HART calls for a stronger humanitarian response in Sudan

HART has written an open letter, co-signed by 75 others, urging the UN Human Rights Council to extend its Fact-Finding Mission (FFM) in Sudan. FFMs such as this are vital in gathering first-hand evidence of violations of international humanitarian law. They help to reduce impunity by exposing cases of violence and oppression. The documentation process also ensures that evidence exists, in case justice is sought through future legal proceedings.

The UN faces a financial crisis, due to late payments from a number of member states. As a result, Sudan’s FFM is understaffed and underfunded. Nearly 25 million people are in desperate need of vital humanitarian aid in Sudan. A humanitarian crisis as volatile and critical as this cannot afford to go undocumented or unmonitored. This is why HART has joined the call for an extension of the Sudan Fact-Finding Mission’s mandate. Read the full statement here.

HART has also issued a statement, alongside 93 other humanitarian aid groups, protesting the telecommunications blackout in Sudan.

Access to telecommunication services is a modern-day human right. Connectivity is vital in conflict zones as it can help to establish safe zones, enable (inter)national bank transfers within families, and facilitate the delivery of emergency humanitarian aid. For example, HART relies on connectivity to coordinate with our partners who are working at the grassroots, often in isolated regions. Read the Joint Statement in full, where we call for the re-establishment of telecommunication infrastructure and stronger accountability measures for those who damage or restrict access to key telecommunication services.

Both statements were written at a crucial time. Conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has plagued Sudan for over a year now. The human cost of this war is profound. Sudan has one of the world’s largest internal displacement crises. The World Food Programme has warned that Sudan is also on the brink of a “catastrophic” hunger crisis. There is little respite for civilians who are caught in the crossfire of conflict.

Combining aid with advocacy, HART collaborates with local partners to deliver emergency relief in Sudan. HART has two on-the-ground partners working in Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile, often referred to as the ‘Two Areas’. Both regions have endured five decades of insecurity. The geography and Indigenous populations of the regions make them particularly vulnerable to conflict and the effects of climate change.

Our partners, the Nuba Relief, Rehabilitation and Development Organisation (NRRDO), work across a broad spectrum of development. Their goal is “a just and equitable society in which all the people of Southern Kordofan / the Nuba Mountains can live a dignified life”. Secondly, Compassion and Sustainable Development Africa (CSDA) focuses on educational development in Blue Nile state, along the border between Sudan and South Sudan. To improve the quality of education, CSDA trained 47 teachers, one from each primary school in the state. While CSDA also delivers life-saving emergency assistance to those worst-affected by conflict, their aim is to turn short-term humanitarian relief into sustainable projects that can be embedded into the local community.

Although our partners are developing innovative solutions to cope with the aftermath of war, their working conditions are hostile. Despite all that is at stake, their pleas have largely fallen on deaf ears in the international community.