Understanding the U.S. State Department’s genocide determination in Sudan

In another grim turn of events, the U.S. State Department has declared that certain atrocities in Sudan meet the threshold of the crime of genocide. We break down what this means, dispel common misconceptions, and examine what happens next.

•••••

On January 7, 2025, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken issued a statement saying that, based on available information, “members of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and allied militias have committed genocide in Sudan.”

A quick recap for those who are new to this situation. Sudan is the world’s largest human rights and humanitarian catastrophes. Since April 2023, a war for power between the army and a powerful militia called the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has unleashed a wave of violence so extreme that some regions of the country are becoming uninhabitable. Mass atrocities, gross human rights violations, and manmade famine have forcibly displaced more than 15 million people.

Khartoum is mostly destroyed, as are countless towns and villages the war has blasted through. Famine is spreading and over half the country is in dire need of humanitarian assistance. The death toll is unknown. Some estimates earlier this year were already surging past 150,000 Sudanese killed.

It has been clear from the outset that this war is much more than a power struggle between the army and RSF. It is also a war on the Sudanese people. Both sides have committed large-scale war crimes, with the RSF targeting entire minority ethnic groups for annihilation. Discerning why is critical to understanding the State Department’s genocide determination.

The Rapid Support Forces, briefly explained

The RSF emerged from the 2000s Darfur genocide. The then Bashir regime had long oppressed minority ethnic African tribes in this western region and by the early 2000s was facing an armed uprising. Sudan’s army was failing to put down the rebellion, so the regime began to recruit large numbers of militiamen from Darfur’s Arab tribes. These militias were called janjaweed, which loosely means devil on horseback. The janjaweed proved to be a ruthless killing machine against African tribes such as the Zaghawa, Fur, and Masalit.

In 2013, the regime rebranded the janjaweed as the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and began outfitting the paramilitaries with better equipment. Horses were traded in for modified SUVs with mounted machine guns. AK47s were supplemented with artillery, rocket-propelled grenades, anti-aircraft guns, and drones. The RSF has grown in size, strength, and wealth ever since, both with direct support from Khartoum and by using stolen land and expanding territorial reach to mine gold and more.

Map by Operation Broken Silence

A large portion of the RSF adheres to an extremely racist, Arab-supremacist ideology. The belief system holds that Darfur’s historic ethnic African minorities must be cleansed from the region and all other Sudanese Arabs are inferior. As a result and as the RSF has spread into other parts of Sudan during this war, they have executed captured army soldiers and civilians while raping and pillaging countless communities they deem ethnically inferior or disloyal.

For months, traumatized refugees streaming out of Sudan —especially from the Darfur provinces— have shared stories of RSF fighters systematically murdering men, boys, and male infants belonging to ethnic African minorities. The paramilitaries have deliberately raped and assaulted women and girls from these same ethnic groups on a shocking scale, as well as blocked humanitarian aid to those unable to flee. One particularly brutal example took place from April to June of 2023, when RSF fighters slaughtered ethnically African Masalit civilians in El Geneina and the surrounding areas in West Darfur. As the United Nations noted roughly a year ago:

“RSF and allied militia deliberately targeted civilian neighbourhoods, IDP gathering sites, and IDP camps, schools, mosques, and hospitals, while looting homes, INGOs and UN compounds. Furthermore, they deliberately rendered useless water pumps that were vital for the survival of the community. RSF and allied militia deliberately targeted Masalit community…”

Understanding genocide for what it is

The term genocide is often misunderstood and misused. Being a globally recognized phenomenon that can be prosecuted in international and domestic courts, genocide must be understand as a legal term that requires a very high threshold of evidence.

Genocide is an internationally-recognized crime where acts are committed with the intent to destroy —in whole or in part— a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group. These acts fall into five categories:

1. Killing members of the group

2. Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group

3. Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part

4. Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group

5. Forcibly transferring children of the group to another group

The phrase with the intent to destroy means it is not enough to point to mass killing as proof of genocide. Determinations from reputable institutions —such as the State Department— are rare for this reason: there must be hard evidence of the perpetrators’ intent to destroy, in whole or in part, one of the listed types of groups through at least one of the above actions.

Hard evidence could include signed military orders, kill lists being distributed, or documentation of armed mobilization. Specific language by the perpetrators directing troops to ethnically “cleanse” an area, hate speech by those carrying out the killings, or destroying infrastructure that makes life possible can play a role in proving intent as well. These examples are not exhaustive. Most perpetrators try to hide and cover up their intent and crimes, making investigations more difficult. As such, proving genocidal intent can be very difficult.

Left: RSF fighters battle army and anti-RSF forces in North Darfur. Right: Residents of the Abu Zirga area of North Darfur prepare to bury more than 50 of their friends and relatives following a horrific massacre perpetrated by the RSF in mid-December.

This is what makes the State Department’s genocide determination in Sudan a serious development. There are no signs this designation was made lightly. It strongly suggests that the U.S. government has hard evidence of both RSF intent and acts of genocide committed. There has been a lot of smoke for months suggesting a genocide. Now Secretary of State Blinken is more or less saying they’ve found the fire:

“The RSF and RSF-aligned militias have continued to direct attacks against civilians.  The RSF and allied militias have systematically murdered men and boys—even infants—on an ethnic basis, and deliberately targeted women and girls from certain ethnic groups for rape and other forms of brutal sexual violence.  Those same militias have targeted fleeing civilians, murdering innocent people escaping conflict, and prevented remaining civilians from accessing lifesaving supplies.  Based on this information, I have now concluded that members of the RSF and allied militias have committed genocide in Sudan.”

What happens now?

There tends to be a misguided belief in the general public that using the word genocide will immediately trigger rapid policy changes and a massive global response. History suggests this is rarely the case anywhere in the world, especially in Sudan. The international community has struggled to beef up its response these past 20 months and there’s no evidence the State Department’s genocide determination will change that. A lack of accountability for war criminals in the past is a major driver of RSF crimes today. This determination lays real groundwork for world leaders to act more decisively, but they still must choose to do so.

It is unknown what action, if any, the incoming Trump administration will take with regards to Sudan. Continuing the Biden administration’s approach these past several months should be the bare minimum. Efforts are underway to communicate this need; but, ultimately, Trump’s foreign policy officials will have to decide to make the plight of the Sudanese people a priority day in and day out. Time will tell if they have the political will to do so.

For globally-minded citizens, arguing over what constitutes a genocide or using this determination to draw attention to other international crises should be avoided. Such language runs the high risk of making people feel involved and helpful when, in reality, all that’s being done is removing needed attention from victims and survivors for mere intellectual debate. As one of our Sudanese friends said years ago, “Call it a genocide or not, the militia is still going to kill my family.” And what is happening in Sudan is far too serious to be used as a prop. This moment clarifies the terror the Sudanese people are facing. The focus should remain on them.

As for us, we must continue providing direct support to Sudanese aid workers, healthcare professionals, and teachers and advocating for world leaders to become more engaged in Sudan. Both must be done simultaneously. Please join us to that end.

We’re a nonprofit organization with over a decade of experience working alongside Sudanese heroes. Together we are making the story of Sudan known and supporting survivors as they fight to build a renewed Sudan. Our Sudanese partners are overwhelmed with needs as the war spreads and hunger deepens. By joining Miles For Sudan or giving below, you will help them serve the most vulnerable in this time of tremendous need.

$1,000 - Fully funds one classroom at Endure Primary School in Yida Refugee Camp for half a semester.

$500 - Delivers food to Darfuri genocide survivors who have fled to South Sudan.

$250 - Provides a daily breakfast to 10 children for an entire month in Adré refugee camp, where many Darfuri genocide survivors now live.

$100 - Supports the monthly work of a sexual assault counselor in Zamzam displacement camp in North Darfur, Sudan.

$50 - Helps bring school supplies Yida to students in Yida Refugee Camp.

Checks can be made payable to Operation Broken Silence and mailed to PO Box 770900 Memphis, TN 38177-0900. You can also donate stock or crypto.

Operation Broken Silence a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Donations are tax-deductible within the guidelines of U.S. law. Our EIN is 80-0671198.

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• In another grim turn of events, the U.S. State Department has declared that certain atrocities in Sudan meet the threshold of the crime of genocide. We break down what this means, dispel common misconceptions, and examine what happens next. https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/understanding-the-us-state-departments-genocide-determination-in-sudan

• On January 7, 2025, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken issued a statement saying that, based on available information, members of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and allied militias “have committed genocide in Sudan.” https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/understanding-the-us-state-departments-genocide-determination-in-sudan

• Since April 2023, a war for power between Sudan’s national army and a powerful militia called the Rapid Support Forces has unleashed a wave of extreme violence. Now the State Department says genocide has been committed. https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/understanding-the-us-state-departments-genocide-determination-in-sudan

Letter to Congress and the Trump Administration regarding ICC sanctions

Photo from Canva Pro

Operation Broken Silence is joining 75 organizations in expressing grave concerns and to unequivocally oppose the use of the sanctions authority of the United States to cripple the International Criminal Court (ICC), an independent judicial institution dedicated to combating impunity for the gravest crimes known to humanity.

What does this mean?

Recent reports suggest the new Congress will include sanctions against the ICC in its first legislative action, the House Rules Package. The future of that legislation is uncertain, but the incoming Trump Administration has also given indications of sanctions through the threat of Executive Orders.

The ICC performs a critical role by investigating the worst international crimes and those accused of committing them. It does so in a manner that protects the due process rights of the accused, the sovereignty of states —including the United States— and the rights of victims. Supporting the work of the Court is in the interest of the United States, while sanctioning it undermines core aspects of American foreign policy.

Known as the world’s “court of last resort,” the ICC has already been recognized as playing a positive role in previous bipartisan support for investigations into war crimes allegedly perpetrated by Russian officials in Ukraine, attempts to bring justice for victims of human rights violations in Myanmar, and as a pathway to accountability for perpetrators of atrocities in Sudan.

Sudan is currently home to the world’s largest human rights and humanitarian catastrophe. Since April 2023, extreme violence between the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has all but destroyed the country. Mass atrocities, gross human rights violations, and manmade famine have forcibly displaced more than 15 million people. There is mounting evidence that the RSF has committed crimes that meet the high legal threshold of genocide. Over half the country is in desperate need of humanitarian assistance, with a handful of areas having descended into full-blown famine months ago.

The United Nations Security Council referred the situation in Darfur, Sudan to the ICC in March 2005. The Court exercises jurisdiction over such crimes committed in western Sudan since July 1, 2002. As we have previously noted, the ICC’s investigations in Sudan not only remain ongoing, but stands to benefit from closer cooperation with the U.S. government. The State Department’s recent genocide determination suggests the U.S. government has hard evidence of atrocity crimes that could greatly assist the Court.

U.S. sanctions tools designed to penalize gross violators of human rights should not be used to contribute to their continued impunity. Sanctions send a signal that could embolden authoritarian regimes and others with reason to fear accountability who seek to evade justice. It is essential that the United States answer any allegation of wrongdoing in a manner that does not betray the cause of global justice, abandon international cooperation, or compromise support for human dignity and rights.

Get Involved

We’re a nonprofit organization with over a decade of experience working alongside Sudanese heroes. Together we are making the story of Sudan known and supporting survivors as they build a renewed Sudan from the ground up. And we need your help.

Our Sudanese partners are overwhelmed with needs as the war spreads and hunger deepens. Your generosity will help them serve the most vulnerable in this time of tremendous need.

Checks can be made payable to Operation Broken Silence and mailed to PO Box 770900 Memphis, TN 38177-0900.

Join Miles For Sudan | Donate Stock or Crypto

Operation Broken Silence a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Donations are tax-deductible within the guidelines of U.S. law. Our EIN is 80-0671198.

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• Operation Broken Silence is joining 75 organizations in expressing grave concerns and to unequivocally oppose the use of the sanctions authority of the United States to cripple the International Criminal Court (ICC). https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/letter-to-congress-and-the-trump-administration-regarding-icc-sanctions

• Reports suggest the new Congress will include sanctions against the ICC in its first legislative action. The incoming Trump Administration has also given indications of sanctions through the threat of Executive Orders. https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/letter-to-congress-and-the-trump-administration-regarding-icc-sanctions

• U.S. sanctions tools designed to penalize gross violators of human rights should not be used to contribute to their continued impunity. https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/letter-to-congress-and-the-trump-administration-regarding-icc-sanctions

Reflecting on 2024 and looking ahead

Friends and supporters,

There is much to consider as another year comes to a close; but, first, I want to express my gratitude and pass along a warm thank you from our Sudanese partners. Thank you for standing with us through another difficult year. Here are just a few highlights:

Childhood Education in Yida Refugee Camp. Attendance at the Endure Primary and Renewal Secondary Schools in Yida Refugee Camp climbed to 838 students by year’s end. 68 primary students and 72 secondary students recently took their national exams, with results expected in late January. Another 200 Nuba students from other schools in Yida received testing prep support from our schools as well.

Healthcare and food relief in Adré refugee camps. Many survivors of war crimes in Darfur have fled into the border town of Adré in eastern Chad. With the help of a small, but growing group of generous donors, you helped fund local Darfuri healthcare workers who are running a daily children’s feeding program that provides breakfast to over 600 children and a medical clinic serving over 150 of the most vulnerable people every day.

Miles For Sudan. 58 of you have already signed up for our global campaign that helps runners, walkers, and cyclists support Sudanese heroes who are saving and changing lives. And we couldn’t have launched Miles For Sudan without a talented group of people here in Memphis either, many of whom volunteered their time and resources to make it happen!

American advocacy. We signed a number of organizational and expert letters and advocated for better U.S. policy toward Sudan. This included, but is not limited to: a letter to the Justice Department regarding the U.S. government supporting the International Criminal Court’s investigation in Sudan, a letter to President Joe Biden urging his administration to take action on the unfolding genocide emergency in El Fasher, and a letter to the presumptive 72nd Secretary of State Marco Rubio to make Sudan a priority in the next administration. We also provided requested guidance to small groups of new grassroots activists for their meetings with Congressional offices, as well as advocated in our own private communication with Congressional staffers. American policy improved throughout the year, in part because of efforts like these.

This is just a snapshot of what you helped us accomplish in 2024. Thank you; none of this would have been possible without your engagement!

The challenges we faced

While there is much to celebrate, 2024 was still a very difficult year. The war and famine imposed a number of security and resource challenges for all of our Sudanese partners. Even in areas not impacted directly by violence, prices on everything from school supplies to food to medicines have skyrocketed. Sudan’s war economy is surging across borders as needs soar. Many of the Sudanese heroes we support saw more suffering this year than ever before. It’s a heavy burden not being able to help every time they see a need.

The fundraising hurdles we’ve faced since 2020 continued easing slowly throughout the year. Overblown fears of a major economic recession in the United States again failed to come to fruition as inflation receded, leading to a trickle of new supporters. Sadly, many journalists remained disproportionately focused on the Israel/Gaza crisis to the detriment of the Sudanese people, which played a key role in preventing many potential donors from finding Sudan-related causes.

Similar to our Sudanese partners, we faced these challenges head on as best we could. Our delivering news and basic analysis helped bring new faces into our movement, including more supporters who live outside of the United States than ever before. Membership in The Renewal monthly giving family grew slightly, as did the number of supporters who started a fundraising page for the first time.

Looking ahead to 2025

Sudan ends the year on the brink of becoming a failed state. Armed conflict is intensifying as the army and Rapid Support Forces (RSF) target civilians, the former out of paranoia at the mere perception of disloyalty and the latter along ethnic lines. Famine is far from over. And it’s unclear what action, if any, the incoming Trump administration will take with regard to the crisis in Sudan. Making specific predictions about what lies ahead seems unwise, but here is what you can expect from us in 2025:

1. A new mission statement. Much has changed in Sudan and how we go about our work since this was last updated in 2017. Our new mission statement will better indicate who we are and what we do, while better reflecting our small size as a nonprofit.

2. More news and analysis. 2024 once again showed us that when people become aware of the tragedy unfolding in Sudan, they respond with tangible action. New supporters who showed up on our doorstep throughout the year remarked that they found us because we are providing more and better information on Sudan than major media outlets. We will continue bringing you the latest developments to keep you informed and so you can help others get involved.

3. Emphasizing what is good and effective. We’ll remain laser-focused on bringing more funding to bear for our Sudanese partners, as well as highlighting the best ways you can be a part of that. I encourage you to sign up for our email list if you haven’t already. This is the best way to make sure you are always in the loop.

Make Your Last Gift of 2024

While this year has brought unprecedented suffering, we've also witnessed the incredible resilience and compassion of the Sudanese heroes we partner with. We invite you to make one last gift in 2024 to Sudanese teachers, aid workers, and healthcare professionals.

Checks can be made payable to Operation Broken Silence and mailed to PO Box 770900 Memphis, TN 38177-0900.

If you aren’t in a position to give, we encourage you to join Miles For Sudan.

Operation Broken Silence a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Donations are tax-deductible within the guidelines of U.S. law. Our EIN is 80-0671198.

Thank you again for standing with our friends in Sudan this year. A long road and a lot of work lies ahead; but, together, we can help Sudanese heroes continue to change lives for the better. We all wish you a joyous and healthy New Year.

Onward,

Mark C. Hackett

Executive Director

obsilence.org

Biden administration makes final Sudan push

U.S. policy concerning Sudan intensified throughout 2024. Now it may end with a bang.

•••••

American diplomats seem determined to make the most of the Biden administration’s twilight days on the world stage, including considering plans to declare that specific atrocities in Sudan meet the high legal threshold of the crime of genocide, issuing a wave of new sanctions, and more.

A quick recap for those who are new to the situation in Sudan. For 20 long months, Sudan’s national army and a genocidal militia called the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have torn Sudan to shreds in a brutal war for control of the country. Now the world’s largest humanitarian and displacement crises for roughly a year, the plight of the Sudanese people is still largely being ignored by many world leaders and journalists. Khartoum is mostly destroyed, as are countless towns and villages the war has blasted through, or that the RSF has massacred. Multiple areas of Sudan descended into famine months ago. The death toll is unknown, but some estimates earlier this year were already surging past 150,000 Sudanese killed.

The United States has mobilized more countries and international institutions throughout 2024 in a concerted effort to end the war and pry open humanitarian access, making some limited progress concerning the latter these past few months especially. Still, nearly half of all humanitarian aid provided to the Sudanese people this year came from the United States.

With the Biden administration in its final weeks, senior U.S. officials are now racing to lock in whatever progress they can. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with the United Nations Security Council on December 19, where he said:

“So to the foreign sponsors sending drones, missiles, mercenaries – enough. To those profiting off the illicit oil and gold trade that fund this conflict – enough. Use your resources to ease Sudanese suffering, not deepen it. Use your influence to end the war, not perpetuate it. Don’t just claim to be concerned about Sudan’s future, prove it.”

When asked in a recent interview what the American focus will be the next few weeks, U.S. Special Envoy Tom Perriello added:

“Well, one of the things that Secretary Blinken made clear today at the United Nations is that we're going to use every second we've got, and we've got some momentum. We're in the fifth straight month of breaking the largest humanitarian embargo in the world, but we have so much more to do. We've seen four times more food and medicine moving into Sudan than we saw just a few months ago, and each one of those is food and medicine reaching a mother or a child that's been malnourished for months in places like Zamzam camp or Kadugli in South Kordofan. We're getting the convoys moving, including the first convoy into parts of southern Khartoum since the war began almost two years ago. So, we have got to lock in those humanitarian gains that are saving lives. But ultimately, we've got to move towards a ceasefire, even a temporary ceasefire, from the parties, to give some relief to the horrific conditions that millions of Sudanese people are facing.”

The Biden administration also seems to be considering taking more serious steps. Speaking to Politico, four current and former American officials said the administration is “weighing plans to declare the atrocities in Sudan as a genocide and issue a raft of new sanctions” on the RSF. This includes sanctions on lead RSF general Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo —aka “Hemeti”— and other RSF enterprises that are propping the militia up. The Biden team is also being pressured from the outside to appoint a senior USAID official to oversee the international aid effort to Sudan heading in to the Trump administration.

While a genocide declaration would be a major step, it’s unclear exactly how this would change the status quo in the short term. There is often a misguided belief in the general public that using the word genocide immediately triggers rapid policy changes and a massive global response. History suggests this is rarely the case. Still, if the State Department has significant evidence that RSF crimes reach the legal threshold of genocide —and evidence does seem to exist— then that determination should be announced now and additional efforts should be made to further document crimes being committed for future prosecutions. A lack of accountability in the past is a major driver of the current war. This cycle needs to be broken.

It is unknown what action, if any, the incoming Trump administration will take with regard to the crisis in Sudan. Continuing the Biden team’s approach these past several months should be the bare minimum and efforts are underway to communicate that; but, ultimately, Trump’s foreign policy officials will have to decide to make the plight of the Sudanese people a priority day in and day out. Time will tell if they have the political will to do so. Until then, we must continue doing everything we can to help local heroes on the ground save lives.

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Make Your Last Gift of 2024

This year in Sudan has been both challenging and inspiring. While the war has brought unprecedented suffering, we've also witnessed the incredible resilience and compassion of the Sudanese heroes we partner with.

As 2024 comes to a close, we invite you to make one last gift to Sudanese teachers, aid workers, and healthcare professionals. Checks can be made payable to Operation Broken Silence and mailed to PO Box 770900 Memphis, TN 38177-0900.

Operation Broken Silence a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Donations are tax-deductible within the guidelines of U.S. law. Our EIN is 80-0671198.

Shareables

Short statements you can share online and with others. Simply copy and paste.

• Share Our Posts: Instagram | Threads | Facebook | LinkedIn | Reddit

• American diplomats seem determined to make the most of the Biden administration’s twilight days on the world stage, including weighing plans to declare that specific atrocities in Sudan meet the high legal threshold of the crime of genocide: https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/biden-administration-makes-final-sudan-push

• It is unknown what action, if any, the incoming Trump administration will take with regard to the crisis in Sudan. Continuing the Biden team’s approach these past several months should be the bare minimum. https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/biden-administration-makes-final-sudan-push

• Throughout 2024, the United States mobilized more countries and international institutions in a concerted effort to end the war and pry open humanitarian access to hard-hit areas, making some limited progress concerning the latter these past few months. https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/biden-administration-makes-final-sudan-push

Nuba Education Update - December 2024

Program Background

Operation Broken Silence is the only nonprofit in the world consistently supporting childhood education in Yida Refugee Camp, just south of Sudan’s historically-oppressed Nuba Mountains. We began funding four Sudanese teachers here in 2015 who were giving lessons underneath a tree with a half-broken chalkboard. Over the years and with your support, this determined effort has grown into the Endure Primary and Renewal Secondary Schools:

• 22 Nuba teachers and 4 support staff

• 838 students in total attendance - Endure Primary (380 boys/168 girls) and Renewal Secondary (174 boys/116 girls)

Over 11,000 children have been served to date between these two schools. Students at Endure Primary regularly have some of the top-performing standardized testing scores in the region. Renewal Secondary is the only fully-functioning high school in Yida.

Our teachers also assist with a national exam prep program for primary students in Yida, occasionally deliver a limited amount of supplies to a handful of other schools, and assist with teaching at the only other secondary school in the camp.

All of this is possible because of the resilience of the Nuba people partnered with the generosity of people like you. The teachers and students work hard every day with encouragement from local families and rely on funding we provide to continue doing so.

Map by Operation Broken Silence

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Recent Updates

Endure Primary & Renewal Secondary. Life at the schools continues largely uninterrupted despite the war and famine in Sudan, as well as the massive education crisis from so many Sudanese schools being closed. Attendance rose throughout the year as new refugees from the Nuba Mountains to as far away as Khartoum arrived in Yida, ending with a high of 838 students by year’s end.

68 students at Endure Primary and 72 students at Renewal Secondary recently took their national exams, with results expected in late January. Last year we celebrated a record 43 of the 45 students pass the primary national exam. The teachers and students are hopeful for similar results this year.

Wall and roofing repairs are currently needed in 5 classrooms following seasonal rains. Most materials to do so, including tarps and roofing, are largely depleted after being pulled from storage over the past 18 months. With attendance rising the schools also need two more latrines built. We need to raise an additional $9,000 by the end of the year to get facilities ready for the new semester at the end of January.

Supplementary Education Support. Endure Primary School continues serving as a national exam preparation facility for primary students in Yida. This supplementary program positively impacted just over 200 additional students this exam cycle!

Vision Secondary, the only other high school in Yida, made it through another year with help from our teachers. The school was founded several years ago with pledges of support from outside nonprofits and churches, none of which materialized. The teachers at Vision are mostly untrained, so a handful of our teachers have been helping teach specific courses and provide general guidance.

Our Nuba education partner made a limited delivery of school supplies to Yida’s other schools this year, all of which operate with no consistent outside support. Shortages of chalk, paper, pencils and notebooks continue to disrupt the quality of education that can be provided in Yida.

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Amira’s Story

Amira’s family came to Yida a little over a year ago from the Nuba Mountains. She says:

“We came because the war has made life more expensive and hard. We were safe in our village; there was no fighting, but food was hard to find with so many people coming from other places seeking safety.”

Their family has fared better in Yida, although access to clean water is still difficult and food is not always readily available. But having a safe, better-resourced school to go to has made a big difference for Amira.

“I made friends here fast. The teachers are very good but we don’t have enough school supplies. We are thankful for what we have. Many schools in Sudan are closed because of war. Thank you.”

Amira’s family hopes to return to the Nuba Mountains when there is peace and better living conditions. Until then she comes to school every day, knowing it’s the best thing she can do right now.

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How war is impacting life at the schools

20 months of devastating war between the army and Rapid Support Forces has decimated Sudan’s schools. Local officials estimate over 900,000 Sudanese have fled into the Nuba Mountains as war and famine have spread, placing significant strains on the fragile region. Sporadic fighting on the western and northern frontlines in Nuba throughout the year has further exacerbated needs.

Yida remains an oasis of calm, but this crisis casts a dark shadow as costs rise. Teachers and families are war-weary and frustrated that the world is still largely looking away from their country’s plight. For the schools though, funding remains the largest obstacle. Rapidly rising costs and a grueling international fundraising environment left them with only 60% of the funding they needed this year to provide a more holistic experience to students.

If violence does erupt on a larger scale or humanitarian conditions worsen further across the border, larger refugee flows into Yida will begin. More children will need to rely on our schools and the supplementary assistance we provide. Right now, we don’t have the resources to mount an adequate response for this scenario. Internationally-minded donors are still struggling to comprehend the massive humanitarian and education needs in Sudan, as major media outlets fail to cover consistently the largest and most severe humanitarian emergency in the world. Our awareness efforts are bringing more attention and funding to bear, but not nearly enough to keep up.

Despite these challenges though, the work being done by these brave teachers and students continues on. Everything is more expensive and difficult than it was 20 months ago; but, with your help, the lives of children —Sudan’s future hope— can still be changed for the better. We invite you to join us in supporting these amazing people to that end.

The teachers in Yida we support are a small bulwark against the massive education crisis Sudanese teachers and kids face. With so many schools across the country closed and too few classrooms in refugee camps, our schools are more critical than ever. Your generosity can make the difference now and help the teachers prepare for whatever lies ahead.

$9,000: Cover the costs of all needed classroom repairs before the next semester.

$5,000: Fund an entire classroom at Endure Primary for an entire year.

$2,000: Support one teacher for an entire year.

$1,000: Support one teacher for an entire semester.

$500: Help deliver new chalkboards to classrooms.

$250: Provide pencils, notebooks and other supplies to 40 students.

$100: Give soccer balls and other sporting equipment to students.

Join Miles For Sudan | Donate Stock or Crypto

Checks can be made payable to Operation Broken Silence with Education written in the memo line and mailed to PO Box 770900 Memphis, TN 38177-0900.

Operation Broken Silence is a registered 501(c)(3) organization. Your donations are tax-deductible within the guidelines of U.S. law.

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• Operation Broken Silence is the only nonprofit in the world consistently supporting childhood education in Yida Refugee Camp, just south of Sudan’s historically-oppressed Nuba Mountains. They rely on supporters like you to continue doing so. https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/nuba-education-update-december-2024

• Rapidly rising costs and a grueling international fundraising environment left our schools in Yida with only 60% of the funding they needed this year to provide a more holistic experience to students. https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/nuba-education-update-december-2024

• Sudan is home to the largest and most dangerous humanitarian emergency, far outpacing every other crisis in the world. The county is also home the largest children’s education crisis as most schools are closed. Here’s one way to help: https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/nuba-education-update-december-2024

• Teachers in Yida are a small bulwark against the massive education crisis Sudanese kids face. Your generosity can make the difference now and help the teachers prepare for what lies ahead. https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/nuba-education-update-december-2024

Letter to Senator Rubio concerning making Sudan a priority in the next administration

Operation Broken Silence is joining 30 organizations in encouraging Senator Marco Rubio, the presumptive 72nd Secretary of State, to ensure Sudan is a top priority for the incoming Trump Administration’s foreign policy.

What does this mean and why does it matter?

Sudan is home to the largest and most dangerous humanitarian emergency, far outpacing every other crisis in the world. Since April 2023, fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has wreaked havoc on the Sudanese people. Mass atrocities, gross human rights violations, food insecurity, and climate-related disasters have forcibly displaced more than 11 million people from their homes. More than half the country is in desperate need of humanitarian assistance, with a handful of areas already experiencing famine.

In the aftermath of the 2019 revolution, Senator Rubio led a bipartisan resolution expressing support for the transition to a civilian-led government in Sudan. Over the course of 2024, the Biden Administration has made Sudan a higher priority, which has led to some improvements in humanitarian access and more serious efforts to secure a ceasefire.

Our hope is that if Senator Rubio is confirmed as Secretary of State, he will use his longstanding focus and experience with Sudan to make ending the war and reducing humanitarian needs a top priority in the administration. The United States must play its traditional role of international mobilizer when it comes to saving lives in Sudan.

Make Your Last Gift of 2024

This year in Sudan has been both challenging and inspiring. While the war has brought unprecedented suffering, we've also witnessed the incredible resilience and compassion of our Sudanese partners.

As 2024 comes to a close, we invite you to make one last gift to Sudanese teachers, aid workers, and healthcare professionals. Checks can be made payable to Operation Broken Silence and mailed to PO Box 770900 Memphis, TN 38177-0900.

Operation Broken Silence a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Donations are tax-deductible within the guidelines of U.S. law. Our EIN is 80-0671198.

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• Share Our Posts: Instagram | Threads | Facebook | LinkedIn | Reddit

• Operation Broken Silence is joining 30 organizations in encouraging Senator Marco Rubio, the presumptive 72nd Secretary of State, to ensure Sudan is a top priority for the incoming U.S. administration’s foreign policy: https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/letter-to-senator-rubio-concerning-making-sudan-a-priority-in-the-next-administration

• Since April 2023, fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has wreaked havoc on the Sudanese people. https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/letter-to-senator-rubio-concerning-making-sudan-a-priority-in-the-next-administration

• In the aftermath of the 2019 revolution, Senator Rubio led a bipartisan resolution expressing support for the transition to a civilian-led government in Sudan. https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/letter-to-senator-rubio-concerning-making-sudan-a-priority-in-the-next-administration