Sudan’s 21-month-long civil war must not be forgotten due to a “hierarchy of conflicts” as millions suffer, David Lammy has warned.
The British foreign secretary has renewed calls for a global effort to end the conflict as he warned it will be “one of the biggest humanitarian catastrophes of our lifetime”.
Already, nearly 4 million people have fled the North African country since the start of the war in April 2023.
Hopes of ending the fighting, which has claimed more than 15,000 lives, were dashed in November when Russia vetoed a draft UK-led UN Security Council ceasefire resolution.
Yet despite the growing humanitarian crisis, the civil war has failed to attract the same global attention of other conflicts, such as in Gaza and Ukraine.
Writing in The Independent, Mr Lammy, who this week visited a refugee camp in neighbouring Chad, said: “I bore witness to what will go down in history as one of the biggest humanitarian catastrophes of our lifetimes.
“The truth no one wants to admit is that if this was happening on any other continent – in Europe, in the Middle East, or in Asia – there would be far more attention from the media – far more outrage.
“There should be no hierarchy of conflicts, but sadly much of the world acts as if there is one.”
The war started when fighting broke out between the Sudanese Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces in Sudan’s capital of Khartoum just two years after a coup in 2021.
The warring factions, led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, respectively, are now locked in a battle for control of the state and resources.
Millions of refugees have fled to neighbouring countries like Chad, Ethiopia and South Sudan. More than 24million people – half of Sudan’s population, are facing “acute food insecurity”, according to latest UN figures.
Mr Lammy criticised Russia, but praised the work of neighbouring countries like Egypt, Chad and South Sudan in helping manage the crisis.
He said there must now be an international commitment to ending the conflict and to opening all cross-border routes for aid and humanitarian workers.
“Despite support from every other member of the Council, including China, Russia cynically used their veto to shoot [a resolution down to end this catastrophe,” he said.
