Sudan War: One Year of Conflict Leaves Country in Ruins

Tuesday, April 16, 2024

One year into Sudan’s conflict, fighting between the Rapid Support Forces and the Sudanese Armed Forces has caused over 15,550 reported deaths and displaced approximately 10.7 million people. The ongoing violence, particularly severe in Darfur and Khartoum, has led to a major humanitarian crisis marked by widespread hunger and mass displacement with no resolution currently in view.

One year after the outbreak of conflict in Sudan, the country remains devastated by ongoing violence between rival armed factions, with casualties and displacement mounting steadily. The war began on April 15 last year, when clashes erupted between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), led by General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemeti, and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), commanded by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan.

According to figures compiled by the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED) and cited by the United Nations, there have been over 15,550 reported fatalities linked to the violence since the conflict’s inception. Analysts caution, however, that the actual death toll is likely significantly higher. Most of the deadly incidents have taken place in the capital, Khartoum, though the western region of Darfur has been particularly hard hit. ACLED data indicates that targeted attacks in Darfur are twice as lethal for civilians compared to other parts of Sudan, with the area accounting for roughly one-third of all civilian deaths.

The situation in West Darfur’s capital, el-Geneina, has drawn special concern. United Nations experts estimated in January that between 10,000 and 15,000 people have been killed there alone. Reports from earlier in the conflict detailed mass violence in the city, describing attacks by RSF forces and allied Arab militias against members of the Black African Masalit community.

The humanitarian impact has been profound. The Norwegian Refugee Council estimates that some 10.7 million people have been displaced by the fighting, marking one of the largest displacement crises globally this century, second only to the Syrian war. Approximately 1.7 million of these displaced individuals have sought refuge in neighboring countries, including Chad and Egypt.

The conflict has also severely exacerbated food insecurity, leaving an estimated 25 million Sudanese facing hunger or malnutrition. Children are among the most vulnerable, with starvation-related deaths reported throughout the country amid a widespread breakdown of essential services and access to aid.

Efforts to quell the violence and provide humanitarian assistance continue to face significant challenges as the situation remains unstable, with no clear resolution in sight after a year of persistent conflict.