The UK must do more to bring peace in Sudan
4 min read
This is a critical opportunity to address one of the most urgent and heartbreaking crises unfolding in the world today: the conflict in Sudan.
For more than 500 days, violent conflict has ravaged the country, wreaking unimaginable havoc on the lives of millions, particularly its children. Although we have seen leadership from UK Government so far, there is much more left to be done.
The numbers involved are staggering. There are 14 million children in Sudan who need support to overcome the devastating impacts of this conflict. Over the past year alone, more than 10 million children have lived within five kilometres of the frontlines, subjected to gunfire, shelling, and other atrocities that no child should ever witness.
What is particularly horrifying is the scale of these violations. According to the United Nations, the rate of grave violations against children in Sudan has skyrocketed by 480 per cent between 2022 and 2023—the highest in the world.
Many of these children are not just at risk from violence but also from hunger, disease, and the collapse of healthcare. Zamzam camp in North Darfur, for instance, is experiencing famine, and the number of children seeking treatment for severe malnutrition has soared. The health systems that are still standing have been utterly overwhelmed.
The conflict has forced 6.7 million children to flee their homes, creating the world’s worst child displacement crisis. In just the past few weeks, hundreds of unaccompanied and separated children have arrived in the Blue Nile and Gedaref states, fleeing heavy fighting as conflict continues to escalate.
The country has a moral and strategic responsibility to act decisively
In the face of unimaginable challenges, we see inspiring resilience. Sudanese teams on the ground are carrying out tremendous work to provide essential services. These grassroots organisations, often youth-driven and with limited resources, are stepping in where international actors struggle due to ongoing insecurity and bureaucratic blockages.
It is clear that the international community, including the UK, must do much more to support these groups. International donors must prioritise financial support for local NGOs, civil society organisations, and community-led initiatives. They are the ones on the frontlines, providing critical services, yet they often lack access to direct funding and resources.
But funding alone will not resolve this crisis. The people of Sudan need a ceasefire and a comprehensive, inclusive peace process. The UK, as a major global player and the lead country for Sudan on the UN Security Council, must use its diplomatic power to pressure warring parties to come to the negotiating table.
Recent months have demonstrated such efforts, most recently the Advancing Lifesaving and Peace in Sudan Group talks in Geneva, but they are yet to deliver a meaningful commitment to end the fighting.
We must also consider raising the cost for those who prolong the war, including the international actors who support the warring parties. The UK has a responsibility, as Penholder in the UN Security Council, to ensure the protection of civilians and speak out on violations of international law.
All diplomatic levers must be pulled to allow humanitarian aid to reach those who need it most. With mass hunger and country-wide famine looming, this cannot wait.
Sudan is teetering on the edge of becoming one of the greatest tragedies of our time. The UK has a moral and strategic responsibility to act decisively. We must raise the visibility of this crisis, rally international support and lead efforts to secure a peaceful resolution.
We cannot afford to let Sudan fall further into chaos. The people of Sudan, and particularly its children, are counting on us. Let us rise to the occasion and ensure that Sudan becomes a priority for the UK and the world’s humanitarian response. The future of millions of children depends on it.
David Taylor MP and Laura Kyrke-Smith MP are both members of the International Development Committee
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