Letter to Secretary Rubio urging U.S. to prioritize protection, aid, and peace in Sudan

Secretary of State Marco Rubio (U.S. State Department)

Operation Broken Silence is joining over 30 organizations, Sudanese civic leaders, and experts in urging the United States to prioritize civilian protection, emergency humanitarian aid, and a real peace deal for the Sudanese people. 

Sudan is home to the world’s largest humanitarian catastrophe. After more than two years of brutal warfare between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the country is collapsing. Neighborhoods in Khartoum lie in ruins. In Darfur, entire communities have already been wiped out by RSF-led violence. Families are fleeing with nothing but the clothes on their backs. Famine is spreading, and access to basic healthcare is disappearing.

Our letter welcomes Secretary Rubio’s recent statements on Sudan and his commitment to appointing a Special Envoy, but words alone aren’t enough. Sudanese civilians need protection, lifesaving aid, and an inclusive peace process led by the people, not the warlords who have torn the country apart.

On July 20, a high-level meeting on Sudan is set to take place between the United States, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates—an informal group often called the Quad. While this is a needed step, it reflects a troubling dynamic shaping any future progress: one where peace talks are driven by geopolitical interests, not by the voices and needs of the Sudanese people.

For example, independent investigations by human rights organizations, journalists, and a United Nations panel have concluded that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is providing weapons and other support to the RSF. In January, members of Congress also confirmed that the UAE is actively engaged in fueling this crisis. Then Secretary of State-designate Marco Rubio also noted the UAE is “openly supporting” the RSF, which has committed widespread atrocities throughout the conflict, including war crimes and the horrific use of sexual violence.

It’s possible a ceasefire can be secured with help from the Quad —and one would be welcomed— but lasting peace can be neither transactional nor secured by Sudan’s warring parties. Lasting progress in Sudan will only be rooted in justice and accountability. With nearly 15 million people displaced and well over half of the country in desperate need of food and medicine, it is more critical than ever that the U.S. exert its influence with urgency and in ways appropriate that meet this moment for what it actually is.

Get Involved

Operation Broken Silence is dedicated to Sudanese communities, cultivating resilience and driving meaningful change through crowdfunded programs. Our Sudanese partners are overwhelmed with needs as war and hunger spread. By joining our global campaign Miles For Sudan or giving below, you will help them serve the most vulnerable in this time of tremendous need.

Can’t participate? Make a donation or set up a small monthly gift instead:

$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 a sexual assault counselor in the Greater El Fasher area of North Darfur.

$50 - Helps bring school supplies 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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Short statements you can share online and with others. Simply copy and paste.

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• Operation Broken Silence is joining 34 organizations, Sudanese civic leaders, and experts in urging the United States to prioritize civilian protection, emergency humanitarian aid, and a real peace deal for the people of Sudan.  https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/letter-to-secretary-rubio-urging-us-to-prioritize-protection-aid-and-peace-in-sudan

• Sudan is home to the world’s largest humanitarian catastrophe. After more than two years of brutal warfare between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the country is collapsing. https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/letter-to-secretary-rubio-urging-us-to-prioritize-protection-aid-and-peace-in-sudan

• It’s possible a ceasefire can be secured with help from the Quad —and one would be welcomed— but lasting peace can be neither transactional nor secured by Sudan’s warring parties. https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/letter-to-secretary-rubio-urging-us-to-prioritize-protection-aid-and-peace-in-sudan

Hundreds killed during RSF massacres of North Kordofan villages

Images: A screenshot from a video filmed by RSF fighters in Shak Al-Noum shows burning homes and fleeing civilians (left). Satellite imagery from Yale’s Humanitarian Research Lab shows razed structures in the village.

The Rapid Support Forces have torn through villages around the town of Bara in North Kordofan, killing over 450 civilians. Satellite imagery confirms the attacks were deliberate, making this one of the deadliest massacres of the war so far.

•••••

In mid‑July 2025, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) unleashed a series of attacks on villages around the town of Bara in North Kordofan state. According to UNICEF, at least 24 boys, 11 girls, and two pregnant women were killed alongside hundreds of their fellow citizens, especially in the villages of Shak Al-Noum on July 12 and Hilat Hamid on July 13. Witnesses described residents being burned alive in their homes, as well as mass shootings as people fled during widespread RSF looting.

While some reports suggest a handful of civilians returned fire on the RSF with AK-47s in a bid to protect their neighbors, the villages that were attacked were not militarized and completely defenseless against RSF heavy weaponry and infantry.

View fullsize

Map: Click or tap to expand. (source)

View fullsize

Imagery: Yale Humanitarian Research Lab (click or tap to expand)

This latest massacre is part of the RSF’s multi-pronged push on El‑Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan state, which is under control of the national army. The massacre of Shak Al-Noum appears to be part of the RSF’s broader strategy to encircle El‑Obeid, which already hosts an estimated 30,000 displaced Sudanese on top of local residents.

Analysis of satellite imagery by Yale’s Humanitarian Research Lab (HRL) has further documented the destruction of Shak Al-Noum. The images show widespread thermal scarring, smoldering ruins, and burned structures consistent with deliberate arson. HRL also documented RSF vehicles in nearby areas, as well as newly displaced persons and expanded human burial mounds in the nearby state capital of El-Obeid.

Sudan Crisis Guide

Trying to make sense of the war in Sudan? We’ll get you up to speed in just a few minutes.

Learn More

The Sudanese human rights group Emergency Lawyers stated: “It has been proven that the targeted villages were completely devoid of any military manifestations or targets which exposes the criminal nature of these actions carried out in total disregard of International Humanitarian Law.” The RSF now controls Bara town, just a few kilometers south of Shak Al-Noum, and continues to slowly regain ground elsewhere in North Kordofan.

Sudan is well into a third year of one of the most brutal wars in modern history. Everything has been weaponized by the army and RSF—former allies who ousted a transitional civilian government in 2019 and are now fighting for control of a nation that wants neither in charge. Both sides have blocked aid, targeted humanitarian workers, and killed civilians. The RSF is also using mass rape as a weapon of war. Khartoum lies in ruins, as do countless other towns and villages.

This nightmare has given way to the largest hunger, displacement, and childhood education crises in the world. Nearly 30 million Sudanese —over half of the entire country— are facing high levels of acute food insecurity, with famine declared in multiple areas. The U.S. government has recognized that genocide is underway by the RSF in Darfur, while the International Criminal Court’s chief prosecutor recently reported to the United Nations that her office has “reasonable grounds to believe that war crimes and crimes against humanity” are being committed.

This latest massacre in North Kordofan is yet another devastating reminder that the Sudanese people —trapped between bombs, drone strikes, food blockades, and targeted brutality— continue to suffer the most from this war. But while most of the world continues looking away, you don’t have to. We can help Sudanese heroes get the support they need and push others to start paying attention.

Operation Broken Silence is dedicated to Sudanese communities, cultivating resilience and driving meaningful change through crowdfunded programs. Our Sudanese partners are overwhelmed with needs as war and hunger spread. By joining our global campaign Miles For Sudan or giving below, you will help them serve the most vulnerable in this time of tremendous need.

Can’t participate? Make a donation or set up a small monthly gift instead:

$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 the Adré refugee camps, where many Darfuri genocide survivors now live.

$100 - Deliver nutritional supplements that help fight malnutrition in Adré

$50 - Helps bring school supplies 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.

Shareables

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

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• The Rapid Support Forces have torn through villages around the city of Bara in North Kordofan, killing over 450 civilians. Satellite imagery confirms the attacks were deliberate, making this one of the deadliest massacres of the war so far. https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/hundreds-killed-during-rsf-massacres-of-north-kordofan-villages

• This latest massacre is part of the RSF’s multidirectional assault on El‑Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan state, which is under the control of the national army. https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/hundreds-killed-during-rsf-massacres-of-north-kordofan-villages

• As the war grinds on, it’s the Sudanese people —trapped between bombs, drone strikes, food blockades, and targeted brutality— who continue to suffer the most. https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/hundreds-killed-during-rsf-massacres-of-north-kordofan-villages

• Operation Broken Silence is dedicated to Sudanese communities, cultivating resilience and driving meaningful change through crowdfunded programs. Will you join us? https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/hundreds-killed-during-rsf-massacres-of-north-kordofan-villages

Death toll rising in Sudan after USAID cuts

USAID was one of the leading international development agencies fighting famine in Sudan. After being illegally shuttered, the death toll of the world’s largest humanitarian emergency is soaring.

•••••

When the Trump Administration entered the White House in January, one of their first moves was to freeze U.S. foreign aid “that is not fully aligned with the foreign policy of the President of the United States.” Chaos quickly ensued across the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) —the American government’s independent agency responsible for administering civilian foreign aid and development assistance— as there was little guidance on what work was and wasn't allowed.

Uncertainty quickly morphed into mayhem. A team from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) breached USAID’s secure systems without security clearances. USAID security officers who intervened to protect classified and sensitive information were threatened and then placed on leave. Staff and contractors struggled to interpret conflicting directives: one enforcing the freeze and another stating lifesaving operations could continue with a waiver, though few partners were told how to obtain one.

Then-DOGE head Elon Musk soon declared USAID would be shut down, posting, “We spent the weekend feeding USAID into the wood chipper. Could gone to some great parties. Did that instead.” Administration officials issued conflicting statements, some claiming USAID would close, others that it would move under the State Department. Thousands of critical staff were fired or placed on leave. And, halfway around the globe, the world’s worst humanitarian catastrophe was about to get much more dangerous.

The crisis in Sudan and USAID’s response

Sudan Crisis Guide

Trying to make sense of the war in Sudan? We’ll get you up to speed in just a few minutes.

Learn More

Today, Sudan is well into a third year of one of the most brutal wars in modern history. Everything has been weaponized by the army and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF)—former allies who ousted a transitional civilian government in 2019 and are now fighting for control of a nation that wants neither in charge. Both sides have blocked aid and targeted humanitarian workers, and the RSF is using mass rape as a weapon of war. Khartoum lies in ruins, as do countless other towns and villages.

This nightmare war has given way to the largest hunger, displacement, and childhood education crises in the world. Nearly 30 million Sudanese —over half of the entire country— are facing high levels of acute food insecurity, with famine declared in multiple areas. The suffering is staggering, and the U.S. government has recognized that genocide is being committed.

USAID entered the fray in the early days of this crisis. Agency staff coordinated with humanitarian partners, stayed in contact with local Sudanese staff, and deployed an elite Disaster Assistance Response Team to assess needs and direct incoming aid to where it was most needed.

As the months ticked by, USAID and State Department staff worked around the clock to pry open aid routes, finally getting aid convoys into some of the hardest-hit areas. While most of the world abandoned Sudan at the outset of the war, many of the Sudanese people found a friend in the United States. In fact, last year, Americans provided nearly 50% of all humanitarian aid to Sudan, much of it delivered in sacks and boxes stamped with the USAID logo and the warm words: From the American People.

Death toll rising after USAID cuts

Now, a shocking Washington Post investigation is revealing how the shuttering of USAID is no longer just a political headline. In Sudan, aid cuts are rapidly accelerating the already unconscionable death toll. From the Post:

“While the Trump administration’s cuts to USAID this year have been felt deeply across the world, their impact in Sudan was especially deadly, according to more than two dozen Washington Post interviews with civilians, clinicians and aid officials in the capital, Khartoum, and surrounding villages. When U.S.-supported soup kitchens were forced to close, babies starved quietly, their mothers said, while older siblings died begging for food. Funding stoppages meant that critical medical supplies were never delivered, doctors said. The lack of U.S.-funded disease response teams has made it harder to contain cholera outbreaks, which are claiming the lives of those already weakened by hunger…”

Here is one story of the many families who have watched loved ones die:

Photo: USAID assistance on the Sudan/South Sudan border (Operation Broken Silence).

“In the desert outside the city of Omdurman, just to the northwest of the capital, Fatma Swak Fadul lives in a sweltering adobe slum. She used to have seven children; now she has five. For more than a year, they survived on a single daily meal from local soup kitchens. They were run by volunteers from the local Emergency Response Rooms…Last year, USAID gave the Emergency Response Rooms $12 million, which accounted for 77 percent of the soup kitchens’ funding, said Mohamed Elobaid, who manages the group’s finances. When the stop-work order came in January, Fadul said, almost all the soup kitchens in her neighborhood shut down overnight. So her children starved.

Her daughter Nada, only 18 months old, starved to death in February, she said, and was often too weak to cry. Three-year-old Omer, who loved to wrestle with his siblings and dreamed of owning a bike, lingered longer. First, his mother said, he began to lose his vision, which can be a side effect of malnutrition. Then he began asking fretfully for an absent brother. In his last days in March, he curled up on a mat, she said, begging her for porridge. ‘I told him we don’t have any wheat to make that,’ Fadul said. ‘He was suffering a lot and then he died around midnight.’ His mother wept, she recalled, then asked the neighbors to help bury him.”

Read the full Washington Post report here.

Trump Administration officials and Elon Musk have repeatedly said “no one has died” from USAID cuts. Mounting public reporting (see here, here, and here for a few more examples), anecdotal accounts from Sudan, and some of our own Sudanese partners —who have friends who used to receive USAID funding— have been saying otherwise for months. The administration previously announced that funding is being restored for urgent, life-saving work. But in many places like Sudan that still hasn’t happened. Aid workers have been let go and payment systems were destroyed by DOGE. Vulnerable communities are still without the help they desperately need.

In response to several questions from the Post, the State Department press office said it was “reorienting our foreign assistance programs to align directly with what is best for the United States. … We are continuing lifesaving programs and making strategic investments that strengthen other nations and our own country…Americans are the most charitable and humanitarian-minded people in the world. It’s time for other countries to step up in providing lifesaving aid.”

So far, little of that statement appears to be true.

With USAID officially shuttered, the future of American support in Sudan is still unclear.

Only Congress has the legal authority to close USAID, but that didn’t stop the Trump Administration from fully shuttering the agency on July 1, 2025. Due to the legislative branch abdicating its authority and the unnecessarily destructive manner in which USAID was closed, not only will there be more unnecessary suffering in the world in the months ahead, but more avoidable disruption in the American political and governmental systems.

For decades, USAID enjoyed strong bipartisan support in Washington. The agency made up less than 1% of the entire federal budget —barely any money in the grand scheme of things— and received praise worldwide for helping to stabilize volatile areas and supporting communities climbing out of poverty. But what the American public thinks about foreign aid has never been easy to ascertain. According to Pew Research, “For many years, Americans have had, at best, mixed views about the effectiveness and desirability of foreign assistance.”

USAID’s role in national security become much clearer in recent years. Its success in countering Russian and Chinese influence through development and humanitarian work drew the ire of both authoritarian countries, and the agency played a critical role in preventing global health threats from reaching the United States. Given USAID’s outsized impact as such a tiny amount of the federal budget and the respect the agency brought to the United States abroad, it’s fair to say that USAID is a worthwhile investment that should not have been closed, even if some reforms and tweaks would have been beneficial.

What happens now?

Operation Broken Silence does not receive government funding; we rely entirely on individuals, families, and private institutions. However, like many small nonprofits operating in countries where USAID had a presence, our work often benefited indirectly from the humanitarian and economic stability the agency helped create. Humanitarian work is incredibly complex and requires a multitude of organizations supporting local heroes to tackle difficult challenges. No single group can do it all; but, when a powerhouse like USAID is suddenly removed from the situation, everyone suffers.

Humanitarian conditions in Sudan will continue growing more dire without USAID. More deaths from starvation and preventable diseases are now locked in for the months ahead. The suffering of the Sudanese people is already unbearable. Abandoning them now is unconscionable. We urge you to stand with them in this dark hour.

Operation Broken Silence is dedicated to Sudanese communities, cultivating resilience and driving meaningful change through crowdfunded programs. Our Sudanese partners are overwhelmed with needs as war and hunger spread. By joining our global campaign Miles For Sudan or giving below, you will help them serve the most vulnerable in this time of tremendous need.

Can’t participate? Make a donation or set up a small monthly gift instead:

$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 a sexual assault counselor in the Greater El Fasher area of North Darfur.

$50 - Helps bring school supplies 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.

Shareables

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

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

• USAID was one of the leading international development agencies fighting famine in Sudan. Now that the agency has been illegally shuttered, the death toll of the world’s largest humanitarian emergency is soaring. https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/death-toll-rising-in-sudan-after-usaid-cuts

• While the Trump administration’s cuts to USAID this year have been felt deeply across the world, their impact in Sudan was especially deadly. https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/death-toll-rising-in-sudan-after-usaid-cuts

• Only Congress has the legal authority to close USAID, but that didn’t stop the Trump Administration from illegally shuttering the agency on July 1, 2025. https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/death-toll-rising-in-sudan-after-usaid-cuts

• Operation Broken Silence is dedicated to Sudanese communities, cultivating resilience and driving meaningful change through crowdfunded programs. Will you join us? https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/death-toll-rising-in-sudan-after-usaid-cuts

Letter to Congress supporting joint resolutions of disapproval for arms sales to the UAE

Photo from Canva Pro

Operation Broken Silence is joining 47 organizations in urging Congress to vote in favor of resolutions to block $1.6 billion in arms sales to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), in light of evidence of UAE support to the killing of civilians in Sudan.

What does this mean?

Today, Sudan is home to the world’s largest human rights and humanitarian catastrophe, brought on by two years of extreme warfare between the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Khartoum’s neighborhoods already lie in ruins and, in Darfur, entire communities have been annihilated by the RSF. Villages are burning and families are fleeing with nothing but the clothes on their backs. Famine is rampant and access to healthcare is evaporating.

Independent investigations by human rights organizations, journalists, and a United Nations panel have concluded that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has provided weapons and other support to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). In January 2025, members of Congress confirmed that the UAE is providing weapons to the RSF despite a pledge that it would not do so. Then Secretary of State-designate Marco Rubio subsequently noted that the UAE is “openly supporting” the RSF.

The RSF has committed widespread atrocities throughout Sudan’s ongoing conflict, including war crimes and the horrific use of sexual violence. The UAE’s support to the RSF directly violates a longstanding United nations arms embargo on Sudan and has fueled the suffering of millions of Sudanese civilians.

With nearly 15 million people displaced and over half of the country in desperate need of food and medicine, it is more critical than ever that the U.S. exert its influence to help stem the flow of weapons into Sudan. These resolutions –S.J.Res.51, S.J.Res.52, S.J.Res.54, H.J.Res.96, and H.J.Res.97— can help play a meaningful step toward accountability and reducing the violence.

Get Involved

Operation Broken Silence is dedicated to Sudanese communities, cultivating resilience and driving meaningful change through crowdfunded programs. Our Sudanese partners are overwhelmed with needs as war and hunger spread. By joining our global campaign Miles For Sudan or giving below, you will help them serve the most vulnerable in this time of tremendous need.

Can’t participate? Make a donation or set up a small monthly gift instead:

$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 a sexual assault counselor in the Greater El Fasher area of North Darfur.

$50 - Helps bring school supplies 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.

Shareables

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

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

• Operation Broken Silence is joining 47 organizations in urging Congress to vote in favor of resolutions to block $1.6 billion in arms sales to the United Arab Emirates, in light of evidence of UAE support to the killing of civilians in Sudan. https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/letter-to-congress-supporting-joint-resolutions-of-disapproval-for-arms-sales-to-the-uae

• Today, Sudan is home to the world’s largest human rights and humanitarian catastrophe, brought on by two years of extreme warfare between the Sudan Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces. https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/letter-to-congress-supporting-joint-resolutions-of-disapproval-for-arms-sales-to-the-uae

• Independent investigations by human rights organizations, journalists, and a United Nations panel have concluded that the UAE has provided weapons and other support to the Rapid Support Forces. https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/letter-to-congress-supporting-joint-resolutions-of-disapproval-for-arms-sales-to-the-uae

When classrooms crumble, so does opportunity for refugees

As war rages in Sudan, across the border in Yida Refugee Camp something extraordinary is still happening: children are going to school.

•••••

In 2014, we began funding four Nuba teachers in Yida Refugee Camp —just south of the Nuba Mountains— who were teaching under a tree. All they had was a half broken chalkboard. Over the years and with our help they have grown their efforts into the Endure Primary and Renewal Secondary Schools, where 22 local teachers serve more than 700 students every week.

But across Sudan, children are in crisis. Most schools have closed from the war, and it’s estimated over 19 million children are out of a classroom. Many may never return. Refugee camps like Yida are some of the only places where Sudanese children can safely access education right now.

Even after escaping unimaginable violence or having been born in Yida, these students show up each day eager to learn. Their teachers —refugees themselves— are passionate, dedicated, and resilient. Together, they’re making progress despite difficult circumstances. But classrooms are under significant strain, and two urgent needs are putting learning at risk:

🛠️ Classrooms need critical repairs. Cracked walls and leaky roofs make it hard to focus and are not safe. Repairs have already begun, but we need to raise $2,400 to complete repairs so students have a safe space to learn.

👨🏾‍🏫 Most chalkboards are in their final days. Worn down from years of use, some are becoming unusable. Teachers are doing their best but it is time to replace them. Another $1,700 will provide brand-new chalkboards across the classrooms.

These may seem like simple things and don’t cost much money. But to a teacher trying to reach dozens of students in a packed classroom, or to a child eager to learn, they make all the difference. Your generosity today helps build stronger classrooms —and brighter futures— for Sudanese children who have already overcome so much.

We are currently 40% of the way to reaching our $4,100 goal! Make a donation or set up a small monthly gift to support these teachers and students:

$1,200 - Fund half of all needed repairs at the schools.

$850 - Deliver 6 new chalkboards to our classrooms.

$500 - Help purchase and deliver weatherproofing materials that can’t be sourced locally.

$140 - Give a chalkboard to a classroom.

$50 - Help purchase roofing materials locally.

Checks can be made payable to Operation Broken Silence with Schools written in the memo line and mailed to PO Box 770900 Memphis, TN 38177-0900. You can also donate stock or crypto.

Can’t give? Sign up for Miles For Sudan, our global event to aid Sudanese heroes!

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 text to others. Simply copy and paste.

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

• As war rages in Sudan, across the border in Yida Refugee Camp something extraordinary is still happening: children are going to school. https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/when-classrooms-crumble-so-does-opportunity-for-refugees

• Cracked walls and leaky roofs make it hard to focus and are not safe. Repairs have already begun, but we need to raise $2,400 to complete repairs so students have a safe space to learn. https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/when-classrooms-crumble-so-does-opportunity-for-refugees

• Worn down from years of use, some chalkboards will soon be unusable. We need to raise $1,700 to provide brand-new chalkboards across our classrooms: https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/when-classrooms-crumble-so-does-opportunity-for-refugees

• Operation Broken Silence is dedicated to Sudanese communities, cultivating resilience and driving meaningful change through crowdfunded programs. Will you join us? https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/when-classrooms-crumble-so-does-opportunity-for-refugees

U.S. State Department says chemical weapons used in Sudan

Left: Chlorine gas cylinders (Canva Pro). Right: A recent explosion at Port Sudan airport (social media).

The grim announcement came with no details about which chemical agents were used —or where and at what scale— except that such weapons were deployed in 2024.

•••••

On May 22, the U.S. State Department announced a determination that the Sudanese army has used chemical weapons in the current war. The announcement came with no details about which chemical agents were used by the army —or where and at what scale— except that such weapons were deployed in 2024.

While no solid evidence of chemical weapons usage in Sudan has been made public so far, in January the New York Times reported that chlorine gas had been used on at least two occasions in remote areas. Weaponized chlorine gas reacts with water in the lungs to form hydrochloric acid, which is destructive to living tissue and can be lethal. It was first used in World War I and has been confirmed used as recently as the Syrian Civil War.

Sudan Crisis Guide

Trying to make sense of the war in Sudan? We’ll get you up to speed in just a few minutes.

Learn More

It’s unclear if the State Department determination is about these incidents or something else entirely, or both.

This is not the first time that allegations of chemical weapons usage in Sudan have arisen. The United States bombed an industrial plant in Khartoum in 1998 that it claimed was used for processing a VX nerve agent, and that the owners of the plant had ties to al-Qaeda. Those claims came under serious question in the aftermath. A substantial investigation by Amnesty International in 2016 found credible evidence that chemical weapons had been used to kill and maim hundreds of civilians, including children, in Darfur.

Anecdotal accounts of chemical weapons attacks have leaked out of Darfur, the Nuba Mountains, and Blue Nile –three of the most oppressed regions of Sudan– for years, often with refugees who saw strange munitions explode.

According to the State Department’s recent determination:

”Following a 15-day Congressional notification period, the United States will impose sanctions on Sudan, including restrictions on U.S. exports to Sudan and on access to U.S. government lines of credit. The sanctions will take effect upon publication of a notice in the Federal Register, expected on or around June 6, 2025. The United States calls on the Government of Sudan to cease all chemical weapons use and uphold its obligations under the CWC. The United States remains fully committed to hold to account those responsible for contributing to chemical weapons proliferation.”

These sanctions will likely be largely symbolic, as there is very limited trade between the United States and Sudan. Both countries have signed The Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), an international treaty that prohibits the development, production, stockpiling, transfer, and use of chemical weapons.

What does all this mean for Sudan’s present situation? The widespread and heavy use of conventional munitions in areas of combat shows the war will continue with or without chemical weapons and continue to be immensely destructive. Still, the use of chemical weapons is just the latest reminder that, even with how bad the situation in Sudan already is, things can still get much worse. Reductions of violence and more humanitarian aid in any and all forms can save many lives, even if the war itself continues.

Ready to make your miles count toward aiding Sudanese heroes? Now is the perfect time to sign up for free and get moving! All you have to do is share a link to your fundraising page every time you run, walk, or bike.

Can’t participate? Make a donation or set up a small monthly gift to our Sudanese partners:

$1,000 - Fully funds one classroom at Endure Primary School in Yida Refugee Camp for three months.

$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 a sexual assault counselor who has fled the Greater El Fasher area in North Darfur.

$50 - Helps bring school supplies 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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• The U.S. State Department says chemical weapons have been used in Sudan’s brutal war, which is now in its third year. https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/us-state-department-says-chemical-weapons-used-in-sudan

• The grim announcement came with no details about which chemical agents were used —or where and at what scale— except that such weapons were deployed in 2024. https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/us-state-department-says-chemical-weapons-used-in-sudan

• While no solid evidence of chemical weapons usage in Sudan has been made public so far, in January the New York Times reported that chlorine gas had been used on at least two occasions in remote areas. It’s unclear if the State Department determination is about these incidents or something else entirely, or both. https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/us-state-department-says-chemical-weapons-used-in-sudan

• The widespread use of conventional munitions shows the war will continue to be immensely destructive. But the use of chemical weapons is another reminder that, even with how bad the situation in Sudan already is, things can still get much worse. https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/us-state-department-says-chemical-weapons-used-in-sudan

• Operation Broken Silence is dedicated to Sudanese communities, cultivating resilience and driving meaningful change through crowdfunded programs. Will you join us? https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/us-state-department-says-chemical-weapons-used-in-sudan