Pope Francis: Sudan conflict is the worst humanitarian crisis globally

Shafaq News/ On Sunday, Pope Francis described the conflict in Sudan, which erupted in February 2023, as the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.

Pope Francis expressed solidarity with the Sudan’s people, urging them to embrace solidarity, and the avoid violence.

He also called on the warring parties to "cease hostilities and engage in negotiations.”

The pontiff appealed to the international community to do everything possible to deliver humanitarian aid to displaced people and to help the conflicting sides pursue peace urgently.

Since April 2023, Sudan has been gripped by a bloody conflict between the army, led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), commanded by his former deputy, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as "Hemedti."

The war has claimed tens of thousands of lives, displaced over 12 million people, and left millions on the brink of famine, creating the world’s worst displacement crisis, according to the United Nations.

Both sides of the conflict face accusations of war crimes, including targeting civilians, indiscriminate shelling of homes, markets, and hospitals, and obstructing the delivery and distribution of humanitarian aid.