Suffering in Sudan

A Sudan refugee crossing into Ethiopia as he rides his belongings on a donkey in Metema. More than 15,000 people have fled Sudan via Metema since fighting broke out in Khartoum in mid-April, according to the UN's International Organization for Migration. — AFP

THE conflict that erupted between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Response Forces has entered its fourth week. The bitter battle between the two sides has led to over 48 million people being trapped, with few escape routes. Food, water and medicine supplies are dwindling, and people are in an increasingly desperate state as the worsening humanitarian crisis shows no signs of letting up.

The situation in Sudan reveals the international community’s increasing inability to respond to humanitarian crises. UN Secretary General António Guterres travelled in the region last week, with the hope of refocusing the world’s attention on the hapless civilians trapped in conflicts.