Cairo in July 1,2023

Arab intellectuals called on African leaders to act on the dire humanitarian situation in Darfur 

DATE/ CAIRO- Eleven Arab Intellectuals called on the African leaders to ask the Government of Sudan to allow full and unimpeded humanitarian access to the 2.7 million Darfuris sheltering in Darfur’s sprawling camps.

The call, published today as an open letter (full text below) in Shorouk , is made as the lives of “our Sudanese brothers and sisters in jeopardy.” 

The Intellectuals expressed their deep concern that “the real cost of any complacency now will be seen down the road in a few months time and the vulnerable people in the camps will pay with their dignity and even their lives.”

The letter calls on African Union leaders as they are meeting in Sirte in Libya to “ask Sudan to keep humanitarian aid apart from politics.” The letter explained that the magnitude of the human suffering, “with 4.7 million in need of assistance – probably the largest humanitarian operation in the world – it makes no sense to subject already vulnerable people to yet further trials and suffering.”

With the hunger season has already begun and the rainy season soon after, “apocalyptical visions of human suffering could become a reality” the letter warns. The Arab Intellectuals noted that no “sustainable solutions are in place beyond this month”.

The Arab Intellectuals reiterated their plea to African leaders to act on the humanitarian situation in Darfur noting that “the conflict in Darfur has simmered for over six years, destroying the hopes and dreams of countless people. Humanitarian Assistance has provided Darfuris with a small shred of dignity in an otherwise helpless situation.   We cannot allow this lifeline to be cut off.”

ENDS

Editors Notes

For more information or to arrange interviews, please contact [Haggag Nayl, Secretary General, Arab Coalition for Darfur, Email: [email protected]]

[Lana Baydas, Middle East and North Africa Director, Crisis Action, Email: [email protected]].

FULL TEXT OF THE LETTER

Open letter from Arab Intellectuals to the African Leaders,

May we have the honour of approaching your Excellencies on the subject of the humanitarian needs in Sudan. Our concern, as leading intellectuals, writers and scholars from the Arab world, is prompted by dire humanitarian situation in Darfur, which we fear may leave our Sudanese brothers and sisters in jeopardy. In Darfur, the hunger and rainy season has started, a time when people are especially vulnerable and need the most support. The humanitarian situation on the ground is therefore set to deteriorate further in the coming period especially for women and children.

With 4.7 million in need of assistance – probably the largest humanitarian operation in the world – it makes no sense to subject already vulnerable people to yet further trials and suffering. Whatever the gap left by the expelled agencies and whatever the precise figures, it is very clear that the situation can only get worse at this time of year - even in the best of scenarios disease levels always rise at this time, and the effect of any neglect is cumulative. The real cost of any complacency now will be seen down the road in a few months time and the vulnerable people in the camps will pay with their dignity and even their lives

Apocalyptical visions of human suffering could become a reality. One of the great achievements of the humanitarian response in Darfur was the fact that it kept disease and malnutrition rates low. Not one case of cholera was recorded in Darfur last year, despite heavy rains and flooding in some areas.   This year promises to be different with the expulsion of 13 professional and impartial humanitarian non-governmental organizations representing most of the Sudanese employees and humanitarian response capacity. Many voices, such as the Arab Coalition for Darfur, called for the protection of children and women in Darfur. We join our voices to the Arab Coalition for Darfur, and we say now is the moment. Gap filling is touted as a success but many interventions are short-termist and no sustainable solutions are in place beyond this month.

For the sake of the Darfuri people, we would beseech Your Excellencies to ask the Government of Sudan to allow full and unimpeded humanitarian access to the 2.7 million people sheltering in Darfur’s sprawling camps. This means removing bureaucratic impediments to speedy operations and allowing all agencies able to operate and scale up with the global experience behind them, to do so now.
 
As the African Union countries meet this week, we would beg of them to ask Sudan to keep humanitarian aid apart from politics.
 
The conflict in Darfur has simmered for over six years, destroying the hopes and dreams of countless people. Humanitarian Assistance has provided Darfuris with a small shred of dignity in an otherwise helpless situation.    We cannot allow this lifeline to be cut off.
 
Yours sincerely,

• ·        Gamal Abdel Gawad, Head of International Relations Unit, Al Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies
• ·        Hussein Abdel-Razek, secretary-general of the leftist Tagammu Party
• ·        Sara ben Nafies, Professor of the Institute of Research and Studies for Development
• ·        Murtada El Ghali , Chief Editor of Ajras el Hurriya - Bells of Freedom -  Sudan
• ·        Gamal El-Ghitani, Egyptian Intellectual and Novelist
• ·        Farida El-Nakash, Editor, Al-Ahaly newspaper
• ·        Mamoun Fandy , Director of the Middle East Program, International Institute for Strategic Studies, London, Syndicated columnist in the Arab World
• ·        Amr Hamzawy, Senior Associate, Carnegie Middle East Centre
• ·        Sari Hanafi, Associate professor Department of Social and Behavioural Sciences American University of Beirut
• ·        Amin Mekki Medani, Chairman, Sudan Human Rights Monitor.
• ·        Hani Shukrallah, Associate Editor-in-Chief of Al Shorouk newspaper