Not in the News

The urgency of situations is driven by their presence in the news or in social media, without the analysis of why some issues are reported on or posted more than others. Algorithms and popularity determine the level of awareness of the public, affecting the ways and numbers of times a story is repeated. Knowledge of the issues becomes skewed as issues that should and do require the support of the public are not always in the news, making it harder to address problems or advocate for change. And then, there is the fleeting nature of the news cycle with lead stories changing regularly and critical issues fading from coverage before they are resolved.

These days, there is much that requires attention locally, nationally, and globally and there is much to learn about what is going on in the world. Reliance on the news cycle or social media is not enough to stay abreast of where voice is needed to ensure that the human rights of all are protected and promoted.

Missing in the news is the genocide happening in Sudan. The situation is dire with the numbers reported dead escalating daily. This current conflict started in April 2023. The Guardian reported: “Since then, millions have been displaced, an estimated 150,000 have been killed, and more than 30 million people now need urgent humanitarian assistance. These staggering statistics still do not fully tell the story of Sudan’s tragedy, the country’s rapid unravelling, the destruction of its infrastructure, or the particularly merciless way the RSF has conducted its campaign in Darfur.” The world watches in deafening silence.

On 7 January 2025, the United States declared genocide in Sudan. Mere days before the change of administration, Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken, announced sanctions and pledged the support of the United States in “holding accountable those responsible for these atrocities.” Months later, that support is unrealized in the presence of a new administration, funding cuts, and priorities that continue to challenge human rights.

War crimes are among the atrocities with sexual violence, starvation, mass killings, and impeding the passage of humanitarian aid used as tools for perpetuating genocide. The ongoing humanitarian crisis in Sudan is having a devastating impact on women and children. According to UN estimates, even before fighting broke, more than 3 million women and girls in Sudan were at risk of gender-based violence, including intimate-partner violence.

This humanitarian crisis requires a far greater outcry and calls for peace. Advocacy and increased awareness are needed for the internally displaced, supporting the loss of family, and for addressing the history and systemic causes of this conflict. The news is no longer reported from Sudan, instead, attention has shifted, the news cycle has moved on once again.

Yet, the devastation and destruction continue. “Half of Sudan’s population – some 25 million people – need humanitarian assistance and protection. The country is facing extreme shortages of food, water, medicine and fuel and more than half the population (25.6 million) are facing acute food insecurity, including 8.5 million of them at emergency levels.”

The headline in The Guardian is a challenge to all, especially to people of faith and goodwill who are seeking justice for all. Blood spilled in Sudan can be seen from space. Nobody can feign ignorance about what’s going on.

Action is required through support of aid agencies. Advocacy is required including calling on governments and the United Nations to bring an end to the violence, with attention to the historic issues that have resulted in this genocide and unrest dating back to 1955.

These are also neighbors, individuals requiring care and concern. Children are being deprived of life, of childhood, of safety and the conditions necessary to grow and develop. Seeking a just world for all requires that issues be addressed beyond the news cycle, listening to partners, humanitarian organizations, and the witnesses present in the multilateral agencies.

Now is the time for advocacy and bringing an end to the genocide in Sudan.