Catherine Russell has highlighted Sudan’s staggering humanitarian crisis, describing it as the largest displacement of children globally. She emphasized the dire situation facing millions of children grappling with malnutrition and deprived of education due to the prolonged civil war. Russell, en route to Sudan amidst escalating famine warnings, underscored the collapse of Sudan’s food economy, exacerbated by restrictions on aid delivery imposed by both the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
In an interview during her journey from Nairobi, Russell lamented that nine million Sudanese children suffer from chronic hunger, with nearly four million experiencing severe malnutrition. Urgency permeated her words as she stressed the imperative for immediate action to prevent further deterioration. She emphasized the critical window to intervene, expressing concern that delay could condemn countless children to irreversible harm.
Recently, a food security expert warned the BBC that without intervention, up to 70% of Sudan’s population could face acute hunger by September, potentially leading to a devastating death toll ranging from two-and-a-half to four million people. Russell echoed these concerns, attributing the crisis to deliberate human actions rather than natural calamity.
The division of Sudan by the warring factions, the Sudanese Armed Forces and RSF, has deepened the humanitarian catastrophe. Food access has been severely curtailed, particularly in RSF-controlled areas, where reports of resource plundering and prolonged sieges of cities like El Fasher paint a grim picture of deliberate deprivation. Russell refrained from confirming the use of hunger as a weapon of war but unequivocally labeled the crisis as entirely man-made.
Highlighting Sudan’s staggering statistics, Russell emphasized that the country hosts the world’s highest number of displaced children – five million – with nearly all children deprived of schooling. This educational vacuum risks creating a lost generation susceptible to future instability, posing profound challenges for reintegration into society and threatening long-term stability.
Despite international efforts and appeals for peace, including recent UN calls for calm in El Fasher and US-led peace initiatives, Sudan remains engulfed in conflict with no immediate resolution in sight. Russell acknowledged the competing global crises that vie for attention but underscored the urgency of prioritizing Sudan’s plight amidst the cacophony of international challenges.
Russell’s mission to Sudan seeks to amplify international focus on the unfolding humanitarian catastrophe, urging sustained engagement and concerted efforts to alleviate the crisis. Her advocacy underscores the critical need for immediate humanitarian access, cessation of hostilities, and long-term solutions to prevent further escalation and mitigate the devastating impact on Sudanese children and civilians.
Catherine Russell’s journey to Sudan underscores the urgent humanitarian crisis gripping the country, driven by conflict and compounded by deliberate deprivation of food and education. Her efforts aim to galvanize international attention and action to address Sudan’s escalating humanitarian catastrophe and safeguard the future of millions of vulnerable children caught in the crossfire of conflict and hunger.
