This time last year, I came across the testimony of a child who had fled Khartoum with his family in the early days of the war, seeking refuge in eastern Sudan. Despite the horrors around him, his most profound concern was that the sound of gunfire and airstrikes meant he would go hungry. For this child, war was about losing the everyday certainties, like having access to food.
In August, peace negotiations to end the war in Sudan took place in Geneva, supported by the United States, Saudi Arabia and Switzerland. It was a crucial first step in the long and difficult process of building a foundation for peace. But it was just that – a step.
While political dialogue is essential, it will take much more than silencing the guns to restore dignity, wellbeing and healthcare to millions of people.
A paramilitary force, the Rapid Support Forces, and the regular army, the Sudanese Armed Forces, are locked in a power struggle that began in April last year, triggering a humanitarian crisis. The conflict has left tens of thousands of people killed and injured.
As political solutions falter, malnutrition is rising, as are food prices, and there’s a lack of humanitarian supplies. From the onset of the war until June 2024, we treated 34,751 acutely malnourished children in Sudan. A nutrition screening in early September in Zamzam, a camp for displaced communities in North Darfur, found a catastrophic lack of food.
Sudan’s crisis is multifaceted. Ten million people – around a fifth of the population – have been displaced, making it the largest displacement crisis in the world. The health system has collapsed. Between 70% and 80% of facilities are no longer functioning, leaving countless people without care.
A cholera outbreak is gripping central and eastern regions, bringing more death and misery to people already suffering under the brutal war. Our emergency teams are treating patients and providing water and sanitation services. Cholera cases are not uncommon in Sudan, but this is the second outbreak since the start of the war.
Both warring parties continue to obstruct humanitarian access, systematically preventing aid from reaching areas controlled by their opponents. Access is often restricted, with no guarantees of safety for aid workers – or sometimes, no access at all. These conditions have forced MSF to suspend some activities, yet our teams continue to work in eight of Sudan’s 18 states. We are one of the few international aid organisations still operating in areas controlled by both sides of the conflict, but our capacity is stretched, and the needs are immense.
Two million people have fled to neighbouring countries such as Chad. When I visited Adré transit camp in eastern Chad last December, most Sudanese refugees I met had left their home because of high levels of violence and because there was little to eat. The war prevents farmers from planting and harvesting, leaving markets empty or prices too high for many to afford food. The road to recovery will require more than emergency responses. The country needs long-term partners – humanitarian organisations, development agencies and reconstruction funds – committed to helping the Sudanese people rebuild their lives.
Diplomacy alone will not be enough to address the urgent humanitarian crisis and the escalating needs of a population torn apart by civil war. The peace process must be accompanied by concrete actions on the ground that ensure civilians are protected and get access to food, healthcare and basic services. The real work lies ahead. Only then can we hope to see a Sudan where the guns fall silent, and its people can live with dignity, security and hope for the future.
Stephen Cornish is general director of Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders operational centre in Switzerland.
