Sudan's Mutual Aid Coalition by Tony Lake

Dear Friends and Family,


I am writing (to many of you, again) in support of the brave, mostly young civilians maintaining the local Emergency Response Rooms in Sudan – the worst humanitarian crisis in the world. A Gaza - which is horrible enough in itself – writ still larger. And largely off – camera.

For those of you who contributed earlier, heartfelt thanks and a hope you can do so again. For those of you who have not – please do so. For the human catastrophe there grows ever deeper.

The Civil War in Sudan, now more than two years old, shows no sign of resolution. (It began in April, 2023, when the two generals who overthrew a civilian, democratic process in 2021 then fell out with each other and went to war.) As their two militaries engage in a bloody fight, local militias are gaining power. And outside parties are, if anything, increasing their military and diplomatic support for the contending militaries.

As the conflict becomes ever more complex, diplomatic efforts to find peace have gone nowhere. Indeed, here is a Bloomberg headline on July 30: "US Calls Off Sudan Peace Talks After Post-War Power Dispute."

The political consequences of the civil war are very dangerous for the future of the state of Sudan and for the wider region.

But the human consequences are far worse, as each side commits horrifying war crimes – including the denial of food to populations under the control of the other. As the Sudanese analyst Kholood Khair recently put it, in chilling terms: "Bullets cost money. Starvation does not." (Testimony before the House Subcommittee on Africa, May 22.)

As you read the following statistics, please picture the suffering they quantify. The mother watching her small child die of starvation or from a lack of medical attention. A child watching her mother raped and father murdered – and the expression of indifference on the face of the perpetrator. Too many pictures to imagine.

Some statistics with which to measure the horror: according to an AP report on July 25, based on UN sources: an estimated 40,000 people dead by late this Spring. Thirty million of the living in need of aid. Ten million people displaced. Almost 25 million likely to experience acute food insecurity. More than 12 million women and girls at risk of sexual violence. More than three million children under the age of five at high risk of epidemic disease.

The suffering shows no sign of abating.

In the midst of horror, there is heroism. As Khair put it, "The only thing standing between the people of Sudan and utter (disaster) are the Emergency Response Rooms and other mutual aid groups who have been providing community kitchens, free clinics, child-friendly spaces, post-rape care and evacuation support since the first few days of the war."

A principal form of support for the ERRs came from USAID. Until recently, of course. Tragic.

So private support for their coordinating body, through which AID's support also flowed, is all the more, literally, vital.

And in addition to saving lives, these often young Sudanese volunteers in the ERRs offer hope for the political future of Sudan. It was patriotic members of Sudan's civil society like these who led the demonstrations that stimulated the overthrow of the dictatorial Bashir regime in 2019. While saving lives, we can also give life to hopes for a Sudan that lives in a democratic peace.

So please, could you make a tax deductible contribution to the Mutual Aid Sudan Coalition, an umbrella organization that USAID helped establish, which will then distribute the funds to the ERRs. You can do so through Proximity 2 Humanity, a 501 C 3 charity in North Carolina, with a very small staff/overhead, which is facilitating this and other efforts to support our heroes in Sudan. You can make out a check to Proximity 2 Humanity, with a note on the check that it is for the Mutual Aid Sudan Coalition. Their address is: Proximity 2 Humanity, 415 N 2nd Street, Albemarle, NC 28001. Or you can use a credit card at https://www.mutualaidsudan.org/donate.

Thank you so very much,

Tony










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