According to the Turkey-based İNSAMER, a research center within the İHH Humanitarian Relief Foundation, the ongoing 18-month civil war in Sudan continues to devastate civilian lives, leaving deep and unhealed wounds. Recent violence in Sudan’s Al Jazeera state has seen the deaths of thousands of civilians, including children, with numerous women tragically ending their own lives after escaping assaults carried out by armed members of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). In a region like Sudan, where Islam holds a strong influence, reports of sexual violence and suicides are generally rare. The recent wave of women driven to mass suicide starkly highlights the level of terror and despair currently engulfing the country.
The latest humanitarian report from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) highlights that over 135,400 Sudanese, approximately 27,000 families, have fled to Kassala and Gedaref cities since October 20, seeking safety amidst the relentless violence. As Sudan descends into chaos, mass displacements are reshaping the country’s demographic and social landscape, raising fears of intentional demographic engineering in regions cleared by the RSF to settle loyal populations in vacated areas.
The UN’s Fact-Finding Mission on Sudan has released its first report, documenting human rights abuses committed against civilians by all sides, particularly the RSF, in locations like Khartoum, Darfur, and Al Jazeera. The report indicates a pattern of sexual violence and detentions against women in RSF-controlled areas, describing these acts as intended to instill fear and punishment among the population.
The latest wave of RSF attacks is reportedly linked to RSF commander Abu Aqla Kikil’s defection to the national army, prompting the RSF to target eastern Al Jazeera in retaliation. Meanwhile, the Sudanese army has recently regained control over strategic locations in Khartoum and nearby towns, while some prominent figures within the RSF are shifting allegiance to the national army, providing a morale boost to government forces.
In Al Jazeera’s eastern region, RSF militias have intensified attacks on civilians, burning down or forcibly emptying nearly 50 villages, with reports indicating that hundreds more have been affected. This campaign is viewed as a deliberate effort to alter Sudan’s ethnic and demographic composition.
The humanitarian situation across Sudan continues to worsen. Darfur remains one of the hardest-hit areas, with thousands of civilians, particularly from the Zaghawa ethnic group, fleeing to Chad as their villages are destroyed. Al-Fashir, a city under siege in Darfur, has become a symbol of resilience, resisting months of RSF attacks.
Meanwhile, regional actors, notably the United Arab Emirates (UAE), are backing the RSF due to their strategic interests, despite Sudan’s objections. Sudanese officials recently canceled a $6 billion agreement with the UAE involving Port Abu Amama, expressing a determination not to cede Red Sea territory to foreign powers. RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo allegedly sought further deals, including a $30 billion agreement involving military bases in the Red Sea.
According to İNSAMER, Sudan’s eastern region has recently witnessed an increase in military activity, with ethnic militias siding with the army and camps housing Eritrean refugees further complicating the region’s balance.
The ongoing conflict has displaced over 11.3 million Sudanese, with 2.3 million seeking refuge in neighboring countries, primarily Chad and Egypt, while around 8.1 million remain displaced within Sudan. The humanitarian toll includes widespread food shortages, fuel scarcities, flooding, and a cholera outbreak, as the country’s education and healthcare systems collapse. Despite international calls for peace and mediation efforts, Sudan’s crisis remains unresolved, signaling one of the most severe humanitarian crises of our time.
