A near-total communication blackout in Sudan following all network and internet shutdowns in early February poses serious risks to the coordination of emergency assistance and humanitarian services to millions of people caught up in the conflict, Amnesty International on Friday said.
The continued shutdown has limited millions of people’s ability to communicate with their families, seek safe zones from fighting, access life-saving necessities, as well as receive mobile money services.
“The ongoing telecommunications blackout is unacceptable; it puts millions of lives at risk. As millions of Muslim faithful in Sudan prepare to mark the beginning of the Holy month of Ramadhan, Amnesty International demands full restoration of communication services in all of Sudan,” said Sarah Jackson, Amnesty International’s Deputy Regional Director for East and Southern Africa.
Without communication, humanitarian operations and emergency services are likely to grind to a complete halt, putting millions of lives at risk.
“This blackout is affecting already vulnerable populations who have had to endure conflict for close to a year now. Without communication, humanitarian operations and emergency services are likely to grind to a complete halt, putting millions of lives at risk. The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) must refrain from shutting down the internet as this is a lifeline for civilians,” she added.
Difficult to communicate with families and monitor violations
Over 20 people interviewed by Amnesty International said they continue to face challenges communicating with their friends and family members since the beginning of the communication blackout in early February.
This has created anxiety among Sudanese communities outside the country who are unable to connect and communicate with their loved ones.
“The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) must refrain from shutting down the internet as this is a lifeline for civilians,” Sarah urged.
“I have been unable to communicate with my family members in Khartoum for over two weeks now. I am so worried about their situation. I can only hope that they are well. The internet outage is keeping me worried about my family every day,” a Sudanese based in exile said.
Human rights monitors and defenders who are monitoring the situation in Sudan are also unable to carry out meaningful documentation of rights violations because of the internet shutdown. Over 15 human rights defenders interviewed by Amnesty International in Kenya and Uganda said they have struggled to document ongoing violations in most of Sudan since the beginning of the communication blackout.
Amnesty International researchers have also found it extremely challenging to communicate with people in Sudan, particularly in the cities of Khartoum, Bahri, and Omdurman.
Impact on emergency services
The work of frontline humanitarian aid providers has also been severely impacted.
One such group of providers is the Emergency Response Rooms (ERR) which were spontaneously created to help coordinate support for Sudanese impacted by the war and provide life-saving services to communities.
The virtual rooms consist of Sudanese in the diaspora and volunteers on the ground who process requests from the public via WhatsApp groups and other social media platforms.
These humanitarian requests include evacuation needs, identification of safe routes and exits, transportation options, access to food, water, electricity, shelter, and other basic needs. Because of the internet shutdown, the ERR’s important work is on the verge of paralysis.
Five ERR coordinators interviewed by Amnesty International said they are finding it difficult to coordinate with their colleagues on the ground to deliver food and other basic needs to the communities.
“Because of the internet shutdown, we are unable to communicate with our volunteers, we are unable to buy food, and medicine and deliver these services to those in need. Most of our soup kitchens in the greater Khartoum are cut off and therefore not working. We are also unable to purchase and deliver medicine and other medical equipment to the very limited health facilities that are still operating in the city,” a representative in exile said.
Impact on mobile money transfers
Due to the internet shutdown, Sudanese in the diaspora and those coordinating emergency responses in the country are unable to send or transfer money to Sudan and within Sudan via mobile banking applications, one of the few remaining means of transferring funds to and within Sudan.
In some cases, when money is transferred, recipients are unable to access the funds.
“E-wallets require internet connectivity to complete transactions. Lack of internet connectivity freezes E-wallet transactions, and no funds means no delivery of most of the ERR work including delivery of food and other necessities,” a humanitarian worker said.
