The International Organization for Migration (IOM), a UN agency, issued a dire warning on Monday, stating that Sudan has reached a “catastrophic breaking point” with the potential for tens of thousands of preventable deaths due to multiple ongoing crises.
Osman Belbeisi, the IOM Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa, emphasized the urgent need for an “immediate, broad, and coordinated global response” to avert a massive loss of life in the coming months.
In a statement, Belbeisi asserted, “We are at a breaking point, a catastrophic breaking point. Without swift global action, we risk witnessing tens of thousands of preventable deaths.”
Additionally, Mirjana Spoljaric, President of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), expressed hope on Monday for tangible humanitarian outcomes from the upcoming peace talks in Switzerland scheduled to start this week.
Although not directly involved in the talks, Spoljaric highlighted the critical situation in North Darfur and called for concrete humanitarian actions that could facilitate trust-building and remove obstacles to achieving a ceasefire.
During a press conference marking the 75th anniversary of the Geneva Conventions, which govern armed conflicts, Spoljaric also remarked on the broader implications of ignoring international humanitarian law, using Sudan as a stark example of the consequences.
