At least 8,000 people were reported missing in Sudan in 2024, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) revealed Wednesday.
Daniel O’Malley, head of the ICRC delegation in Sudan, warned this figure is only a fraction of the true toll of disappearances.
“These are just the cases we have collected directly,” he told AFP, calling it “the tip of the iceberg.”
Now entering its third year, Sudan’s war has killed tens of thousands and displaced 13 million, igniting what the UN calls the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.
The conflict pits general Abdel Fattah al-Burhan’s army against his former deputy, Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, who leads the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
Darfur, long plagued by violence, is once again a battlefield; over 400 people were recently killed in attacks on El-Fasher and nearby displacement camps.
O’Malley stressed the urgent need for safe corridors to allow civilians to flee ongoing violence in Darfur’s last army-held city.
The ICRC is also training Sudanese forensic teams to identify remains and ensure dignified burials, even years after deaths occur.
“For families, not knowing what happened is an open wound that outlasts the war,” O’Malley said.
He also condemned rampant sexual violence, describing the number of cases as higher than seen in other conflicts.
Victims include women, children, and men, with long-term trauma expected even if peace is restored.
O’Malley expressed concern over U.S. aid cuts, which have crippled grassroots Sudanese groups supporting survivors on the ground.
“These organizations are the first responders,” he said. “Without them, there’s no safety net.”
