Sudan: A Need for Compassion
By Nancy Nuñez and Emiliano Rodriguez Nuesch
Sudan has been a focus of several works on the Arithmetic of Compassion (AOC), where we’ve explored the ongoing humanitarian catastrophe in the country. In these previous articles, we addressed stories from refugees and survivors, reminding us that although these crises may feel distant, individual narratives have the power to help us overcome psychic numbing.
The work of journalists like Eric Reeves and Nicholas Kristof has been powerful in shedding light on the magnitude of the crisis and the human tragedies beneath the surface of the statistics. Reeves and Kristof have documented Sudan’s conflict for many years with detailed and emotionally wrenching reports that have helped bring these atrocities to global attention.
Newly arrived Sudanese refugees at the Sudan-Chad border in Adre, Chad. Credits: UNHCR
#Zamzam IDP camp is at risk of a genocidal assault should El Fasher fall to the Rapid Support Forces (#RSF). The warning from #UN Human Rights Chief Volker #Türk could not be clearer. And yet the #UAE continues to sustain the RSF’s siege. This MUST end.https://t.co/uQ6Vr9woap pic.twitter.com/1Kh3lXigS8
— Eric Reeves (@sudanreeves) October 1, 2024
In @nytopinion
— The New York Times (@nytimes) September 29, 2024
The civil war in Sudan is revealing the human capacity for evil, our columnist @nickkristof writes, "but it's also a reminder of an equally powerful human capacity for strength, resilience and courage." https://t.co/2QD2Bb0pJs
Beyond just exposing this reality, these and other journalists also support organizations working on the ground in Sudan making a difference every day on the present crisis facing the people of the region, particularly the North Darfur capital of El Fasher and Zamzam camp for displaced persons.
The scale of the crisis
The crisis in Sudan has reached alarming proportions, with nearly 10.5 million people displaced, according to UNHCR data from September 2024. Hunger affects over 25.6 million people, and the Zamzam camp has become the first to register a confirmed famine since 2017.
Urgent needs include water, food, shelter, health care, cash assistance, education, protection and essential relief items. Meanwhile, serious human rights violations, including indiscriminate attacks and sexual and gender-based violence are ongoing.
Compassion in Action
As we confront the urgent humanitarian crisis in Sudan, it is vital that we turn our compassion into action. Organizations like Operation Broken Silence continue to provide updated information to those seeking to understand the emergency in Sudan. To date, their Sudan Crisis Guide has educated over 3,800 people.
They regularly update their platform with relevant information and lead the fundraising campaign 'Miles For Sudan' to help their Sudanese partners continue their life saving work. In healthcare, they serve upwards of 150,000 patients annually, and through their partnerships, over 11,000 children have been positively impacted in terms of education.
On the ground, organizations like Team Zamzam make a difference daily. This team of 20 female counselors not only supports victims of sexual violence in the Zamzam displaced persons camp but also distributes food and rehabilitates broken water wells. They are living examples of resilience and compassion.
So far, Team Zamzam counselors have supported over 4,000 women, providing counseling that helps alleviate the depression, isolation, and shame associated with such assaults. In addition to their mental health support, they also distribute food, sanitizing soap, and medicine to the disabled and blind, the very elderly, unaccompanied children, widows who have taken in children, and those with severe acute malnutrition.
How to make a difference
Differences can be made by sharing the stories of those impacted, supporting organizations like Team Zamzam and Operation Broken Silence, and advocating for humanitarian aid. Every voice matters, and every action counts.