UNITED NATIONS: The world’s promise of “never again” after Sudan’s Darfur genocide has proven tragically untrue according to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.
Filippo Grandi stated in an interview that current violence in Sudan with its ethnic connotations directly mirrors atrocities committed two decades ago.
Since April 2023, warfare between Sudan’s army and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces has killed tens of thousands while creating global record hunger and displacement.
Women have suffered systematic rape while children face forced recruitment amid gruesome violence against resisting communities.
The RSF leader General Mohamed Hamdan Daglo represents the same Janjaweed militias previously unleashed by dictator Omar al-Bashir against non-Arab Darfur communities.
This new conflict has already produced tens of thousands of deaths alongside an appalling 12 million displaced persons.
One-third of those displaced have sought refuge in fragile neighbouring countries creating the world’s largest humanitarian crisis.
Grandi expressed frustration that international attention remains minimal despite the catastrophe unfolding in Sudan.
The situation in North Darfur’s El-Fasher where hundreds of thousands remain trapped under an 18-month siege is particularly catastrophic.
Civilians attempting to flee at night face extreme risks with many likely perishing during escape attempts.
Reduced foreign aid from American and European donors has severely limited response capabilities for non-profits and UN agencies.
Grandi warned European countries that slashing humanitarian assistance represents a huge strategic mistake.
He noted that neglecting crisis regions surrounding Europe inevitably drives more migration toward European borders.
The commissioner also highlighted Myanmar’s brutal civil war which has uprooted approximately three million people with minimal international attention.
A high-level UN meeting will address the plight of Myanmar’s Rohingya Muslim minority refugees in Bangladesh on September 30.
Grandi acknowledged global conflict fatigue amid unresolved crises in Ukraine and Gaza but cautioned against generalizing indifference.
Many people still care deeply about human suffering when they hear the stories and understand the realities according to the UN refugee chief. – AFP