Sudan’s prolonged humanitarian crisis illustrates the deadly consequences when international law is ignored, a European commissioner warned Friday.
Speaking at the EU Ambassadors’ Conference 2026, Commissioner Hadja Lahbib said the conflict has lasted over 1,000 days, leaving millions displaced and essential services collapsing.
“Humanitarian access is blocked as a tactic of war, while civilians suffer the consequences of deliberate obstruction,” she said, calling the situation catastrophic.
Lahbib stressed that international humanitarian law remains the strongest shield to protect civilians, but its importance extends far beyond battlefield safety.
“Violations ripple across societies, fueling displacement, instability, and the risk of failed states,” she said, linking human suffering to broader threats to global security.
She called defending humanitarian law a moral duty, legal obligation, and strategic necessity, underscoring the responsibility of governments worldwide.
Lahbib cited more than 130 ongoing conflicts where violations are widespread, painting scenes of children starving, hospitals destroyed, and funerals for aid workers.
