After 1,000 days of violence in Sudan, the world must not look away

By Nahid Ali

The scale of the suffering in Sudan demands sustained international attention, action and accountability, writes Sudanese mother and communications manager at Plan International Sudan, Nahid Ali.

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Image supplied by Plan International

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Since April 2023, many countries around the world have experienced positive changes, such as progress in development and recovery, and collective efforts to protect our planet for future generations. But in Sudan, the reality could not be more different. The security, health, environmental and education systems continue to deteriorate as a result of the ongoing conflict, which has now lasted nearly 1,000 days, moving from bad to worse.

As humanitarian workers, we continue to witness the suffering of communities trapped in besieged areas where we have extremely limited access to provide assistance. Aid convoys are frequently delayed, obstructed or even targeted, while unarmed and defenceless civilians are increasingly caught in the crossfire.

The highest price for this conflict is paid by women, especially girls, and children. Women’s bodies have become weapons of war, leaving them vulnerable to widespread sexual and physical violence. Many children arrive at displacement shelters alone, having been separated from their families during their long and dangerous journey.

During my most recent mission to Al-Aafad in Northern State, I met women and girls who had witnessed and survived severe sexual violence while fleeing El Fasher. They described seeing their families killed, their homes destroyed by shelling and their lives shattered overnight.

One woman told me how she had buried her children with her own hands in the yard of her home after they died of hunger. Another woman I spoke to does not know the fate of her missing husband and son. A young girl told me that her education had stopped when the conflict began and that she had lost her sense of safety after being sexually assaulted while trying to flee El Fasher. Another woman watched her sister die instantly in a shelling attack, leaving seven children behind.

These are not isolated stories. They are the daily reality for millions of people across Sudan. After nearly 1,000 days of conflict, the people of Sudan must not be forgotten by the rest of the world. The scale of the suffering demands sustained international attention, action and accountability.

As a displaced Sudanese mother who has experienced first-hand the challenges of raising children in conflict, I urge the international community, governments, donors, the media and global civil society to take action.

• Keep Sudan on the global political and humanitarian agendas.

• Amplify the voices of Sudanese women, girls and communities whose stories are too often unheard.

• Advocate for the protection of civilians, especially women and children, and for accountability for violations of international humanitarian law.

• Ensure sustained and flexible humanitarian funding to enable life-saving assistance to reach those trapped in hard-to-reach and besieged areas.

• Support access and safety for humanitarian workers so that they can deliver aid to those in need without obstruction or delay.

As humanitarian workers, after nearly 1,000 days of conflict, we continue to do everything we can to reach those in need as quickly and safely as possible. The needs are overwhelming, resources are limited and funding continues to fall short, but our determination remains strong because giving up is not an option.

Plan International is currently running an appeal to assist children and families in Sudan. You can donate here.

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About the author

Nahid Ali

Nahid Ali is the Communications Manager at humanitarian and girls equality charity Plan International Sudan. When the conflict in Sudan erupted in April 2023, Nahid was a new mother with a three-week-old newborn, waking up one morning in her home in the capital city of Khartoum to the sound of guns and cannons. After days of fighting, Nahid and her family fled Khartoum in the middle of the night. They lost everything: their home, car, furniture and personal documents. When Nahid and her family arrived in a refugee camp, she interrupted her maternity leave to help other internally displaced people (IDPs) alongside her colleagues with Plan International Sudan. In the last 1,000 days, Nahid has grappled with the dual reality of being a humanitarian worker assisting communities in need, to being a person in need of support herself.

Nahid (left) pictured at work