ALEXANDRIA, Va – Civilians are bearing the brunt of the fighting as it spreads across Sudan, with families trapped in their homes and running out of food and water. More than 100 civilians have now been killed and hundreds more injured as heavy fighting continues throughout residential areas and close to hospitals.
At least four humanitarian aid workers are among those killed and many aid agency offices have been looted, forcing the suspension of vital humanitarian work. The violence has spread across the country, with reports that the situation has been particularly alarming in most major cities, including the capital of Khartoum.
Shops, markets, and banks are all closed, so people are unable to access money or essential supplies. In some areas, food prices have tripled since Saturday as supplies have become increasingly scarce. Hospitals are overwhelmed and reportedly running out of oxygen, fuel, and blood bags to treat the wounded, and patients have called for safe passage to leave as the fighting spreads nearby.
As we reach the holiest nights of Ramadan and approach Eid, Islamic Relief is calling for an immediate ceasefire and for both sides to ensure that civilians and humanitarian workers are protected. Civilians and humanitarian workers must never be targeted.
Elsadig Elnour, Islamic Relief’s Sudan Country Director, in Khartoum, says:
“The fighting is going on and we can hear bullets and bombing all around us. Buildings are on fire and smoke fills the sky. People are trapped in their homes and scared about what is going to happen in the coming days. Life is paralyzed, everything is closed and food supplies are running out.
Many of the poorest people don’t have stocks of food, they buy whatever little they can afford each day – and now they can’t even do that. Already critical levels of hunger in the country are now set to get even worse. Millions of people will need aid.”
Sudan is already suffering from one of the world’s biggest humanitarian crises, with almost 16 million people in need of aid. An economic collapse and rampant inflation have left many people unable to get enough food and Sudan has one of the highest rates of child malnutrition in the world.
Islamic Relief has worked in Sudan since 1984, providing emergency aid and long-term development. We help communities get food and water, support health centers, and work to improve education, sustainable livelihoods and women’s rights. We currently work across the country, in Khartoum, Blue Nile, North and South Kordofan, Central and West Darfur, Kassala and Gedaref.
The depreciation of the Sudanese currency, as well as the impact of the war in Ukraine and Sudan’s political crisis, has caused the price of food to skyrocket. Staple food such as sorghum and millet have risen by 700% in the last few years and are 60% higher than a year ago.
Islamic Relief is calling on all parties to respect international humanitarian law and ensure humanitarian agencies have safe access to affected people.
MEDIA CONTACT
Syed M. Hassan
mhassan@irusa.org or
(571) 421-7032 (CELL)
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Islamic Relief USA, based in Alexandria, Va., is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) humanitarian organization. Its mission is to provide relief and development in a dignified manner regardless of gender, race, or religion, and works to empower individuals in their communities and give them a voice in the world. Its programs benefit millions of people each year in more than 40 countries around the world, including in the United States.
Islamic Relief USA meets all of the Standards for Charity Accountability of the BBB Wise Giving Alliance, a national charity monitoring group affiliated with the Better Business Bureau system. Islamic Relief USA is on the U.S. government’s Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) charity list, and it is also a signatory to the code of conduct of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.