Sudan's Civil War: 'The Worst Humanitarian Crisis in the World' - African Union

Sudan's Civil War: 'The Worst Humanitarian Crisis in the World' - African Union

Addis Ababa: African Union officials on Tuesday described Sudan's civil war as the "worst humanitarian crisis in the world" and warned that it is leaving hundreds of thousands of children malnourished.

The Sudanese army has been at war since April 2023 with the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a conflict that has displaced around 12 million people, according to the African Union (AU) and the International Rescue Committee.

Mohamed Ibn Chambas, chairman of the AU panel on Sudan, said in a post on Tuesday, "It has obstructed access to humanitarian aid, caused food shortages, and worsened hunger."

"Children and women are regularly abused, and the elderly and sick are deprived of medical assistance. This is the worst humanitarian crisis in the world."

In a separate post, AU's senior official for child welfare, Wilson Almeida Adao, stated that hospital admissions for malnutrition rose by 44% in 2024, with over 431,000 children receiving treatment.

He added, "We are receiving reports of grave violations, including attacks on schools and hospitals, forced recruitment of child soldiers, and the blocking of humanitarian access."

The Sudanese army controls the east and north of the country, while the RSF holds most of the Darfur region, where the United Nations accused the RSF on Monday of blocking aid.

For the AU, Chambas said, "This can only be solved through inter-Sudanese political dialogue, not the military route."