Trócaire, states that Sudan faces “the most severe humanitarian crisis in the world.”
“Approximately 25 million people in Sudan are currently facing a humanitarian emergency. The greatest hurdle we face is logistical. The infrastructure is severely lacking, and funding is grossly inadequate compared to the overwhelming need,” he explains.
Trócaire is among a limited number of organizations striving to address this escalating crisis, yet garnering support and attention proves to be a challenge.
“Global conflicts have surged, diverting international focus towards the war in Ukraine and the situation in Gaza,” he notes.
“Sudan remains the ‘most severe crisis in the world,’ yet it receives insufficient funding,” he concludes.
