Blue Nile Civil Society Initiative Complains About Lack of Response from Humanitarian Organizations

Amsterdam: Wednesday, September 23, 2026: Radio Dabanga - The Civil Society Initiative has complained about the lack of response from international organizations working in the humanitarian field to their repeated calls to save the lives of thousands of civilians by providing humanitarian and health aid. At the same time, the initiative expressed its deep concern over the deteriorating humanitarian and living conditions in Geissan due to the spread of diseases and epidemics, which are exacerbated by the rainfall. They warned of a serious humanitarian catastrophe as waves of civilian displacement continue, particularly among women, children, and the elderly. Ali Hajo, Secretary-General of the initiative, told Radio Dabanga that they are issuing a very urgent distress call, as they had previously requested urgent intervention from international humanitarian organizations during the past period to provide aid and save the lives of these civilians, especially those on the Ethiopian border and in Geissan Governorate. He expressed his regret over the lack of a humanitarian response, at a time when the number of displaced persons has exceeded 43,000, the majority of whom are children and women in many areas of Geissan Governorate, especially the eastern areas of Amurat, Abdagala, Agro, and Sansano. He added: 'We issued a statement two weeks ago, but to date, there has been no humanitarian response to save the lives of these civilians.' Renewing the appeal: Hajo renewed the Blue Nile Civil Society Initiative's appeal to regional and international organizations to intervene urgently to save these civilians and stop the 'catastrophic war.' He continued: 'The humanitarian situation is difficult, and there is no response yet; the displaced are scattered in the open, in ravines and valleys, as shown in the videos and images.' According to field information provided by Siddiq Ali, the humanitarian file official for the SPLM, the number of displaced persons has reached about 42,271, representing 3,803 families, including 24,266 children and 11,713 women, amid extremely difficult humanitarian conditions and a severe shortage of basic needs. A statement issued by the Civil Society Initiative, seen by Radio Dabanga, indicated that field information confirms that large numbers of displaced people are facing shortages of food, drinking water, healthcare, and shelter, while rain and environmental conditions increase the risk of disease spread and exacerbate the humanitarian situation. The initiative renewed its call to humanitarian organizations, United Nations agencies, and donors to move urgently to provide food, water, healthcare, and shelter, and to ensure unimpeded access to humanitarian aid for those affected. It called on the relevant humanitarian authorities to conduct an updated field assessment to verify the scale of needs and determine humanitarian priorities. It also called for strengthening the protection of civilians and prioritizing women, children, and the most vulnerable groups in the response, while enhancing coordination with local civil society to monitor needs and follow up on the humanitarian response. The initiative affirmed its readiness to cooperate with humanitarian actors and donors, providing available field information and data on the conditions of the displaced to contribute to directing the humanitarian response to the areas and groups most in need.