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Yacoub El Hillo: When War Knocks on Home – Sudan

Source: news.un.org
UN official Yacoub El Hillo has spent more than three decades serving people fleeing war in some of the worlds most difficult regions, but he has rarely seen a conflict as devastating as the one currently tearing Sudan apart.

Now serving as the Regional Director for Africa at the United Nations Development Coordination Office, El Hillo has worked with the UN in more than 16 locations, from Liberia, Libya, Syria, Somalia, and Afghanistan.

Mr. El Hillo spoke with Melissa Fleming, UN Under-Secretary-General for Global Communications, for her program "Awake at Night," which explores issues that trouble UN officials and humanitarian workers. The award-winning program is broadcast on the UN website.

In this episode, he reflects deeply on the scale of human suffering, reflects on his distinguished career with the UN, and emphasizes that every people deserves a chance to build their own future.

This article features excerpts from the interview with Mr. El Hillo.

Ive never seen a war like the one in Sudan.

Ive spent nearly 36 years working with the United Nations, most of it in actual conflict zones. Ive never seen anything like whats happening in Sudan.

Ive never seen anything like this because of the speed and scale of the damage. Human and material damage. And damage to a country that was experiencing a moment of true hope, throwing off the shackles of the past and moving forward after the 2019 revolution. But now, its a country on the brink of further escalation and, worse, division.

There are now 14 million forcibly displaced people, including two million who have been forced across borders to become refugees in neighboring countries. But beyond that, there are now Sudanese in literally every corner of the world. This is not our war. This is not a Sudanese war. Sudan is a stage for an agenda being settled. And we, the Sudanese people, continue to pay the price every day.

From this platform, I want to take this opportunity to call on the Sudanese to put Sudan first and not adopt ideas from abroad, ideas that have absolutely nothing to do with stability, prosperity, or the success of the idea of Sudan. Because the agenda is not moving in that direction. The agenda is destruction and exploitation.

Sudan is an immensely rich country. Its wealth continues to evaporate while the Sudanese people are forced to leave their homes.

I fear that the bloodshed and death will continue unless the international community places Sudan at the center of its attention. Although there are voices from leaders like the UN Secretary-General and other UN officials who speak about and work in Sudan, Sudan, unfortunately, is absent from the attention of the global media.

It has been overshadowed by other equally devastating conflicts, such as the wars in Ukraine and Gaza. But I believe the magnitude of the catastrophe unfolding in Sudan far outweighs the damage inflicted on those two regions.

I have worked for the displaced all my life.
We still feel the bitterness of displacement. I have dedicated my life to serving the displaced. This experience never leaves you; it comes back and touches your deepest emotions. Even as we travel the world in our mission to serve those forced to flee, this feeling remains. It moves you, but at the same time, it gives you the courage and inspiration to move forward.

I know there are those who see those in need as weak and with nothing to offer. But the truth is, all the strength and courage we muster comes from these very people, whom we are sent to support and help overcome their ordeal.

A ordeal that they did not cause, but rather was the result of the actions of a privileged and greedy few who have no qualms about causing human suffering. Sudan, unfortunately, is no exception to this rule.

Why does this happen? Where is the sense?
Sudan is our home. The concept of family in Sudan extends far beyond immediate relatives and encompasses vast numbers of people. For this reason, many of our people remain trapped in Sudan, continuing to be displaced as the map of war shifts.

Many other Sudanese people we grew up with, went to school with, or worked with are still in Sudan. The more I reflect, the more I wonder: Why is this happening? Where is the sanity? The human lives lost are irreplaceable. And its a price too high.

But the physical damage to Sudans infrastructure—its industries, roads, bridges, and businesses—is indiscriminate and disproportionate. Its a destructive, indescribable destruction of life, and also of Sudans infrastructure.

Its devastating beyond description, and I believe and believe that the words I use to describe the situation do not fully capture what is happening in Sudan, because the situation is beyond my ability to describe. It is a tragedy.

A Dangerous Journey from Khartoum
We have many relatives who were forced to leave Khartoum. Most of our family was in Khartoum. We are originally from the White Nile region, south of Khartoum.

I come from a family of farmers on the banks of the White Nile. My grandfather owned a large agricultural project, which has now become a shelter for the displaced. These are people who not only supported themselves and others, but also ran their own businesses, were government employees, or university professors. But like everyone else, they were forcibly displaced.

When the war began in Khartoum on April 15, 2023, two of my sons were in Khartoum. One was working in Khartoum after completing her studies abroad and returning home to work. The other was in school.

My younger son, Ali, whom I named after my father, was going to school in Khartoum. And of course, the war began. They were stuck in the area where they lived, where we lived, for about two weeks after the war. Eventually, we had to evacuate them.

The evacuation process was very stressful because it wasnt just them. It was with their grandparents and many other family members. They were on a bus with 55 members of their immediate family.

I was in Addis Ababa. So, I had to manage this process remotely, and it was very stressful. As they were leaving, I told my children, Write down. Whatever you see, write it down, because it will help you not to bottle up your feelings. And maybe one day you will come back and benefit from these memories and details.

Their journey took about 50 hours. This is a 12-hour journey that normally takes from Khartoum to the Egyptian border. They finally crossed the border into Egypt. I immediately arranged for my children to come to Addis Ababa.

I was talking to them, and they were exhausted. I asked my daughter, Razan, What did you do? She said, Ive already spoken to a lot of people on the way and at the border. Im going to start a blog. Razan now has an online platform called The Voices of the Homeland, where she writes all her stories. It creates opportunities for interaction and healing, and perhaps even for people to talk to each other and help each other.

Our dining table was a parliament.
I dont think theres a house in Khartoum that hasnt been spared. Not in Khartoum, not in old Omdurman, where my grandfathers house is, where the family comes from, and where I also grew up at certain points in my life.

These were hotspots and areas of intense fighting. So, the assumption is that everything has been destroyed—everything this family has worked on for generations.

I come from a farming family, but a family deeply involved in politics. They led the rebellion against British occupation in the 19th century. Im not involved in Sudanese politics, but my family is deeply involved, and our dining table is a parliament.

The Sudanese are running the largest humanitarian operation.
I always say that Africa occupies me during the day, and Sudan keeps me up at night. Sudanese people are now present in all time zones: people you know, people who suddenly find themselves in the unknown. I stay in touch with people, and people stay in touch with me. You cant abandon them. This is part of the culture I grew up with, and its painful to see people asking for help now.

Many of the people you see displaced across the country today continue to host people they barely know, or have never met, but the doors are open. This is a country at war, but generosity never stops. Thats why I believe the largest humanitarian operation in Sudan today is being run by Sudanese themselves, driven by simple generosity and hospitality.

Hope in the Midst of Tragedy
My hope comes from several sources. The first is that every beginning has an end, and this applies to wars as well. Weve witnessed this in many other places, and weve seen how the parties fueling this war will sooner or later realize that weapons are not the solution. They must sit down now to save what remains of Sudan. It is a country that has everything it takes to become a great nation again, and that starts with its people.

My hope also comes from the ordinary Sudanese people; from the peace-loving, warm, and hospitable people who are facing a harsh ordeal today, but they are a resilient people. They are people of firm faith who understand that adversity does not last.

Thirdly, the more we stop the flow of support and supplies to the warring parties in Sudan, the more we hasten the moment when everyone sits at the negotiating table.