ANTI-RACISM DAILY

May 30, 2024

Rally for Sudan.

TAKE ACTION

• Provide direct support to the people of Sudan by donating to Cairo Sudan Aid.

• Explore this list of local grassroots organizations to donate money and time, and this list of families you can support in their evacuation efforts.

• Learn how efforts to support Sudan reflect the ongoing calls for a ceasefire in Gaza.

• Sign the petition and call for an arms embargo in Sudan.

• As you read, consider the following: What other forms of conflict can help me contextualize what’s happening in Sudan? What parallels can I see?

GET EDUCATED

Over the past fourteen months, Sudan has been facing a series of series of disasters – including mass displacement, economic collapse, and a healthcare system teetering on the brink of failure. The source is a conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SA) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which have actively been fighting since April 2023 in Khartoum and key locations across the country. This conflict marks a bitter power struggle between General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan of the SAF and his deputy, RSF’s General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo—known as "Hemetti." They worked together with civilian leaders in a transitional government, which was supposed to create a pathway to a democratic Sudan. But they’ve struggled to concede their own power and combine their own forces, and, as negotiations devolved, they went to war (Vox).

Now, the civilians are left in the lurch. Over 1.8 million people—mostly women and children—have fled Sudan to neighboring countries, including 560,000 that have arrived in Chad in the last year. These numbers are staggering and contextualize how, throughout history, over 9.4 million people in Sudan have been internally displaced due to conflict, the largest internal displacement crisis in the world (IRC).

The violence waged in this war is particularly brutal. There have been intentional killings of ethnic Massalit and other non-Arab tribes in West Darfur. This ethnic cleansing is the same action that the “Save Darfur” campaigns of 2006 we’re trying to raise awareness of (Vox). There’s been reported sexual violence against women, particularly young girls – some as young as 12 years old (Amnesty). Even before fighting broke out, more than 3 million women and girls in Sudan were at risk of gender-based violence, including intimate-partner violence (UN Refugees).

UPCOMING WORKSHOPS

Healthcare resources are strained. An estimated 70% of health facilities in the conflict regions of Sudan are inoperable or closed. Eighteen million people – 37% of the population – are experiencing severe levels of acute food insecurity. Displaced communities struggle to find clean water for drinking and proper hygiene. Diseases have scaled – over 1,000 children are known to have died from measles, and tens of thousands of people have gotten cholera. These health threats are expected to worsen as the violence rages on and infrastructure continues to struggle to meet demands (IRC).

This violence will have a lasting impact on Sudan’s economy. Sudan was already in bad shape before the fighting started, with prices going up rapidly and a lack of basic goods causing people to protest. Now, the fighting has made things much worse.

• Almost half of the people don't have jobs.

• The money in Sudan is worth a lot less now, losing half its value.

• In the capital city, many businesses and markets have been robbed or destroyed, making it hard for people to get what they need and access their money.

• Many areas don't have reliable internet or phone service, so people can't easily contact their families, find safe places, get necessary items, or use online banking.

Children are suffering the most:

• More than 10,400 schools in areas affected by the fighting are closed.

• About 19 million kids are out of school and are in danger of being abused or exploited.

The IRC shares the story of Altuma, a 46-year-old mother of nine, who’s been displaced multiple times since the conflict began. She and her family are living in temporary housing that offers scant protection from the environment. Her story reflects one of the millions of others who are also trying to find safety during chaos (IRC).

Although we cannot take many direct actions from North America, we can do our part to raise awareness about the violence and educate ourselves on how this conflict reflects our understanding of the fight for dignity, respect, and safety across the globe.

LEARN MORE

A Digital Campaign to Save the People of Sudan
How diaspora communities are plugging the gaps left by international aid organizations by arranging humanitarian help for those stuck in the war. New Lines Mag >

Sudan's spiraling crisis, explained.
The weeks-long power struggle is now pushing Sudan toward humanitarian catastrophe and civil war. Here’s what you need to know. Vox >

I Protested for Divestment From Sudan. What Today’s Protestors Should Know.
“I protested a regime that massacred up to 400,000 of its own people through use of militia groups in the western region of Sudan. This is what I want student protestors for Palestine to know.” Time >

Crisis in Sudan: What is happening and how to help.
Sudan tops the IRC’s 2024 Watchlist, a list of countries most likely to experience a deteriorating humanitarian crisis. IRC >