The news from Sudan is nothing short of horror. Today, we must confront the tragic tale of more than 50 Sudanese people, in their desperate attempt to cross the Northern border, have died from merciless heatwaves. So severe was the damage done to the bodies that reports confirmed some bodies had skin peeled off due to severe dehydration. Survivors have reported to news outlets that “dozens in the desert have no water” and that “entire families died due to high temperatures and the deceased were left behind.”
This grim reality underscores the brutal intersection of war, famine, and now deadly heat waves; none of which, of course, are the brainchild of the innocent civilians now left to roast in the Saharan sun. Sudan has tragically morphed into a sort of twisted playground for regional powers. These powers exploit Sudan’s chaos, digging for gold to fund their energy transitions and staking claims on arable land, all while millions of Sudanese people are left to wilt and wither.
More than 10 million people have been displaced within Sudan due to ongoing conflict, the largest displacement on earth, and over 15,000 are dead. Those displaced face violence and hunger, and now they are increasingly vulnerable to extreme weather. The International Organization for Migration warns that 70 percent of those displaced are trying to survive in regions at risk of famine. With 18 million people acutely hungry and 3.6 million children malnourished, the addition of deadly heat waves exacerbates an already critical situation.
Why the silence, you ask? Where is the outrage? Where is the action? The international community’s response—or lack thereof—is reminiscent of a poorly directed play, all exaggerated gestures and melodramatic posturing. The plight of the Sudanese people should be a rallying cry for humanity, a demand for action in these spaces and beyond. Yet their cries seem to be met with little more than a collective shrug and a muttered “not my problem”. As global temperatures rise, those most vulnerable bear the brunt. We cannot sit idly by while the impacts of human actions claim the lives of millions of people. These vulnerable individuals are trapped in a twisted game of survival, governed by rules that seem designed to ensure their ultimate demise.
#KeepEyesOnSudan