Amna: Hundreds of thousands of
Sudanese are fleeing to
neighboring countries to escape
violence that has killed more
than 400 in the last week and a
half.
And as Nick schifrin tells us,
aid agencies are warning the
humanitarian situation is
increasingly dire, because of a
political fight that has been
brewing for years.
Nick: The U.N. Agency that
coordinates humanitarian affairs
warned it had to pull back from
parts of Sudan as a country of
45 million copes with its
shortages -- copes with
shortages.
The U.S. And others are trying
to end the fighting between the
head of the armed forces and the
leader of the paramilitary rapid
support forces, for our sf,
comprised of former militias,
they committed the genocide in
western Sudan's region.
A kill -- it killed more than 2
million people.
The two men were supposed to
help return the country to
civilian rule, demanded by the
pro-democracy popular uprising
in 2019.
.
One of those who participated in
the uprising is this person who
joins me now.
Thank you.
Welcome back to the newshour.
There is a humanitarian crisis.
What are the conditions you,
your neighbors, the millions of
Sudanese face today?
>> Situation now is we have been
under heavy fighting.
There are around 10 million
people living in the city, most
of them under the poverty line,
without stable access to
electricity or water.
The electricity water -- which
many depend to get food.
It has also fell apart.
The telecommunication has fell
apart.
People are trying to survive
this peer we see people trying
to restore aid, which is the
only thing they have.
The street is being used by the
people to know where the water
is, to be able to run some of
the health centers instead of
hospitals that are impossible to
reach.
Nick: Those popular efforts are
led by the resistance
committees.
The same committees that help
the revolution -- helped the
revolution in 2019, sustained
the coup through 2020.
>> The fact that we learned from
communities that we are using
the network to have mutual aid
to be able to evacuate ourselves
and our families and our loved
ones, and help evacuate and help
provide food and medicine to
people.
The concept of mutual aid is
what is sustaining the people.
Not the international diplomats
who called for a realistic
approach.
My partner --
Nick: Let me ask about the
politics.
The last time we spoke a few
years ago, our segment was
followed by an interview I did
with that then U.S. Special
envoy to the region, who argued
that the generals who are
fighting in the streets now had
to be at the table, part of the
negotiation process.
Do you think U.S., the
international community,
accommodated them helping lead
to the violence we see today?
>> That was definitely
legitimizing them, giving them a
platform they needed to have
their international deals and
they are somber tile -- ties
within the region.
We were asked to be realistic
after war, because I am hearing
news of negotiations that they
want to bring them back into
ruling.
Or bring back whatever kind of
political process they called,
to bring back the same agreement
that wrought us all that we are
going through now.
Nick: It has been your response
as you have seen U.S. Special
operation forces fly into the
capital to evacuate U.S.
Diplomats?
Have seen that U.N. Have to pull
back other countries, spend time
at the airport with their
militaries, try and pull out
civilians as millions in Sudan
face these dire humanitarian
conditions.
>> My priority are the people
most in need and those are the
poorer of the Sudanese people.
They are getting help from
themselves and mutual aid from
resistance communities, and from
networks that are forming
themselves.
That is what I focus on.
When I think about whatever
evacuation efforts that are
happening, good for them.
Flee out of a war zone.
.
It is not good to be in a war
zone.
.
It is not good if you are a
country is turned into a war
zone.
The fact that they did not
consider to bring any medical
support with them, any sort of
medical equipment or medicines,
we are in dire need, they were
sending airport -- airplanes and
not medicines.
It is absurd to follow what they
are doing.
There is not one place that will
tell you that these are the
needs and here is where you can
send your donation.
No, it is decentralized and
everyone is trying to figure out
what is happening in their
neighborhood.
That is what is working for us
now.
There is no U.N. Agency that is
here to support or international
organization here to support.
We are supporting ourselves.
Please, use all of the mediums
you have to get them to stop the
war.
Nick: Thank you very much.
>> Thank you.
♪♪