Sudanese refugees' plight must not be forgotten
While the world reels from a series of concurrent global emergencies — wars in Ukraine and Gaza, rising geopolitical tensions in Asia and record-breaking climate catastrophes — the devastating humanitarian crisis emanating from Sudan risks slipping through the cracks of international attention. This brutal internal conflict has already cost more than 20,000 lives and displaced some 13 million people. Of these, more than 3 million have fled the country, seeking refuge in already-vulnerable neighboring nations like Chad, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Libya and Uganda.
Chad alone, one of the poorest and least-resourced countries in the world, has absorbed more than 1.2 million Sudanese civilians and returning Chadians since the onset of the conflict. The scope of the suffering is staggering, yet the silence from global powers and international organizations is deafening.
The pressure on host countries has reached intolerable levels. Chad, which has historically struggled with internal displacement, food insecurity and weak public infrastructure, now finds its overstretched systems buckling under the weight of more than a million new arrivals.
Entire towns have been overwhelmed. Local hospitals are at capacity and lack critical medicine and equipment. Water sources — already scarce due to desertification and poor infrastructure — are drying up or becoming polluted. Schools that once served a few hundred children now have to accommodate thousands, often without adequate classrooms, teachers or supplies.
The result is a mounting crisis in health, education and basic public services that not only threatens the well-being of the refugees but also risks sparking instability in host communities already suffering from chronic poverty and underdevelopment.
The scope of the suffering is staggering, yet the silence from global powers and international organizations is deafening
Dr. Majid Rafizadeh
Egypt, which has long been a destination for Sudanese fleeing earlier waves of conflict, is now experiencing the most intense pressure in recent history. More than 1.5 million Sudanese refugees are currently in Egypt, many of them having arrived in recent months. The country's schools and hospitals — especially in border areas and poorer regions — are incapable of absorbing such numbers.
More than half of Sudanese refugee children are out of school and many face discrimination and legal ambiguity that bars them from enrolling in public education. Access to healthcare is likewise limited: refugees often rely on expensive private clinics or overstretched nongovernmental organizations for care.
Though the Egyptian government has kept its borders open, its economic situation, rising inflation and political constraints limit its capacity to absorb and care for so many vulnerable people. Meanwhile, Ethiopia, which is grappling with its own internal conflicts and political instability, has taken in more than 70,000 Sudanese refugees.
The situation for the refugees themselves is increasingly desperate. In every host country, they are experiencing unbearable conditions. Most arrived with nothing but the clothes they were wearing. Shelter is often little more than plastic sheets stretched over sticks. Clean water is in short supply and cholera, typhoid and malaria outbreaks are common. Food rations are insufficient and many go entire days without eating. In Chad, some families have been forced to eat leaves or wild roots just to survive. Malnutrition rates among children are spiking.
Women and girls face an additional burden. Sexual and gender-based violence is rampant, both during flight and in camps. In some areas, women report being forced to exchange sex for food, water or protection. Girls are being pulled from school to help their families survive or to avoid the risk of assault while walking long distances to crowded and under-resourced schools.
The psychological toll is immense. Most refugees have witnessed killings, torture or the destruction of their homes. They now face the daily trauma of insecurity, hunger and hopelessness in exile. Mental health support is practically nonexistent in most camps, even though the need is overwhelming.
The cost of inaction is too high. Ignoring the Sudanese refugee crisis will fuel greater instability in an already volatile region
Dr. Majid Rafizadeh
This crisis demands an immediate and scaled-up response from the international community. Global agencies and governments cannot afford to turn their backs. The priority must be delivering emergency humanitarian aid — shelter, food, clean water, medical care and mental health services. These are not luxuries, they are the bare minimum for survival and dignity. Refugees must be granted full legal status under the UN Refugee Convention, ensuring their protection and their right to access services. Without legal status, they live in limbo, unable to work, study or move freely.
Beyond immediate relief, the world must implement longer-term solutions. Resettlement corridors must be expanded, offering safe pathways to countries outside the region that can provide permanent sanctuary. Wealthier nations, especially those in the West, have a moral obligation to share responsibility for resettlement and not simply outsource the crisis to Africa's poorest states.
Integrated refugee-host community programs must be funded and supported — programs that allow for shared schools, joint agricultural projects and mutual economic development. These not only reduce tensions between refugees and host communities but also foster social cohesion and resilience.
Mental health and psychosocial support must be elevated in humanitarian planning. Trauma is not invisible — it cripples individuals and communities. Investments in community-based counseling, support groups and trauma-informed education can help rebuild lives shattered by war.
The cost of inaction is too high. Ignoring the Sudanese refugee crisis will fuel greater instability in an already volatile region. Host countries may face unrest or economic collapse under the weight of population pressures.
Refugees, denied dignity and opportunity, may be pushed onto dangerous migration routes, fall prey to traffickers or be recruited by armed groups. Public health emergencies — from cholera outbreaks to mental health epidemics — may spread across borders. And an entire generation of Sudanese children may grow up without education, nutrition or hope, sowing the seeds for long-term regional instability and global security risks.
In conclusion, we must not allow the suffering of Sudanese refugees to be forgotten. This crisis is not just a regional concern — it is a global test of conscience, solidarity and responsibility. As we confront multiple global challenges, we must not abandon the millions of men, women and children from Sudan who, through no fault of their own, have lost everything. The international community still has the power to change the trajectory of this crisis. But that power means nothing if it is not used.
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Arab News
20 hours ago
- Arab News
Sudanese refugees' plight must not be forgotten
While the world reels from a series of concurrent global emergencies — wars in Ukraine and Gaza, rising geopolitical tensions in Asia and record-breaking climate catastrophes — the devastating humanitarian crisis emanating from Sudan risks slipping through the cracks of international attention. This brutal internal conflict has already cost more than 20,000 lives and displaced some 13 million people. Of these, more than 3 million have fled the country, seeking refuge in already-vulnerable neighboring nations like Chad, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Libya and Uganda. Chad alone, one of the poorest and least-resourced countries in the world, has absorbed more than 1.2 million Sudanese civilians and returning Chadians since the onset of the conflict. The scope of the suffering is staggering, yet the silence from global powers and international organizations is deafening. The pressure on host countries has reached intolerable levels. Chad, which has historically struggled with internal displacement, food insecurity and weak public infrastructure, now finds its overstretched systems buckling under the weight of more than a million new arrivals. Entire towns have been overwhelmed. Local hospitals are at capacity and lack critical medicine and equipment. Water sources — already scarce due to desertification and poor infrastructure — are drying up or becoming polluted. Schools that once served a few hundred children now have to accommodate thousands, often without adequate classrooms, teachers or supplies. The result is a mounting crisis in health, education and basic public services that not only threatens the well-being of the refugees but also risks sparking instability in host communities already suffering from chronic poverty and underdevelopment. The scope of the suffering is staggering, yet the silence from global powers and international organizations is deafening Dr. Majid Rafizadeh Egypt, which has long been a destination for Sudanese fleeing earlier waves of conflict, is now experiencing the most intense pressure in recent history. More than 1.5 million Sudanese refugees are currently in Egypt, many of them having arrived in recent months. The country's schools and hospitals — especially in border areas and poorer regions — are incapable of absorbing such numbers. More than half of Sudanese refugee children are out of school and many face discrimination and legal ambiguity that bars them from enrolling in public education. Access to healthcare is likewise limited: refugees often rely on expensive private clinics or overstretched nongovernmental organizations for care. Though the Egyptian government has kept its borders open, its economic situation, rising inflation and political constraints limit its capacity to absorb and care for so many vulnerable people. Meanwhile, Ethiopia, which is grappling with its own internal conflicts and political instability, has taken in more than 70,000 Sudanese refugees. The situation for the refugees themselves is increasingly desperate. In every host country, they are experiencing unbearable conditions. Most arrived with nothing but the clothes they were wearing. Shelter is often little more than plastic sheets stretched over sticks. Clean water is in short supply and cholera, typhoid and malaria outbreaks are common. Food rations are insufficient and many go entire days without eating. In Chad, some families have been forced to eat leaves or wild roots just to survive. Malnutrition rates among children are spiking. Women and girls face an additional burden. Sexual and gender-based violence is rampant, both during flight and in camps. In some areas, women report being forced to exchange sex for food, water or protection. Girls are being pulled from school to help their families survive or to avoid the risk of assault while walking long distances to crowded and under-resourced schools. The psychological toll is immense. Most refugees have witnessed killings, torture or the destruction of their homes. They now face the daily trauma of insecurity, hunger and hopelessness in exile. Mental health support is practically nonexistent in most camps, even though the need is overwhelming. The cost of inaction is too high. Ignoring the Sudanese refugee crisis will fuel greater instability in an already volatile region Dr. Majid Rafizadeh This crisis demands an immediate and scaled-up response from the international community. Global agencies and governments cannot afford to turn their backs. The priority must be delivering emergency humanitarian aid — shelter, food, clean water, medical care and mental health services. These are not luxuries, they are the bare minimum for survival and dignity. Refugees must be granted full legal status under the UN Refugee Convention, ensuring their protection and their right to access services. Without legal status, they live in limbo, unable to work, study or move freely. Beyond immediate relief, the world must implement longer-term solutions. Resettlement corridors must be expanded, offering safe pathways to countries outside the region that can provide permanent sanctuary. Wealthier nations, especially those in the West, have a moral obligation to share responsibility for resettlement and not simply outsource the crisis to Africa's poorest states. Integrated refugee-host community programs must be funded and supported — programs that allow for shared schools, joint agricultural projects and mutual economic development. These not only reduce tensions between refugees and host communities but also foster social cohesion and resilience. Mental health and psychosocial support must be elevated in humanitarian planning. Trauma is not invisible — it cripples individuals and communities. Investments in community-based counseling, support groups and trauma-informed education can help rebuild lives shattered by war. The cost of inaction is too high. Ignoring the Sudanese refugee crisis will fuel greater instability in an already volatile region. Host countries may face unrest or economic collapse under the weight of population pressures. Refugees, denied dignity and opportunity, may be pushed onto dangerous migration routes, fall prey to traffickers or be recruited by armed groups. Public health emergencies — from cholera outbreaks to mental health epidemics — may spread across borders. And an entire generation of Sudanese children may grow up without education, nutrition or hope, sowing the seeds for long-term regional instability and global security risks. In conclusion, we must not allow the suffering of Sudanese refugees to be forgotten. This crisis is not just a regional concern — it is a global test of conscience, solidarity and responsibility. As we confront multiple global challenges, we must not abandon the millions of men, women and children from Sudan who, through no fault of their own, have lost everything. The international community still has the power to change the trajectory of this crisis. But that power means nothing if it is not used.
Arab News
2 days ago
- Arab News
Syrians have no real hope while remnants of war remain
My name is Sila, I'm 17 years old, from Idlib, Syria. I am one of thousands who have lived through the war in all its details — a generation that never knew what safety meant, only smoke, shelling, displacement and fear. But honestly, I didn't come here today to talk about the war itself. I came to talk about its consequences — about my story with war, about the pain that remains even after the guns fall silent, about a small hope in my heart that there is a better future, God willing. The first moment I remember, I was around three years old. I suddenly woke up to the sound of an explosion, shattered glass on the ground and my parents shouting, 'Hurry up.' From that day on, our home became a travel bag and our path became one of displacement. Every time we got used to a place, we left it under shelling. Every time we made a friend, we had to say goodbye and continue our way. My childhood was filled with fear, anxiety and people I was deprived of — people I shared the best days of my life with. Imagine going to school while hearing the sound of a warplane above your head, not knowing whether you will return home or not. The danger continues after the war — landmines, unexploded shells and lives turned into death traps Sila Imagine sitting in class, your body present, but your mind wondering whether the next missile will hit your school, your house … or maybe someone you love. I heard the sound of bombing and lived through every kind of fear. I lost people I loved deeply and, from that moment on, nothing felt normal in my life. I developed a phobia of any sound that resembles a plane … of the dark … and even of silence. My cousin went out once to get us bread. I was standing with his sister, watching him from the window. Soon, we heard the sound of fighter jets and an explosion, smoke filled the air, people running in the streets — and my cousin … we never saw him again. It was an extremely difficult moment, and I still haven't forgotten it. Another time, my aunt's house was bombed. We ran to her, but they wouldn't let us get close to the house. At that very moment, our own house was also bombed. The result was that I lost both my aunt and my home — and we continued our journey of displacement. It felt like the bombing was chasing us from house to house. There are so many moments that are engraved in my memory, like the time I was holding my younger brother's hand, walking down the street, when suddenly a nearby explosion threw us apart. For a moment, I thought I had lost my brother. Those were some of the longest moments of my life. When I found him, I ran to him and hugged him. Even though I was injured, I didn't feel it — all I cared about was that he was safe, not me. The war doesn't end just because the shelling stops. The danger continues after the war — landmines, unexploded shells and lives turned into death traps. A child might see something shiny and run toward it, not knowing it is a landmine. People walking through their land, unaware that death lies beneath their feet. Many lost limbs, or even lives, without ever being part of any battle. Our neighbor's son, 18 years old, returned to check on their house after displacement. A mine exploded and he lost his hand. Today, I'm here to talk to you about this issue, and I'm not just speaking about it — I'm actively working on it. In the past period, I took training courses with a humanitarian organization and I am currently volunteering as part of an awareness team. We work on awareness campaigns about the risks of war remnants — especially for children. The war must end — not only on maps, but in our streets, in our memories and in our children's toys Sila I am trying to be a voice in this field and to deliver the message to as many people as possible. Without removing these remnants of war, there will be no real hope, no real return, no future for us. Now is our time to speak up, to raise our voices and to educate others. I did not come today as a victim. I came as a witness. I came to deliver a message. To speak on behalf of every child who was promised a normal life but couldn't live it. On behalf of every mother who buried her son and every home that lost its warmth. I'm standing in front of you today to deliver just one message: the war must end — not only on maps, but in our streets, in our memories and in our children's toys. God willing, we will be the last generation to live this pain. The last generation to fall asleep to the sound of missiles and wake up to fear. Thankfully, today, there is a little more safety. Now we can dream, work on ourselves. I can continue my education, achieve my ambitions and support my community and my family. But to make those dreams possible, we need many things — and most importantly, we need opportunity … and we need decisions. We still need your support. My final message: I am from a generation that survived physically, but our hearts still live in fear. Help us replace the word 'displacement' with 'return,' the word 'rubble' with 'home,' and the word 'war' with 'life.' Thank you so much for listening. And I hope that the decisions you make today will mean safety tomorrow for every Syrian child dreaming of walking to school without fear. This article is based on a speech Sila gave to the UN Security Council last month as part of the Annual Open Debate on Children and Armed Conflict.
Arab News
2 days ago
- Arab News
Sudanese fleeing war are at risk of worsening hunger in neighboring nations, UN warns
CAIRO: Millions of people fleeing the conflict in Sudan risk falling deeper into hunger as they seek refuge in countries already grappling with food insecurity, the United Nations warned. The World Food Program, the UN's food agency, said Monday that over four million Sudanese refugees in neighboring countries are at risk of suffering further food insecurities as crucial funding for life-saving food assistance is expected to dwindle in the coming months in the Central African Republic, Egypt, Ethiopia, Libya, Uganda and Chad. About 40,000 people have been killed and nearly 13 million displaced, including to other countries, by Sudan's civil war that began in April 2023, according to estimates from UN agencies. Nearly half of the population remaining in Sudan is facing acute food insecurity, with some areas of the country suffering from malnutrition, which has killed 239 children in the past six months in El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur province, the Sudan Doctors Network said. The group said the children died as a result of severe shortages of food and medicine, and the bombing of nutrition warehouses in the Sudanese province between January and June. Sudan plunged into war in April 2023 when simmering tensions between the Sudanese army and its paramilitary rival, the Rapid Support Forces, escalated to fighting in the capital of Khartoum and spread across the country. But those fleeing the conflict continue to suffer from malnutrition even beyond Sudan's borders. 'Refugees from Sudan are fleeing for their lives and yet are being met with more hunger, despair, and limited resources on the other side of the border,' said Shaun Hughes, WFP's Emergency Coordinator for the Sudan Regional Crisis. 'Food assistance is a lifeline for vulnerable refugee families with nowhere else to turn.' Food insecurity and famine conditions have spread across Sudan. The Darfur Victims Support Organization on Tuesday posted pictures on Facebook showing scores of citizens lining up to receive a meal from a charity kitchen. The group appealed to international organizations to take notice of the humanitarian situation in the city and called on armed groups to declare a truce and open corridors to deliver much needed civilian aid. The southern part of El Fasher saw renewed clashes between the army and the RSF Monday morning despite the UN calling for a week-long ceasefire in the city for aid distribution, which the Sudanese army accepted, the Darfur-based group said. The El Fasher Resistance Committee said Sunday that heavy artillery shelling targeted several residential areas and the livestock market for the third day in a row, killing and injuring civilians amid a deteriorating humanitarian situation in the area. The Trump administration's cuts to the US Agency for International Development have also had an impact, with programs being defunded. In Sudan, 90 communal kitchens closed in Khartoum, leaving more than half a million people without consistent access to food, according to the International Rescue Committee, a humanitarian aid organization.
