Tell Pres. Biden to work for a truce in Sudan and expansion of corridors for humanitarian aid and safe passage for civilians to evacuate Darfur.
Darfur may be on the brink of a second genocide in twenty years and a famine beyond imagination, the UN aid chief Martin Griffiths said on June 30. More than a year into Sudan’s civil war between the army and RSF, an estimated eight million people are displaced and 750,000 are on the brink of starvation.
Comboni Missionary Sister Elana Balatti, who is in South Sudan providing humanitarian aid to refugees fleeing Sudan, says “[Sudansese refugees] share depressing testimonies about their near-death experiences in Sudan,” and adds, “Others share that they had to leave when living conditions became unbearable and they couldn’t get the basics for survival. Food has become scarce in the market. There is no schooling for their children.”
The International Crisis Group reported on June 24 that a “showdown” is unfolding in Sudan’s North Darfur region, where the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has attacked the town of El Fasher. The independent research organization recommends that the UN and United States work urgently to mediate a de-escalation and local truce. “All should support a UN-led initiative to negotiate evacuation corridors for the suffering population in El Fasher and the surrounding camps for the displaced – and insist on immediate cross-border access for UN aid agencies into all areas of Sudan to stave off famine.”
Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns is scheduled to meet with the State Department next week to discuss a letter to the White House we joined with other faith groups. Join us in our advocacy and send an urgent message to Pres. Biden using the form below.
Photo of Salma Ibrahim washing kitchenware at her home in Djabel Refugee Camp, Eastern Chad in October 2023. Salma’s family fled Sudan during the War in Darfur. Credit: GPE/Michael Knief/AP via Flickr.