A devastating human rights crisis - Call for urgent action to save Sudan
Follow-ups - Moatinoon
The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, said that the horrific situation in Sudan is the result of serious and flagrant violations of international humanitarian law and human rights law, and a culture of complete impunity. He warned that the country is on the brink of an unprecedented catastrophe, as famine threatens the lives of thousands.
The High Commissioner for Human Rights statement came during a report he presented at the enhanced interactive dialogue on Sudan, held today, Thursday, on the sidelines of the 58th session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva.
Türk described the situation in Sudan as "the largest humanitarian disaster in the world," stressing the need for the international community to act urgently to save the lives of millions. He added that "accountability is a matter of life or death," and that perpetrators of violations must be held accountable.
“I cannot overstate the gravity of the situation in Sudan; the desperate plight of the Sudanese people; and the urgency with which we must act to alleviate their suffering. Since the armed conflict began in 2023, a devastating human rights crisis has created the world’s largest humanitarian disaster,” he added.
Horrific accounts of starvation
The High Commissioner said that more than 600,000 people are on the brink of famine, with reports of famine in five areas, including the Zamzam camp for displaced people in North Darfur, where the World Food Programme has just been forced to suspend its life-saving operations due to heavy fighting. He noted that five more areas could face famine in the next three months, and 17 more are at risk.
Türk said that his human rights office staff had heard horrific accounts of starvation in Khartoum and Omdurman. Humanitarian agencies warn that without action to end the war, provide emergency assistance and get agriculture back on track, hundreds of thousands of people could die.
“The Sudanese people have endured unimaginable suffering and pain since the conflict began, with no peaceful solution in sight. It is impossible to imagine the agony of children who have lost their parents, wives and husbands who have lost their partners, and people who have lost everything and are searching for food, water and safety under constant bombardment,” the High Commissioner said.
Call to the leadership of the army and the Rapid Support Forces
The High Commissioner said that in May last year, he had spoken personally to General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, Chairman of the Transitional Sovereignty Council and Commander of the Sudanese Armed Forces, and General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, Commander of the Rapid Support Forces, and warned them that the fighting was having a catastrophic impact on civilians and would deepen the conflict between communities, with dire humanitarian consequences.
He renewed his call for them to engage in negotiations and mediation efforts towards an immediate cessation of hostilities; to take measures to protect civilians, end sexual violence and the recruitment and use of children; and to ensure safe passage for humanitarian relief and aid workers to all areas.
He called on the international community to make concerted diplomatic efforts to find a path to peace. He added:
“We need urgent action now to find a path to peace. All countries must use their influence to exert diplomatic and political pressure on the parties and their regional and international allies to cease fire, protect civilians and provide unhindered humanitarian assistance. They must also ensure compliance with the arms embargo on Darfur, with consideration given to extending it to the entire country.”
Volker Türk called for moving towards an inclusive dialogue that reflects the diversity of the Sudanese people and paves the way for a transition to a civilian government that responds to the aspirations of the Sudanese people. “We must do better for the people of Sudan.”
Prioritizing humanitarian and political solutions
Adamah Dieng, the African Union’s Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide, said there is potential to foster a more peaceful and prosperous future for all Sudanese by addressing the root causes of the conflict and prioritizing humanitarian and political solutions to the conflict.
He therefore stressed the need to use those with influence to pressure the parties to make the necessary concessions; and to impose sanctions on the perpetrators of the most egregious violations of human rights and international humanitarian law.
“We cannot hesitate to do so. The situation in Sudan requires our urgent collective action to contribute to a lasting solution to this absurd conflict in Sudan,” he added.
Adama Dieng described the international response to the unfolding nightmare in Sudan as inadequate, expressing his readiness to work closely with the UN Fact-Finding Mission and the African Union investigation into human rights violations, to identify the perpetrators, give voice to the victims, and identify ways to alleviate the suffering.
Dieng stressed that we cannot afford to wait any longer, and proposed four actions that he called on the Human Rights Council to take:
First, continue to call for an unconditional and credible ceasefire between the warring parties. “This Council must add its voice to the internal Sudanese peace efforts.”
Second, actively engage and call for unhindered humanitarian access, funding, and the provision of basic needs such as food, shelter, and medical care for internally displaced persons and refugees.
Third, continue to call for respect for human rights and international humanitarian law. “Only through accountability for past crimes can Sudan reliably build a peaceful and inclusive future for its citizens.”
Fourth, continuing to advocate for a stable and inclusive political environment in Sudan is essential to achieving long-term peace. Priority must be given to supporting democratic governance and electoral processes to enable the Sudanese people to determine their own future.
An entire generation at risk
Hanaa El-Tijani, a young Sudanese peace and justice activist and assistant secretary general of the Youth Network for Civilian Watch, said the war has caused a humanitarian catastrophe, with more than 20% of the population displaced and 19 million children deprived of education, which she said threatens an entire generation.
“This war will leave permanent scars that may never fully heal, but we will not allow them to define us,” she continued. “We will transform this grief into action, this pain into resistance. Our struggle is not just a struggle for survival, but a vision, a restoration, and a promise of a Sudan outside the conditions of violence and war.”
Hanaa El-Tijani made five demands of the international community:
First, immediate ceasefire efforts and real political action, “not just statements of condemnation.”
Second, sanctions should be imposed on all countries and entities supplying weapons to the warring parties.
Third, ensure the protection of civilians and humanitarian relief under accountable Sudanese leadership.
Fourth, concrete measures to address gender-based violence, including support for survivors and mechanisms for justice. Fifth, an international accountability mechanism to prosecute those responsible for war crimes, including mass killings, sexual violence and child recruitment.
