News & Updates
Check out the latest from Sudan and our movement.
U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on conflict and humanitarian emergency in Sudan - May 2024
U.S. Special Envoy Tom Perriello provides updates on the current situation and recent U.S. efforts before taking questions.
Last week, the United States Senate Foreign Relations Committee held an emotional hearing on the conflict and humanitarian emergency in Sudan. U.S. Special Envoy Tom Perriello provided updates on the current situation and recent U.S. efforts before taking questions.
Special Envoy Perriello captured the urgency of the moment well at the end of his opening comments, saying:
“As we speak, Sudan faces two distinct but accelerating trajectories – one towards famine and possibly a failed state, and the second towards peace and a democratic future. The only two barriers to ending this war are, first, the political will of two Generals and those fueling this horrific war, and second the absence of enough political will by those of us who could compel a peace. Our North Star is the aspirations of the Sudanese people. Our path is building and aligning enough will in the region to silence the guns and restore the Constitutional transition. That path can be paved, but time is very much not on our side.”
You can watch the entire hearing above. We understand it is long and encourage you to at least watch the exchange between Special Envoy Perriello and Senator Cory Booker beginning at 1:10:30. Both were recently in Sudanese refugee communities in eastern Chad. We’ve pulled forward a few noteworthy points below as well.
Summary
Special Envoy Perriello was clear that U.S. policy is to end the war and restore the constitutional transition that began years ago, without a power-sharing agreement between “bad actors.”
The Biden Administration has elevated Sudan across “the interagency.” This simply means that multiple departments (State, Treasury, USAID, etc.) are working together to bring forward a more robust and coherent response to the crisis.
Securing tangible United Nations action for Sudan is now one of the U.S. government’s top three priorities at the global body.
The forum for ceasefire talks in Jeddah has been restructured to be inclusive of key African and Arab regional leaders and to focus on aligning external political will. Multiple attempts by various countries to broker a ceasefire in different venues over the past 12 months have been played against each other by Sudan’s generals, so this is an especially welcome development.
Trying to determine why there has been such a stunning lack of international attention to the emergency in Sudan —now the largest in the world— came up throughout the hearing. Special Envoy Perriello echoed several of the reasons we have previously outlined and described them as “a tragedy.”
The Biden Administration is prepared to expand sanctions on individuals and entities who are fueling the war.
There are currently no “ready to go” civilian protection measures for Sudan, such as an United Nations or African Union peacekeeping force. Special Envoy Perriello’s office is raising th possibility of more robust measures with international partners.
The U.S. government is employing “a couple of efforts to use methodologies” to determine a more credible death toll from the war and mass killing. Special Envoy Perriello mentions that he has seen estimates ranging from 10,000 up to as high as 150,000.
We’re a nonprofit organization with over a decade of experience working alongside Sudanese heroes. Together we are making the story of Sudan known, empowering survivors, and working to build a renewed Sudan from the ground up. And we need your help.
Our Sudanese partners on the ground are overwhelmed with needs as the war spreads and hunger deepens. Your generosity will help them serve the most vulnerable in this time of tremendous need.
$2,200: Fund an entire classroom at Endure Primary School for one semester.
$1,000: Pays monthly salaries of 5 midwives.
$500 - Delivers food and clothing to Darfuri genocide survivors who have fled into South Sudan.
$250 - Supports a teacher and their classroom for one month.
$150 - Pays a nurse assistant’s salary for an entire month.
$100 - Give pencils, notebooks and other supplies to 16 students in Yida Refugee Camp.
$50 - Gives a day’s worth of medicine to three clinics.
Checks can be made payable to Operation Broken Silence with Hospital written in the memo line and mailed to PO Box 770900 Memphis, TN 38177-0900.
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Operation Broken Silence is a registered 501(c)(3) organization. Your donations are tax-deductible within the guidelines of U.S. law.
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The United States Senate Foreign Relations Committee recently held a hearing on the conflict and humanitarian emergency in Sudan. https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/us-senate-foreign-relations-committee-hearing-on-sudan-may-2024
“As we speak, Sudan faces two distinct but accelerating trajectories – one towards famine and possibly a failed state, and the second towards peace and a democratic future.” https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/us-senate-foreign-relations-committee-hearing-on-sudan-may-2024
The U.S. government is employing “a couple of efforts to use methodologies” to determine a more credible death toll from the war and mass killing. Special Envoy Perriello says he has seen estimates ranging from 10,000 up to as high as 150,000 people. https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/us-senate-foreign-relations-committee-hearing-on-sudan-may-2024
Letter to U.S. Department of Justice concerning ICC-Sudan OLC guidance
Operation Broken Silence is joining 16 organizations in asking the U.S. Department of Justice to publicly release any unclassified written guidance regarding how the U.S. government can lawfully support the International Criminal Court's Darfur investigation. This request has been submitted under the Freedom of Information Act, 5 U.S.C. § 552.
Photo from Canva Pro.
Operation Broken Silence is joining 16 organizations in asking the U.S. Department of Justice to publicly release any unclassified written guidance that the Office of Legal Counsel has issued regarding the conditions under which the U.S. government can lawfully support the International Criminal Court (ICC) investigation of atrocities such as those recently committed in Sudan’s western Darfur region.
This request has been submitted under the Freedom of Information Act, 5 U.S.C. § 552.
What does this mean?
Since war consumed Sudan in April 2023, the armed actors in the conflict —specifically the army and Rapid Support Forces— have committed atrocities that the U.S. Secretary of State has determined meet the legal threshold of crimes against humanity, war crimes, and ethnic cleansing. Additionally, the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) has confirmed his office is investigating ethnic massacres and other crimes being committed in Darfur.
The ICC is the only permanent global court with jurisdiction to prosecute individuals for the crimes of genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression. It is the “court of last resort,” meaning it steps in when national courts fail to prosecute such crimes or need assistance in doing so.
American officials have reacted favorably to the ICC investigation in Darfur; however, the United States faces complex internal legal restrictions when it comes to assisting the court. This could hinder or prevent the U.S. government from handing over critical evidence the court may find useful for its investigation and any future prosecutions.
Wait, what’s happening in Sudan?
One of the worst armed conflicts and the largest humanitarian catastrophe in the world.
SEE OUR GUIDE ➡
A 2010 U.S. Department of Justice memorandum seems to suggest the U.S. government can support the Darfur investigation, provided that the support amounts to “assistance to international efforts to bring to justice…foreign nationals accused of genocide, war crimes, or crimes against humanity,” rather than “institutional support” to the ICC. Basically, the U.S. should approach the court on a case-by-case basis.
Analysis stemming from more recent U.S. legislation suggests that legal obstacles may stand in the way though. Former U.S. Ambassador for Global Criminal Justice Todd Buchwald has suggested that the U.S. government may not be able to assist the court “in the early stages of the [ICC] Prosecutor’s efforts in a country that would help identify which individuals should be ‘accused’.”
Why this matters
Early is the precise stage at which the court’s investigation of recent crimes in Darfur presumably stands. This is when assistance from the United States may be most helpful in speeding up and strengthening the ICC’s critical work. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s atrocity determination suggests the U.S. government has evidence and information that could greatly assist the court.
It is essential that United States be able to share evidence and provide additional assistance to the ICC’s investigation in Darfur without waiting for formal accusations to emerge against specific individuals, and without then limiting its assistance to the cases against those accused. If legal barriers do exist, then the public should know what they are and be able to propose and pursue solutions to overcome them. Our joint Freedom of Information Act request seeks to make public any relevant guidance or memos to that end.
The clock is ticking. Sudan is now home to the world’s largest and worst humanitarian emergency, with millions of Sudanese under immediate threat of war crimes and famine. The complete impunity enjoyed by army and Rapid Support Forces generals is the primary driver of ghastly crimes and spiraling humanitarian conditions.
While we await a response from the Justice Department, we ask that you join us in taking direct action below.
We’re a nonprofit organization with over a decade of experience working alongside Sudanese heroes. Together we are making the story of Sudan known, empowering survivors, and working to build a renewed Sudan from the ground up. And we need your help.
Our Sudanese partners are overwhelmed with needs as the war spreads and hunger deepens. Your generosity will help them serve the most vulnerable in this time of tremendous need.
$2,200: Fund an entire classroom at Endure Primary School for one semester.
$1,000: Pays monthly salaries of 5 midwives.
$500 - Delivers food and clothing to Darfuri genocide survivors who have fled into South Sudan.
$250 - Supports a teacher and their classroom for one month.
$150 - Pays a nurse assistant’s salary for an entire month.
$100 - Give pencils, notebooks and other supplies to 16 students in Yida Refugee Camp.
$50 - Gives a day’s worth of medicine to three clinics.
Join Miles For Sudan | Donate Stock | Give Crypto
Operation Broken Silence is a registered 501(c)(3) organization. Your donations are tax-deductible within the guidelines of U.S. law.
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17 orgs ask the Justice Department to release any unclassified written guidance regarding the conditions under which the U.S. government can lawfully support the International Criminal Court investigation of atrocities in Sudan’s western Darfur region. https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/letter-to-us-department-of-justice-concerning-icc-sudan-olc-guidance
American officials have reacted favorably to the ICC investigation in Darfur; however, the United States faces complex internal legal restrictions when it comes to assisting the court. https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/letter-to-us-department-of-justice-concerning-icc-sudan-olc-guidance
It is essential that United States be able to share evidence and provide assistance to the ICC’s investigation in Darfur without waiting for formal accusations to emerge against specific individuals. https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/letter-to-us-department-of-justice-concerning-icc-sudan-olc-guidance
Sudan Crisis 2024 - What You Need To Know
This guide is for those who want to learn more about the war in Sudan.
This guide is for those who want to learn more about the war in Sudan. It is part of our educational resources list and was last updated April 29, 2024.
Consider sharing this article with friends and family to help us raise awareness about this forgotten conflict. For more information about what's happening in Sudan and our work, please sign up for our email list.
Where is Sudan?
Sudan is in northeast Africa, just south of Egypt on the coast of the Red Sea.
The country sits on the geographic and cultural crossroads of Sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East. Sudan shares borders with seven other countries: Libya, Egypt, Chad, the Central African Republic, South Sudan, Ethiopia, and Eritrea.
What’s the crisis?
A civil war began in Sudan on April 2023. Extreme violence has turned the capital city of Khartoum into a lawless and bloodied shell of its former self. Several cities have been devastated by intense fighting and countless villages razed.
Over 70% of Sudan’s healthcare system has collapsed and preventable disease outbreaks are spreading. Many farmers cannot work and large-scale humanitarian access is being blocked by armed combatants. The economy has disintegrated and the prices of basic goods have skyrocketed. Most schools are closed, too.
Famine looms over entire swaths of the country and will likely end up claiming more lives than the war itself.
Who is responsible?
There are two primary armed groups in this civil war:
The Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) - the country’s official military that includes the army, air force, and navy.
The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) - a regional paramilitary outfit created by a previous military regime.
There are a variety of intelligence units, police forces, and local militias that have taken sides in the conflict. The RSF also hires mercenaries from across the Sahel. Some of Sudan’s rebel groups that formed in previous wars have taken sides, while others have remained neutral or are defending their own territory and people groups.
The RSF is using the fog of war to target ethnic minorities and ordinary citizens who speak out against the violence. It is widely recognized that war crimes are being committed on a large-scale by SAF and RSF, and there is strong evidence that a genocide is being committed by the RSF in the western Darfur region.
How many people are suffering?
Sudan is now home to the world’s largest and worst humanitarian disaster, far outpacing every other crisis on the planet.
Almost 18 million Sudanese —a third of the country— are facing life-threatening levels of food insecurity.
Over 10 million Sudanese have been forced to flee their homes or have left Sudan altogether.
730,000 Sudanese children are suffering from severe acute malnutrition.
Nearly 20 million children can no longer attend school.
Conservative projections are that 230,000 children, pregnant women, and new mothers will die from hunger by December if the situation does not improve soon.
Extreme violence has made it too dangerous to determine a death toll. There are credible reports that over the first three months of the war up to 15,000 of the ethnically African Masalit people were slaughtered in El Geneina, Darfur. That is just one city. More reports of mass killings leak out of Sudan every week. It is likely that the death toll is already into the mid-tens of thousands.
Why are SAF and RSF fighting?
SAF and RSF used to be allies, but that began to change after they overthrew the government in October 2021. Tensions between SAF and RSF have been building ever since.
The RSF has been the junior partner in the regime and wants to be the dominant player in Sudan. RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (aka Hemeti) has his eyes on becoming a dictator and his fighters already call him emir, or president. SAF is fighting to remain the elite player in Sudan. There are also significant ethnic dimensions at play that cannot be ignored:
RSF- Top RSF commanders and most of their fighters hail from the western Darfur region’s Arab tribes. A sizable portion of the RSF adheres to an extremely racist, Arab-supremacist ideology. The belief system states that Darfur’s historic African tribal groups must be cleansed from the region and that all other Sudanese Arabs are inferior. As such, the RSF has renewed its massacres of ethnically African communities in Darfur during the war, especially the Masalit tribe.
SAF - Generals are mostly Nile Valley Arabs, representing the most elite and privileged ethnic groups in the country. Unlike the RSF, SAF is a fairly diverse fighting force with soldiers from various parts of the country in its ranks. Racism does exist in SAF, which explains why members of the force have executed civilians on an ethnic basis as well.
SAF and RSF were preparing for war with each other in early 2023. Fighting erupted in Khartoum on April 15 of that year. Both sides failed to decapitate each others’ leadership, and fighting quickly spread across the country.
Which side is winning the war?
For most of the war the RSF has the most momentum. SAF generals largely fought a defensive war since April 2023 and have only recently ground the RSF onslaught to a halt. SAF recently launched major military offensive operations around Khartoum, but in most other frontline areas fighting is at a stalemate.
RSF currently controls most of western Sudan and the bulk of Khartoum. SAF controls most of the north and east of the country and is gaining limited ground in central Sudan, mostly on the outskirts of Khartoum. What remains of pre-war governing institutions have relocated to Port Sudan in the far-east.
One side winning this war outright is unlikely in the near term, for two reasons:
Both sides remain heavily-armed and are now deeply entrenched in most areas under their control. There is little evidence either can capture the entire country this year.
It can not be overstated how the vast majority of Sudan’s besieged citizenry detest the RSF and want SAF to behave like a responsible military. If the RSF were to win decisively, the paramilitary force would face a seething population that will never accept their rule. The Sudanese people won’t accept another SAF regime either. Generals on both sides are fighting an intense war with each other, but what either side stands to win is a country that wants neither of them in charge.
Are world leaders doing anything to end this?
World leaders have largely turned to off-the-shelf diplomatic solutions that are designed to deal with neither the complexities nor severity of this crisis. The U.S. and European Union are sanctioning some SAF and RSF generals, but they are not having any impact on the ground. Multiple rounds of peace talks led by various countries and organizations —including the United States, Saudi Arabia, IGAD, and the African Union— have failed to secure a lasting ceasefire or improve humanitarian aid access. Funding for humanitarian aid is also abysmally low, with the United Nations, large relief agencies, and smaller organizations like us having too few resources to meet the needs we are seeing.
The immediate diplomatic issue is that the international community is not holding SAF and RSF generals accountable which, in turn, is incentivizing them to continue the war. Some global actors are even making the crisis worse by arming one of the two sides. The United Arab Emirates and Russian Wagner group are smuggling weapons and vehicles to the RSF. SAF has received some support from Egypt and Ukraine and continues receiving weapons from Iran, China, and Russia.
A coalition of Sudanese civilian groups —led by former prime minister Abdalla Hamdok who was overthrown in the 2021 coup— has emerged to serve as a credible alternative to SAF and RSF. Ordinary Sudanese across the country are trying to help their neighbors survive every day. The international community could and should be doing much more than it is, including throwing its full weight behind Sudanese citizen initiatives to save Sudan from becoming a failed state.
What can I do to help?
Operation Broken Silence is building a global movement to empower the Sudanese people through innovative programs as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. For over a decade, we've allied people just like you with incredible Sudanese heroes on the ground. We are making the story of Sudan known, empowering survivors, and helping to build a renewed Sudan from the ground up.
Our Sudanese partners are struggling as the war spreads and program costs skyrocket. You generosity will help them continue saving and changing lives in the days ahead.
$2,200: Fund an entire classroom at Endure Primary School for one semester.
$1,000: Pays monthly salaries of 5 midwives.
$500 - Delivers food and clothing to Darfuri genocide survivors who have fled into South Sudan.
$250 - Supports a teacher and their classroom for one month.
$150 - Pays a nurse assistant’s salary for an entire month.
$100 - Give pencils, notebooks and other supplies to 16 students in Yida Refugee Camp.
$50 - Gives a day’s worth of medicine to three clinics.
Join Miles For Sudan | Donate Stock | Give Crypto
Checks can be make payable to Operation Broken Silence and mailed to PO Box 770900 Memphis, TN 38177-0900.
Operation Broken Silence is a registered 501(c)(3) organization. Your donations are tax-deductible within the guidelines of U.S. law.
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How is this not the biggest story in the world right now‽ https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/sudan-crisis-2024-what-you-need-to-know
It’s not in the news, but the world’s largest humanitarian disaster right now is unfolding in Sudan. Check out this informative guide: https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/sudan-crisis-2024-what-you-need-to-know
Nearly 25 million Sudanese are in need of some form of humanitarian assistance. Roughly 1 in every 8 internally-displaced people worldwide is now Sudanese. https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/sudan-crisis-2024-what-you-need-to-know
Operation Broken Silence is building a global movement to empower the Sudanese people through innovative programs. For over a decade, we've allied people just like you with incredible Sudanese heroes on the ground. Will you join us? https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/sudan-crisis-2024-what-you-need-to-know
Mother of Mercy Hospital Update - April 2024
Learn about one of the few hospitals still functioning in war-torn Sudan and support their life-saving work.
Mother of Mercy Hospital and their twelve community clinics are the backbone of the healthcare system in the Nuba Mountains of Sudan. The local staff perform operations, battle cancer and preventable diseases, and bring children into the world every day.
Our supporters began fundraising for the hospital and their string of community clinics in 2016. This is the only referral hospital in the region and is critical to the survival of the Nuba people, and their ability to thrive. The hospital and clinics are staffed by a growing team of indigenous doctors, nurses, and healthcare workers. A small group of internationals serve at the hospital to provide training and support. Together, they serve upwards of 150,000 patients a year.
Photo provided by Dr. Tom Catena.
Mursila’s Story
Several times a year, medical director Dr. Tom Catena shares a story of one of their patients who is leaving a lasting impact on the team:
Imagine having years of pain and inexplicable suffering. Imagine trying to find relief – answers – only to be given medicine that doesn’t work and to have doctors who can’t provide answers.
This is Mursila’s story. Ten years ago, she noticed a small swollen area in her neck. Neck pain and headaches followed. Mursila sought treatment at a health clinic, but the medical staff did not know what was wrong.
Time passed, and the swelling grew larger, forming a goiter, which is an abnormal enlargement of the thyroid gland. Mursila visited other clinics and was prescribed medication, but nothing helped. Her condition continued to worsen, causing unbearable pain. Now 30 years old, with four children to care for, Mursila was desperate to find an answer.
After she made her way to Gidel Hospital last November, our surgical team examined Mursila and determined that she would need a thyroidectomy, or removal of her thyroid. Her operation went smoothly, and Mursila has now made a full recovery. She is overjoyed to be without pain and has regained freedom of movement in her neck. Before returning home to her family, she expressed her gratitude:
“I want to especially thank Dr. Tom and his team for their amazing work. I pray that God may grant them good health and renewed strength to continue saving lives. To those who support Gidel Hospital, may God bless you for your kind generosity. Thank you!”
I want to echo Mursila’s thanks to you. I am grateful for your support, which equips us to save lives, bring healing, and build healthcare capacity in the Nuba Mountains and across Africa. We simply could not do this work without you. Your support enables us to treat patients who come to us in critical condition – victims of the war that continues to plague the Nuba Mountains, women with obstructed labor requiring an emergency C-Section, and many other patients with urgent needs.
How war is impacting life at the hospital
Since the war reached the Nuba Mountains in June 2023, the team has continued their work despite supplies becoming significantly more expensive and harder to come by. Purchasing basic resources from across the frontlines, as was done during the ceasefire years, has become very difficult due to sporadic fighting and worsening security just outside of Nuba borders. Over 70% of Sudan’s healthcare network has collapsed under the weight of fighting and direct attacks, making Mother of Mercy one of the last fully-functioning hospitals in the country.
The threat of famine spreading across Sudan is now being felt in the Nuba region. Local officials estimate that over 900,000 Sudanese have fled into the mountains since the war began, putting significant food strains on the fragile region.
Dr. Ingrid Kelters, who oversees the community clinic program, reports that the number of children admitted for severe malnutrition has surged by 50%. The annual hunger gap —when the previous year’s food from farming runs low— begins roughly in June and will run through at least August, meaning hunger is likely to increase in the short term.
Map: Location of Nuba Mountains. (Operation Broken Silence)
There are; however, signs of hope. On May 4, the national army and Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North —the indigenous armed resistance force controlling the area— brokered a tentative deal to open official humanitarian aid access to the Nuba Mountains. A formal agreement is expected any day. It is unclear if aid will be coming cross-border from South Sudan or from Sudan’s east coast through battered frontline areas, or both. Most aid supplies available for Sudan are currently trapped in Port Sudan.
Complicating matters is the fast-approaching rainy season, which begins any day now. Annual rains will hamper the ability to easily move humanitarian aid around as there are no paved roads in the Nuba Mountains and flood waters easily wash out dirt routes. The rainy season is also the time of planting and swarms of locusts are noticeable in farming areas. Humanitarian needs are going to fluctuate in the coming months. If you would like to learn more about how the war is impacting the Nuba region, please do so here.
A Few Recent Updates
While 2024 has been an impossible year for the Sudanese people, life and work at the hospital and clinics continues to offer a sense of stability for the Nuba people. The high quality and reliable care the hospital staff is able to provide remains unmatched in Sudan, especially now.
The hospital remains incredibly busy as more and more displaced people have flooded into the Nuba region over the past twelve months. As of last month, 61 babies had been delivered safely (16 by c-section) and 228 surgeries performed since the beginning of the year. 4,644 patients received outpatient care and nearly 700 more were admitted to the hospital.
48 physician assistants and midwives are continuing their education at the hospital’s St. Bakhita Health Sciences Training Institute, with new clinical officers now interning in the outpatient department. The students will sit for exams soon and then receive clinical placements at the hospital or one of the community clinics. The Nuba Mountains have long been short on trained healthcare workers and the Institute is critical to resolving this challenge over the long haul. The new school year will start in July.
The hospital continues to expand as well, with additional housing space being built right now to accommodate staff and visitors. Specialized doctors from outside the Nuba region visit the hospital semi-regularly to provide additional services and some limited training, so additional housing space will be incredibly helpful.
Despite the severe difficulties of life in Sudan at the moment, the work of the hospital has continued on more-or-less the same. Supply lines have certainly been disrupted and most everything is more expensive than it was a year ago; but, with your help, lives are still being saved and changed for the better.
Mother of Mercy Hospital and these clinics are critical to pushing back on mounting healthcare needs and spreading malnutrition brought on by the war in Sudan.
Right now, more than 1,500 babies, toddlers, and young children in the Nuba region alone are in danger of severe acute malnutrition. The team desperately needs more “miraculous” food packets —consisting of peanuts, milk powder, vegetable oil, sugar, and nutrients— and milk powder formula to help children recover. The packets come ready to use and need no refrigeration and the milk formula is vital to helping the most vulnerable.
Your generosity can make the difference. Giving options highlighted in bold are the best way to make the largest impact.
$8,700: Covers the cost of training a nurse over the course of 3 years.
$5,000: Provides for an average day of care at the hospital, including 216 outpatient visits, 7 surgeries, 11 admissions to the hospital , and 2 safe delivers
$2,800: Gives a full week’s worth of medicine at the hospital.
$1,000: Pays the monthly salaries for 5 community midwives.
$750: Provides for 10 children in the pediatric ward.
$500: Helps deliver food packets and special milk formula for children with severe acute malnutrition.
$250: Sponsors a life-saving C-section.
$100: Pays almost all of a nurse aid’s monthly salary.
$50: Gives a day’s worth of medicine to three clinics.
Join Miles For Sudan | Donate Stock | Give Crypto
Checks can be made payable to Operation Broken Silence with Hospital written in the memo line and mailed to PO Box 770900 Memphis, TN 38177-0900.
Operation Broken Silence is a registered 501(c)(3) organization. Your donations are tax-deductible within the guidelines of U.S. law.
Shareables
Short statements you can share online and with others. Simply copy and paste.
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While 2024 has been an impossible year, life and work at the hospital continues to offer a sense of stability in the Nuba region. The high quality and reliable care the hospital staff is able to provide remains unmatched in Sudan, especially now. https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/mother-of-mercy-hospital-update-may-2024
“I want to especially thank Dr. Tom and his team for their amazing work. I pray that God may grant them good health and renewed strength to continue saving lives. To those who support Gidel Hospital, may God bless you for your kind generosity. Thank you!” https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/mother-of-mercy-hospital-update-may-2024
Right now, more than 1,500 babies, toddlers, and young children in the Nuba region alone are in danger of severe acute malnutrition. Here’s how you can help. https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/mother-of-mercy-hospital-update-may-2024
“War at Home” documentary - one year of crisis in Sudan
Sudan has been trapped in a doom loop of silence since a brutal civil war began in April 2023. This documentary shines a light on the crisis.
“There’s a dark sense of déjà vu here,” says Yousra Elbagir, Africa correspondent for Sky News. “Images I remember seeing from the Darfur genocide in the early 2000s, unfolding again. And the silence is worse than the yells of shock we expect.”
Sudan has been trapped in a doom loop of silence since a brutal civil war began one year ago. Western media especially has looked away following embassy evacuations from Khartoum in the early weeks of the conflict. Most eyes today are locked on Gaza/Israel and Ukraine. Few people have noticed that the catastrophe unfolding in Sudan now eclipses both of these conflicts, combined.
A minimal amount of important and moving reporting can break through the silence from time to time. This recent documentary by Yousra Elbagir with Sky News reflects on the conflict, which has hit close to home for her.
How To Help
We’re a nonprofit organization with over a decade of experience working alongside Sudanese heroes. Together we are making the story of Sudan known, empowering survivors, and working to build a renewed Sudan from the ground up. And we need your help.
Our Sudanese partners are overwhelmed with needs as the war spreads and hunger deepens. Your generosity will help them serve the most vulnerable in this time of tremendous need.
$2,200: Funds an entire classroom at Endure Primary School for one semester.
$1,000: Pays monthly salaries of 5 midwives.
$500 - Delivers food and clothing to Darfuri genocide survivors who have fled into South Sudan.
$250 - Supports a teacher and their classroom for six weeks.
$150 - Empowers a nurse assistant for one month.
$100 - Gives a day’s worth of medicine to four clinics.
$50 - Provides pencils, notebooks and other supplies to 16 students in Yida Refugee Camp.
Join Miles For Sudan | Donate Stock | Give Crypto
Checks can be made payable to Operation Broken Silence and mailed to P.O. Box 770900 Memphis, TN 38177-0900.
Operation Broken Silence is a registered 501(c)(3) organization. Your donations are tax-deductible within the guidelines of U.S. law.
Shareables
Short statements you can share online and with others. Simply copy and paste.
Sudan has been trapped in a doom loop of silence since a brutal civil war began in April 2023. This documentary shines a light on the crisis. https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/war-at-home-sudan-documentary
“There’s a dark sense of déjà vu here. Images I remember seeing from the Darfur genocide in the early 2000s, unfolding again. And the silence is worse than the yells of shock we expect.” https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/war-at-home-sudan-documentary
Watch this short documentary about the emergency unfolding in Sudan and get involved. https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/war-at-home-sudan-documentary
Sudan trapped in a “doom loop of silence” after one year of war and humanitarian nightmare
A grim anniversary as the world remains preoccupied with other conflicts.
Rachid had already fled her neighborhood in Nyala, Darfur for another since the war in Sudan began in April 2023. Now, with the genocidal Rapid Support Forces (RSF) —an Arab supremacist paramilitary group that has plagued the country for years— on the verge of taking over Sudan’s second largest city, she decided it was time to head for the border with South Sudan.
“I don’t remember what day I ran,” Rachid says. “I thought to be a woman when the janjaweed (RSF) come will mean evil done upon me. My friend was raped by them before. They do this to the black women. They hate us.”
It was mid-October 2023. Several weeks of brutal battles between the RSF and national army had already made parts of Nyala a ghost town. Areas of the city under RSF control were being looted and terrified citizens were being sexually assaulted, tortured, and executed at the hands of the notorious paramilitary group. Rachid said the army made no effort to protect citizens. The situation was going from bad to worse very quickly.
“Running west to Chad was no good because the janjaweed were everywhere,” Rachid describes. “Running to South Sudan was a little safer. Less janjaweed.”
It took Rachid nine days to reach South Sudan. She somehow managed to avoid the RSF patrols that were quickly swarming the region. Rachid eventually stumbled into one of our Sudanese partners who was providing limited ground transport to people fleeing toward South Sudan. She got out just in time: by the end of October the RSF had overrun all of Nyala and most of Darfur.
Rachid now spends her days yearning to go home, but she knows she can’t until the RSF are gone. “As long as the janjaweed exists no one in Sudan is safe,” she says. “I don’t know where any of my family is. I don’t know if they are alive. No one can tell us when or how our nightmare ends.”
Sudan is home to the largest emergency in the world
Rachid’s story is shared by countless other Sudanese. As the country enters another year of war between Sudan’s ruthless national army and the barbaric Rapid Support Forces, generals on both sides have brought on the largest general displacement, child displacement, hunger, childhood education, and medical emergencies in the world.
The statistics are impossible to fathom. Nearly 25 million Sudanese —half the country— are in need of urgent humanitarian assistance. Over 8 million are displaced in Sudan’s borders or have fled the country altogether. 730,000 children are suffering from severe acute malnutrition and nearly 20 million more can no longer attend school.
Entire swaths of Sudan are too dangerous to access to try to determine a death and injury toll. What we do know is that all estimates are a severe undercount. As refugees pour into neighboring countries, they bring with them stories of mass graves, neighborhoods leveled and villages massacred, and soldiers and militias torturing and executing unarmed civilians viewed as “belonging” to the “other side.”
One recent estimate put the national death toll at 14,790 people. Meanwhile, a leaked United Nations report from three months ago suggests that up to 15,000 of the ethnic Masalit people were slaughtered in a single city during April-June of 2023 alone. It must be assumed that Sudan’s death toll is likely already soaring into the mid tens of thousands, if not higher. And with pockets of famine already breaking out in the hardest hit areas, the United Nations estimates that 230,000 children, pregnant women, and new mothers will die in the coming months due to hunger.
Behind all these hard-to-grasp numbers though are innumerable stories just like Rachid’s. No person should have to live like this. This is neither the life she signed up for nor the one she deserves. Understandably, she is baffled that the world seems not to have noticed.
A child is loaded into a truck taking people fleeing Sudan's war from Joda, on the Sudanese border, to Renk in South Sudan, where they will stay in a transit camp before they are transported further into the country. (Photo by Sally Hayden, Sipa via AP Images)
Reckoning with Sudan’s “doom loop” of silence
Sudan rarely shows up on anyone’s radar today for a myriad of reasons. The international aid and peacekeeping presence in the country has declined precipitously over the last 10 years. Western media especially has looked away following the U.S. military evacuating embassy staff from Khartoum a year ago. Being a local or international journalist on the ground has never been easy, but it is becoming impossible due to high levels of extreme violence. Both the army and RSF have destroyed or cut cell networks and internet access in parts of the country, making it harder for ordinary Sudanese to get news of their plight out into the world.
Current affairs on the international stage are also keeping eyes away from Sudan. With so much of the world glued to Gaza/Israel and Ukraine, few have noticed that the catastrophe unfolding in Sudan eclipses both of these conflicts…combined. This is not to say what is happening in these two places is unimportant. It is to say what is happening in Sudan very much is.
Little attention means efforts to save lives are severely underfunded. The United Nation’s humanitarian response plans —more than $4 billion needed to keep the situation from merely getting worse— are only 6% funded. That doesn’t include what local Sudanese groups and the few private international organizations left in Sudan like us require to meet the needs the UN won’t get to even if they were fully funded.
Too few resources means fewer international and connected Sudanese eyes and ears on the ground, which means fewer stories and critical information gets back out into the world. And the cycle starts all over again.
This doom loop of silence is compounding the damage of an already horrifying emergency. Given the fact that Sudan rarely shows up in the news, classrooms, and other social settings, it is no surprise that many Americans especially struggle to point to Sudan on a map. Our information environment has not prioritized the Sudanese. As such, good people who would be inclined to help don’t have the opportunity to.
Signs of hope, and the need to get to work
Interestingly, people notice this doom loop when they become aware of what is happening in Sudan. As our organization has introduced new faces to this crisis over the past twelve months, the first question we almost always hear is some form of “why am I just hearing about this now?” Shock is often mixed with frustration, not just with the situation, but with those who can easily break this cycle not doing so.
Some have suggested that world leaders and globally-minded citizens are fatigued with Sudan. An older generation of well-connected activists who dearly love the Sudanese people is a fraction of the size it once was. The days of big name celebrities keeping a sustained light on Sudan are long past. Most of the well-known Congressional champions of the Sudanese people retired years ago.
One can easily despair, but these realities are the closing of but one chapter belonging to a much longer story, most of which has not been written yet. If we’ve learned anything these past twelve months it is that people are more than willing to help, but they have to be educated and asked first.
We know from experience that this takes years of hard work and considerable resources to do at scale. Overcoming this challenge isn’t going to happen from the top down. It falls to ordinary people like us to educate ourselves and commit to standing with our friends in Sudan, no matter what. And we must invite others to join us.
A new generation of engaged American activists allied to Sudanese heroes is called for. There needs to be a sustained effort to cultivate that generation, from the ground up and the middle out, in cities and communities across the United States. This work does not belong to one individual or one organization. It cannot be done overnight. Neither can breaking the doom loop of silence our friends in Sudan are trapped in.
We are doing our part though. From creating new learning resources for classrooms to providing more news and analysis that is free to all, to building simple tools newcomers can use to help educate their friends to launching creative ways they can directly support Sudanese heroes, we are already seeing signs of hope that a new generation of activists can be educated and mobilized to help.
Today marks one year since this emergency in Sudan began. We all have a role to play in helping people like Rachid. Will you join us?
We’re a nonprofit organization with over a decade of experience working alongside Sudanese heroes. Together we are making the story of Sudan known, empowering survivors, and working to build a renewed Sudan from the ground up. And we need your help.
Our Sudanese partners are overwhelmed with needs as the war spreads and hunger deepens. Your generosity will help them serve the most vulnerable in this time of tremendous need.
$2,200: Funds an entire classroom at Endure Primary School for one semester.
$1,000: Pays monthly salaries of 5 midwives.
$500 - Delivers food and clothing to Darfuri genocide survivors who have fled into South Sudan.
$250 - Supports a teacher and their classroom for six weeks.
$150 - Empowers a nurse assistant for one month.
$100 - Gives a day’s worth of medicine to four clinics.
$50 - Provides pencils, notebooks and other supplies to 16 students in Yida Refugee Camp.
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Checks can be made payable to Operation Broken Silence and mailed to P.O. Box 770900 Memphis, TN 38177-0900.
Operation Broken Silence is a registered 501(c)(3) organization. Your donations are tax-deductible within the guidelines of U.S. law.
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“As long as the janjaweed exist no one in Sudan is safe,” Rachid says. “I don’t know where any of my family is. I don’t know if they are alive. No one can tell us when or how our nightmare ends.” https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/sudan-trapped-in-a-doom-loop-of-silence-after-one-year-of-war-and-humanitarian-nightmare
Sudan is trapped in a “doom loop of silence” after one year of war and a humanitarian nightmare. https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/sudan-trapped-in-a-doom-loop-of-silence-after-one-year-of-war-and-humanitarian-nightmare
Sudan’s warring generals have brought on the largest general displacement, child displacement, hunger, childhood education, and medical emergencies in the world. https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/sudan-trapped-in-a-doom-loop-of-silence-after-one-year-of-war-and-humanitarian-nightmare
Today marks one year since this emergency in Sudan began. The situation is bleak, largely because the world is not paying attention. We can all play our part in changing that. https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/sudan-trapped-in-a-doom-loop-of-silence-after-one-year-of-war-and-humanitarian-nightmare
How can I help Sudan?
Three easy ways to fight back against violence, hunger, and oppression.
Next week marks one year since the war in Sudan began. Brutal fighting between the army and Rapid Support Forces has given way to the largest humanitarian emergency in the world.
Nearly 25 million Sudanese —half the country— need urgent food and medical assistance. Over 8 million are displaced in Sudan’s borders or have fled the country. 730,000 children are suffering from severe acute malnutrition. Nearly 20 million more can no longer attend school. And over 70% of Sudan’s healthcare system has collapsed.
You can click here to learn more about this crisis. Right now we want to provide three easy ways to support our Sudanese partners:
1. Give now
$2,200: Funds an entire classroom at Endure Primary School for a semester.
$1,000: Pays monthly salaries of 5 midwives.
$500 - Delivers food and clothing to Darfuri genocide survivors who have fled into South Sudan.
$250 - Supports a teacher and their classroom for one month.
$150 - Pays a nurse assistant’s salary for an entire month.
$100 - Gives pencils, notebooks and other supplies to 16 students in Yida Refugee Camp.
$50 - Gives a day’s worth of medicine to three clinics.
Donate Stock | Give Crypto | Make checks payable to Operation Broken Silence and mail to PO Box 770900 Memphis, TN 38177-0900
Operation Broken Silence is a registered 501(c)(3) organization. Your donations are tax-deductible within the guidelines of U.S. law.
2. Join Miles for Sudan
Our new global event helps runners, walkers, and cyclists save and change lives in Sudan, from wherever you call home! Here’s how it works:
Pick a month.
Set your mileage goal and how much you will raise per mile.
Get moving and ask friends to donate to your fundraising page!
Signing up is free and we’ll send you a t-shirt if you raise $200+. Have questions? Check out our FAQ.
3. Email your Representative (U.S. Specific, April 12 Deadline)
Contact your member of Congress and urge them to sign this letter to the Biden Administration being organized by Representatives Dan Kildee and Young Kim. If you are not sure who your Representative is, find them here. Feel free to copy/paste this message to them:
Dear Representative (insert name),
Since April 2023, fighting between the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has devastated the country. In December 2023, the State Department made an official atrocity determination, stating that SAF has committed war crimes and the RSF has committed war crimes, crimes against humanity, and ethnic cleansing. Violence against civilians remains at high levels and famine now looms over large swaths of Sudan.
Sudan has long been a bipartisan focus of Congress, with members of both parties working together to propel forward better policy and increased attention across multiple administrations. Congressional leadership is needed once more as Sudan is in the grips of the largest humanitarian emergency in the world.
As one of your constituents, I am asking that you add your name to a Congressional letter addressed to President Biden, Secretary Blinken, and Administrator Power. This letter is being organized by your colleagues Representatives Dan Kildee and Young Kim. Please contact their offices to read the text and add your name. Your voice matters in this time of extreme crisis. Thank you.
Sincerely,
(your name and address)
Shareables
Short statements you can share online and with others. Simply copy and paste.
Share Our Posts: Instagram Stories | Threads | Facebook | LinkedIn
It’s not in the news, but the world’s largest humanitarian emergency right now is unfolding in Sudan. Will you join me in helping? https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/how-can-i-help-sudan
Next week marks one year since the war in Sudan began. Brutal fighting between the army and Rapid Support Forces has given way to the largest humanitarian emergency in the world. https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/how-can-i-help-sudan
Contact your member of Congress and urge them to sign a letter to the Biden Administration about the emergency in Sudan. https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/how-can-i-help-sudan
Frequently Asked Questions - Miles For Sudan
Have questions about the global event? We have answers!
About Operation Broken Silence
Operation Broken Silence is building a global movement to empower the Sudanese people through innovative programs as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. For over a decade, we've allied people just like you with incredible Sudanese teachers and healthcare workers on the ground. Together we are making the story of Sudan known, empowering survivors, and helping to build a renewed Sudan from the ground up. You can get a lot more of the specifics here.
Wait, what’s happening in Sudan?
It’s not in the news, but Sudan is now home to the world’s largest and worst humanitarian disaster, far outpacing every other crisis on the planet.
Sudan’s military regime disintegrated in April of 2023. The army and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, the two primary factions in the regime, went to war with each for control of Sudan. Fighting has spread across the country and left nearly 25 million Sudanese —roughly half of the population— in need of urgent humanitarian assistance. Ethnic minorities are facing famine, war crimes, and genocide. The vast majority of the Sudanese people do not want this war and have been struggling to achieve a democratic, civilian government for years. Check out our Sudan Crisis Guide for more details.
What is Miles For Sudan?
This deepening crisis has left our brave Sudanese partners overwhelmed and in desperate need of additional financial and material support.
Our incredible supporters are doing everything they can to help, but it’s still nowhere near enough to meet the emerging needs on the ground. We need more people to get involved, and fast.
Miles For Sudan is our invitation to you to get off the sidelines and into the game, from wherever you call home. This virtual event helps runners, walkers, and cyclists attach their miles in a given month to a fundraising goal. The donations we are raising together are going to support indigenous partners on the ground who are providing safe haven, emergency food relief, education, and healthcare.
This global event runs from April 1-December 31, 2024. We encourage you to pick the best month that works for you!
How does Miles For Sudan work?
We’ve made this as simple as possible:
Pick a month to participate.
Set your mileage goal and how much you will raise per mile.
Sign up for free and get moving!
We’ll send you a link to your personal fundraising page after your register. Every time you run, walk, or bike, all you have to do is share how far you went and the link to your page asking people to give! You can also post quick updates directly to your fundraising page so your donors can see your progress.
If you live in the United States and raise at least $250, we will mail you an exclusive event t-shirt within 4 weeks after your fundraiser ends! It’s our small way of saying thank you for your hard work.
What happens if I come up a little short?
We would love to see everyone achieve their mileage and fundraising goals, but we know that life happens. You have no obligations to complete either goal. Every mile you knock out and dollar you raise helps our Sudanese partners, and they appreciate all the help you can give them!
Do I have to provide proof of completion?
Nope, we trust you! We do encourage you to post updates on your progress on social media and to your fundraising page to encourage others give though.
Additional Questions
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You can use your Apple Watch, Fitbit, or favorite exercise app! We also have a free, printable daily tracker we’ll email you when you sign up if you prefer that.
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That’s entirely up to you! You’ll set your mileage and fundraising goal when you register. You need to raise at least $250 to secure a t-shirt though. Every dollar you raise helps or Sudanee partners meet the needs of their people.
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Absolutely! If you prefer giving your full goal amount instead of fundraising that is okay. Just go trough the registration process and then donate to your own page.
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Absolutely! This is a global event and you can run, cyce, or run from wherever you call home. There are a few exceptions as outlined by U.S law.
Your fundraising page automatically accepts 150+ currencies from around the world, which means people al over the world can give in their local currency.
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Every now and then we have a fundraiser who has a hard time getting people to give. Pleas reach out to us at info@operationbrokensilenceorg if you’re struggling. Our team is here to help!
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Please allow at least 4-6 weeks after your fundraiser ends for delivery. If your shirt hasn’t arived by then, shoot us a quick messge at info@operationbrokensilence.org
Still need help? Drop us a quick message here and we’ll get back to you ASAP.