The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) stated on Wednesday that at least 8,000 individuals went missing in conflict-torn Sudan during 2024, with officials noting this number may be merely “the tip of the iceberg”.
“These are just the cases we have collected directly,” Daniel O’Malley, head of the ICRC delegation in Sudan, told an interview.
He mentioned that this is merely a fraction — the tip of the iceberg — of the entire backlog of unresolved cases.
As Sudan’s harsh conflict reached its second anniversary, O’Malley stated that the ICRC wasn’t just involved in tracing missing individuals but was also enhancing forensic capabilities inside Sudan. This effort aims to assist with identifying victims long after the conflicts end and ensuring they receive dignified burials.
“When people are buried, they should be buried in a dignified manner,” he said.
For families of the missing, the anguish of being unaware of their loved ones’ whereabouts might persist as an “open wound” well beyond when the conflict has concluded, he noted.
Sudan’s war, which erupted in April 2023, has killed tens of thousands, displaced 13 million and triggered what the United Nations describes as the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.
The conflict has pitted the forces of army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan against those of his former deputy Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, who leads the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
In recent days, the vast western region of Darfur has seen some of the deadliest battles since the conflict erupted.
The United Nations said on Monday that over 400 people had been killed in recent attacks on El-Fasher — the last army-held state capital in Darfur — and nearby displacement camps.
The RSF has ramped up its assaults on El-Fasher after the army recaptured the capital Khartoum last month.
O’Malley expressed deep concern over the situation in El-Fasher and called upon all involved parties to ensure “secure transit so that citizens can leave unharmed.”
He emphasized that each party must assume responsibility and guarantee that this occurs.
– ‘Emotional consequences’ –
The representative from the ICRC likewise cautioned about pervasive and organized sexual assaults occurring during the Sudanese conflict, stating that these occurrences were “more frequent than what we have observed in other conflicts.”
“Clearly, we are observing instances involving women, as well as very young children and even men,” O’Malley stated.
The official also emphasized that sexual violence has enduring impacts on victims, noting that despite the arrival of peace in Sudan, “the humanitarian and emotional repercussions will persist for an extended period.”
Rights organizations such as Amnesty International and the UN have formerly charged RSF fighters with employing sexual violence—such as rape, sexual servitude, and forced marriage—as a tactic of warfare.
The RSF has rejected the allegations as propaganda.
O’Malley expressed significant worry about grassroots Sudanese organizations — typically the initial source of aid for survivors — being undermined due to reductions in U.S. funding.
Shortly after his inauguration last month, US President Donald Trump froze US foreign aid and announced the dismantling of the US Agency for International Development (USAID).
Though waivers were promised for life-saving assistance, many Sudanese groups say no support has materialised.
O’Malley said that international organisations can withstand the cuts, but “grassroots organisations, which are working on the ground, don’t have that cushion”.
“These are the ones that have been affected,” he added.
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