Nuba Education Update - September 2025

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

• 915 students in total attendance - Endure Primary (638 students) and Renewal Secondary (277 students)

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 has risen slightly to 915 students total throughout the year as new refugees from the Nuba Mountains to as far away as Khartoum have arrived in Yida.

National exams are approaching again and we expect another round of good results. Last year, 68 students at Endure Primary and 72 students at Renewal Secondary did well on their exams. The teachers and students are hopeful for similar results this year.

The wall and roofing repairs we mentioned in our last update are now mostly completed thanks to the generosity of several individual donors.

We’re also excited to announce that one of our few church partners has pledged to donate new chalkboards not only to classrooms at Endure Primary and Renewal Secondary, but also to other schools in Yida. We should get the funds out the door for that in early October.

Supplementary Education Support. Endure Primary School continues helping with national exam preparation for primary students in Yida, something that will start up again soon. Vision Secondary, the only other high school in Yida, continues to benefit from a handful of our teachers assisting with leading specific courses. Our Nuba education partner also recently delivered 6 boxes of chalk, 200 pens, 24 grading pens, 80 manilla folders, 18 plastic sheets for weather-proofing, and 6 new black boards to be used Yida.

War, other challenges, and a shift in direction

The devastating war between the army and Rapid Support Forces has decimated Sudan’s schools. It’s now estimated 90% of all Sudanese children don’t have a school to attend. Local officials estimate hundreds of thousands of 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 has further exacerbated needs.

While Yida remains an oasis of calm, this crisis still casts a dark shadow. 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 difficult international fundraising environment since 2020 mean they’re only getting about 35% of the funding they need. Most Sudan-minded donors are just not interested in childhood education, and that’s become an even steeper uphill battle in the wake of the current war.

There are still no signs fundraising for the schools will get easier any time soon. And if violence does erupt on a larger scale or humanitarian conditions worsen further across the border, larger refugee flows into Yida will begin, placing an even heavier strain on the fragile education system. We already don’t have the resources to mount an adequate response now, much more if things worsen.

Brave teachers and students have continued on this year despite these challenges; however, with everything more expensive and difficult, it’s become clear we’ve reached the point where something has to give. Our education partner has had many conversations on the ground in Yida the past several weeks about the challenges here. After a lot of thought and time spent in the community, they have recommended that we bring to a close our support of Endure Primary and Renewal Secondary, and shift into delivering a limited amount of supplies to Yida’s other schools moving forward.

We agree this is the best course of action. It’s a bittersweet moment; so much good work has been done here the past 10 years. While these schools were never meant to be permanent, the positive effects you’ve helped make possible will be felt for years ahead. A number of students who have graduated have gone on to teach at other schools, and even more have taken their education into Yida’s market or back to their communities in the Nuba Mountains. We are grateful to all of you for being a part of this story. As one chapter closes and another begins, there is still much work to be done.

How You Can Help

Our free global event turns everyday runs, bike rides, and walks into life changing support. Every mile you put in and dollar you raise helps fund emergency aid and long-term education programs led by Sudanese heroes. Not a fan of fitness? We have an option where you can skip the moving and just fundraise. Every dollar raised still makes a difference, with donations through fundraising page are being matched for a limited time!

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 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-september-2025

• 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. https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/nuba-education-update-september-2025

• 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-september-2025

• 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-september-2025

The veil of silence around Sudan’s nightmare war

Nearly two and a half years into the world’s largest humanitarian emergency, the veil of silence and invisibility around Sudan’s needless suffering is more entrenched than ever.

•••••

Rachid had fled her neighborhood in Nyala, Darfur for another once already since the war in Sudan began in April 2023. With the genocidal Rapid Support Forces (RSF) —an Arab supremacist paramilitary group that has plagued the country for years— on the verge of taking over the country’s second largest city, she decided it was time to flee to the border with South Sudan.

“I don’t remember what day I ran,” Rachid says. “I thought to be a woman when the janjaweed (RSF) come will mean evil done upon me. My friend was raped by them. They do this to the black women. They hate us.”

It was mid-October 2023. Weeks of brutal combat between the RSF and national army had turned swaths of Nyala into a ghost town. Areas under RSF occupation were being looted and terrified citizens were being sexually assaulted, tortured, and executed by the notorious paramilitaries. Rachid said the army made no effort to protect citizens. “Running west to Chad was no good because the janjaweed were everywhere,” Rachid describes. “Running to South Sudan was a little safer. Less janjaweed.”

It took Rachid nine days to reach South Sudan. She somehow managed to avoid the RSF units swarming the region. By the end of October, the RSF had overrun all of Nyala and most of western Sudan.

Rachid’s story is shared by countless other Sudanese. There is still no end in sight for the war between Sudan’s ruthless national army and the barbaric Rapid Support Forces. The statistics are impossible to fathom. Nearly 25 million Sudanese —half the country— are in need of emergency food assistance. Over 15 million are displaced in Sudan’s borders or have fled the country altogether. No one knows the true death toll, but 185,000+ people have likely been killed by violence, starvation, and disease outbreaks, a conservative estimate based on the little data available. Even this is likely a severe undercount. As refugees pour into neighboring countries, they bring with them stories of mass graves, neighborhoods leveled and villages massacred, and soldiers and militias torturing and executing unarmed civilians viewed as “belonging to the other side.”

Behind all these hard-to-grasp numbers are people like Rachid. “As long as the janjaweed exists no one in Sudan is safe,” she says. “I don’t know where any of my family is. I don’t know if they are alive. No one can tell us when or how our nightmare ends.” This is neither the life Rachid signed up for nor the one she deserves. And the world seems not to have noticed.

Understanding the veil of silence

One would think the world’s largest humanitarian catastrophe would feature regularly in the news; but, nearly two and a half years into this war, piercing the veil of silence around Sudan remains devilishly difficult, for a myriad of reasons.

Perhaps most obvious is the world being in a heightened sense of turmoil, ranging from more conflicts in the Middle East, Ukraine, and beyond to faltering democracies around the globe. With so much chaos, few globally-minded citizens have noticed that the catastrophe unfolding in Sudan eclipses the crises in Gaza/Israel and Ukraine…combined. Donors are stretched increasingly thin in both time and resources as inflation once again rises in the United States, and many are frustrated that they can’t do more in this time of great need.

Sudan Crisis Guide

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

Learn More

The invisibility is also by choice though. Western journalists largely chose to turn away from Sudan after the U.S. military evacuated embassy staff from Khartoum at the outset of the war. The Trump Administration chose to deprioritize Sudan and to gut USAID —which has exacerbated the humanitarian crisis— further pushing Sudan off the radar. Meanwhile, inside the country, the army and RSF have chosen to destroy communication networks in parts of the country, making it hard for ordinary Sudanese to share their plight with the world.

More recently, the introduction of AI summaries into search engines makes it even more difficult for ordinary people to get basic facts about the plight of the Sudanese people and discover ways to help. While our own web traffic is still up year-over-year, new visitors have plunged nearly 50% throughout 2025, largely due to Google using the news and content we provide —without our permission— to generate AI summaries in their search engine. Countless organizations and companies are experiencing the same problem in their own work, with early research showing users are much less likely to click on links when an AI summary appears in results. With regards to Sudan, the information in these AI blurbs is often outdated and sometimes false. This is having a negative impact on our efforts to recruit new supporters, with people reading these summaries instead of going to full articles we provide, where they can also get involved.

These barriers to attention means efforts to save lives remain acutely underfunded. The United Nation’s humanitarian response plan for 2025 —more than $3 billion needed to keep the situation from merely getting worse— is only 24% funded for the entire year. That does not include what local Sudanese groups and private international organizations like us require to meet the needs the UN wouldn’t get to even if they were fully funded. Too few resources means fewer international and connected Sudanese eyes and ears on the ground, which means fewer stories and critical information gets back out into the world. And the veil of silence thickens all over again.

How you can help

There are flickers of hope despite these frustrating realities. The Atlantic’s September cover story is about the war in Sudan. Written by veteran journalist Anne Applebaum and appropriately named The Most Nihilistic Conflict on Earth, it is one of the most powerful pieces of outside reporting we’ve seen in the past two and a half years and is already pushing new eyes to the crisis.

Our learning resources and simple news and analysis remain free to all, and we’ve made it easy to support Sudanese heroes directly from wherever you call home. Still, reality dictates there are three simple things you can do to stay informed and involved.

1. Join our free email list

We know it’s old school, but this is the best way to stay informed about current events in Sudan and ways to help. You can expect no more than 2-3 emails a month.

Sign UP

2. Follow us on Instagram

This is the only social media platform where the algorithm works in our favor. Follow us to see timely updates and amplify important news to your followers.

@OBSILENCE

3. Sign up for Miles For Sudan, or give

Our free global event turns everyday runs, bike rides, and walks into lifesaving support. Every mile you put in and dollar you raise helps fund emergency aid and long-term education programs led by Sudanese heroes.

Not a fan of fitness? No problem! We have an option where you can skip the moving and just fundraise. Every dollar raised still makes a difference and raises awareness. And the best part? Donations to all fundraising pages are currently being matched for a limited time!

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

• Nearly two and a half years into the world’s largest humanitarian emergency, the veil of silence and invisibility around Sudan’s needless suffering is more entrenched than ever. https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/the-veil-of-silence-around-sudans-nightmare-war

• One would think the world’s largest humanitarian catastrophe would feature regularly in the news; but, nearly two and a half years into this war, piercing the veil of silence around Sudan remains devilishly difficult, for a myriad of reasons. https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/the-veil-of-silence-around-sudans-nightmare-war

• 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/the-veil-of-silence-around-sudans-nightmare-war

The 16th annual Eden’s Run 5K

On August 16, our supporters came together in Memphis, TN for our annual run and walk benefiting childhood education in Sudan. You ran through the heat and humidity and we made it to 82% of our $7,500 goal! A big thank you to all of our runners, volunteers, Memphis Runners Track Club, and Ouri Matcha for making race day possible. Discover photos from the event and timing results:

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Eden’s Run was made possible by our generous sponsors:

• Siskind Susser Immigration Lawyers

• The Clandestine Underground

• Pedometer++

• Monogram Foods

• Relay

• Karen Adams

• Hive Bagel and Deli

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What’ next? Join our virtual Miles For Sudan event!

Operation Broken Silence is dedicated to Sudanese communities, cultivating resilience and driving meaningful change through crowdfunded programs. For over a decade, we've allied people just like you with incredible Sudanese heroes who are bringing emergency aid, education, and healthcare to their people. And they need us now more than ever.

Miles For Sudan is our global event for runners, walkers, and cyclists who want to help Sudanese heroes save lives. All you have to do is sign up and then ask friends and family to give through your fundraising page after each workout. And the best part? You can participate from wherever you call home.

Not ready to participate in Miles For Sudan? Make a one-time donation or start a small monthly gift! Here are a few ways your generosity can help:

$200- provides a teacher's salary for one month.

$150- helps deliver new chalkboards and repair classrooms.

$100- provides pencils, notebooks, and other basic school supplies.

$50- gives the gift of sport by providing nets, balls, and more.

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

Shareables

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

• On August 16, 2025 our supporters came together in Memphis, TN to celebrate sixteen years of Eden’s Run 5K, our annual run and walk helping to bring education to kids in Sudan. https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/the-16th-annual-edens-run-5k

• We ran through the heat and humidity and, with your help we made it to 79% of our $7,500 goal! A big thank you to all of our runners, volunteers, Memphis Runners Track Club, and Ouri Matcha for making race day possible. https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/the-16th-annual-edens-run-5k

• 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/the-16th-annual-edens-run-5k

Adré Children’s Feeding Program and Clinic Update - July 2025

Program Background

When war erupted in Sudan in April 2023, Darfur quickly became the epicenter of some of the conflict’s worst atrocities. What began as a power struggle between Sudan’s military and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) spiraled into a brutal, targeted campaign of violence. The largely Arab RSF launched a hate-driven assault on Darfur’s historic ethnic African communities, including the Zaghawa, Fur, and Masalit people groups.

Map by Operation Broken Silence

Between April and June 2023, up to 15,000 Masalit civilians were systematically massacred in West Darfur. By early November, the RSF had seized most of Darfur, minus the Greater El Fasher area. What’s followed has been catastrophic.

Parts of Darfur are now in famine. Refugees crossing the border into Adré, with nothing but the clothes on their backs and thousand-yard stares, tell stories of mass killings and starvation. Darfur has descended into ethnic cleansing, widespread rape, and total lawlessness under RSF occupation. Markets, farms, banks, and aid warehouses have been looted or destroyed.

In response, Operation Broken Silence is helping local heroes deliver emergency food and medical care to some of the most vulnerable refugee communities in eastern Chad. We’re supporting trusted Sudanese community leaders in two key areas:

• The Adré refugee camps

• The Tiné area

Below are important updates from the Children’s Feeding Center and Healthcare Clinic in Adré—both entirely refugee-led and privately funded by people like you.

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For You Healthcare Clinic

Against the backdrop of displacement, hunger, and disease, the small clinic in Adré continues saving and changing lives. Each week, the dedicated medical and administrative teams work with compassion to deliver lifesaving care to Sudanese refugees, despite limited resources and growing demand. There has been a noticeable increase in the number of people needing the clinic’s services, particularly in the chronic disease and gynecology areas, after large numbers of refugees from El Fasher, North Darfur and Nyala, South Darfur recently arrived in Chad. Here’s a snapshot of life in the clinic during the first two weeks of July:

Photos: Life at the Clinic in Adré

General Medical Care. More than 1,500 patients received treatment. Respiratory infections—driven by dust storms and overcrowded conditions—remain the most common illness, followed by gastrointestinal infections, malaria, typhoid, reproductive challenges, and urinary tract issues. A lack of widely available clean water, proper sanitation, and nutrition support continues to drive health problems such as these.

Emergency and Minor Procedures. The Emergency Department handled 135 urgent cases, including malaria, low blood pressure, shortness of breath, and diabetes.

Chronic Disease Support. The clinic served 270 patients, including check-ups, ongoing follow-up, and providing free treatments for diabetes, stress, and anemia patients. These patients received essential medications, monitoring, and ongoing support to help manage their conditions, an often overlooked need in emergency settings.

Women’s Health Services. The Obstetrics and Gynecology unit provided personalized care to 120 women in the areas of pregnancy, childbirth, gynecological problems, tests, and sonic waves.

Nursing & Minor Operations. Meanwhile, the nursing team treated 267 patients, including administering medicines, performing minor procedures such as removing foreign objects under the skin, and delivering other forms of minor wound care.

Health Education & Awareness. The Awareness and Counseling Department continues to be a crucial pillar of the clinic. Volunteer staff held several group sessions, such as:

• Training workshops to enhance diagnostic and treatment capabilities for the clinic team.

• In the second week of July, clinic volunteers held a live theatrical presentation titled Prevention is Better Than Cure for patients and caregivers.

• A number of individual and group awareness sessions were held concerning humanitarian issues in Adré.

For You Children’s Feeding Center

In June, the Children’s Feeding Center was forced to temporarily suspend operations due to a lack of funding. The meals being provided here were the only reliable source of nourishment for hundreds of children. Funds are urgently needed to reopen the center.

Photos: Life at the Clinic in Adré

Current conditions in the Adré camps

What began as a desperate escape from West Darfur is now a protracted humanitarian emergency in eastern Chad. Sudanese refugees fleeing ethnic cleansing and famine face new threats like hunger and disease after arriving at one of the 30+ informal border crossings, many having walked for days carrying only what they could, including mothers and children weakened by hunger and trauma. The scale of this crisis is staggering:

• The number of Sudanese refugees in eastern Chad has surged to nearly 875,000 people.

• 87% of those registered are women and children, of which 25% are adult women.

• Over 230,000 refugees are currently settled in the Adré area, more than five times the town’s original population.

• 14% have specific needs, including people with disabilities, chronic illness, or those who are unaccompanied.

• The Chadian government and United Nations estimate that by the end of 2025, the total number of refugees and returnees across Chad could eclipse one million people.

• Source: UNHCR CHAD| CORE Sudan Emergency Situation (July 20, 2025)

Resources are stretched to the breaking point, especially following recent USAID funding cuts. Most refugees remain in overcrowded and under-resourced sites. Beyond immediate requirements for food, water, and medical care, there is an urgent need for kitchen utensils and sleeping/shelter material. While it is much more secure here than RSF-controlled areas of Darfur, many of the refugees understandably feel vulnerable. Adré sits a few miles outside of Sudan and, while the Chadian government has troops monitoring parts of the border, small numbers of RSF fighters can still slip into the country easily. Some refugees have reported receiving death threats from the paramilitaries.

These heroes need your help

The needs in Adré are urgent and growing every week. Right now, it takes a minimum of $8,500 each month to keep the For You Child Feeding Center & Clinic running at minimal capacity. This covers everything from medical supplies and staff support to hot meals for vulnerable children to basic medication for patients that couldn’t afford it otherwise.

These programs can expand with even more funding. Thousands are still waiting for care. Countless children go to bed hungry every night. You can help change that. In a place where hope is in short supply, your generosity means more than you can imagine.

• $8,500: fully fund the Feeding Center and Clinic for an entire month

• $4,000: support the children's feeding program for one month

• $1,000: provide one week of all basic medicines needed at the clinic

• $500: feed 500 hungry children for one week

• $250: help expand the children's feed program

• $100: deliver nutritional supplements that help fight malnutrition

• $50: deliver anti-malarial, typhus and other speciality medications

Checks can be made payable to Operation Broken Silence with Adré in the memo line 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

• When war erupted in Sudan in April 2023, Darfur quickly became the epicenter of some of the conflict’s worst atrocities, sparking off a protracted humanitarian emergency for refugees in eastern Chad. https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/adre-childrens-feeding-program-and-clinic-update-july-2025

• Over 230,000 Sudanese refugees have fled into Adré, eastern Chad. Most are women and children. A small clinic and feeding center are saving lives, but they need your help to keep going. https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/adre-childrens-feeding-program-and-clinic-update-july-2025

• The small clinic in Adré continues saving and changing lives. Each week, the dedicated team works with compassion to deliver lifesaving care to Sudanese refugees, despite limited resources and growing demand. https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/adre-childrens-feeding-program-and-clinic-update-july-2025

• What does hope look like in a refugee camp? It looks like a child receiving her only hot meal of the day. A mother being treated for malaria. A community standing together. Help us keep hope alive. https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/adre-childrens-feeding-program-and-clinic-update-july-2025

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.

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 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.

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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.

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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