“Do not forget Sudan. Hunger is killing us as surely as bullets. Speak for us. Make our suffering known.” Quote from one Bishop

ACT Alliance and Caritas express their profound alarm at the grave and fast-deteriorating humanitarian crisis unfolding in Sudan, echoing the urgent warning issued by the Catholic Bishops of Sudan and South Sudan on 14 November.

In Sudan, communities already shattered by decades of conflict are now hit by new waves of destruction, violence and forced mass displacement. The courageous words of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference capture not only pastoral concern, but the anguish and despair of entire populations pushed beyond breaking point.

We are deeply disturbed by the reported atrocities in El Fasher, North Darfur, including mass killings and sexual violence. Civilians continue to live in terror as clashes between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) tear through their communities.

The scale of suffering is almost unimaginable. Hospitals lie in ruins, with hundreds of patients slaughtered in their beds and hunted like animals; public services have collapsed. Civilian homes are being deliberately attacked and people assassinated where they stand. This is now the largest, most severe humanitarian catastrophe in the world with 12 million people displaced and 12 million people in urgent need of life-saving assistance. Immediate action is needed to stem catastrophic levels of sexual and violence against women, and trauma among civilians, aid workers and care providers.

Caritas Internationalis, ACT Alliance, CAFOD, NCA, local partners and local Caritas members are working together in Sudan. At the heart of the joint appeal is support to Sudanese civil society and mutual aid actors who are the backbone of the humanitarian response, aiding and bringing cohesion in their communities. Yet, the magnitude of need is overwhelming.

The Bishops’ warning of “unprecedented ethnic, tribal and inter-tribal divisions in the name of politics” must be taken with utmost seriousness. The manipulation of identity for political gain threatens to destroy the fragile social fabric of a country still healing from past trauma.

Caritas Internationalis and ACT Alliance join them in urging all parties to renounce self-interest, end abuses of power and uphold the inherent dignity of every person.

In solidarity with the people of Sudan, faith leaders and local members and partners on the ground, we reaffirm that peace is possible, but peace requires:

• Immediate cessation of hostilities
• Protection of civilians, especially women, children and those displaced
• Protection of formal and community-based aid actors
• Humanitarian access to deliver life-saving assistance
• Inclusive, transparent political dialogue supported by regional and international actors
• Respecting international humanitarian law

We stand firmly with the Bishops in their unwavering solidarity with the people of Sudan. We honour their moral leadership and join them in their call for dialogue, reconciliation, unity and peace.

We extend our deepest solidarity to all communities enduring violence, hunger, displacement, and fear. Caritas and ACT Alliance members worldwide remain committed to delivering humanitarian assistance and advocating for just and lasting peace.

We call on all parties to choose peace over the brute assertion of violent power, justice over impunity and the common good of all Sudanese people over self-interested over political ambition.