Weaponised Suffering: How The People Of Sudan Are Fighting A Neglected Humanitarian Crisis

By Menara Rathnayake

Source: Canva

Sudan is in its third year of civil war, after tensions reignited amongst the two rival factions within the Sudanese military government in April 2023. Conflict arose when one faction, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), deployed its army nationwide, which the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) perceived as a threat.

Since Sudan’s independence in 1956, the country has been governed by a military regime. Leader Omar al-Bashir, fearing the army would revolt against him, funded an empowered group of Arab Janjaweed militia, which had a notorious history of ethnic cleansing and gender-based sexual violence. However, Bashir’s own fears became a reality in 2019, when the SAF opposed his governance. Although the SAF looked to seize power to avoid civil war, conflict broke out two years later, in 2021. The RSF has since been expanding both its territorial and civilian control, continuing to commit brutalities, including attacks, kidnappings, and rapes against non-Arab ethnic groups, such as the Zaghawa and Masalit people.

Ethnic cleansing and war crimes committed by warring factions

Violence has been escalating since 2021, with innocent civilians being stripped of their basic human rights while their communities face systemic destruction. The former US envoy to Sudan, Volker Perthes, has accused and condemned the numerous counts of sexual violence, killings, looting, and aerial bombings committed by the RSF, stating that more than 150,000 lives have been lost amidst the conflict. As soldiers raid villages, burn homes, and force people to flee, they seek to implement a terror strategy that fractures the communal integrity of ethnic groups.

It has further been marked as one of the worst displacement crises in the world, with over 14 million people displaced since April of 2025, whilst three million have fled to neighbouring countries for security. Furthermore, international aid agencies have had humanitarian relief impeded by roadblocks and security threats when seeking to deliver necessities to the 25 million Sudanese civilians in dire need of aid. These civilians are experiencing, according to the UN, the world's worst humanitarian crisis at present. The RSF seeks to overwhelm UN missions and resources with constant crisis management responses, diminishing their ability to deal with the growing complexity of regional challenges, including the rapid expansion of refugee camps.

Gender-based sexual violence and rape

Several mass atrocities have proliferated from this region, with many NGOs documenting acts of ethnic cleansing and war crimes. One that has had extremely detrimental impacts on communities is the use of gender-based sexual violence. UNICEF officials have documented the weaponisation of gender-based sexual violence on a mass scale, perpetuated primarily by the RSF. The UN has reported on the rape and abuse of young children and women; however, a third of victims are also male. In March this year, at least 221 children as young as one year old were raped by armed men. UNICEF’s Executive Director has reported on how it was used as a ”tactic of war,” violating international law as well as laws that protect children.

Such atrocities are not just incidental tools of terror and humiliation, but rather strategic methods to secure political legitimacy and exert dominance over ethnic groups and their territory. Rape is also used as a form of ethnic cleansing, where fighters taunt non-Arab women during violent attacks with racist slurs, forcing women and girls to conceive “Arab babies.” The social stigma and marginalisation towards such topics within the conservative Sudanese society have taken an even further toll on victims. With services and access to healthcare also being restricted, many attempt to take their own lives due to long-term psychological wounds and physical pains.

International Response and Implications

Despite major international humanitarian organisations issuing global warnings, responses from world governments have been insufficient. Amnesty International has emphasised that the international community’s response to the conflict has been “shameful” and “reprehensible,” given the significant lack of support, insufficient humanitarian aid, lack of accountability for perpetrators, and coverage of the deterioration of human rights within the country.

Additionally, recent cuts to USAID programs have constrained the opportunity for survivors of sexual violence to access comprehensive health care and support, proving international efforts to be lacking. Victims have received less than two per cent of the UN’s total funding from the Sudan Humanitarian Fund, and as warring parties continue to obstruct access to these resources, the situation for the people of Sudan remains dire.

Whilst millions continue to live under life-threatening risks, the world has left the humanitarian state in Sudan neglected and disregarded, when immediate support and action are crucial for the needs of the suffering civilians.

Conclusion

The protracted crisis in Sudan ultimately showcases the neglect and failure of the international community in responding to grave accounts of systemic violence. As global attention falters, the ongoing mass atrocities in Sudan stand as a stark indictment of the global system’s failure to uphold the human rights principles it claims to defend.

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Menara is currently undertaking a Bachelor of Law (Honours) and Global Studies at Monash University, specialising in International Relations. She has a strong interest and passion in diplomacy, international law, and the evolving role of international institutions in shaping a more just and interconnected world. As a contributing writer Menara brings a thoughtful perspective to global conflicts and affairs, as well as how law and foreign policy intersect to address global challenges.