Khartoum Lies in Ruins Three Years into Sudan Civil War

An aid worker visiting Khartoum for the first time since the war started found a city of apocalyptic destruction. A pre-war population of 7 million had left the streets almost empty. Buildings throughout the capital were almost all destroyed or partially flattened by shelling and air attacks, while those still standing were riddled with bullet holes.

The author has worked with Islamic Relief for 30 years and said he had never seen destruction on this scale. More than 58,000 deaths have been recorded in the Sudan war, though estimates suggest as many as 150,000 people may have been killed. It is hard to track casualty numbers when infrastructure lies in ruins and millions are displaced.

People are dying not only from violence but from disease and starvation. Repeated outbreaks of cholera, viral hepatitis, meningitis, yellow fever, and other infectious diseases have occurred in Sudan. The war has created the world’s biggest hunger crisis, with 29 million people — 62 percent of the population — without enough food.

Local community kitchens run by volunteers form a central part of the effort against famine. Islamic Relief conducted research on community kitchens in Sudan that found 42 percent of 844 surveyed kitchens across the country have shut down in the last six months. The closures came due to a lack of funds and supplies.

The US-Israel war on Iran is choking supply chains and exacerbating Sudan’s hunger crisis. Food and fuel prices in Sudan have doubled, pushing even more families into hunger. In the western regions of Darfur and Kordofan, people continue fleeing horrific atrocities.

Drone attacks have targeted hospitals and schools in Darfur and Kordofan. Towns are under siege, villages have been burned down, and aid convoys have been bombed there. Islamic Relief staff continue working in those extreme conditions to help the displaced.

Even in areas with some recovery, conditions remain dire. Improvements in security have occurred in Khartoum and the east of Sudan. 3 million people have returned to the capital only to find severe food shortages, few jobs, and almost no services.

Some 200 schools are out of operation in Khartoum. The schools are either destroyed or sheltering displaced families, leaving returning children with nowhere to restart their education. Hospitals in Khartoum that have not been destroyed have been looted and are only partially operational.

Electricity is available for only a few hours a day in Khartoum. Islamic Relief is helping to rebuild schools and health facilities in Khartoum. The group is also providing psychosocial support in Khartoum for the trauma residents have experienced.

One woman the author met described profound personal loss. Four of Ayesha’s sons were killed by warring factions. Ayesha carried her grandchildren for five days to reach a camp for displaced people in Gadarif.

Everyone the author encountered had similar stories of loss and dangerous journeys. Fighting has intensified in several states in the past month. Khartoum has been hit by drone attacks in the past month.

World leaders met in Berlin last month for a major conference to mark the third anniversary of the Sudan war. Al Jazeera reported that once again there was little concrete progress toward a diplomatic breakthrough needed for sustainable peace.