This quote from the UN’s aid chief, Martin Griffiths, highlights the competitive nature of suffering in the humanitarian world. As such, we must not overlook the suffering present in Sudan.
At the moment, the world’s attention is primarily on Gaza and Ukraine, causing the ongoing crisis in Sudan to be overlooked. The ongoing civil war between the Sudanese army and the RSF militia has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths. Sudan currently has the highest number of displaced individuals, including a significant number of children, compared to any other country in the world.
The conflict is ongoing and there is no decrease in the intensity. Recently, the UN released a comprehensive report revealing the widespread brutality carried out by both opposing parties. With the conclusion of harvest season, there are concerns that up to a million individuals may lose their lives due to famine.
The newsletter for today is a basic overview of the situation in Sudan, including the ongoing conflict, acts of violence against innocent civilians, and the challenges hindering the delivery of crucial aid. These are the main stories.
Five big stories
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The Conservative party is urging Rishi Sunak to speak up about a controversy involving Islamophobia and Lee Anderson’s statement that Sadiq Khan has been “controlled” by Islamists. After Sunak’s statement addressing Anderson’s suspension from the party did not include the word “Islamophobia”, Tory peer Sayeeda Warsi criticized Prime Minister Boris Johnson for not addressing the issue of anti-Muslim racism and bigotry.
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Economists are warning that Britain’s public services, already strained, will struggle to handle the upcoming spending cuts after the election. This comes as Jeremy Hunt plans for more tax reductions in the budget next week. These cuts are estimated to be on par with the ones implemented by David Cameron’s government between 2010 and 2015.
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has revealed the number of Ukrainian soldiers who have lost their lives in the ongoing war with Russia for the first time. He acknowledges that a total of 31,000 soldiers have died and believes that the year 2024 will play a crucial role in determining the outcome of the conflict. This number is significantly lower than the estimated 70,000 casualties reported by the United States.
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The ongoing conflict between Israel and Gaza has led to a financial deficit of $450 million for the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). This has created the biggest humanitarian crisis in the organization’s 75-year existence. Philippe Lazzarini, the leader of UNRWA, stated that the agency has reached a critical state, with reports of suspended aid delivery in northern Gaza due to the rise in famine cases.
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The person who owns the grand estate featured in the movie Saltburn has announced that they have instructed security patrols to prevent people from trespassing on the property to film TikTok videos of themselves dancing to Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s popular song “Murder on the Dancefloor”. This song was famously used in the film’s final scene, which takes place in front of the house. According to Charles Stopford Sackville, the owner, the compensation received for allowing the filming had a significant impact on his decision to allow it, but he also finds the public’s interest in the location to be unusual.
From
Exploring the Extent: The Magnitude of Mortality and Migration in Darfur
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According to the United Nations, roughly 14,000 individuals have lost their lives in Sudan since the start of the war in April of last year. However, this number is likely much lower than the actual death toll due to the high level of danger in certain areas, preventing accurate observation. A recently obtained UN report from Reuters revealed that in a span of three months in 2020, the city of El Geneina in West Darfur saw the deaths of 10,000 to 15,000 people.
Over 8 million individuals have been displaced due to the ongoing conflict, with 5 million of them being children and 2.1 million being under the age of five. Additionally, 25 million, approximately half of Sudan’s population, require humanitarian assistance. Unfortunately, there are no indications of the crisis easing in the near future.
“It has been almost a year since reports of death, suffering, and hopelessness have been emerging from Sudan,” stated Volker Türk, the UN’s chief of human rights, on Friday. “The senseless violence and continuous violations and abuses of human rights show no signs of coming to an end.”
remain uncertain
The exact cause of the war is still unknown.
In April 2023, Sudan experienced a sudden collapse of order that had been brewing for a long time. Journalist Nesrine Malik noted that the swiftness of the unraveling served as a warning sign that tensions had been building up over time. Malik traces the roots of the conflict back to a 20-year-old rebellion by tribal minorities in Darfur, which prompted President Omar al-Bashir to commission the Arab Janjaweed militia to quell the uprising instead of utilizing the national army. This ultimately resulted in a genocide that claimed the lives of approximately 300,000 people.
The Janjaweed ultimately morphed into the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group. Bashir’s 30-year dictatorship was ended after months of popular protests in 2019; in the chaotic aftermath of a military coup, civilians and the military entered into a power-sharing agreement.
However, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the head of the Sudanese army, did not follow through with the expected transition to democracy in 2021. Instead, he declared a state of emergency and took control with the assistance of RSF leader Gen Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (also known as Hemedti) as his second-in-command. Over the course of 18 months, tensions between the two groups intensified, particularly regarding the inclusion of the RSF in the regular army. This eventually led to violent clashes in the streets of the capital city, Khartoum, which quickly spread throughout the country.
Hemedti and Burhan have both asserted that they are combatting “extremist Islamists” and have pledged to reinstate democratic rule. Although Burhan has also stated his willingness to transfer control to an elected governing body after defeating the Rapid Support Forces, various ceasefires have failed and many observers suspect that both leaders have the ultimate goal of seizing power for themselves.
is not good
The current state of the military is unfavorable.
During the beginning of the conflict, the RSF efficiently gained dominance over a majority of Khartoum, excluding army bases, as well as the cities of Bahri, Omdurman, and the regions of western Kordofan and Darfur. The army maintains control over most of the eastern areas, directing their operations from Port Sudan. Sudan War Monitor has a helpful map depicting areas of power as of November, but the RSF has progressed even further to the east since then, seizing Wad Madani, Sudan’s second largest city, in December.
Following several setbacks, the military has achieved a significant progression in the ongoing war by reclaiming a portion of Omdurman, marking their first major advancement in months. Additionally, they have also made progress in Khartoum and other regions. A recent article from Middle East Eye attributes the army’s recent triumphs to the arming of civilians, improved supply of ammunition, and more strategic utilization of drones to locate artillery targets.
The current situation suggests that the conflict may be starting to divide into smaller groups. According to an article written by Alex de Waal for Chatham House, various armed groups are joining the fighting, including newly formed self-defence groups. There are also concerns that Arab militia aligned with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) may splinter as they exhaust their resources and their focus shifts towards pursuing personal grudges and seizing land.
in the D.R. Congo have caused major global concerns.
Serious violations and the extent of the humanitarian emergency in the Democratic Republic of Congo have sparked significant international worries.
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Last week, the Norwegian Refugee Council’s leader accused Arab militias connected to the RSF of engaging in “classic ethnic cleansing” in Darfur. Reports have emerged of alarming acts such as sexual violence against women and the mass murder of young men. The targeted killings of members of the Masalit community in Darfur by the RSF and affiliated groups have been described as having the characteristics of genocide.
In a heartbreaking article published in December, Fred Harter spoke with Hamadi Abdullah, a carpenter from El Geneina. Abdullah recounted a horrific experience where he and 30 other men were forced to lie on the ground and were shot at by a commander’s order. He described the sound of the gun shots and his acceptance of his impending death. According to Abdullah, 17 of the men were killed in the attack.
The RSF has been accused of engaging in an abhorrent practice of kidnapping individuals for ransom and forcing them into servitude, often with a focus on sexual exploitation. The behavior of the army has also been deemed unacceptable. According to a recent report from the UN Human Rights Office, both sides have engaged in multiple indiscriminate attacks in densely populated areas, including locations where internally displaced individuals sought shelter. A video posted on social media this month, which the UN considers to be credible, shows men in army uniform holding the decapitated heads of several students. It appears these students were targeted because of their ethnicity and perceived support for the RSF.
The United Nations reports that in addition to the widespread refugee crisis, approximately 70% of healthcare facilities in areas of conflict are currently not operational. This is compounded by a severe cholera outbreak that is quickly escalating. Due to the conflict, it is estimated that 12 million children have been unable to attend school, resulting in a total of 19 million children without access to education. So far, the UN has only been able to provide educational assistance to 87,000 out of the 4.3 million children it had planned to support.
The food crisis is getting worse at a fast pace. According to a recent report from Clingendael, the Netherlands Institute of International Relations, it is predicted that 500,000 people could die from famine by June. In the worst-case scenario, which the report deems possible, up to one million lives could be lost.
Lack of foreign assistance
The OCHA (UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs) has asked donors for a total of $2.7 billion to address the crisis. However, they have only received 3.5% of the funding so far.
Partially, the decrease in resources is attributed to the global community’s attention on the situations in Ukraine and Gaza. Additionally, there is a larger issue with insufficient humanitarian funding, as the UN received only 39% of the requested aid for their appeals last year, compared to an average of 58% between 2016 and 2022.
Despite the efforts of the UN and NGOs, providing assistance to those in greatest need remains a challenging task. The RSF’s recent actions, such as the telecoms blackout, have hindered the delivery of supplies. Additionally, UN officials have faced bureaucratic barriers in obtaining necessary visas and transport permits. For instance, 70 trucks carrying food for 500,000 people were held in Port Sudan for two weeks while waiting for clearance to proceed. The RSF leader, Burhan, has also announced that aid will not be allowed into areas under their control. Furthermore, there have been reports of fighters looting trucks and aid warehouses being emptied since the beginning of the war.
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In their piece for the New Humanitarian, leaders of aid groups such as Save The Children and the International Rescue Committee assert that the UN Security Council should require unimpeded access for humanitarian assistance and collaborate more effectively in diplomatic endeavors to reach a peace agreement with groups like the African Union. According to them, the current situation reflects a “worldwide lack of concern” that cannot be ignored.
Other things we’ve been reading
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Can you survive being stranded at sea with your partner? Sophie Elmhirst’s piece delves into this thought-provoking question, drawing on her book Maurice and Maralyn and a real-life situation to provide a morbid, yet uplifting perspective. (My wife believes I wouldn’t make it.) Archie
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After 25 years since the release of the Macpherson report and 30 years since the racially motivated killing of Stephen Lawrence, his mother, Doreen Lawrence, contemplates the lack of improvement within the Metropolitan police force and the ongoing reluctance to implement change. Nimo
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The recent struggles of the Labour Party to decide on whether to support a ceasefire in Gaza expose their lack of willingness to engage in introspection or consider the public’s perspective on a topic that does not align with their focus on winning elections.
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Lily Gladstone is breaking barriers as the first Native American to receive a Best Actress Oscar nomination for her performance in Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon. She recently compiled a list of 42 other talented Indigenous artists who deserve recognition. Reporter Lois Beckett spoke to eight of these individuals about their journeys and efforts to bring diversity to their respective industries. Nimo.
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For three decades, Tracy King believed her father had been killed by a murderous teenage gang. Her account for Saturday magazine of how her understanding of that catastrophe changed is a humane and heartbreaking piece of reporting – as well as a meditation on how hard it is to pin down what we really know about our own lives. Archie
Sport
Football | A 118th-minute header from Virgil Van Dijk was the only goal of a remarkable Carabao Cup final in which an injury-hit Liverpool side full of untested young players overcame a wasteful Chelsea team who have now lost six successive finals. Jürgen Klopp called the triumph “easily the most special trophy I have ever won”.
In an intense conclusion to the fourth test match, India has lost five wickets scoring 121 runs while chasing a target of 192 to win the series against England. England’s optimism for a sensational win rose after taking three early wickets through spin, but Shoaib Bashir’s two wickets in two consecutive balls after lunch kept India in the game. Live updates can be found here.
Italy and France tied 13-13 at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy during the Six Nations, with Italy showing strong performance and France performing mediocrely. This marks the first time in 15 matches that Italy did not lose against France. However, they were left disappointed as fly-half Paolo Garbisi missed a penalty kick in the final seconds of the game due to the ball falling off the tee.
The front pages
The lead story in today’s printed edition of The Guardian is “Sunak urged to address growing Islamophobia controversy”. According to The I, “Tory party ‘in the gutter’ with racism, warns Warsi”. The Telegraph takes a different approach with their headline “Red wall revolts over Anderson’s dismissal” in regards to the chaos within the Conservative party. The Daily Mail covers the topic of “Generation Sicknote” and questions whether young people’s mental health struggles or “snowflakery” are the reason for their absence from work. The Times’ main story is about “Cleverly warning of the threat of AI fakes during elections” while the Daily Express focuses on hypotheticals with their headline “Damning claims of 250,000 extra migrants a year under a Labour government”. According to The Daily Mirror, there is a “Class war” stemming from a “Crisis in schools” where teachers are “afraid to even go to work” due to a decline in student behavior, which is being attributed to Tory budget cuts for support services. Finally, The Metro highlights presenter Kate McCann’s experience with a spike epidemic, reporting that she fell to the floor after “brazen” men put something in her drink at a club.
Today in Focus
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Saldo: Ukraine’s gangster governor – part 1
After the Maidan revolution, Ukrainian politician Vladimir Saldo was removed from his position in parliament, effectively ending his career. However, in 2022, the police launched an investigation into Saldo as a potential suspect in a contract killing. However, the situation drastically changed once Russia invaded. Journalist Tom Burgis shares the details.
Today’s cartoon is by Edith Pritchett.
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The Upside
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Some positive information to remind you that the world is not entirely negative.
Reworded:
Exploring a vibrant botanical garden is a great way to spend a scorching summer day. Not only are these gardens home to rare and beautiful plants, but they also play a crucial role in cooling down nearby city streets during heatwaves. According to a recent comprehensive study by the Global Centre for Clean Air Research, botanical gardens, such as London’s Chelsea Physic Garden and Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew (shown above), as well as Gardens by the Bay in Singapore, can reduce air temperatures by an average of 5 degrees Celsius during heatwaves.
Not only botanical gardens, but also city parks, wetlands, and green walls, as well as street trees and playgrounds, have been shown to greatly reduce rising temperatures. As global temperatures continue to rise due to the climate crisis, the researchers involved in this study aim for their findings to guide policymakers in developing cities.
Register here to receive a weekly compilation of The Upside, delivered to your inbox every Sunday.
Bored at work?
Lastly, the Guardian’s puzzles are available to keep you entertained all day long. See you tomorrow.
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Cryptic crossword
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Source: theguardian.com
