David Lammy ‘horrified’ after meeting Sudan war victims face-to-face
4 min readDavid Lammy, the UK’s Foreign Secretary, expressed deep shock and sorrow after witnessing the harrowing conditions faced by families fleeing the conflict in Sudan during his visit to the Adré border post in Chad on Friday. Sudan’s civil war, which erupted when tensions escalated between the army and the paramilitary group, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), has forced millions of people to seek refuge in neighboring countries.
Lammy, who was visibly affected by the scenes he encountered, described the experience as one of the most horrifying he had ever witnessed. “It’s some of the most horrific things I’ve ever heard and seen in my life,” he said. The UK official saw firsthand the devastating effects of the war, which has led to widespread violence, famine, and extreme suffering. “Overwhelmingly, what I’ve seen here in Chad, on the border with Sudan, are women and children fleeing for their lives – telling stories of widespread slaughter, mutilation, burning, sexual violence against them and their children,” he added.
Many of the refugees Lammy met were women and children, who had endured unimaginable hardships. Some had lost their families in the chaos of escaping Sudan. One woman, Halima Abdalla, explained her harrowing escape from Darfur, where the violence had been particularly severe. “I first went to el-Geneina, but I had to run again when fighting broke out there,” she said. Halima became separated from her husband and children, one of whom she lost during the journey. Aid workers in Adré have been working to reunite families and provide support for those who have been torn apart by the war.
A heartbreaking reality for some mothers, as revealed by aid workers, is the desperate decision to choose which child to escape with, due to the inability to carry them all at once. Many of these children are left in the care of humanitarian organizations until they can be reunited with their families. Lammy met with several refugees who shared similar traumatic stories. “All of these people have stories – very, very desperate stories of fleeing violence, murder, rape, torture, mutilation,” Lammy said.
He also met a woman who showed him burn marks from soldiers who had set her arms on fire, and she had been sexually assaulted during her escape. Lammy, clearly moved, stated that the international community must pay attention to Sudan’s crisis, which he feels is not receiving the attention it deserves despite being the largest humanitarian disaster in the world today.
The war has displaced over 12 million people since it began in April 2023, with half of Sudan’s population in desperate need of humanitarian aid. Lammy expressed frustration over the international community’s seeming lack of urgency regarding the conflict. He highlighted the failure of previous peace efforts, including those led by the United States and Saudi Arabia, which have not yielded any significant results. Despite this, Lammy remains committed to pushing for peace and intends to convene a meeting in London with Sudan’s neighboring countries and international partners to work towards a resolution.
The war in Sudan has triggered an unprecedented humanitarian crisis, with famine levels reaching alarming rates. At a clinic in Adré, health workers are seeing the devastating effects of malnutrition, with one child, Rasma Ibrahim, being so severely malnourished that her arm circumference indicated the possibility of lifelong health consequences. Aid efforts have been hindered by a shortage of resources, and international support remains insufficient. The UN’s appeal for $2.7 billion to support Sudan in 2024 has only received 57% of the funding required, and with the announcement of a freeze on foreign aid by newly inaugurated US President Donald Trump, concerns are growing about the potential impact on Sudan and other crises.
Lammy visited the food distribution center in Adré, where refugees line up for their rations, including sacks of millet, sorghum, and yellow peas. The population in Adré, a town that once had 40,000 residents, has now grown to over 200,000 as refugees flood into the area. Yet the situation in Adré is still far better than that across the border in Darfur, where famine has spread throughout the region and many camps, such as Zamzam, have been besieged by the RSF for over a year.
Despite these challenges, aid from organizations like the UN’s World Food Programme is slowly making its way into Sudan, although it remains inadequate to meet the needs of millions. As Lammy concluded his visit, he emphasized the urgent need for increased global support and action to address the devastating crisis unfolding in Sudan. “We have to step up and wake up now to this huge, huge crisis,” he said.
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