--- title: Reflecting on Sudan's Civil War One Year Later description: 8.5 million people have been displaced since the start of Sudan's Civil War. UNHCR's Amel Marhoum on recounts the first months of war. canonical: https://time.com/6966065/sudan-civil-war-anniversary-essay/ author: TIME article:opinion: true article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2024-04-15T11:00:00.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-19T07:41:38.009Z article:section: Ideas og:title: Reflecting on Sudan's Civil War One Year Later og:description: 8.5 million people have been displaced since the start of Sudan's Civil War. UNHCR's Amel Marhoum on the harrowing first months of war. og:url: https://time.com/6966065/sudan-civil-war-anniversary-essay/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltaf0caf181412dc7a/698a55a9b3fce3a8050cd0b3/sudan-war-displaced-2023.jpg?branch=production&width=1024&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1024 og:image:height: 576 og:image:alt: SUDAN-CONFLICT-DISPLACED og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Reflecting on Sudan's Civil War One Year Later twitter:description: 8.5 million people have been displaced since the start of Sudan's Civil War. UNHCR's Amel Marhoum on the harrowing first months of war. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltaf0caf181412dc7a/698a55a9b3fce3a8050cd0b3/sudan-war-displaced-2023.jpg?branch=production&width=1024&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 video:duration: 02:22 video:published: 2024-04-15 section: world topics: Sudan conflict, humanitarian aid, funding appeal, refugee crisis, displacement, sexual violence, international mediation, civilian protection, democratic transition, United Nations genre: speech, news statement tones: urgent, somber, appealing, resolute emotions: concern (high), urgency (high), sadness (medium), hope (low) sentiment: negative audience: news viewers, humanitarian professionals, policymakers, donors, general public people: Antonio Guterres organizations: United Nations, European Union, France, Germany content_suitability: war [00:07-00:16]; death [00:16-00:24]; sexual content [00:24-00:30]; tragedy [00:30-00:49]; financial distress [01:10-01:30] transcript_source: publisher captions transcript_reviewed: not applicable ---  # Reflecting on Sudan's Civil War One Year Later > Sponsored content. 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It explains how TIME's journalism is made, from the first pitch through the editorial decisions behind a finished story or cover. #### How can I read about how TIME chooses its covers? Inside TIME is the newsletter where TIME's Editor-in-Chief explains cover selection and the editorial reasoning behind major stories. It is free at time.com/newsletters. #### Who is the editor of TIME? Sam Jacobs is TIME's Editor-in-Chief. He writes Inside TIME, a twice-weekly newsletter about the newsroom's reporting and editorial decisions. #### Is Inside TIME free? Yes. Inside TIME is a free newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. A paid TIME subscription is separate and available at time.com/subscribe-agent. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-inside-2026q3/newsletters?i=089537e3-20d3-4ff9-bfc2-6973d46c68e1&cr=time-nl-inside-2026q3-v1) ## Video: U.N. Secretary General Marks One Year Since Sudan’s Civil War [Watch (HLS stream): U.N. Secretary General Marks One Year Since Sudan’s Civil War](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/7Z1EWhWu.m3u8) (2:22)  _Published 2024-04-15. A statement from U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres, released on Monday, appeals for desperately-needed aid._ Description, summary, key points, chapters, key quotes, questions and transcript, where present, were produced automatically from the video or its captions and were not reviewed. ## Summary U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres addresses a conference on Sudan, thanking France, Germany and the European Union for organizing it. He describes the human toll of one year of conflict, including deaths, injuries, sexual violence and mass displacement. He notes that the humanitarian response plan and the regional refugee response plan are both severely underfunded and appeals to donors to contribute. He also calls on all parties to protect civilians, urges effective international mediation and an inclusive political process, and pledges United Nations support. ## Key points - The conflict in Sudan has killed over 14,000 people and injured 33,000 more. (00:11) - Over eight million people have fled their homes, and neighboring countries are increasingly feeling the spillover effects of the conflict. (00:30) - Guterres cites sexual violence against women and girls and the destruction of hospitals and schools as consequences of the conflict. (00:16) - As High Commissioner for Refugees, Guterres witnessed the generosity of people opening their doors to those fleeing conflict and persecution from neighboring countries. (00:54) - The humanitarian response plan for Sudan is only about 6% funded. (01:10) - The 1.4 billion dollar Regional Refugee response plan for the Sudan crisis is only about 7% funded. (01:21) - Guterres calls on all parties to protect civilians and for effective, coordinated international mediation efforts to stop the fighting. (01:34) - He calls for civilian groups, including those representing women and young people, to help lead an inclusive political process to get Sudan's democratic transition back on track. (01:47) ## Chapters - [00:00 to 00:16] Thanks and one year of conflict. Guterres thanks the conference organizers and marks one year since the conflict in Sudan began. - [00:16 to 00:54] Human toll and displacement. He outlines casualties, sexual violence, destroyed institutions, displacement and regional spillover, and says emergency assistance is needed. - [00:54 to 01:30] Appeal to generosity and funding gaps. Recalling his time as High Commissioner for Refugees, he urges donors to give and notes that both response plans are barely funded. - [01:30 to 02:00] Protecting civilians and political process. He calls for donor support, civilian protection, international mediation and an inclusive political process. - [02:00 to 02:22] UN pledge and call for peace. Guterres pledges United Nations support and closes with a call to silence the guns and support the Sudanese people. ## Key quotes - [00:49] Antonio Guterres: "We cannot let this nightmare slides from you." - [01:30] Antonio Guterres: "I appeal to the generosity of donors to step up their" - [02:14] Antonio Guterres: "It's time to support the Sudanese people." - [02:17] Antonio Guterres: "It's time to silence the guns It's Time For Peace in Sudan." ## Questions this video answers - How many people have been killed, injured and displaced in Sudan's conflict according to Guterres? [00:11] - How well funded are the humanitarian response plan and the regional refugee response plan for Sudan? [01:10] - What does Guterres ask donors to do? [01:30] - What does Guterres call for to end the fighting and restore Sudan's democratic transition? [01:44] - Who does Guterres thank for organizing the conference? [00:00] - What commitment does the United Nations make to the effort in Sudan? [02:00] ## Content suitability - war [00:07-00:16]: Describes the outbreak and one-year duration of armed conflict in Sudan. - death [00:16-00:24]: States the conflict has killed over 14,000 people and injured 33,000 more. - sexual content [00:24-00:30]: Mentions sexual violence against women and girls, without graphic detail. - tragedy [00:30-00:49]: Describes mass displacement of over eight million people and destruction of hospitals and schools. - financial distress [01:10-01:30]: Discusses severely underfunded humanitarian and refugee response plans. by [Amel Marhoum](https://time.com/author/amel-marhoum/), [Sara Bedri](https://time.com/author/sara-bedri/) and [Filippo Grandi](https://time.com/author/filippo-grandi/) Apr 15, 2024 11:00 AM UTC 8.5 million people have been displaced since the start of Sudan's Civil War. UNHCR's Amel Marhoum on recounts the first months of war. by [Amel Marhoum](https://time.com/author/amel-marhoum/), [Sara Bedri](https://time.com/author/sara-bedri/) and [Filippo Grandi](https://time.com/author/filippo-grandi/) Apr 15, 2024 11:00 AM UTC _Amel Marhoum works for UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency. Before the war transformed Sudan’s capital, Khartoum, into a battlefield she lived there with her family. Starting on April 15, 2023, during the last days of Ramadan, heavy gunfire and shelling trapped countless families, including her own, in their homes with dwindling supplies of food and water. A year later, every segment of Sudan’s population, from pastoralists in rural areas to the country’s once thriving urban middle-class have been impacted. This is Amel’s reflection on how the war has changed her, her country, and her work._ Before the fighting truly began, there were indications in Sudan that a minor conflict was brewing, but not a full-fledged war.I still feel like it is a dream—or more-so a nightmare. I keep thinking tomorrow I’ll wake up and things will be fine. But things are not fine. April 14, 2023 felt like a normal Ramadan night. We had our _suhoor_(early morning meal before sunrise)and hours later the war erupted. That Saturday morning, April 15, I was sleeping, which tells you just how peaceful and calm the day started out. I was not prepared for what happened next. The sudden sounds of heavy artillery, airstrikes, and shelling were unimaginable. I had never heard sounds like this in my life. As a Liaison Officer at UNHCR, I’m the kind of person who’s quick to react and take action. I could make only a few phone calls to relatives, friends, and colleagues before there was no connection. This was one of the big challenges at the time—not knowing what was happening to people. Equally challenging was helping colleagues find cash, fuel, and buses so they could leave Khartoum. I even remember thinking how much of a miracle it was when the UN convoy arrived at the city of Port Sudan on April 24\. People were scrambling to leave any way they could. A week later, as the most senior national staff member, I was put in charge of UNHCR’s office in Sudan. The phone didn’t stop ringing. We were a team of six, and our role was to help our staff and refugees move out of hotspots to safer zones—a difficult task because, in our area, the shelling was very heavy. My colleagues were terrified. Some needed money to movetheir children to safety, and some were stuck in areas where we couldn’t reach them. Every day, we would wake up and find that our neighbors’ houses were gone, and people were dead. I thought the fighting would last for a week or two, a month maximum, if it even dragged on in the first place. But then there was no food or water, and we were seeing more soldiers in the streets. We reached a point during the fourth week when we really had to leave—and fast. **_Read More:_** [_Sudan’s Dangerous Descent Into Warlordism_](https://time.com/6342732/sudan-burhan-hemedti-descent-warlordism/) ### More from TIME On the road to Madani, 85 miles southeast of Khartoum, I saw only destruction and death. I can never forget this—it’s like a horror film, but it’s one you can’t switch off. At one point, where we were held at gunpoint, saying our last prayers. But then the soldiers let us go. On our journey, we reached the house of a family. We didn’t know them, and they didn’t know us. They insisted we stay with them—they brought us food and made the beds for us. In their house was the first time I felt at peace enough to sleep properly. I set up the UNHCR office in Madani in early May, and then moved to Port Sudan a month later to establish \[another\]. Later I moved to Ethiopia to support UNHCR teams on the border with Sudan to receive arriving refugees. The lives of Sudanese refugees in the countries they’ve fled to are very tough now. Some of us have left without documents. We are without a home, and some have been left with nothing. But as long as there are people who, despite their own worries, are willing to accept us, there is hope. I saw this generosity with the Ethiopian people – their willingness to accommodate Sudanese refugees, despite their own challenges. They opened their borders and accepted us. But it also requires the support of the whole international community and us humanitarian workers. I feel I have aged so much this past year. This experience has changed all of us in Sudan. But I still have hope and confidence—in myself, in my family, in my team, in my work, and above all, in my country. Sudan is a country that has tremendous resources. I believe this generation and future generations can perform miracles with the right support. We can rise again and become better than when we started. This is what keeps me going. —_As told to Sara Bedri_ ## Transcript [00:00] Excellencies ladies and gentlemen, I think France Germany and [00:04] the European Union for organizing this vital conference. [00:07] One year has passed since the outbreak of conflict in Sudan, [00:11] which unleash the catalogue of orders and Nightmare of Bloodshed [00:16] that has killed over 14,000 people and injured 33,000 more sexual [00:24] violence against women and girls distraction the hospital [00:30] schools and anger and displacement with over eight million [00:37] people fleeing their homes and the nightmare for students [00:40] neighbors was increasingly feeling the spillover effect of his [00:44] deadly conflict today off of students people leave the emergency [00:49] assistance. We cannot let this nightmare slides from you. [00:54] When I was high commission for refugees, [00:56] I witnessed in Spanish generosity of the Sudanese people whooping [01:00] their doors in the hearts of those fleeing conflict in persecution [01:04] from neighboring countries today. [01:06] You must summon that same Spirit of giving to leave the age for [01:10] the softening in Sudan and they're Gentiles Caleb page the dew [01:15] point seven billion US Dollars you meditating response plan [01:18] for Sudan is only about 6% [01:21] funded at the same time the 1.4 billion Regional Refugee [01:25] response plan for the sudden crisis is only about 7% [01:30] funded. I appeal to the generosity of donors to step up their [01:34] contributions and support this life-saving efforts also called [01:39] on all parties to protect civilians and insured. [01:44] We are effective and coordinated International mediation [01:47] efforts to stop the fighting and we call for civilian groups [01:51] including those representing women and young people who helped [01:55] lead an inclusive political process to get Sudan's democratic [01:59] transition back on track. [02:00] I pledged the full support of the United Nations my personal [02:05] invoice. Mr. Totally engaged in this effort will work shoulder-to-shoulder [02:11] with all of you to end this nightmare. [02:14] It's time to support the Sudanese people. [02:17] It's time to silence the guns It's Time For Peace in Sudan. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"OpinionNewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/6966065/sudan-civil-war-anniversary-essay/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/6966065/sudan-civil-war-anniversary-essay/"},"headline":"Reflecting on Sudan's Civil War One Year Later","datePublished":"2024-04-15T11:00:00.000Z","dateModified":"2026-10-19T07:41:38.009Z","description":"8.5 million people have been displaced since the start of Sudan's Civil War. 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