By Oritro Karim
UNITED NATIONS, Aug 28 2024 – The ongoing humanitarian crisis taking place in Sudan, which is a result of the civil war that began last year, continues to escalate as hunger and displacement plague the population, according to spokesperson for the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Stéphane Dujarric, during a press briefing on August 21, 2024.

The civil war broke out in April 2023 when the Sudan Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces began a fierce armed conflict in the capital city of Khartoum. According to reports by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), over 18,800 civilians have been killed and over 33,000 have been injured in the crossfire.

Additionally, Edem Wosornu, Director of Operations and Advocacy at OCHA, stated in a press briefing on August 6, 2024 that the extended siege and conflict between the two parties has resulted in many women and girls being raped.

Food insecurity is currently the most pressing issue facing Sudan. Stephen Omollo, Assistant Executive Director for Workplace and Management of the World Food Programme (WFP), highlighted that “there is famine in Zamzam camp near El Fasher in North Darfur and that other areas in Darfur and elsewhere are at high risk, with more than half of the country’s population facing crisis levels of hunger.”

The WFP and the International Organization for Migration are currently in the process of providing food to areas most affected by famine, such as West Darfur, where 13,000 people are facing the risk of starvation. Wosornu added that the 26 million people facing acute hunger in Sudan are three times the population of New York City.

A spokesperson for the United Kingdom’s UN Representative added that approximately 100 Sudanese people will die of starvation every day until the conflict is settled.

Additionally, as a result of heavy armed conflict in the capital city of Khartoum and the Darfur region, many communities have been pushed into displacement. The Sudan conflict is considered to be the world’s largest displacement crisis, with as many as 10.7 million people being displaced to other areas of Sudan and more fleeing to neighbouring nations, according to OCHA.

“Since the start of the current round of hostilities in Sudan, more than 780,000 men, women and children have crossed the border and headed to Renk town,”  Dujarric stated.

Furthermore, over 5 million children have been internally displaced and 19 million children lack access to education as a result of 90 percent of schools being shut down. This makes Sudan one of the worst education crises in the world.

For the effective use of humanitarian aid, it is imperative that the conflict stop as soon as possible. Constant sieges and battles prevent the humanitarian community in Sudan as well as the United Nations from providing life-saving assistance.

Aid trucks have been severely obstructed in Sudan. Sudanese authorities have impeded the use of the Adre crossing, which is the most effective route in delivering assistance. In addition, many humanitarian workers have been attacked, kidnapped, and harassed.

Wosornu states, “The conflict must stop to allow for the rapid delivery of humanitarian assistance across the country. The warring parties must uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law. Also needed are rapid, safe and unimpeded humanitarian access across Sudan through all possible routes and more resources, including flexible funding.” She adds that if these conditions were met, the current situation in Sudan would be far less dire.

Dujarric added that “peacekeepers established a temporary base in the area (of Renk, Sudan) and are helping to ensure the safe delivery of aid, providing protection to deter violence between diverse communities forced to live together in congested conditions and share dwindling resources.”

Currently, Sudanese authorities deny that there is a severe hunger crisis and that there is no obstruction of humanitarian aid. A delegate for Sudan stated that conditions in a Zamzam displacement camp do not meet the criteria for a declaration of famine. Additionally, they stated that there are no deaths from starvation. They reiterated that aid is not being impeded by the Sudanese government; rather, fault lies with the Rapid Support Forces.

The UN and the WFP are currently negotiating with Sudanese authorities on an increase in aid trucks as well as increased use of the Adre Passage, which makes key distribution points much more easily accessible. It is essential for aid to be supplied on a constant basis, as there are 12 areas that face significant levels of famine.

Additionally, the UN predicts that approximately 2.7 billion dollars will be needed for the Sudan Humanitarian Appeal. As of the publication date, this plan has only been 32 percent funded, with a total of 874 dollars being raised for this effort. It is crucial for donors to financially contribute as Sudan is currently on the brink of collapse, having the world’s biggest crises in displacement, hunger, education, and violence.

IPS UN Bureau Report

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By Oritro Karim
UNITED NATIONS, Aug 28 2024 – The ongoing humanitarian crisis taking place in Sudan, which is a result of the civil war which began last year, continues to escalate as hunger and displacement plague the population, according to spokesperson for the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Stéphane Dujarric, during an August 21st press briefing.

The civil war broke out in April 2023 when the Sudan Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces began a fierce armed conflict in the capital city of Khartoum. According to reports by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), over 18,800 civilians have been killed and over 33,000 have been injured in the crossfire.

Additionally, Edem Wosornu, Director of Operations and Advocacy at OCHA, stated in a press briefing on August 6th that extended siege and conflict between the two parties has resulted in many women and girls being raped.

Food insecurity is currently the most pressing issue facing Sudan. Stephen Omollo, Assistant Executive Director for Workplace and Management of the World Food Programme (WFP), highlighted that “there is famine in Zamzam camp near El Fasher in North Darfur and that other areas in Darfur and elsewhere are at high risk, with more than half of the country’s population facing crisis levels of hunger”.

The WFP and the International Organization for Migration is currently in the process of providing food to areas most affected by famine, such as West Darfur, where 13,000 people are facing the risk of starvation. Wosornu added that the 26 million people facing acute hunger in Sudan is three times the population of New York City.

A spokesperson for the United Kingdom’s UN Representative added that approximately 100 Sudanese people will die of starvation every day until the conflict is settled.

Additionally, as a result of heavy armed conflict in the capital city Khartoum and the Darfur region, many communities have been pushed into displacement. The Sudan conflict is considered to be the world’s largest displacement crisis, with as many as 10.7 million people being displaced to other areas of Sudan and more fleeing to neighbouring nations, according to OCHA.

“Since the start of the current round of hostilities in Sudan, more than 780,000 men, women and children have crossed the border and headed to Renk town”, Dujarric stated.

Furthermore, over 5 million children have been internally displaced and 19 million children lack access to education as a result of 90 percent of schools being shut down. This makes Sudan one of the worst education crises in the world.

For the effective use of humanitarian aid, it is imperative that the conflict stops as soon as possible. Constant sieges and battles prevent the humanitarian community in Sudan as well as the United Nations from providing life-saving assistance.

Aid trucks have been severely obstructed in Sudan. Sudanese authorities have impeded the use of the Adre crossing, which is the most effective route in delivering assistance. In addition, many humanitarian workers have been attacked, kidnapped, and harassed.

Wosornu states “the conflict must stop to allow for the rapid delivery of humanitarian assistance across the country. The warring parties must uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law. Also needed are rapid, safe and unimpeded humanitarian access across Sudan through all possible routes and more resources, including flexible funding”. She adds that if these conditions were met, the current situation in Sudan would be far less dire.

Dujarric added that “peacekeepers established a temporary base in the area (of Renk, Sudan) and are helping to ensure the safe delivery of aid, providing protection to deter violence between diverse communities forced to live together in congested conditions and share dwindling resources”.

Currently, Sudanese authorities deny that there is a severe hunger crisis and that there is no obstruction of humanitarian aid. A delegate for Sudan stated that conditions in a Zamzam displacement camp do not meet the criteria for a declaration of famine. Additionally, they stated that there are no deaths from starvation. They reiterated that aid is not being impeded by the Sudanese government, rather, fault lies with the Rapid Support Forces.

The UN and the WFP is currently negotiating with Sudanese authorities on an increase of aid trucks as well as increased use of the Adre Passage, which makes key distribution points much more easily accessible. It is essential for aid to be supplied on a constant basis as there are 12 areas that face significant levels of famine.

Additionally, the UN predicts that approximately 2.7 billion dollars will be needed for the Sudan Humanitarian Appeal. As of the publication date, this plan has only been 32 percent funded, with a total of 874 dollars being raised for this effort. It is crucial for donors to financially contribute as Sudan is currently on the brink of collapse, having the world’s biggest crises in displacement, hunger, education, and violence.

IPS UN Bureau Report

Follow @IPSNewsUNBureau
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By Aishwarya Bajpai
NEW DELHI, Aug 28 2024 – Climate change forces millions of India’s fishworkers to venture beyond the country’s exclusive economic zone into the perilous high seas.

In their search for a better catch, approximately 4 million of India’s 28 million fishworkers often face increased risks of capture by neighboring countries.

“Earlier, fish used to come close to the shore, but now we have to go farther out to find them. Our fishing season lasts about a month, and it takes several days just to reach our fishing spot. This time keeps increasing with each season, and lately, the number of days we spend at sea has doubled,” Jivan R. Jungi, a fishworker leader from Gujarat, India, told IPS.

It has not only made the lives of fishworkers challenging, but it also affects their families, accounting for about 16 million people, according to official data.

India, a South Asian country with a 7,500-kilometer coastline, relies on aquatic products such as fish and shrimp for its national income.

People involved in the fish and related industries. Source: Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying Graphic: Aishwarya Bajpai/IPS

According to a recent report by the Indian Express, India exported about 17,81,602 metric tons (MT) of seafood, generating a substantial revenue of ₹60,523.89 crore (USD 7.38 billion) in FY 2023–24.

“The government does not take care of us at all, despite the high profit margins in the fishing industry. They fail to provide even the basic benefits that the government can do, like fire safety,” Jungi told IPS. “Our boats are made of wood and run on diesel, which increases the risk of fire. We’ve been requesting safety measures or compensation for years, but nothing has been done, even as we face the growing challenges of climate change.”

Their plight is exacerbated by the Indian government’s policies, including a recent provision in the National Fisheries Policy 2020, which promotes “deep-sea fishing and fishing in areas beyond the national jurisdiction to tap under-exploited resources.” This policy aims to generate more revenue for the nation but does so at the expense of the fishworkers.

Temperature Rises Compare With Hiroshima Bomb

A report by Down to Earth, quoting a study by Science Direct, indicates that the Indian Ocean could experience a temperature rise of 1.7–3.8 degrees Celsius between 2020 and 2100.

To illustrate the severity, Roxy Mathew Koll, a climate scientist at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, is quoted as saying: “The projected increase in heat content is comparable to adding the energy of one Hiroshima atomic bomb explosion every second, continuously, for an entire decade.”

Fishworkers along the entire Indian coastline face mounting challenges, leading to conflicts with neighboring countries such as Pakistan, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and Saudi Arabia.

According to India’s Ministry of External Affairs, between 2020 and 2022, more than 2,600 Indian fishworkers were imprisoned in ten countries across the Indian Ocean for maritime border incursions. The highest number of arrests occurred in Pakistan (1,060), followed by Saudi Arabia (564) and Sri Lanka (501).

People involved in the fish and related industries. Source: Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying Graphic: Aishwarya Bajpai/IPS

At Sea, In Danger

The issue of maritime boundaries and fishing rights goes deeper, often causing conflicts among fishworkers from different countries. When fishworkers cross into another country’s waters and catch fish, the local fishworkers claim ownership of the catch, leading to disputes.

This tension among fishworkers can have severe consequences. Moreover, after the arrest, instead of being treated as civilian prisoners, they sometimes face dire conditions, including the risk of death in foreign prisons.

As reported by the Ministry of External Affairs, nine Indian fishermen died in Pakistani jails over the past five years. In 2022, an Indian fisherman named Maria Jesind reportedly had been killed in an Indonesian prison.

This situation is too familiar to fishworkers, particularly those from India and Pakistan, who have long been caught in the political crossfire between their governments.

Historically, the lack of a clear demarcation line has forced fishworkers deeper into the sea without adequate security. As a result, both countries have been arresting fishworkers from each other’s territories for years now.

Last year, 499 fishworkers were released by Pakistan on July 3, 2023, after numerous attempts at their release by civil society organizations. These fishworkers, charged with violating the Passport Act for trespassing on water borders, are imprisoned after court trials, usually receiving sentences of a few months. The official sentence is typically six months, but the release of these fishworkers is rarely prompt, with many spending more than five years.

“But several have died. Balo Jetah Lal died in a Pakistani prison in May 2023; Bichan Kumar alias Vipan Kumar (died April 4, 2023); Soma Deva (died May 8, 2023); and Zulfiqar from Kerala (died May 6, 2023) in Karachi prison,” Jungi says, adding, “Vinod Laxman Kol died on March 17 in Karachi and his mortal remains were brought to his village in Maharashtra on May 1, 2024.”

While the arrests and deaths affect the families of the fishworkers, they also have a broader impact on the community, challenging their way of life and livelihood.

Fishworkers now demand that they not be arrested or shot at, but rather pushed back if they cross maritime boundaries.

After their release, the fishworkers struggle to make ends meet because the arresting government rarely returns their boats, resulting in a lifelong debt of around Rs. 50–60 lakhs (USD 5–6 million) per boat. As a result, the workers now demand that their boats be returned and that the government ensure that the families of arrested fishworkers receive support through policies and schemes, including educational opportunities for their children, to prevent them from falling into extreme poverty.

IPS UN Bureau Report

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