There’s so much going on in the world these days that the civil war taking place in Sudan — a country strategically important for its location and resources — rarely captures much attention in the American public’s awareness. Yet the truth of the matter is that this conflict has now produced what many observers say is the worst humanitarian crisis on record, and while the U.S. is facing tough budget choices, American compassion and leadership will be needed if peace and relief are ever going to come to this troubled land.
The war in Sudan has been truly brutal. It has sent millions of innocent civilians fleeing for their lives, amounting to the world’s largest forced displacement crisis. Al-Fashir, once the bustling capital of Sudan’s North Darfur state, has become the flashpoint for a vicious struggle between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces. Entire communities have been uprooted, and those who haven’t yet fled face daily shelling, food shortages, and blockades cutting off lifesaving aid. It’s also threatening to destabilize already fragile communities in neighboring countries.
It’s hard to overstate the humanitarian impacts of the war. Entire cities have been stripped of basic services, hospitals lay in ruins, power grids fail without warning, families are forced to survive without clean water or functioning sanitation, and local burial grounds can no longer keep pace with the dead. According to UNHCR, the UN refugee agency, more than 12 million people have been forced from their homes, and independent sources put the death toll as high as 150,000.
The World Food Program warns Sudan could soon face the largest hunger crisis in modern memory, with twenty-five million people at risk of acute starvation. In North Darfur alone, over 40,000 children have already been treated for severe acute malnutrition in the first five months of the year – double the number from the same period last year. Hunger is often stalked by disease, and it certainly holds true in Sudan. Over 600,000 children under five face life-threatening cholera outbreaks. Chad, which hosts a third of new refugee arrivals, is at serious risk of disease transmission as more people continue to arrive from Darfur. Dengue and malaria are also spreading largely unchecked.
U.S. humanitarian engagement has long been one of the world’s most effective forces for advancing both compassion and security. It reminds people around the world that America can be a powerful force for good. In the case of Sudan, our humanitarian support also serves our strategic interests, creating the conditions for diplomacy to work, blunting the appeal of armed groups, and preventing regional actors from exploiting the crisis to expand their own influence. Sudan’s conflict threatens to destabilize an arc of strategically vital territory, from the Sahel to the Red Sea shipping lanes. The region is already a magnet for extremist groups, arms trafficking, and state-backed militias, and without a strong international presence these threats will expand in scope, with direct consequences for U.S. security and global trade.
President Trump has often made clear how much he wants his administration to be a force for peace and stability. He also wants to grow commerce and investment as a way of cementing that peace. In the case of Sudan, while achieving peace will no doubt be a long and winding road, continued U.S. humanitarian support, through groups like UNHCR, can help provide the space for his efforts. The UN is on the ground and, thanks to Washington’s support to date, has provided more than 650,000 metric tons of wheat and flour for 7 million Sudanese displaced inside the country and is backing UNHCR efforts aiding 4 million Sudanese refugees in Chad and South Sudan.
In terms of America’s image and “brand,” many countries have noticed how our approach in Sudan stands in sharp contrast to Moscow and Beijing. When authoritarian powers provide aid and investment in places like Sudan, it’s almost always done to entrench their influence. Russian proxies have already exploited Sudan’s instability to secure access to gold mines and potential naval facilities. While China is certainly deepening its economic footprint there with quick cash and infrastructure deals, it’s increasingly apparent that those deals are coming with substantial long-term costs and consequences.
In short, though it may not be in our daily news feeds, Sudan is in the midst of a humanitarian crisis of historic proportions. At the same time, President Trump’s desire to bring peace and stability to war-torn areas of the world could bring new hope to this long-suffering country. Renewed humanitarian assistance can not only relieve suffering, but it just might create the space needed to undertake the tough work of peacebuilding.
Mark Green is a former Administrator of the U.S Agency for International Development.
