These past few months have been historic, and it’s a first for many of us Gen Z, as we all grew up in the aftermath of 9/11 and the wars launched on its behalf. Many of us despite being raised in the midst of it, have never really experienced viewing conflict or crises in real time, only learning about it after the fact or decades later. We’re learning about new crises on social media every day, most we’ve never heard anything about. So I’m going to provide a quick rundown of two emergent humanitarian crises and conflicts happening right now.
sudan
For those who are unaware, Sudan is a country in Northeastern Africa with a population of 45 million. Prior to 2011, Sudan also consisted of another nation, South Sudan, which succeeded after a civil war had taken place. Sudan is a country that has historically been riddled with civil war, as two decade-long wars have happened, from 1955 to 1972, and 1983 to 2005. Sudan is currently experiencing its third civil war as its military and a paramilitary group have been fighting for nearly 9 months now.
In 2019, the dictator of Sudan, al-Bashir was outsed after a coup was conducted by the military. Civilians had overwhelmingly been protesting and calling for his resignation. He had been the leader of Sudan for 30 years after he rose to power in 1989 after a coup as well. He was arrested and jailed for crimes against humanity, war crimes, and roles in genocides like the Darfur genocide that took place in the 2000s. He’s currently wanted by the International Criminal Courts for these crimes as well. After his ousting the military gained control of the government, however, civilians protested this decision and called for democracy. The military retaliated using a paramilitary group, the RSF, established in 2013, to crack down on the protesters. The RSF is a paramilitary group established in 2013, that is descended from the Janjaweed militia, whom the government used to genocide its civilians during the Darfur genocide.
In 2021, another coup took place led by the leaders of both the military and the RSF, as both rejected transitioning control of the government to the civilians. However, they’re now fighting against one another for control of the country. The war began on April 15, after tension was looming between the two for weeks.
The United Nations believes an estimated 9,000 people have been killed and another 5.6 million forced to flee their homes during the conflict. Sudan was already headed toward a humanitarian crisis prior to the war, and already existing conditions are worsening. Climate change is devastating the region as floods are destroying the land and temperatures are rising. It’s tough to find clean water, food, or healthcare. A majority of the fighting is taking place in the capital, Khartoum, but the war could spread to other regions increasing its size. Calls for a ceasefire have been heard from world leaders, but the end result of this conflict is unknown.
congo
Congo is a country located in Central Africa which is flush with a mineral named Cobalt. Cobalt is a material found in many electronics like iPhones and electric vehicles as it’s an element in lithium-ion rechargeable batteries. Cobalt is mined by groups of people called “artistic miners” or freelancers working in horrifying conditions for next to nothing. As NPR reports: “People are working in subhuman, grinding, degrading conditions. They use pickaxes, shovels, stretches of rebar to hack and scrounge at the earth in trenches and pits and tunnels to gather cobalt and feed it up the formal supply chain.”
Cobalt is a toxic material as it’s difficult to breathe in or touch, and civilians mostly women and children are constantly breathing or touching the mineral all day. The working conditions these women and children are enduring have been related to slavery, as they’re working in hazardous conditions for a maximum of two dollars a day. Many are known to either become disabled or die after working in these dangerous mines. Many have become displaced due to Cobalt mining as well, since their homes are often bulldozed to make room to mine, often without any prior disclosures. Others are being kidnapped by militias and forced to work in mines.
Many may be asking what the country’s leadership is doing. Well, they’re aiding in the enslavement of their people. Back in 1960, the president declared the country’s resources and rich minerals would be used to their benefit and he was later assassinated and a dictator was his successor. And ever since, corruption has riddled the nation, with its leaders, who enticed by the large sums of money foreign corporations are wielding, are willing to turn a blind eye to the suffering of its civilians. In 2009, a deal was signed between the Chinese government and the Congolese president regarding Cobalt. In exchange for hospitals, schools, and roads, Congo would allow China to mine for cobalt. NPR reports: “Chinese companies had seized ownership of 15 of the 19 primary industrial copper-cobalt mining concessions down there”. They’re responsible for the creation of a majority of these lithium-ion batteries.
How to help
The issues grappling these nations are serious and action needs to be taken now. Here are some links where you can help Sudan: UN Crisis Relief, UNHCR, Doctors Without Borders. And for Congo: Rescue.org, Amnesty International.