Europe, Africa and the Middle East are facing another migration crisis, and on an unprecedented scale. It may originate in conflict-ridden Sudan. Two million refugees from Sudan have so far found shelter in neighboring countries, but this number could increase dramatically and cause a new, massive migration wave.
“Sudan is a ticking geopolitical bomb. If it falls, it will be a problem for three continents,” writes The Economist.
“Expect a new refugee shock in Europe, following the wars in Syria and Libya, at a time when migration is a hot button issue in France, Germany and elsewhere. Already 60 percent of people in camps in Calais, on the southern shore of the English Channel, are Sudanese,” the British weekly writes.
The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) has appealed for increased humanitarian aid for a country ravaged by civil war and decimated by disease and hunger.
“We need to focus on all those in need, the 25 million people. Additional resources are needed to meet their basic needs. We call on the world to wake up and help Sudan get out of the nightmare it is going through,” said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the WHO.
A devastating civil war
The 25 million people in need is more than half of Sudan's population. For more than a year, one of Africa's largest countries has been in the grips of a devastating civil war between the armies of two conflicting generals.
As a result, 10 million people had to leave their homes, which is the largest internal displacement in the world. Another two million people fled to neighboring countries. According to official, underestimated data, 20 thousand people died. Cholera, malaria, dengue fever, monkeypox are rampant.
The situation is made worse by the climate catastrophe – alternating droughts and floods. In late August, after exceptionally heavy rains in eastern Sudan, a dam collapsed. The water destroyed the homes of 50,000 people.
The effects of floods in Sudan Reuters
– The situation is catastrophic. We have children, families, elderly people who need constant medication. The problem is the lack of food. The water has destroyed all the surrounding villages – says Abu Ali Ahmed, a resident of eastern Sudan.
The world's biggest humanitarian crisis
Already 800 thousand people have fled to South Sudan. This youngest country in the world, founded in 2011, functions mainly thanks to humanitarian aid. Only every second resident has access to clean drinking water. Among others, the Polish Humanitarian Action is operating on the spot.
– We have a functioning government, but it does not have the capacity to provide support to all people in the country. This is a country where only six percent of people have access to the internet, only nine percent have access to electricity – notes Anna Górska, director of the Polish Humanitarian Action office in South Sudan.
Why is Sudan's catastrophic war a global problem? The Economist responds: “It could kill millions and sow chaos across Africa and the Middle East. It is the world's worst humanitarian crisis…. Middle Eastern states and Russia are sponsoring parties to the conflict with impunity. The West has withdrawn, the UN is paralyzed.”
The world public recently heard about the war only because the famous American rapper Macklemore took an interest in it. He canceled his concert in Dubai because the United Arab Emirates supports one side of the Sudanese conflict.
Facts about the World TVN24 BiS
Main image source: Reuters