| | | Intensifying violence, systems collapse, and surging humanitarian needs
| Geneva, Switzerland, 16 February 2024 – Ten months since the outbreak of conflict in Sudan, the situation only continues to deteriorate. Intensifying violence, systems collapse, and surging humanitarian needs are exacerbating an already underreported and underfunded crisis. As conditions worsen, it is crucial to scale-up the response, including strong advocacy for better access and increased funding, to prevent a largescale loss of life.
| | The onset of the conflict, less than a year ago, has catapulted Sudan into a countrywide humanitarian emergency. Yet considering the increasingly complex operating environment, there’s a clear need for real-time monitoring and response to enable innovative and effective ways of delivering humanitarian aid to those who need it most. If the current situation endures and the response remains curtailed, Sudan risks turning into a forgotten crisis of catastrophic dimensions.
– Nanki Chawla, Global Emergencies Unit Manager | To support humanitarian actors responding to the crisis, REACH recently published an
analysis of the situation bringing together various primary and secondary sources. With no end to the conflict in sight, the findings paint a stark outlook for 2024:
Violence has only intensified, spreading to various parts of the country, including previously unaffected regions like the Darfur states and greater Kordofan. Most recently, on December 15th, the conflict reached Wad Madani, a city south of Khartoum, where many displaced people had sought refuge.
In conflict hotspots,
populations are facing acute risks to their safety and wellbeing. Insecurity is limiting movement with reports of persons trapped in conflict areas, unable to leave, where access to basic services is highly restricted. This dire situation is forcing many to make dangerous trade-off between immediate safety and access to basic survival needs.
Humanitarian needs extend beyond the areas directly caught in the crossfire. Large-scale internal displacement has disrupted livelihoods, stretched critical services in hosting communities to the brink of collapse, and heightened the risk of disease outbreaks.
REACH also supported UNOSAT in producing damage assessment maps of Khartoum. The latest map of Khartoum reaffirms the briefs findings, shedding light on the escalation of conflict in the area. Satellite imagery from January 8, 2024, revealed around 6,774 damaged or destroyed structures and 405 impact craters. A comparison with earlier images shows 2,894 newly damaged sites and 117 sites with increased damage. *
Against the complex operating environment and limited funding, there is an urgent need for innovative approaches to identify and deliver assistance to those in need. This requires both high-level access negotiations and the integration of mechanisms to better support and collaborate with frontline workers, including local responders. | | *Map not yet published, subscribe to the new IMPACT resource centre to be notified when the map is released. For media inquiries, please contact IMPACT at geneva@impact-initiatives.org
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| | | Created in 2010, IMPACT is a Geneva-based NGO and the largest independent data provider in contexts of crisis. We aim to support a range of stakeholders in making better, more informed decisions in humanitarian, stabilisation, and development settings. We believe that a key pathway to better planning and decision-making is direct engagement with local communities and their leaders. IMPACT takes an initiative-based approach to structuring our programming. Each initiative – REACH, PANDA and AGORA – has a specific aim, operational model, and portfolio of solutions. Discover more on our website. |
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