ICRC calls on Sudan conflicting parties to protect civilians, facilitate aid delivery

In a report released on Thursday, the ICRC said the protection of civilians and unhindered humanitarian access are legal obligations and the only way to avert the worsening of the humanitarian situation, noting that the Jeddah Declaration signed by conflicting parties in 2023 demanded they respect international humanitarian law.

The ICRC warned that a glaring lack of respect for the principles of international humanitarian law has contributed to the crisis, and a drastic reduction in humanitarian funding risks exacerbating it even further, Xinhua news agency reported.

It noted that an estimated 70-80 per cent of health facilities in conflict-affected areas are no longer functioning, leaving two out of three civilians without access to medical care.

It means mothers giving birth without skilled assistance, children missing vital vaccinations, and people with life-threatening conditions left without treatment, it said.

The committee further warned that the remaining 20 per cent of hospitals and clinics face severe shortages of medicines, equipment, and trained personnel.

"The international community cannot turn away from Sudan. Millions of lives and the stability of an entire region are at stake," said Daniel O'Malley, head of the ICRC delegation in Sudan, calling to step up "concerted diplomatic and humanitarian efforts."

The report outlined what it described as "concerning trends" since the war broke out, such as obstruction of emergency healthcare and patterns of attacks on hospitals and other essential civilian infrastructure involving looting, vandalism, physical violence against medical staff and patients, and the denial of healthcare services to civilians.

According to the report, as of December 2024, the ICRC had received close to 7,700 requests to help locate a missing person, pointing out that the figure represents a small fraction of missing people but is already 66 per cent higher than its caseload at the end of 2023.

Sudan has been embroiled in a devastating conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Forces since mid-April 2023, which has claimed at least 29,683 lives, according to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data, a crisis monitoring group cited by the United Nations.

The conflict has displaced over 15 million people, both inside and outside Sudan, according to estimates from the International Organization for Migration.