SOS Alerts

The Lemkin Institute looks with dismay at the continuing crisis in Sudan and the international community’s virtual silence about it. For more than a year now, the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), led by General al-Burhan, have squared off with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), led by Mohammed Dagalo, known as Hemedti. The battle between the two armies has wrought tragedy across Sudan, from the capital, Khartoum, to the Darfur region. Over 8 million Sudanese have been displaced by the 13-month-old war. Over 2 million of those have fled the country entirely, with many seeking refuge in the neighboring countries of Chad and South Sudan, taxing their resources and threatening to destabilize the entire region.

As we write our eighth SOS concerning the situation in Gaza, we at the Lemkin Institute find ourselves speechless and profoundly dismayed at the lackluster effort to end Israel’s devastating war and genocide. Any hope of the international community stepping up and putting even the slightest modicum of pressure on the Israeli state has yet to materialize. Now, famine has set in, over 80% of civilian infrastructure has been destroyed, and virtually every Palestinian in Gaza has been displaced. Despite Rafah previously being designated a safe zone for Palestinians fleeing from mass atrocities and war crimes inflicted by the Israeli Defense Force, the Israeli military is moving forward with their invasion of the city, with approval from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his War Cabinet.

The Lemkin Institute is appalled at the reprehensible situation transpiring in Gaza. We condemn the actions taken by the Israeli government and its collaborators, who target Palestinians seeking refuge and aid. Denial of aid and resources entering Gaza has created a nightmarish situation and is a clear indicator of genocidal intent.

The Lemkin Institute for Genocide Prevention is issuing an urgent SOS warning for the imminent genocide of Palestinians in Rafah. On Wednesday, 27 March, Israel launched several bombing strikes on the city where nearly 1.4 million people are sheltering. These attacks could be the opening salvo to Israel’s promised ground invasion of the town, which is home to the critical crossing to Egypt. This bombing is a genocidal act conducted by Israel against a trapped civilian population.

The Lemkin Institute is horrified by the decision of the Israeli government to carry out a military operation on the city of Rafah, the southernmost city in the Gaza Strip. Rafah is currently a shelter for more than 1.3 million Palestinians who have already been displaced by the advancing Israeli army. We strongly condemn the Israeli government’s decision and express grave concern for the lives of Palestinians in overcrowded Rafah, as there are no places left to flee in Gaza.

The Lemkin Institute for Genocide Prevention implores the international community to impose a ceasefire and act immediately to help ensure that UNRWA is resupplied with fuel. Without a ceasefire, the world knows what the future holds for the remaining civilians of Gaza and those who are giving everything to sustain them. The question is whether or not those in power have the courage to prevent genocide from intensifying in front of our eyes.

The Lemkin Institute is alarmed by the Palestinian Red Crescent Society’s urgent appeal to the international community issued early on Friday, October 20. In this appeal, the organization stated that it received an order from the Israeli Authorities to evacuate Al-Quds hospital, which is currently accommodating 12,000 displaced people and caring for over 400 patients. We urge policymakers, world leaders, and other stakeholders to pressure Israel to protect Al-Quds Hospital and all other hospitals in Gaza while working towards an immediate ceasefire.

The Lemkin Institute for Genocide Prevention is absolutely disgusted by the response of Western nations to the crisis in Israel/Palestine. Western nations have given Israel a greenlight to commit genocide, have offered direct military support to Israel in its war on Gaza, and have clamped down on freedom of expression in their own countries. The sudden tweets and statements in the past days by European and North American leaders regarding the catastrophic humanitarian crisis are far too little, far too late. There is still no effort to bring Israel back from the brink of utter catastrophe. We are therefore concerned that these leaders are making public statements about humanitarian aid to hide their complicity in genocide and avoid legal responsibility.

The Lemkin Institute for Genocide Prevention is issuing a SOS alert for Palestinians in Gaza following Israel’s demands that over 1 million Palestinians evacuate northern Gaza within 24 hours. International peacekeeping organizations, including the UN and the International Committee of the Red Cross, have already warned Israel that their retaliatory attacks against Palestinian civilians are inhumane and illegal, and are worsening an ongoing humanitarian crisis. The Lemkin Institute warns that without immediate peacemaking efforts, the international community will oversee and be complicit in genocide in Gaza.

The Lemkin Institute for Genocide Prevention is issuing a second SOS alert for the Armenians of Artsakh, who are currently under the yoke of the armed forces of the Republic of Azerbaijan and are in critical danger of genocide.

At this moment in time, it is imperative that powerful leaders and states stand up to Azerbaijan and demonstrate clearly that any further aggression against Armenians will not be tolerated and will be met with all available options within the genocide prevention toolbox.