After over two years of brutal conflict in Sudan, more than 11 million people are in need of urgent health care and humanitarian assistance. The humanitarian disaster is the result of a deadly combination of challenges to the provision of health care, a collapse of the hospital system and a failure of parties in the conflict to protect civilians. And, with the ongoing threat of escalation, there is a real risk of further mass atrocities.

This panel discussion will bring together experts to explore the health and humanitarian crisis in Sudan and the global response to what is now considered the world’s worst displacement crisis.

Panellists:

Dr Majdi Sabahelzain Dafallah: Majdi is a public health researcher from Sudan. He works as a research fellow at the School of Public Health, University of Sydney. His research focuses on assessing and addressing access to and acceptance of vaccination in fragile and conflict states. Before joining the University of Sydney in 2023, Majdi held several positions in Sudan, including assistant professor and director of the Nutrition and Health Center for Training and Research at Ahfad University for Women. Additionally, he served as a National consultant for UNICEF, where he co-led the development of the National Strategy for Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE) for the Ministry of Health in Sudan.

Dr Eyal Mayroz: Eyal is a Senior Lecturer in Peace and Conflict Studies, at University of Sydney. His background includes genocide studies and counter-terrorism. Eyal is a member of the Genocide Prevention Advisory Network, an international network of experts who advise governments on the causes, consequences, and prevention of genocide and other mass atrocities.

Dr Ahlam Ibrahim: Dr Ahlam is a dedicated General Practitioner with a passion for delivering comprehensive healthcare services. A graduate of the prestigious Khartoum University, Dr. Ibrahim has amassed extensive experience working in various settings across Sudan. Currently based in Sydney, Dr. Ibrahim works as a GP, with a special interest in women's and children's health, as well as mental health medication. She is the founder of SAHWA, a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting vulnerable communities.

The discussion will include a video message from Eric Reeves.

Eric Reeves has spent more than 25 years working full-time as a Sudan researcher and analyst, publishing extensively both in the US and internationally. He has also published in numerous academic and scholarly journals, including the African Studies Review, Yale Journal of International Affairs, Anthropology News, Institute for the Study of Genocide Newsletter, Dissent, and the Council on Foreign Relations (“Issues Briefs”). He is a former Senior Fellow at Harvard University’s François-Xavier Bagnoud Center for Health and Human Rights and is currently a Fellow at the Rift Valley Institute. He has testified several times before the Congress and has served as a consultant to a number of human rights and humanitarian organizations operating in Sudan. He currently heads up a humanitarian project in Zamzam IDP camp in North Darfur, home to almost 1 million displaced people.

This event is hosted by the Sydney Peace Foundation with the support of the University of Sydney's Faculty of Medicine and Health.

Photo credit: Eric Reeves