what happened last week in Asia, Africa and the Americas

Hey, this is Sham Jaff, your very own news curator. Each week, I highlight some of the biggest stories from regions and countries that are historically underreported in "Western media". My goal is to burst our Western-centric bubbles, and expand the view we hold of the world. Questions, comments, concerns? You can reach me anytime by replying to this mail. And if this newsletter was forwarded to you, you can sign up at whathappenedlastweek.com.

In Issue #384, I'm keeping my promise to dive deeper into what's happening in Sudan and the DRC. Last week, with the help of journalist Ridal Carel Tchoukuegno, we shone a spotlight on the DRC. Now, it's Sudan's turn. How could I not? A recent UN report says about 10 million people are displaced.

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The world's biggest displacement crisis is taking place in Sudan right now, affecting some 10 million people

What happened
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) reports that close to 10 million people in Sudan have been forced to leave their homes because of the ongoing war. That includes about one-third of the people living in the capital, Khartoum.

Why this matters:
In just over a year, the war has killed tens of thousands of people, with some estimates saying up to 150,000. Aid groups warn that millions more could die as the situation gets worse. This is the world's biggest displacement crisis right now. More than 2 million have crossed borders into neighboring countries, mainly to Chad, South Sudan, and Egypt.

Tell me more
IOM's weekly stats show 9.9 million internally displaced people in Sudan. That’s 2.8 million displaced before April 2023 and 7.1 million since. More than half are women, and over a quarter are kids under five. IOM’s Director General Amy Pope said, "Imagine a city the size of London being displaced. That’s what it’s like, but with the constant threat of crossfire, famine, disease, and brutal ethnic and gender-based violence." The UN says 18 million people in Sudan are severely hungry, including 3.6 million malnourished children. Both sides in the conflict are blocking aid, making it hard to declare a famine officially.

Refresher: What's happening in Sudan?
Different groups in Sudan are fighting for power, mainly the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudanese military (SAF). Both sides are accused of war crimes like targeting civilians, shelling residential areas, and blocking aid. There are also reports of widespread sexual violence. Need more details? Here's a longer explainer.

What's the current situation with the fighting?
The fighting in Sudan, especially in the city of el-Fasher, is very intense. Sudan's army just stopped a big attack by RSF on the city of el-Fasher in North Darfur. This happened right after the UN told the RSF to end their siege of the city. The army says they caused huge losses for the RSF, including killing a top RSF commander, Ali Yagoub Gibril. The RSF hasn't responded yet. In el-Fasher alone, at least 226 people have been killed and over 1,400 injured because of the ongoing fighting. Doctors are struggling to help the wounded due to continuous air raids and shelling. Plus, there are worries that the Darfur region might face another genocide at the hands of the RSF.

What now?
The UN is calling for an immediate ceasefire and unrestricted aid access. The US announced $315 million in emergency aid for Sudan and warned that millions could die from hunger if things don’t improve. As Damilola Banjo writes for PassBlue, Sudan's government has also accused the UAE and Chad of making the conflict worse by supplying weapons to the RSF and wants the UN to extend sanctions to these countries for violating arms embargoes.

Hey, thanks for reading.

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The world's biggest displacement crisis is in...

what happened last week in Asia, Africa and the Americas

The world's biggest displacement crisis is taking place in Sudan right now, affecting some 10 million people

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