Darfur’s Haunting Devastation: A Grim Tale of Suffering and Neglect.
The outskirts of el-Geneina, the capital of West Darfur, now stand as ghostly reminders of the region’s harrowing past.
Once vibrant neighborhoods, these areas have been reduced to charred ruins, their buildings scarred by bullet holes and their doors and shutters wrecked, testifying to the violence that has gripped the region.
Tom Fletcher, made a rare visit to this troubled territory, he found a landscape dotted with rusting Sudanese army tanks and the lingering scent of the fires that had ravaged the area just a year ago.
The few journalists who have managed to access el-Geneina have heard firsthand accounts of the atrocities that have occurred. Survivors, now taking refuge in a sprawling camp across the border in Chad, spoke of unspeakable violence, including the killing of young children and the separation of families.
One 14-year-old girl recounted how her family had been forced to hide in the darkness, moving only at night to evade the deadly attacks.
Fletcher, the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, described Darfur as facing a “crisis of protection,” including an epidemic of sexual violence and the looming specter of famine.
The region has been the site of one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, with the UN estimating that up to 15,000 people were killed in the recent violence.
Gaining access to el-Geneina and other affected areas has been a significant challenge for the international community. The UN’s ability to operate in the region has been hampered by the revocation of approval for its international staff to be based there.
Local and international NGOs, working without reliable infrastructure, have struggled to meet the overwhelming needs of the population, with one aid worker warning that the world may be indifferent to the crisis in Darfur amid other global conflicts.
The conflict in Darfur has been further complicated by the involvement of various regional powers, with the United Arab Emirates accused of backing the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and countries like Egypt, Iran, and Russia supporting the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF).
Despite the daunting challenges, Fletcher’s visit and the growing attention on the Darfur crisis offer a glimmer of hope.
The UN relief chief vowed to push for more access and aid, as well as to address the “indifference” that has often plagued the international response to this long-running conflict.
