Sudan crisis explained: Why wars are not a matter of the past

June 27, 2024

DHAKA – After the October 7 Hamas attacks and Israel’s genocide in Gaza that followed, much of the world is reckoning with the consequences of persisting imperialism. The nature of the interweaved global politics of modern times has become evident not just through the sales of consumer goods, but also the sale of arms. In this regard, the crisis in Sudan is in many ways similar, with horrific news repeatedly coming out about the state in which the civilians have been living.

Starting in April 2023, well over a year has passed since the eruption of the crisis that is now termed a civil war. The chilling lines from a UNHCR report that the war has turned “homes into cemeteries” provide a glimpse at the terror that now encompasses the lives of those locked by the fight between the Sudanese government forces and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). According to a UN report, only 16 percent of the target have been met for humanitarian aid allocated for Sudan.

According to Al Jazeera, 10 million people have been displaced in Sudan, a matter only exacerbated by the fact that 2.83 million people were already displaced by “previous conflicts.” Of the 48 million people in Sudan, more than a quarter have had to flee, with two million crossing borders in fear of their lives. Many Sudanese civilians have fled to Chad, Uganda, Ethiopia and South Sudan—the exodus may place pressure on these nations and cause another cycle of violence. The overall death toll remains unclear, with some estimates of 150,000 according to Tom Perriello, the US special envoy for Sudan. As per the British Red Cross, 25 million people are in need of urgent humanitarian assistance as of April 2024. By some estimates, the current situation in Sudan