By Bunmi Yekini
Christopher Lockyear, Secretary General of Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), delivered a stark warning to the United Nations Security Council today, shedding light on the catastrophic impact of the ongoing war in Sudan.
Speaking on behalf of the humanitarian organization, Lockyear condemned the violence and its devastating toll on civilians, calling for immediate action to protect vulnerable populations and provide essential aid.
“The war in Sudan is above all a ‘war on people,'” Lockyear stated. He described the brutal tactics employed by both the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces, including indiscriminate bombings, mass killings, sexual violence, and the looting of humanitarian aid.
The conflict has also seen both sides targeting medical facilities, exacerbating an already dire humanitarian crisis. MSF currently operates in 11 of Sudan’s states, offering medical care despite the challenging conditions.
Lockyear highlighted the alarming rise in malnutrition, as well as the increase in infectious and vaccine-preventable diseases. He emphasized the urgency of securing food and medical supplies, particularly with the impending rainy season.
“While statements are made in this chamber, civilians remain unseen, unprotected, bombed, besieged, raped, displaced, deprived of food, of medical care, of dignity,” Lockyear continued.
“The humanitarian response falters, crippled by bureaucracy, by insecurity, by hesitation, and by what threatens to become the largest divestment in the history of humanitarian aid.”
Lockyear’s call for a “fundamental shift” in the international response was a central theme of his remarks. “The crisis in Sudan demands a fundamental shift away from the failed approaches of the past,” he urged, stressing that millions of lives are at stake.
MSF’s briefing underscores the pressing need for the international community to prioritize civilian protection and fulfill humanitarian obligations in Sudan, where the war continues to have devastating effects on countless lives.