Editorial Note: The following news reports are summaries from original sources. They may also include corrections of Arabic names and political terminology. Comments are in parentheses.

 

Sudanese Paramilitaries Shoot Down Army Fighter Jet,  Humanitarian Aid Obstacles, Hospitals Close, Darfur on the Brink of Genocide

July 4, 2023

Humanitarian aid in Sudan faces mounting challenges	Dialysis patients at the Soba Hospital in southern Khartoum, Sudan, file, July 4, 2023

 

Sudanese paramilitaries shoot down army fighter jet

Arab News, 04 July 2023 ARAB NEWS

Artillery and machinegun fire rage across Khartoum amid new fighting in war-torn capital

JEDDAH:

Heavy fighting raged across the Sudanese capital Khartoum on Tuesday as the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces shot down a Sudanese army fighter jet and artillery and machinegun fire rocked the city.

“We saw pilots jumping with parachutes as the plane plunged to the ground,” said one resident of northern Khartoum.

The paramilitaries said they “arrested the pilot after he landed with a parachute,” and accused the regular army of “heinous massacres” in greater Khartoum.

Residents in Omdurman, across the river from Khartoum’s city center, saw “heavy clashes using various types of weapons.”

Others saw airstrikes in the area of the state television building, where the paramilitaries had launched an attack this week and fired anti-aircraft weapons on Tuesday.

The armed forces led by Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan have been fighting paramilitaries led by his former deputy Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo since April 15, in a brutal conflict that has killed nearly 3,000 people and dis- placed millions, triggered ethnically motivated killings in the western region of Darfur, and threatened to become a protract- ed civil war.

The paramilitaries quickly took control of swaths of the capital and have brought in extra fight- ers from Darfur and Kordofan as the conflict deepened, transfer- ring them across bridges from Omdurman to Bahri and Khartoum, the other two cities that make up the wider capital across the confluence of the River Nile.

Medics warn the toll of dead and wounded is probably much higher than recorded figures, with many casualties unable to reach health facilities, two-thirds of which are out of service. About 2.2 million Sudanese have been displaced within the country and 645,000 have fled across borders.

Sudanese paramilitaries shoot down army fighter jet (arabnews.com)

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Darfur teetering on the brink of genocide?

Arab News, 03 July 2023

By ROBERT BOCIAGA

UN urges action to halt ‘wanton killings’ as conflict escalates Donor fatigue, other crises diverting attention from Africa’

JUBA:

As the conflict in Sudan’s Darfur region escalates, the UN has urged immediate action to prevent a potential genocide, but experts say that intervention has been hampered by the ongoing fighting, donor fatigue and attention on other humanitarian crises around the world.

According to recent reports, Arab militias, supported by paramilitary forces, have allegedly attacked civilians fleeing El-Geneina, the capital of West Darfur state, near the border with Chad.

The situation has reached a critical point, with the UN’s human rights office declaring El-Geneina “uninhabitable” and infrastructure severely damaged. Volker Turk, the UN high commissioner for human rights, has called on the leadership of the Rapid Support Forces, or RSF, to end the killings and stop vilifying people on the basis of ethnicity.

Bakheet Suliman Adam Abdallah, a human rights advocate hailing from Al-Fashir in Darfur and a member of the Tame tribe, which is predominantly Muslim, has disclosed distressing details about the ongoing conflict in the region.

In a telephone interview with Arab News recently, he said he witnessed widespread acts of murder and targeted violence executed by various militias. “Being black-skinned automatically designates you as one of the primary targets,” he stated.

Furthermore, Abdallah revealed that following the outbreak of war, community leaders in Al-Fashir endeavored to quell the internal clashes between the RSF and Sudan Armed Forces, or SAF, resulting in the division of the city into two zones.

Finding himself in the eastern part under RSF control, he said he was harassed and falsely accused of espionage on two separate occasions solely based on his skin color. “They held a gun to my head, detained me at the gate for two hours, looted all my money, and confiscated my phone.”

Abdallah said that as the violence escalated, and with RSF soldiers forcefully entering people’s homes, he felt he could not continue his human rights work. Consequently, he decided to flee through South Sudan and seek refuge in Uganda.

With citizens having no weapons to defend themselves, a growing number of desperate Sudanese youths have approached SAF bases in recent days to volunteer for combat.

William Carter, who is Sudan country director for the Norwegian Refugee Council, told Arab News recently that “the situation is very challenging.” His organization has been unable to deliver aid due to the ongoing fighting in the region. “Our organization had to suspend its work in Darfur, and some staff members have even become refugees in Chad,” he added.

While people like Abdallah have called for the UN to launch a peacekeeping mission, there is little chance of any external intervention.

“That’s not only because of the lack of political support but also among the parties involved,” Dr. Jair van der Lijn, a senior researcher and director of the Peace Operations and Conflict Management Programme at Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, or SIPRI, told Arab News recently.

“Right now, the appetite for large-scale peace operations among Security Council members is low, and finding troop-contributing countries would be challenging,” Van der Lijn added.

Previously, the world body’s peacekeeping force, UNAMID, or UN – African Union Hybrid Operation in Darfur, was deployed in 2007 to protect civilians and address the conflict, in which between 80,000 and 400,000 casualties were reported. The mission concluded on Dec. 31, 2020, after making progress in stabilizing the region.

However, there remains an urgent need for aid. “There is not enough humanitarian assistance at this point, also to the refugee camps,” Van der Lijn added. “Donor fatigue and competing humanitarian crises divert attention and resources away from Africa.”

Darfur teetering on the brink of genocide? (arabnews.com)

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Struggling against odds: Humanitarian aid battles obstacles in Sudan

Arab News, 03 July 2023

By ROBERT BOCIAGA

Humanitarian aid in Sudan faces mounting challenges Aid delivery hampered by looters, indiscriminate attacks

JUBA: The dire humanitarian crisis in Sudan, stemming from the prolonged conflict, has left millions of people in desperate need of assistance. However, relief efforts face significant challenges.

Funding shortages, security constraints, and bureaucratic obstacles imposed by local authorities have hindered the delivery of essential aid. And gaining access to conflict-affected areas has posed additional difficulties due to the disregard for humanitarian laws.

According to the UN, more than $3 billion is urgently required from international donors to support the humanitarian response in Sudan and the neighboring countries hosting large numbers of refugees.

However, during a pledging conference held in Geneva last week, donors only committed half of the required amount.

Kate Phillips-Barrasso, vice president of global policy and advocacy at Mercy Corps, said the significant funding gap presented a major obstacle to scaling up the response.

She noted her frustration with the international and regional communities for not providing adequate support and highlighted the need for self-reliance.

Aid groups are currently facing difficulties in distributing the limited resources available. While nearly 3 million people have received aid since April, the absence of safe humanitarian corridors to conflict-affected areas has forced individuals to heavily rely on neighbors and mutual aid networks.

In addition to funding shortages, relief organizations face bureaucratic hurdles imposed by local authorities. Visa complications, supply import restrictions, and withheld permits have hampered the timely delivery of aid.

These measures, ostensibly for security purposes, have been seen as attempts to tighten control over humanitarian operations. Such bureaucratic obstacles have further exacerbated the suffering of those in need and limited the involvement of international agencies with the expertise and resources to address the crisis effectively.

Mukesh Kapila, a former UN resident and humanitarian coordinator for the Sudan, highlighted the unique challenges of delivering aid.

He told Arab News: “The nature of the conflict renders fighters on both sides indifferent to the rules of humanitarian law, making aid delivery dangerous and unpredictable. Foreign workers evacuated swiftly when violence erupted, and regaining access is difficult.

“Implementing smuggling operations on a larger scale might help, by strategically transporting aid to conflict areas to prevent targeting by looters and fighters. Local individuals, such as activists familiar with the ground realities, should take the lead in these efforts.”

The Sudanese Red Crescent Society, described as the country’s largest humanitarian responder, has also found security to be the main obstacle to its operations.

Barakat Faris Badri, the organization’s operations director, said that although they recently delivered supplies from the World Food Programme to the residents of Khartoum, the demand for assistance was far greater. The distribution of more food and increased action was urgently needed, he added.

The looting of humanitarian warehouses and offices has further compounded the challenges faced by aid agencies. To ensure the safety of their operations, organizations have been forced to close their Khartoum headquarters and relocate to the eastern city of Port Sudan, situated along the Red Sea.

Both the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and the army have been accused of involvement in the looting and diversion of aid, undermining their earlier commitments to facilitate humanitarian assistance following recent mediation efforts in Saudi Arabia.

William Carter, head of the Norwegian Refugee Council in Sudan, told Arab News: “To improve the situation, we are considering engaging with Chadian authorities to establish an operating base in Chad. This would facilitate the delivery of aid to Darfur.

“Additionally, obtaining consent from the Sudanese government and the Rapid Support Forces for cross-border assistance would be crucial.”

Carter pointed out the organization’s efforts in initiating an education and protection program, with a special emphasis on traumatized children.

He said: “The NRC is actively working with collective shelters for displaced people from Khartoum, and by supporting these locally led initiatives, we can ensure that the assistance provided is tailored to the specific needs of the communities.

“As we continue our work in Sudan, we are looking into expanding our relief efforts and exploring the possibility of implementing cash-based programs. This approach can provide affected individuals with the flexibility to get the items they need the most.”

Struggling against odds: Humanitarian aid battles obstacles in Sudan (arabnews.com) 

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Sudanese struggle with a medical meltdown as doctors flee and hospitals close

Arab News, 4 July, 2023

ICRC estimates just 20 percent of health facilities in Khartoum are still operational after weeks of fighting Health centers have been occupied, medicines and supplies looted, and medical professionals driven out

CAIRO: Hospitals across Sudan have been bombed, looted and occupied by armed factions since fighting broke out more than two months ago between the Sudanese military and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group. As a result, millions of civilians are being denied vital healthcare.

Medical supplies rapidly dwindled after the conflict began on April 15, with shipments of medicines and other medical supplies stolen or undelivered. Meanwhile, scores of health professionals have been killed, wounded or forced to leave the country.

Dr. Adel Mohsen Badawi Abdelkadir Khalil, 65, is among the many medics who chose to flee with their families, abandoning the private clinic in the capital Khartoum he had managed for more than 15 years.

On April 21, fearing he would be conscripted by the RSF to treat the paramilitary group’s wounded, he made the painful decision to join the flood of refugees making the perilous journey north to the border with Egypt.

“I was inside my clinic preparing my tickets to go to Cairo when I saw attacks outside. People were yelling and weeping,” Mohsen told Arab News from an apartment in the Egyptian capital he shares with other displaced Sudanese families.

“I immediately locked all my doors and turned off the lights and hid there. If the RSF know you’re a doctor, they will take you to tend to their army.”

Mohsen said that when he and his family caught the bus to Egypt, he was careful not to tell officials or fellow passengers he was a health professional, instead concealing his 30 years of medical experience for his own safety.

The public-health sector has long been fragile in Sudan, where 65 percent of the population lives in poverty. With the departure of so many medical workers, aid agencies have warned that the nation is facing a major health emergency. According to the International Committee of the Red Cross, only 20 percent of health facilities are still operational in Khartoum.

“We have been witnessing the near collapse of the health system in Sudan,” Alyona Synenko, the Africa region spokesperson for the organization, told Arab News.

Those unable or unwilling to flee Khartoum have been forced to hunker down in their homes with little or no access to clean water or electricity. According to several Sudanese Arab News spoke to in Cairo, many of those who remained behind face the threat of dehydration and starvation, such is the scale of the need for aid in Khartoum and nearby cities.

The collapse of basic utilities and other public infrastructure is having an especially serious effect on hospitals by undermining their hygiene protocols, rendering vital medical equipment inoperative, and depriving chronically sick people of potentially life-sustaining treatment.

“Besides the departure of some of the medical personnel and the shortages of medical supplies, hospitals are suffering from a lack of food, clean water and electricity,” said Synenko.

The fighting has, for example, left 12,000 dialysis patients at mortal risk as hospitals have run out of the medications they need and the fuel to power generators, according to the trade union that represents the country’s doctors. It has also impeded the delivery of humanitarian aid that 25 million people — more than half the population — now desperately need.

In addition, there are fears that the summer rainy season will bring with it seasonal epidemics such as malaria, which wreaks havoc in Sudan every year, and a shortage of drinking water could cause a cholera outbreak.

“Sudanese health workers and the volunteers of the Sudanese Red Crescent Society have been accomplishing the impossible, working in such extreme conditions,” said Synenko.

FASTFACTS

It is believed that fewer than 20 percent of health facilities in Khartoum are still operational.

As of late May, 14 medical professionals had been killed, 21 hospitals evacuated and 18 bombed, according to a doctors’ union.

“While we are working with the Ministry of Health to deliver urgent surgical supplies to hospitals, we are also calling on all actors to respect and protect medical facilities and personnel. This is not only an obligation under international humanitarian law, it is a moral imperative because numerous lives depend on their work.”

Dr. Atia Abdalla Atia, secretary-general of the Sudan Doctors trade union, told Arab News that he and his colleagues have documented the deaths of at least 14 medical professionals since the fighting began. The union has also confirmed the evacuation of 21 hospitals, the bombardment of 18, and one case of a doctor going missing, he added.

On Saturday, the trade union accused the RSF of raiding the Shuhada hospital, one of the few still operating in the violence-torn country, and killing a staff member. The RSF denied the accusation.

The targeting of health facilities and medical personnel during a conflict is considered a war crime under international humanitarian law. The RSF has reportedly seized control of several hospitals to use as bases of operation.

During a meeting of the UN Security Council on May 22, Volker Perthes, the UN’s special representative for Sudan, highlighted reports of such activities and said the “use of health facilities as military positions is unacceptable.”

In a report published by medical journal The Lancet, aid agency Doctors Without Borders said that health professionals at facilities across Sudan have been repeatedly confronted by fighters who steal medicines, other health supplies and vehicles.

Jean-Nicolas Armstrong Dangelser, the agency’s emergency preparedness coordinator in Port Sudan, told the journal that although some instances of looting are financially motivated, others appear callously calculated to deliberately deprive patients of care.

In Khartoum, for example, medical warehouses were raided several days in a row. When staff were able to return, they found fridges unplugged and medicines spilled on the floor.

“The entire cold chain was ruined so the medicines are spoiled and can’t be used to treat anyone. We are shaken and appalled by these deplorable attacks,” said Armstrong Dangelser.

“We are experiencing a violation of humanitarian principles and the space for humanitarians to work is shrinking on a scale I’ve rarely seen before … People are in a desperate situation and the need for healthcare is critical, but these attacks make it so much harder for healthcare workers to help.”

Clashes between the military and the RSF intensified on Sunday as the fighting in Khartoum and the western regions entered its 12th week, according to a Reuters news agency report.

Air and artillery strikes as well as small-arms fire could be heard, particularly in the city of Omdurman, as well as in Khartoum, the report said.

More than 2,000 people have been killed since fighting broke out on April 15, according to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project, which collects data on conflicts and other violence worldwide.

The UN estimates that upwards of 1.2 million people have been displaced, out of whom at least 425,000 have fled abroad.

Last week, military chief Gen. Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan called on young men to join the fight against the RSF and, on Sunday, the army posted photos it said were of new recruits.

Saudi Arabia took the lead in efforts to evacuate thousands of foreigners from Sudan in the early days of the conflict. The Kingdom’s diplomats have also been working with their US counterparts to help broker a lasting ceasefire in the country.

A five-day extension of the last truce expired last month with little sign of a let-up in the violence. That ceasefire did, however, allow surgical supplies donated by the International Committee of the Red Cross to be distributed to seven hospitals in Khartoum by the Ministry of Health, including anesthetics, antibiotics, dressings, sutures and infusions.

But according to Atia, the doctors who chose to remain in Sudan are generally working with only the most basic of medical equipment and supplies, which is putting patients at risk, and many of the remaining medical staff are desperate to leave.

“Everyone is asking where they can go to escape this,” he said.

In many areas, field hospitals staffed by volunteers have been set up in schools and other public buildings in an attempt to make up for the lack of operational state institutions, and help treat the chronically sick and, increasingly, those who succumb to the effects of dehydration and malnutrition.

“Everything has been left in the hands of civilians and the few doctors and hospitals that are left,” said Atia.

“We are trying to focus on the chronic diseases (and) also at home where people are dying due to lack of water, food and no access to drugs.”

Sudanese struggle with a medical meltdown as doctors flee and hospitals close (arabnews.com)