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Khartoum Lies in Ruins Three Years into Sudan Civil War
An Islamic Relief worker who has collaborated with the group for 30 years described near-total destruction in Sudan's capital during a recent visit. More than 58,000 deaths have been recorded in the war, with estimates reaching 150,000, while 29 million people face hunger. Community kitchens have closed at a rapid rate and fighting has intensified again.
May 12, 6:54 AM·2m read1 source
Al JazeeraAudio version
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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.
